Leeds United are to urge their own fans to change the lyrics of a chant for Wilfried Gnonto after it drew criticism recently.
The Whites have held talks with supporters groups for lyrics in the song which ‘plays on racial stereotypes’ with it heard inside Elland Road and also written on social media.
The 19-year-old scored his first goal for the club in the 2-2 draw against West Ham on Wednesday night, but supporters could be heard using the chant that includes a reference to the size of his penis.
Story from earlier as #lufc urge fans to change the lyrics of their chant for Wilfried Gnonto.
Kick It Out have contacted the club and say the song ‘perpetuates a racial stereotype’ which is ‘harmful and offensive’. https://t.co/FqYxiQd1dl
— David Coverdale (@dpcoverdale) January 5, 2023
The song, which is sung to the tune of La Bamba by Los Lobos in 1987, has the words: ‘Willy Gnonto, Willy Gnonto, he eats spaghetti, he drinks Moretti, his c***’s f****** massive.’
The chant was first used during Gnonto’s home debut against Bournemouth back in November, with the club posting an alternative last line, ‘he plays for United’, on social media and tried to get fans to change the words. However, the original lyrics could be heard again.
Leeds are to raise the matter to the top of their agenda at next week’s Supporters Advisory Board meeting.
Complaints were made about the chant which related to the player’s manhood.
This isn’t the first time we’v heard something like this either. In December 2022, Amad Diallo, who is on loan at Sunderland from Manchester United, personally asked supporters to change a song which included the lyrics: ‘He has the biggest d*** in the Championship.’
He said: ‘Sunderland fans, I love your energy. Hearing you sing my name is incredible, but we need to be respectful. Let’s change the song, keep the noise and move forward together.’
A message from Amad ahead of today’s game 🫡#SAFC pic.twitter.com/yfrYb1Ip6m
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) December 3, 2022
And then in 2017, Romelu Lukaku spoke about an ‘offensive and discriminatory’ song heard from Manchester United fans about the size of his penis. He said: ‘Fans have meant well with their songs but let’s move on together.’
Gnonto joined Leeds for around £3.8m from FC Zurich on Transfer Deadline Day of the summer transfer window and made his debut for Jesse Marsch’s side off the bench in their shock victory at Liverpool in October.
He scored the opening goal against West Ham, which made him the youngest scorer for the club in the Premier League since James Milner in 2004.
The Premier League club were contacted by anti-discrimination group Kick It Out about what was sung. They said in a statement: ‘While we believe the majority of fans singing this chant are not doing so with racist intent, we would stress that racial stereotypes are harmful and offensive, irrespective of the intention to show support for a player.
‘We urge fans to show support with family-friendly language. We will be working closely with Leeds to ensure action is taken.’
A spokesperson for the Football Association adds: ‘We strongly condemn any offensive, abusive and discriminatory chants in stadiums and are determined to stamp this behaviour out. It must stop, and we support any club and their fans who try to eradicate this from the terraces.’
This is what fans had to say as Leeds prepare to urge their own fans to change the lyrics of an Wilfried Gnonto chant after it drew criticism…
@MidAgeSpread: Always makes me cringe when fans, grown men, sing *that* song about the alleged size of a 19 year olds genitalia. Bit weird, no?
@Dazzler17: Yep, agreed. We have some great songs, that one aint one of them…
@JayJay72124: Can’t even compliment a man’s genitalia
@safctim: Same problem at Sunderland for Amad Diallo, pleaded to fans and now they changed 😂
@VincentsVein: Nobody wants to speak up about people singing Jimmy Saville songs at us every week though? Alrighty then.
@35Will3: This will only encourage fans to carry on singing it, and louder! 😂 #lufc
@reynolds96: This does need to stop tbh, it’s clear that he doesn’t like it & it’s also fucking bizarre to sing about a teenage boys pipe #lufc
@Bavew97: Leeds fans in being weird shocker
@7Iavio: Why are white men obsessed with black genetalia bro
@Junderwood_19: Inevitable this was going to come about again.
@MellyMaestro: The amount of fans who feel the need the fight for their right to sing about a 19 year old boy’s penis is quite frankly staggering. Weird freaks.
@Brandon7Yates: Offence on behalf of others when no one has suggested the reason for the cock size part. If Willy asked us not to sing it and change the lyrics, I’m sure we would immediately. Ruining a quality song.
@MultiJono88: Completely agree with this. The club tweeted the line to sing a while ago. Sad that the vast majority are ignoring them #lufc
@bscholey90: But yet swat fans singing about Jimmy Saville is okay? Choose better battles
@JordyP1993: Been saying this since it emerged, do the right thing guys and girls!
@IufcIiam: the worlds gone fucking soft🤦🏼♂️if your jealous that his winky is bigger than yours then go cry about it in the corner, don’t ban a fucking chant over it
@LUFC_SZN: Football is so fucked. We can’t say someone has a big knob but fans can sing about people’s deaths, nonces, whatever else?😭
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