Are there two forms of anti-Semitism?

Spurs fans call themselves the ‘Yids’ because it was a name they adopted in 1936 when Oswald Mosley, leader of Britain’s fascist movement, led a march through London’s East End, chanting; ‘down with the Yids’ In order to antagonise their football opponents and arouse more emotion and tension during football matches, the Spurs fans adopted the name ‘Yid’. Although the club had many Jewish fans, the club was not known for primarily catering to Jews.

Spurs fans are called Yiddo or Jew – regardless of whether they were Jewish or not. Juergen Klinsmann played for Spurs during the mid-90s. He was usually welcomed into the stadium with: ‘Chimm-chimminee, chim-chimminee, chim-chim-churoo, Juergen was a German, but now he’s a Jew’. Chelsea have as many Jewish fans as Tottenham but their wind up chants, just like Wet Spam on Sunday, still cross the line ‘Hitler’s gonna gas ’em again, we can’t stop them, the Yids from Tottenham.’ The chants are meant to stir up emotions on both sides of the stadium.

For many these chants are seen as intentionally anti-Semitic. For me, if you are going to be that sensitive, take up Chess because a football ground ain’t no place for a person who gets offended easily. How do you stop visiting supporters singing anti semitic chants anyway? For the Spurs fans inside WHL it was a battle cry that became a term of endearment – even if a great love for Jews and Judaism was not a fundamental aspect of the Spurs chant the Tottenham fans explain the term Yid in a positive way: ‘The term Yids derives from the Jewish support of Tottenham Football Club. Coming from the language Yiddish, it is a slang term for a Jew.

Having had the name Yid thrown at them in a derogatory fashion, the supporters of Spurs adopted it as their unofficial nickname so that it would not have the same effect if other clubs shouted it in an anti-Semitic manner. Therefore, Spurs fans chant ‘Yids’ and ‘Yid Army !’ to deflect the racist attacks of other chants. The problem now is that officialdom and political correctness is going to get in the way of the rival banter that we enjoy during a game. The principal does not translate however, when coloured players are involved. Let’s face it, if Thierry Henri gets called a Frog no one bats an eyelid but if someone calls him the ‘n’ word and starts making monkey noises that’s when the line has to be drawn.

I don’t care if I get called Yid. I am proud of being a member of the Yid Army and if Wet Spam think they can get a rise out of us by giving it the Old Nazi salute, let them, it don’t mean anything anymore. Actually, it’s like watching your dad dance at a wedding disco, it’s pathetic! But what else have Wet Spam got to shout about? In fact Spurs fans are quite chilled about Sunday’s insults it seems it’s the media and political activists who want to make something of it.

Makes me laugh that the bloke with a Wet Spam season ticket gets a life ban and the pratt who lit the flair just got evicted from the ground. So what do you fellow Yids think then? Were you offended by the Wet Spam last Sunday? Do you care, or, if you don’t, should you care or are we going to be made to care if the Society of Black Lawyers have their way.
(Tags: Sports, Anti-Semitism, England)