West Ham Soccer Fans Were Caught Chanting Anti-Semitic Slurs

Yesterday afternoon, soccer fans broke into an anti-Semitic chant aboard the London Tube as it passed through the heavily Jewish neighborhood of Stamford Hill. Following a match between West Ham and Tottenham, supporters of the former team united in singing a charming little ditty: "I've got foreskin / I've got foreskin / I've got foreskin / How 'bout you? / Fucking Jews!"

A Twitter user recorded the moment on his phone, and the video went viral just weeks after a British photojournalist captured Chelsea fans in Paris pushing a black man off the train while chanting, "We're racist / We're racist / And that's the way we like it."

On the train on the way to the game, West Ham fans break into song in Stamford Hill,a Jewish area, scum — Berry head (@RomanGeezer)February 22, 2015

Some context here: West Ham and Tottenham are bitter rivals, and both Jewish and non-Jewish supporters of the latter refer to themselves as "Yids." And while West Ham has a history of chanting anti-Semitic things, the video is particularly appalling considering the recent wave of anti-Semitic terror in Paris and Copenhagen that's left more than 20 dead.

Since the 1960s, the UK has been struggling with hooliganism in soccer, which is sometimes called the English disease, though it's hardly unique to Britain. In the 80s and 90s, the government cracked down on the hooligan "firms" responsible for the violence and vandalism, although journalist Bill Buford documented numerous riots during that time, including one at the 1990 World Cup, in Sardinia.

Members of West Ham's Inter City firm were known as "casuals" because they didn't dress in soccer attire and avoided chartered trains that were patrolled by police. They were mainly active from the 70s to the 90s, although they held a reunion in 2009. Soon after, violence erupted at a West Ham vs. Millwall match, and one man was stabbed. Police sources told the Daily Mail that firms were back and using the internet to drum up anger and plan violence.

In 2012, West Ham fans started mocking the Holocaust and making Nazi salutes after Tottenham beat them 3–1. The club took this very seriously; two men were arrested, while another season ticket holder was banned for life from attending West Ham games. Spokespeople categorically denounced the fans and said they would ban anyone caught making similar remarks. "We know the animosity there is between Tottenham and West Ham," the team's manager told the Daily Mail. "As long as it doesn't reach stupidity, it is a great rivalry."

Well, it seems to have reached stupidity, even if some people think the West Ham's fans antics have more to do with rivalry than racism.

Just yesterday, a West Ham fan posted a video on Twitter making fun of the incident in Paris with the Chelsea fans: In the short clip, two fans invite a black man onto a train. But at least one other fan doesn't think the two videos contradict each other—instead suggesting that bigoted remarks (at least anti-Semitic ones) are how supporters of that team talk about their rivalry with the so-called Yids.

"I don't agree what Chelsea fans done," one tweeted. "but come on leave West Ham fans alone. Only Tottenham and jews they offended. So not really racist."

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