Arsenal's first trophy parade in 11 years was marred by controversy after one fan favourite led vulgar chants, resulting in the FA handing out a £40,000 fine for misconduct
Arsenal's English midfielder Jack Wilshere holds the trophy as he stands with teammates on the top deck of an open-topped bus during the Arsenal victory parade in London on May 31, 2015, following their win in the English FA Cup final
Jack Wilshere infamously taunted Tottenham atop Arsenal's title parade in 2015(Image: LEON NEAL, AFP via Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Arsenal legend Jack Wilshere was slapped with a substantial fine after spearheading anti-Tottenham chants during a trophy parade. The Gunners celebrated their first trophy parade since 2015 on Sunday, with more than 500,000 supporters lining the streets of Islington to honour their Premier League-winning heroes.
The title was the club's first silverware since the 2020 FA Cup. As that took place during the pandemic, the final against Chelsea was contested behind closed doors and there was no trophy parade.
Therefore, the previous celebration was staged 11 years ago after the Gunners claimed the FA Cup for the second consecutive year. However, the occasion was marred by controversy after Wilshere landed himself in trouble for an obscene chant about the club's bitter north London nemeses.
After seizing the microphone, Wilshere asked the crowd: "I have one question and one question only: what do we think of Tottenham?"
He added: "And what do we think of s**t?" before participating as the crowd sang back: "We hate Tottenham and we hate Tottenham, we are the Tottenham haters."
The mic was then removed from Wilshere, only for him to grab it back and say: "We have got one more."
He then chanted: "My old man said be a Tottenham fan..." which included expletives about Spurs when sung in full.
Martin Odegaard ahead of the Gunners' 2026 trophy parade
Martin Odegaard led the Gunners trophy parade after finally reclaiming the Premier League(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Arsenal promptly apologised during their in-house media coverage of the event, while Wilshere, then 23, was addressed by club officials. He was accused of "overstepping the mark" by former Arsenal striker Niall Quinn.
It is evident the FA concurred, as they sanctioned the midfielder with a £40,000 fine and issued him a warning. They said: "Arsenal's Jack Wilshere has been fined £40,000 and severely warned as to his future conduct after admitting to a charge of misconduct.
Content Image
Content Image
"Wilshere was found guilty of making and/or inciting certain comments during the club's open bus trophy tour after their FA Cup Final victory, with his conduct deemed to be improper and bringing the game into disrepute."
Wilshere also issued a public apology on social media, posting: "Sharing back2back Cup wins with so many amazing Gooners is a dream come true. Apologies if I upset or offended any of u with my celebrations."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.