Chelsea supporters were heard singing anti-Semitic songs during Monday night’s match against Watford – just days after the club launched a project to stamp out the scourge.
The Premier League champions officially launched their campaign last Wednesday, which was backed by Jewish owner Roman Abramovich, who dedicated the game to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and Jewish community.
However, a Chelsea supporter who was at the game, has told how he witnessed a torrent of anti-Semitic abuse from his fellow supporters, and was moved to another part of the ground “for his own safety.”
Jonathan Metliss, who is also the chairman of the Action Against Discrimination charity, said he was left “disgusted” with the chanting he heard. He said: “They were singing all the usual songs, the song, to the tune of Smoke gets in your eyes, about Martin Chivers being a Jew and being circumcised, along with the usual yiddo chants.”
Taking pictures of the alleged perpetrators, he reported it to nearby stewards, and was then moved to the family enclosure.
Metliss added: “Watford has said they will investigate, with the CCTV footage they have and hopefully these perpetrators will get caught and punished.”
This story was originally published at Jewish News
Andrew Sherwood is the Jewish News Sport and Community Editor
I was at the match last night. I was at the opposite end to the Chelsea supporters and what chants I did hear from the Chelsea supporters were inaudible so I had no awareness at all of anti Semitic chants. If indeed there were anti Semitic chanting this is deeply concerning and I applaud jonathan Metliss for ‘taking a stand’ and the initial response from Chelsea FC to weed out and punish the culprits.
From the report there is no sense if the perpetrators were a tiny handful of anti semites or if the chants came from a sizeable section of the Chelsea supporters. It would be very helpful to have this perspective and context.
As a Watford season ticket holder for many seasons I can honestly say I have not heard any anti Semitic chants or behaviour from any supporters, home or away.