Sam Allardyce: Fans should police chants
West Ham manager responds to anti-Semitic chanting
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Your support makes all the difference.Sam Allardyce, the West Ham manager, has told the club's fans to police themselves or face the consequences after the anti-Semitic chanting from a section of their support during Sunday's game at White Hart Lane.
Allardyce wants supporters to be more proactive in stopping offenders and preventing further damage to the club's image. "I think that fans who are next to these people should deal with them first and foremost if possible," he said. "You don't want to be labelled with that type of situation, that type of chanting, that type of stuff. And that's where hopefully a bit of self-policing will be brought in.
"If not, then deal with these people accordingly and obviously there will be some serious punishment if we catch them."
Allardyce condemned the chanting strongly yesterday. "I don't view any type of chanting [of that type] to be allowed or accepted in the game of football today," he said. "The West Ham fans are absolutely fantastic in terms of the amount of support that they give us. And then you've got this small minority that are creating this sort of ill feeling towards the vast majority of West Ham fans."
The Tottenham manager, Andre Villas-Boas, condemned the chants too. "The level of aggression of the chanting goes out of proportion," he said. "It is complete stupidity as I said after the game."
"I am grateful for the quickness in which both clubs have gone into the matter, plus the FA and police. We applaud the fact that there has been some aggression towards this situation."
There was some criticism for Allardyce's lack of condemnation on Sunday evening, but he claimed yesterday that he was not aware of them at the time. "I wasn't prepared and didn't want to comment having not heard what went on," he said.
Odds Man United 1-4 Draw 9-2 West Ham United 11-1
Kick-off 8pm (Highlights BBC 1, 10.45pm)
Referee M Jones (Cheshire)
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