Tonight Channel 4 are to broadcast a Dispatches that investigates hate in English football.
by Newsdesk | 3rd March 2014
There is a problem with the under-reporting of hate incidents at football games, leading police officer tells Channel 4 Dispatches
Homophobic Abuse on the Terraces
Brighton is considered to be the gay capital of England and last season their fans complained to the FA that they’d received homophobic abuse in more than half their matches.
However, the abuse continues for Brighton fans this season. Channel 4 Dispatches catalogued 20 homophobic incidents across three matches.
Last August, the Crown Prosecution Service and police introduced what they called “robust” new guidelines to deal with homophobic chanting.
The very day after this announcement we filmed at a Brighton & Hove Albion home game against Burnley.
Our reporters filmed examples of Burnley fans singing homophobic chants just meters away from a police officer.
At another match between Brighton & Hove Albion away to Wigan, we filmed several examples of homophobic chanting and comments including:
"It's a long way home, you faggots"
“Get bumming him boys …Gayboy”
“Do you take it up the arse?”
Even small children could be heard joining in with chants.
With 15 minutes left of the game, one of our undercover reporters spoke to the stewards and was told one family had been ejected for homophobic abuse, but the chants continued.
We showed our footage to two gay football fans.
Elliot Toms, a Brighton season ticket holder says: “It’s clear some of it’s stepping over the line really. So yeah, yeah I do find that shocking.”
Chris Basiurski, a leading campaigner against homophobia say: “Could you hear the kids voice singing it, very loud and very clear. Sounded about 6 or 7 years old. I was very worried about that. He’s going to grow up thinking yes it’s okay to laugh and sing about gay people.”
Both men believe that the football authorities do not take homophobia as seriously as other types of abuse.
When asked if they would be able to go and support their local team and not hear a homophobic chant, Elliot Toms says: “Well perhaps at the current rate I don’t think that will ever happen but you know with a bit of effort, you know we could probably stamp this out in perhaps a decade or so.
Darren Bailey, FA Director of Governance and Regulation, says: “Clearly footage that you’ve shown is of concern and we wouldn’t want to see any of that nature, in any of our grounds.”
“We all have a responsibility – clubs, supporters, players, law enforcement and the FA...We actually write out to all clubs that visit in advance of fixtures against Brighton, home and away to tell them and remind them of their responsibilities.”
“It may not be working as effectively as we would wish and we have to continue to squeeze out those number of incidents wherever we’re able to do so...We can only do this collectively. So we need the work of the police, we need the work of the crown prosecution service, we need the work of the judiciary.”
We showed our footage of the Burnley match to Andy Holt, the most senior officer in England responsible for policing football.
“I can clearly see that there’s some inappropriate behaviour going on, some of which may well merit an arrest.”
“…It could well be that nothing has happened and if that is the case then that is disappointing.“
Undercover: Hate on the Terraces – Channel 4 Dispatches – Monday 3rd March at 8pm
Read this and other stories on our free app
Download our latest edition of TheGayUK
More Stories
1 Song for Equality and Peace by Craymo
Gay Film Weekend Banned In 1,100 Catholic Owned Cinemas In Italy
Big Brother’s Aaron Frew Leaves Nothing To The Imagination With Completely Naked Shot