Wolves stewards were given a list of 17 homophobic chants to listen out for and take action over if they are heard being sung.
A sheet of paper was handed out to the club’s stewards before their 4-1 defeat to Brighton last weekend, Mail Sport revealed this week.
Leading up to the game, stewards and security staff were told to make sure they helped make it an ‘enjoyable, safe and welcoming environment’ for all fans within the stadium.
Wolves said to Mail Sport that the document is good practice in terms of informing stewards about what constitutes discrimination.
The 17 chants that Wolves stewards are listening out for and take action over
We can see you holding hands
You’re just a town full of fa****s
You’re just a town full of b*****s
We always s**g girls
Brighton take it up the b*m
Does your boyfriend know you’re here?
Go home you gayers
Up your a*** m’lord, up your a***
Soft Southern p******s
Up your a***, up your a***
What’s it like to suck a c***?
The referee’s a gay boy
Gay and you know you are
Do you take it up the a***?
You’re queer and you know you are
You only sing when you’re b***ing
Have you ever s*****d a girl?
Plus: Any shouts of ‘fa****s’, ‘gay’ or ‘n***e’
Physical limp-wristed gestures
Wolves saw five fans ejected from the match vs Brighton last season for homophobic chanting, three of those were looked further by West Midlands Police. Two of the three faced criminal convictions.
A list of 17 football chants that Wolves FC have compiled to assist the stewards In their brave fight against homophobia pic.twitter.com/GoyV4c6VGK
— 🌴Mick💥Fulcher🌴 (@mickbognor) August 21, 2023
A statement read: ‘With Wolves set to host Brighton & Hove Albion at Molineux this weekend, the club is reaffirming its zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination of any kind.
‘Supporters who are not prosecuted by police or issued a Football Banning Order are still at risk of being banned from all Wolves matches if deemed to have contravened Wolves’ Acceptable Behaviour Policy…
‘Whilst creating an incredible atmosphere at Molineux is what our supporters do best, Wolves urge fans to consider the acceptability of their behaviour and whether it crosses a line into discrimination or illegality, while thinking also of the other people in the stadium who may be impacted as a result of their actions.
‘For avoidance of doubt, homophobic abuse is considered a hate crime in the UK, and while the laws predominantly deal with crimes committed directly against LGBTQ+ people, it also includes crimes committed where the suspect has mistakenly identified another person as belonging to or associated with the LGBTQ+ community and/or a protected characteristic as defined by the Equality Act 2010.
‘PC Stuart Ward, football hate crime officer from West Midlands Police, said: “There is no place for discrimination in football, or society in general, we will always fully investigate any reports we receive from supporters, and we’ll seek to bring those involved before the courts to face punishment.”‘
Supporters at stadiums are urged to report any incidents that includes discrimination towards stewards or to the club directly via a text hotline.
It also comes after Wolves were fined £100,000 by the Football Association for homophobic chanting by their fans in a game against Chelsea in April.
The chant came in the 61st and 71st minutes with “a large number of supporters for a prolonged period of approximately 20 seconds each”.
Fans at the game were told over the PA system that “discriminatory behaviour and chants” would not tolerated with three arrests made for the alleged homophobic chanting.
The FA said at an independent regulatory commission “imposed an action plan and £100,000 fine on Wolverhampton Wanderers for two breaches of FA Rule E21”.
Wolves admitted the charges of failing to ensure their fans “conduct themselves in an orderly fashion, and do not use words or otherwise behave in a way which is improper, offensive, abusive, indecent, or insulting with either express or implied reference to sexual orientation”.
Earlier in July 2023, a Fulham supporter was banned from football for three years after admitting a public order offence relating to homophobic chanting during a game against Chelsea in February.
With Chelsea players and supporters long being the target of a homophobic chant from opposing fans, The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in 2022 said the chant is a homophobic slur and add that fans singing it during matches were committing a hate crime.
The FA wrote to clubs in January to say it could take disciplinary action against clubs if fans show discriminatory behaviour, including the homophobic chant.
KICK IT OUT REPORT FOR 22/23
Kick It Out received a record 1,007 reports of discriminatory behaviour in the 2022-23 season.
This total, which includes reports from the professional game, in grassroots and across social media, represents a 65.1% rise on the previous season.
Reports of online abuse increased by 279%, with the organisation receiving 207 more reports related to online forums and social media than in the previous 12 months.
Racism remains the most common form of discrimination in both professional and grassroots football, accounting for just under half (49.3%) of all reports, while reports related to sexism and misogyny represented the largest rise in a specific discrimination type.
Figures show a 400% increase in reports of sexism and misogyny across the board, up from 16 reports to 80, which has been amplified by a massive spike in online abuse towards female players and supporters (up from one report in 2022-23 to 46 this season).
Encouragingly, Kick It Out’s reports per incident rate has risen for the fourth consecutive season, suggesting that fans are more inclined to report discrimination. The significant leap in reports highlights that discrimination is still a serious issue within the game, although the record figures could also be attributed to an increased awareness of reporting procedures and fans becoming less tolerant of discriminatory behaviour.
Faith-based discrimination fell slightly this season, due to an 18% drop in the number of reports received of an antisemitic nature, although Islamophobia (up by 300%) and sectarian chanting (15.8%) were both up.
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