Kilbane Complains About West Ham Fan Chants

Last updated : 24 February 2015 By Covsupport News Service/AO

Former Coventry City player Kevin Kilbane has complained to the Football Association about alleged chants from West Ham fans which mock disabled people during their game at Tottenham on Sunday.

Kilbane, whose ten-year-old daughter, Elsie, has Down's Syndrome, told the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror: "I am sure they understand they are causing offence. You cannot sweep it under the carpet and label it as ignorance. It is visible and clear and like racist or homophobic chanting, it is intended to cause offence.

"I want to be able to take my kids to football matches and when Elsie gets older she will understand about her condition and I would not want her to hear that kind of chanting. If her sister Isla heard it, she would be devastated too, as my friend's sons were.

Kevin Kilbane

"I spoke to him and he was extremely upset and I felt I had to report it. No family should have to put up with it at football matches.

"It was very clear and sadly it appeared to be from a large number of West Ham fans in the ground. This was not isolated to a handful of people.

"This is a wider society problem, not just a problem with football and idiots are using football as a tool to show their ignorance and discrimination.

"I have spoken to the FA and they have assured me they will investigate it thoroughly. In all my time playing and watching football, I have never heard this before. Hopefully we can do something to make sure it isn't again and this awful chant does not spread."

 

 

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