08 April 2023 , 19:46
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West Midlands Police made three arrests after homophobic chanting was heard during Wolves ’ 1-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday.
Matheus Nunes scored the only goal of the game at Molineux, as Frank Lampard returned to the Chelsea hot seat in his first game back as caretaker manager of the London club.
A tannoy announcement was put out during the fixture, asking fans to stop the ‘rent boy’ chant which has blighted Chelsea matches for a number of years, but which has become noticeably more prominent with rival fans in recent months. A section of supporters responded by jeering the announcement and singing the chants louder.
Both Chelsea and the Premier League condemned the chanting immediately after the game.
A Chelsea statement read: “Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour totally unacceptable.
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“It condemns the homophobic chanting by some home fans at Molineux this afternoon. Chelsea will continue to work closely with Chelsea Pride and the broader football community to eradicate these vile chants from our game.”
A Premier League statement said: “The homophobic chanting heard at the Wolverhampton Wanderers versus Chelsea fixture today has no place in football or society.
“The Premier League condemns all forms of discrimination. Football is for everyone.”
It was a disappointing return to the dugout for Frank Lampard (Getty Images)On Saturday evening, a statement from Wolves declared that they had been working with West Midlands Police and three arrests had been made.
A Wolves spokesperson said: “We strongly condemn the discriminatory chants aimed towards Chelsea supporters at today’s game.
“In response to the chants, supporters were reminded by a public address system announcement that discriminatory behaviour and chants of this nature are not tolerated at Molineux Homophobia, like all other forms of discrimination, has no place in football or society, and anyone engaging in discriminatory behaviour is committing a criminal offence.
“As a result, we can confirm that three arrests were made by West Midlands Police relating to homophobia, and the discriminatory chants in question.
“Our ethos at Wolves is about being ‘One Pack’ – an attitude we are passionate about and that extends to our relationships across the football community, regardless of rivalries or what happens on the football pitch. We thank all supporters and staff who reported incidents, and will continue to campaign for inclusivity and tackle discriminatory abuse, whether inside stadiums or online.
“The club will offer its full support to the police as they carry out their investigation.”