13 January 2023 , 10:42
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Chelsea have welcomed the FA's decision to class the highly offensive "rent boy" chant as a breach of their rules, with the Crown Prosectution Service previously confirming that it could amount to a hate crime.
The chant has been frequently aimed at Chelsea players and those associated with the club, and was heard during the Blues' recent draw at Nottingham Forest and directed at Everton boss and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard during last Friday's FA Cup third round tie with Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Both the FA and the CPS have promised to rid it from the game, and Chelsea issued a statement praising their moves on Friday.
" Chelsea Football Club welcomes the FA’s decision to class the homophobic chant directed at our supporters as a breach of FA rules which could lead to disciplinary action being taken," said the club.
"This follows the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service to class this hugely offensive chant as a hate crime.
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"The ‘Rent Boy’ chant is intolerable and has no place in football or anywhere else. That opposition clubs can now face disciplinary action if their supporters engage in this discriminatory and offensive behaviour is a step in the right direction. Everyone who chooses to participate in this chant must know their actions have consequences.
The chant was aimed at Frank Lampard during Everton's FA Cup loss at Manchester United (Getty Images)"Alongside our No To Hate campaign, we will continue to work with the FA, the CPS, opposition clubs, and our own LGBTQI+ supporter group Chelsea Pride in the pursuit of positive change. There is plenty more work to be done, but we won’t rest until football is a game where everyone feels welcome."
The FA wrote to clubs last week saying it could take formal disciplinary action against them if their fans use the chant, which was welcoming by anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out.
They said: “This is another important step following the decision by the CPS last year to define the term as a hate crime and a necessary measure for communicating that this derogatory term has no place in the game.
“It’s vital that this announcement is now followed by decisive action by both clubs and football’s governing bodies, and we expect to see any future incident dealt with in an appropriate and consistent manner.”
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp called fans "idiots" for singing the chant after it was directed at Norwich's Billy Gilmour, who was on loan from Chelsea at the time, in August 2021.
"I never understand that, why you would sing a song that is against something in a football stadium, I never got that and never liked it," he said.
Chelsea have called for the chants to stop (PA)"I think it's easy to decide not to sing the song anymore. It's from no perspective the nicest song in the world, so it's not necessary. It obviously makes people uncomfortable from our own fan group.
"I can imagine now that people out there think, 'come on, it's only winding them up' and stuff like this. But that's the problem - most of the time we don't understand. I'm not sure if people listen to me but it would be nice. I don't want to hear it anymore for so many reasons.
"From a player or coach perspective, I can say these songs don't help us as well. It's a waste of time because we don't listen. If you think what you sing: you are an idiot. If you don't think about what you sang, it's just a waste of time, forget it and go for another song."
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