The Y-Word

by Ivor and David Baddiel.

Bravo.

Read the back story at The Independent.  Anytime something like this happens at Upton Park my head drops, and not just because the person I sit next to is Jewish.  

I've argued before that too many football fans are scumbags. They act in ways that just wouldn't be tolerated anywhere else.

One example - at the West Ham v Manchester United game a couple of weeks back, the atmosphere had been tolerable, give or take a few jibes at Wayne Rooney.  However, as soon as West Ham's 2-0 lead became 2-3, out of anger and frustration, hatred reared its head with that song about the Munich disaster.

These ridiculous 'Kick It Out' badges that players and managers wear, and other similar campaigns do nothing. Clubs have CCTV. They can identify everyone who sings an offensive song. They can send a letter to these people with a photo of them mid-chant, explaining what they were singing, and giving them a final warning that this behaviour will not be tolerated.  I suspect that clubs don't ever do anything like this as they are worried that they may lose too many of their core customers.  That is the problem.