Chelsea Officials Not Happy with Supporters’ Chants

Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. chant (n.) [chant, chahnt] – in sports, a series of words sung or shouted repeatedly by supporters

Example: Loud chants such as “Go team, go!” and “Fight, fight, fight!” were heard across the stadium.

2. on the bench (idiom) [on, awn] [thuh unstressed before a consonant] [bench]  – refers to a player waiting to play in the game (usually sitting and waiting on the team’s bench)

Example: As a beginner, he was on the bench all throughout the game to observe his seniors.

   

3. slur (n.) [slur] – an insult against one’s reputation

Example: The actor’s racial slur against his assistant gained much media attention.

4. accusation (n.) [ak-yoo-zey-shuhn] – a claim that someone has done something wrong or illegal

Example: His accusation was proven false due to lack of evidence.

5. tolerate (v.) [tol-uh-reyt] – to allow something bad or unpleasant to happen or be done without punishment

Example: The school does not tolerate students cheating on exams.

Article
Read the text below.

Chelsea Football Club officials were offended by their fans’ inappropriate chants last month during the European Champions League match against Belgian team Genk.

As reported, the fans shouted racist chants at Queens Park Rangers’ Anton Ferdinand in support for Chelsea’s captain John Terry, who was on the bench all throughout the game.

The chants were linked to Terry’s alleged racial slur against Ferdinand during an English Premier League game on October 23. Terry, in his defense, denied the accusation, saying that it was only a misunderstanding.

Chelsea’s spokesperson said that the team will not tolerate such behavior even from its own supporters. On the other hand, the club manager Andre Villas-Boas insisted that he did not hear any of the chants because he was concentrating on the game.

Ferdinand said he was greatly affected by the issue, but chose not to comment further until the investigation is finished.

According to Kick It Out chairman Herman Ouseley, it is up to the Union of European Football Associations whether action should be taken on this case. He also said that Chelsea should have the initiative to apologize to Ferdinand on behalf of their supporters.

Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

·         Do you think it is okay to shout out anything during a game? Why or why not?

·         Do you think supporters should also be punished when they insult a player or a team? Why or why not?

Discussion B

·         Do you think it’s just normal for players to use foul words?

·         What kind of punishment do you think is appropriate for players who use foul words?