Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers has been fined GBP 100,000 for alleged homophobic chanting by their fans during a home game against Chelsea in April. The FA made the announcement on Friday and has referred to the term ‘rentboy’ in the chanting as a homophobic slur. The FA has also announced plans to raise awareness going into the new Premier League season in August.
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The incidents referenced by the FA happened in the 61st and 71st minutes during the Premier League game. Following the match, three arrests were made over bigoted chanting. The club has been warned and fined by the FA and accepted the FA’s allegations and admitted to not being able to ensure that match-going fans behaved in a respectful and non-bigoted manner.
The FA stated: “An independent Regulatory Commission has imposed an action plan and £100,000 fine on Wolverhampton Wanderers for two breaches of FA Rule E21 that happened during the 61st and 71st minutes of their Premier League game against Chelsea on Saturday 8 April.”
Homophobia continues to be an issue in English Football
News of the fine against Wolves comes following the 3-year football ban against a Fulham supporter who was accused of initiating homophobic chanting at a game against Chelsea. This is another story in a continuing struggle for the Premier League against homophobia in games. Earlier this year Tottenham Hotspur condemned fans who made homophobic chants, and Manchester United had to issue a warning to supporters against the same and there were allegations against Nottingham Forest also.
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Chelsea are specific targets of homophobia in the league, as the club represents an area of London that was previously a hotbed for the LGBT+ community in the UK. With the sanctions against Wolves, many will hope that homophobia is punished going forward for all other clubs that compete in the biggest league in the world.
