Manchester United has condemned the homophobic chants that interrupted their FA Cup third-round victory against Everton on Friday.
The “Chelsea rent boy” chant could be heard coming from the Old Trafford home fans throughout the second half of the game, which United won 3-1. LGBT+ football supporters have traditionally viewed the chant as homophobic.
Currently, the Crown Prosecution Service has classified the chant as a hate crime. Despite this, it is still sung by supporters, with the most recent instance occurring on Friday night.
Throughout the game, a large portion of the Old Trafford fans could be heard chanting “rent boy” towards Lampard. In response, United has condemned the offenders and stated that they are devastated by the situation.
As reported by the Manchester Evening News, the statement read:
“Homophobia, like all forms of discrimination, has no place in football. Manchester United is proud of our diverse fan base and the work we have done to reduce instances like we sadly heard today.”
“We will continue to campaign for inclusivity and to tackle discriminatory abuse whether inside stadiums or online. This includes working with fan groups to educate fans on the offence which discriminatory language causes.”
United has apologised after Rainbow Devils, the club’s LGBT+ supporters group, criticised other supporters for participating in the offensive chant.
Less than a week prior, the chant was also heard during Chelsea’s draw at Nottingham Forest, which the FA is also looking into. As a result, the Football Association has also opened an investigation into the incident.
Last Monday, the CPS announced that it was speaking with police about the incident at the City Ground and insisted that anyone caught singing the chant would face legal action.
