Tottenham survey reveals fans are split over use of Y-word

The Tottenham fanbase is split over the continued chanting of the Y-word at matches, the club has revealed.

The club consulted more than 23,000 supporters in August and found that almost half of respondents would prefer fans to chant the Y-word less (23 per cent) or not at all (22 per cent).

The Y-word was adopted by Spurs fans as a defence mechanism against anti-semitic abuse in the 1970s, but many consider its continued use to be inappropriate and racist.

The survey found that 33 per cent of respondents use the Y-word regularly in a footballing context, while 18 per cent do not use the term in a footballing context and consider it offensive, with the number rising to 35 per cent among Jewish respondents.

Only 12 per cent of respondents would use the term outside of a footballing context and 94 per cent of respondents acknowledged the Y-word can be considered a racist term. These figures are evenly split among Jewish respondents, with 36 per cent regularly chanting, 30 per cent occasionally chanting and 34 per cent choosing not to chant the term.

The club said: “[The consultation] underlines just how complex the nature of this issue is and these varying viewpoints are illustrated in the responses that we received.

“Sentiment around this term appears to be changing among the fanbase. There is a recognition of the offence the Y-word can cause and that a footballing context alone does not justify its ­continued use.

“This consultation has shown that a particular number of our supporters are offended by the term and almost half of all respondents indicated a clear desire to see fans use the Y-word less or stop altogether.

“We pride ourselves on being an inclusive and forward-thinking club and these findings indicate the awareness our fans have of current sensitivities and a willingness to reconsider the appropriateness of the continued use of this term.

“We shall be organising a series of focus groups, giving supporters the chance to meet and exchange opinions with fellow fans with views from across the spectrum on this matter.”