West Ham chairmen want to root out wrongdoers
West Ham United chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold have urged the club's fans to report inappropriate behaviour after anti-Semitic chanting marred last weekend's match at Tottenham Hotspur.
Some West Ham fans mocked Spurs' links with the Jewish community by singing songs about Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and mimicking the hissing of the gas chambers that were used to execute Jewish people during the Holocaust.
The Football Association subsequently launched an investigation into the incidents, while two West Ham fans were arrested and one has since been issued with a life-time ban by the east London club.
In an open letter to supporters published on the West Ham website on Friday, Sullivan and Gold said they were "disappointed" by the actions of the fans involved in the chanting at White Hart Lane and urged supporters to be vigilant.
"We have both been sent hundreds of emails and have personally spoken to a number of fans, who have all told us that they share our sentiments and are angry that the reputation of their club has been besmirched by the actions of a few mindless individuals," the letter said.
"We have said to them what we will say to you now -- it is up to us all to not tolerate anything that we deem to be unacceptable when supporting West Ham United.
"In the rare case that you do see or hear anything inappropriate, there are a number of ways you can report the matter."
Sullivan and Gold urged fans attending matches to either speak to their nearest steward or call a dedicated phone number at Upton Park to report abuse.
West Ham host European champions Chelsea on Saturday, and Sullivan and Gold described the match as the "perfect opportunity to show the world what being a West Ham fan is all about -- supporting with pride, passion and respect".
©2011 AFP
{message}