09 March 2007
Jewish organizations in the UK have criticized an English soccer team after its fans' anti-Semitic chants were posted on the internet. Some 30 supporters of the West Ham United soccer club, which plays in the prestigious English Premier League, were captured on a cell phone video chanting "I'd rather be a Paki than a Jew" at the team's match against Tottenham Hotspurs on Sunday, a reference to Tottenham's large Jewish fan base. The video appeared shortly afterward on the internet, and was taken down, but not before the Football Association had notified the police.
West Ham's management promised to investigate the incident, including why security personnel present in the stadium did not intervene. "This deeply disgraceful and racist behavior has no place in British society," said Mark Gardner of Community Security Trust, adding, "We expect West Ham to make every effort to identify the culprits and ensure they are not welcome at any matches in the future."
