Football: West Ham Fined for Homophobic Chanting
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
West Ham United Football Club, nickname ‘The Hammers’, have been fined £120,000 (around €142,300) after admitting a charge of homophobic chanting by their supporters during a match against Chelsea Football Club.
The Hammers were charged with misconduct in March 2025 following their Premier League defeat by Chelsea on 3 February 2025 at Stamford Bridge.
After admitting the charge, an independent regulatory commission imposed the fine, having found that the Club failed to control its supporters and that the chanting amounted to a criminal offence.
The Hammers stated that they have a zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination and added that they “unequivocally condemn” all forms of offensive conduct.
The English Football Association changed its disciplinary rules in 2023 to make homophobic chanting a chargeable offence.
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