A Tottenham fan arrested for chanting the word ‘Yid’ during yesterday’s London derby with West Ham at White Hart Lane has been bailed until November. Both sets of fans were told by the Metropolitan Police that they faced arrest if they chanted the word at the match, which West Ham won 3-0. But Spurs fans defied the warning when the teams were announced and continued to chant ‘Yid Army’, ‘We’ll sing what we want’ and ‘Jermain Defoe, is a Yido’ throughout the game. Individual fans were spoken to by stewards and police and advised to stop using the term during the game and police confirmed a spectator was arrested during the half-time interval on suspicion of committing a section-five public order offence. He will appear in court next month. Yid is a term for a Jewish person which is often considered derogatory (Jews are actually YIDDISH not Hebrews nor Israelite’s), but fans of the north London club chant the word as an act of defiance against those who taunt them because of their strong links with the Jewish community. 1980 Jewish Almanac’s first chapter entitled “Identity Crisis,” begins with the following admission: “Strictly speaking, it is incorrect to call an [...]
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