Chelsea
Chelsea have released a statement after their 1-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Saturday which addresses the “totally unacceptable” homophobic chanting sung by a section of the home fanbase. Wolves ran out 1-0 winners on Easter Saturday thanks to Matheus Nunes’ wonderful first-half strike, but Wolves supporters were reminded via tannoy that they would be ejected and action would be taken if the chanting persisted. Now Chelsea themselves have made a statement condoning the “vile” chants and have outlined their efforts to do away with such behaviour in football.
Chelsea statement read: “Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour totally unacceptable. It condemns the homophobic chanting by some home fans at Molineux this afternoon. Chelsea will continue to work closely with Chelsea Pride and the broader football community to eradicate these vile chants from our game.”
Wolves say three arrests have been made relating to the matter.
Wolves statement: “We strongly condemn the discriminatory chants aimed towards Chelsea supporters at today’s game. In response to the chants, supporters were reminded by a public address system announcement that discriminatory behaviour and chants of this nature are not tolerated at Molineux. Homophobia, like all other forms of discrimination, has no place in football or society, and anyone engaging in discriminatory behaviour is committing a criminal offence. As a result, we can confirm that three arrests were made by West Midlands Police relating to homophobia, and the discriminatory chants in question. Our ethos at Wolves is about being ‘One Pack’ – an attitude we are passionate about and that extends to our relationships across the football community, regardless of rivalries or what happens on the football pitch. We thank all supporters and staff who reported incidents, and will continue to campaign for inclusivity and tackle discriminatory abuse, whether inside stadiums or online. The club will offer its full support to the police as they carry out their investigation.”
The Prem on the matter
Premier League tweeted: “The homophobic chanting heard at the Wolverhampton Wanderers versus Chelsea fixture today has no place in football or society. The Premier League condemns all forms of discrimination. Football is for everyone.”
The FA investigated the singing of the chant at Nottingham Forest’s game with Chelsea, Everton’s defeat to Manchester United, where it was directed at Blues legend and current boss Frank Lampard, and Manchester City’s win over Chelsea.
