Tottenham Hotspur Fans Charged Over Yid Chant at Matches

Three men have been charged by police in a crackdown on the use of 'Yid' by Tottenham Hotspur fans at football matches.

Gary Whybrow, 31, Sam Parsons, 24, and Peter Ditchman, 52, were charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words under the Crime and Disorder Act.

All three men allegedly used the derogatory term for a Jewish person while watching Spurs at White Hart Lane, last year.

Among fans, the word 'yid' is not used a term of abuse and is chanted with pride as an homage to fans large Jewish fanbase and as an identifier of the Tottenham 'tribe'. But its wider anti-Semitic meaning means the club and the Football Association are working with police to stamp out its use by supporters.

Ditchaman, of Bishops Stortford, allegedly used the term during a game against West Ham United, in October. He was also charged with having cocaine on him.

Parsons and Whybrow allegedly used the banned word during a Europa League match against FC Sheriff, in November.

Prime Minister David Cameron initially called on the authorities to not arrest fans for using 'yid' during matches. He told the Jerwish Chronicle "Hate speech should be prosecuted - but only when it's motivated by hatred."

But the FA classifies the word in the same category as n****r. Spurs initially defended use of the phrase by fans as not being intended to cause abuse and called for a debate on the word. But it later hardened its stance on the word by insisting no toleration of "abusive, offensive or obscene language."