Tottenham Hotspur is calling for their supporters to “move on” from the use of the Y-word after a review, per The Athletic. The north London club revealed that of 23,000 replies, 94 percent recognized the term could be used as a racial slur towards Jewish people.
Furthermore, the report also states that Spurs are in the process of launching a campaign to try and provide supporters with more details regarding the word and its roots along with historical context as to why it is so harmful.
The north London club released a statement regarding how they strive to be inclusive and welcome all types of supporters from various backgrounds.
“Our supporters’ use of the Y-word was initially taken as a positive step to deflect antisemitic abuse that they were subjected to at matches more than 40 years ago from opposition fans, who faced no sanctions for their actions,” Spurs’ statement said.
“As a club, we always strive to create a welcoming environment that embraces all our fans so that every one of our supporters can feel included in the matchday experience.”
Kick It Out’s antisemitism ambassador John Mann released his statement regarding the decision for the club to begin this initiative to stop supporters from using this word. Mann adds that those who use the word on social media aren’t Jewish or advocate for them.
“From the analysis I have done, those who use the Y-word as a Spurs linked identifier on social media are overwhelmingly not Jewish, nor ever advocate any positives about Jewish life,” Mann’s statement said.
“There are more people using the y-word identifier who repeat antisemitic tropes than those who identify as being Jewish. I congratulate Tottenham Hotspur on their announcement to address the Y-word and trust that other clubs will play their part in eradicating its use throughout football.”