Hull City fined £30,000 over ‘rent boy’ chant during Chelsea FA Cup tie
WARNING: The club condemned the chanting
By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor
Hull City has been fined £30,000 by the Football Association for homophobic chanting by a section of supporters during February’s FA Cup tie with Chelsea.
The club has accepted a charge of breaching FA Rule E21, been warned about future conduct and issued with an action plan.
Three supporters identified as having engaged in homophobic chanting have been banned by the club for a minimum of three years.
The club condemned the chanting and issued a warning about fans’ behaviour. They will have an immediate test to see whether the message has been heeded as the Tigers face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League tomorrow.
City said in a statement: “Hull City condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the offensive and inappropriate language used by the supporters responsible. The ‘rent boy’ chant in question is recognised as a homophobic slur and its use may constitute a hate crime.
“Three supporters identified as having engaged in homophobic chanting have been banned by the club for a minimum of three years. Individuals found using this chant may be arrested and face criminal charges.
“Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Stamford Bridge, the club reminds all supporters that discrimination of any kind is wholly unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
“The club operates a strict zero-tolerance policy and will continue to work with the relevant authorities to ensure appropriate action is taken against anyone responsible for discriminatory behaviour.
“Hull City reaffirms its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and all our supporters have a role to play in ensuring matchdays are safe and welcoming for all. The club will continue to engage in regular dialogue with supporter groups to further improve the matchday experience for everyone.”
It added: “We encourage supporters to report any discriminatory abuse directly by texting the word HULL, followed by details of the incident and where it occurred, to 60066, or via Kick It Out.”
Meanwhile, police are continuing to investigate racist abuse directed at French striker Robinio Vaz on social media after his signing was announced on September 1.
The UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) said in a statement: “The UK Football Policing Unit is currently liaising with Humberside Police in relation to abusive social media messages directed towards Robinio Vaz.
Enquiries are in the early stages and officers will be working closely with social media providers, including Meta and X, to identify those responsible for the messages.”
A spokesperson for the UKFPU added: “As we have said repeatedly, there is absolutely no place for racial abuse, either online or in person, and anyone who believes they can hide behind their keyboards should think again.
“The UKFPU condemns this abhorrent behaviour and we will ensure that, through our dedicated team of officers, we do everything possible to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.”