Man arrested for chanting 'Yid' at London soccer match

Despite ban and heavy police presence, Tottenham fans use controversial term in support of team

Despite directives not to use the term, one man was arrested Sunday at a Tottenham Hotspur soccer game in London for chanting “Yid.”

There was a heavy police presence at the West Ham United-Tottenham match as part of a crackdown on racism. Police threatened to take action against anyone who chanted the term for Jew, even if it was Tottenham supporters who use the term affectionately to deflect anti-Semitic abuse.

But the term, often used as a derogatory term for Jews, was sung with gusto by Tottenham fans and one was arrested at halftime for using it.

The London’s Tottenham Hotspur Premier League team has many Jewish supporters who sometimes call themselves the “Yid army.” However, the term is often used by other soccer teams to describe Spurs fans in a derogatory way.

The governing body of English soccer announced last month that fans could face criminal charges for using the term “Yid.”