At Old Trafford and the Etihad, there were chants of ‘Chelsea rent boy’. Inside the Cardiff City Stadium came songs about Jimmy Savile. In the away section at Anfield, there were cries of ‘Feed the Scousers’. In other words, it was just another weekend in English football.
Abusive, discriminatory and offensive chanting is a stain on the national game which has been allowed to set in over decades. However, statistics show the number of people reporting the issue is now escalating. And a tipping point appears to have been reached this week, with the FA writing to clubs warning they could be charged for crowd songs – and the Crown Prosecution Service telling fans they face criminal action.