Ben Chilwell.
Ben Chilwell is currently playing for Crystal Palace. (Getty)
Championship side Millwall have been fined £15,000 ($20,500) after fans directed anti-gay chants at Crystal Palace player Ben Chilwell.
An independent regulatory commission also imposed an extended anti-discrimination action plan on the club until the end of the 2025-26 season, and gave them a warning for misconduct, in relation to crowd control during a fifth-round FA Cup tie against Premier League Crystal Palace in March.
A “sufficient” number of individuals were said to be involved in the chanting, although no one has been identified, the BBC reported.
A Football Association statement said the club had “failed to ensure its spectators and/or supporters (and anyone purporting to be supporters) conduct themselves in an orderly fashion and don’t use words or behave in an improper, offensive, abusive, indecent, or insulting way with either express or implied reference to sexual orientation”.
Millwall admitted the charges brought in relation to the “Chelsea rent boy” chant aimed at Palace full back Ben Chilwell who was on loan from the West London club.
The club condemned the use of the chant, which has been classified as a prosecutable offence by the Crown Prosecution Service since January 2022, meaning anyone using it could be banned from the club.
Part of the club’s action plan will involve working to tackle discrimination through its Equality Steering Committee and dedicated anti-discrimination campaign, All ‘Wall.
‘Such behaviour has no place in society’
“The club reaffirms its zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of discrimination,” a club spokesperson said. “Such behaviour has no place in society and is entirely at odds with the values Millwall stands for.” They urged supporters to report any discriminatory behaviour seen or heard on match days via the club’s dedicated Hear Hate, Don’t Hesitate helpline.
The FA has routinely condemned the “Chelsea rent boy” chant, previously telling PinkNews that it was “determined to drive it out of the game”.
The chant is thought to have originated from Earl’s Court, a haunt for male sex workers in the 60s and 70s, owing to its large number of queer-friendly bars.
Millwall finished eighth in the table last season, narrowly missing out on the play-offs for promotion from the second tier of english football.
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