Leeds United fans could be prosecuted for homophobic chanting at FA Cup semi as arrest total is revealed
News from The Metropolitan Police on arrests in and around Wembley Stadium as Leeds United faced Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals.
The Metropolitan Police say there were just 14 arrests in and around Wembley Stadium as an 80,000-plus crowd saw Leeds United take on Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final.
Chelsea squeezed past their Premier League rivals thanks to Enzo Fernandez' first-half goal in blazing sunshine, with the official attendance announced as 82,542.
The YEP was contacted by a Leeds fan who reported an outbreak of fighting between fans of the two clubs as they mixed upon leaving the ground at full-time, having been allowed to exit at the same time. But according to the Met, despite the huge numbers packed into the national stadium there were very few arrests.
A Met Police spokesperson said: “Sunday’s FA Cup Semi-Final between Leeds and Chelsea at Wembley passed off largely without incident. There were 14 arrests in or around the stadium for offences including GBH, ABH, affray, assault on an emergency worker, common assault and tailgating."
But a similar number of Leeds supporters could yet find themselves being prosecuted for homophobic chanting.
“Will be reported for consideration of prosecution for other offences”
The Met spokesperson told the YEP: "A further 18 people were not arrested but will be reported for consideration of prosecution for other offences. This includes 16 Leeds fans who were seen and heard to be engaged in homophobic chanting."
Leeds fans were told by their club ahead of a 2024 meeting with Chelsea that a specific chant had been criminalised by the Crown Prosecution Service.
A club statement at the time said: "It is important that all supporters understand that the ‘rent boy’ chant is a homophobic slur and hate crime.
“It was made a prosecutable offence by the Crown Prosecution Service in January 2022, the main public agency for prosecuting crimes in England and Wales.
“Following the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service making it a prosecutable offence for anyone to sing or use the words, the FA communicated to all its clubs its intention to pursue formal disciplinary action relating to the chant in January 2023."