The row over Tottenham fans’ use of the word yids has started a wider debate about discriminatory terminology, argues Alan Fisher
David Cameron’s intervention in the long-running dispute over the use of the Y-word at Tottenham Hotspur took everyone by surprise. No doubt with a keen eye to the debate around free speech rather than a football audience, his interview with the Jewish Chronicle nevertheless struck a chord with many Spurs fans. “There’s a difference between Spurs fans self-describing themselves as ‘yids’ and someone calling someone a ‘yid’ as an insult. You have to be motivated by hate. Hate speech should be prosecuted – but only when it’s motivated by hate.”
The City Stadium Jastrzbie-Zdroj is the 15,000-capacity home of Polish fourth-tier club GKS Jastrzebie, though only the area of around 6,800 seats is used.