The chanting is alleged to have taken place during the first half of Southampton’s win over Tottenham Hotspur
A football fan present at Southampton’s St. Mary’s Stadium during their 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur has reported two Saints fans for anti-Semitic chanting.
The fan, a Sunday Times journalist who has remained anonymous for fear of reproach, alleges hearing two men near him singing anti-Semitic songs during the first half of the game.
Just 10 minutes into the game he reports hearing them sing “Spurs are on their way to Auschwitz, Hitler’s gonna gas them again”, before saying “You’d better not come back next week” after being told that their chant was racist.
Later on in the first they were heard singing “Same old Tottenham, all need gassing,” and “Get in the showers”.
The pair are believed to have left their seats before half-time, but not before shouting abuse at the journalist, telling him that they would “see you after the game”.
He was found another seat in the ground and offered an escort out of the ground, which he says was not necessary in the end.
The incident represents yet another example of English football’s problem with anti-Semitism.
In December 2018 Chelsea condemned a number of their fans for the use of anti-Semitic chants during their 2-2 Europa League draw away to Hungary’s MOL Vidi, and Tottenham themselves have been urged to take stronger action against their fans’ use of the nickname ‘yids’.
In January, the Community Security Trust, the Jewish Leadership Council and Action Against Discrimination told the Independent that the club needs to “take a stand” against the use of the word.
Tottenham have previously stated that while they have a “zero-tolerance position” regarding anti-Semitism, they insist that their supporters use of the word is not “intended to cause offence”.
