‘What I did was awful’ – banned fan ‘willing to make amends’

When Steve yelled back at some unseated fans as he left the field of play. Moments later, he was surrounded by arresters and in handcuffs.

He had committed a hate crime by shouting a homophobic slur and was accused of a Section 5 Public Order offence as a result. He entered a guilty plea in court, and he was prohibited from playing football in the UK for three years.

Steve is now trying to make amends after being exposed through a fan education program run by anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out despite the fact that he is not using his real name because he worries about the impact on both his professional and personal life.

Steve, a lifelong football fan, was leaving the stadium as he had just watched his team play Chelsea.

“I heard Chelsea fans yelling and I yelled back, “Oi, you Chelsea rent boys,” and I gestured at them without speaking. He said, “I thought I was just having a little back and forth with the away fans.”

The following is a blur in comparison.

“I left, and suddenly there were six security guards surrounded me.” Then, a police officer came in and donned my cuffs right away.

The “Chelsea rent boy” chant, which is directed at the west London club’s players and supporters, has been referred to as a homophobic slur by the Crown Prosecution Service since January 2022, and it states that anyone who sings it is a hate crime and faces charges.

“I’m in my 20s and I didn’t really understand that]term]”, Steve said. “I knew there was stuff around it, but I didn’t really perceive why it was homophobic”.

In the end, Steve was given a recommendation for Kick It Out, a fan education program where offenders learn about the various forms of discrimination and the effects their actions can have on victims.

“I accept that]what I did] was awful, and now it’s about repaying that, turning that into something positive. I’ve had a look at myself… I’m willing to make amends”, he said.

“People are going to make mistakes, but you’re judged on how you then move forward”.

He said the session had changed him “massively”.

The Kick It Out course is run by Alan Bush, the charity’s fan education and engagement manager, who has delivered more than 400 sessions in the past five years. At the time, 40 fans received citations from the police or clubs for their use of the Chelsea slur.

“We can’t just ban football fans from playing football, and we can’t ban our way out of that.” All we do is we push it back into society”, Bush said.

“Football has a responsibility to educate its fans… then fans say to other fans ‘ you can’t say that, mate, you’ll end up in court ‘ or ‘ you can’t say that because that’s wrong’. There’s a chance they report, there’s a chance that they challenge. And I simply believe that is far superior to simply banning people.

He added that “the vast majority have not understood the gravity of how offensive that]chant] can be, how that can cause harassment, alarm and distress to an individual”.

Bush uses Lee Johnson’s account of a passionate Tottenham fan who was forced to leave the game for almost a decade after hearing the chant from Chelsea inside White Hart Lane to illustrate his point.

“It completely shook me to my core,” Johnson – who is now co-chair of the Proud Lilywhites, the LGBTQ+ supporters’ association of Tottenham Hotspur – told BBC Sport.

“It seemed like the lights were all turned off, and I was standing alone.” It simply transported me back to the time when I was a student. Rent boy ‘ was one of the things I used to get]called]”.

In his hometown, Johnson frequently faced abuse. He used to use football as a means of escape and could “get lost in the magic of the game,” but homophobic chanting made him question everything.

“I was thinking ‘ Am I safe here? ‘ Would those around me verbally abuse me or be attacking me if they knew that I was gay? Would they stop singing about Chelsea and would they instead start singing about me? he said.

The Football Association has also been able to fine clubs since 2023 for chanting by their supporters.

Seven charges have been brought against six clubs for homophobic chanting, according to English football’s governing body. The clubs, which include Wolves, Leeds and Luton have been fined a total of £415, 000.

Tottenham Hotspur lost to Manchester United in their first-team game on September 29, 2024, and two of the charges against them have not yet been settled.

The updated FA guidance, combined with the change in law, appears to be having the desired effect.

Figures from Kick it Out show reports of mass homophobic chanting are falling, with 17 reported incidents last season, down from 43 in the 2021-22 season.

Steve is aware that he is a contributor to the issue.

He has gone through a range of emotions since being arrested, despite never having ever considered himself homophobic.

“Fear. Annoyance. Despair. Guilt. But then came acceptance”, he said.

“My journey essentially centered on personal development. I want to change the world from now on. I want to improve the game of football.

He wants to make sure other do not repeat his mistakes, adding: “Treat everybody with respect or you’ll end up like me with a ban and a criminal record.