Arsenal’s LGBT fans condemn homophobic song before FA Cup semi-final

The group sang about a former player as a “Batty Boy”, using other disgusting lyrics and later publicised a video clip of it on social media.

gaygooners is insisting that the long-established group stops spreading homophobic hatred and removes the song from future performances and from its YouTube account. It’s also demanding pubs near the Emirates and at Wembley boycott The Away Boyz until the band publicly apologises and renounces the song.

The anti-discrimination group Kick It Out has called on the police to investigate the actions of the Away Boyz group and the Green Man pub in Wembley which allowed it to carry on.

gaygooners’ co-chair Zitta Lomax said: “This is vile and sickening abuse, like a song from the American south in the 1920s or the worst of 1970s TV. These days the UK has clear anti-discrimination laws to prevent incitement. If this group had been singing songs with repulsive racial terms, the authorities would have already made high-profile arrests. We fully support Kick It Out’s calls for action. Football fans, LGBT and straight, are used to industrial language around the game but stirring up homophobia is completely unacceptable.”

gaygooners’ co-chair Dave Raval said: “Arsenal Football Club has led the way in tackling discrimination through its ‘Arsenal for Everyone’ initiative and rainbow laces video featuring first-team players. Our fans have responded brilliantly. Earlier in this FA cup run, Arsenal issued prominent advice to supporters heading to Brighton that it wouldn’t tolerate a repeat of the widespread homophobic chanting heard repeatedly in a similar game in 2013. Sussex police told us there was a remarkable improvement. The Away Boyz are popular and influential among Arsenal fans, the group has a duty to act responsibly.”

@SingerAwayBoyz posted a video clip of the “Batty Boy” song on twitter and said “You lot were great! Let’s do it once more shall we”. Many fans expressed their outrage but @SingerAwayBoyz responded: “I’m sorry if you are offended mate but you’re taking it the wrong way mate. Some of my best friends are gay, they like the song”. Others responded that was nonsense, disturbing and embarrassing.

Football equality group Kick It Out have called on the authorities to investigate: www.kickitout.org

The Association of Chief Police Officers and the Crown Prosecution Service published a prosecution policy for football-related offences, including homophobic abuse www.cps.gov.uk