The Football Association has said it regards ‘yid’ as an offensive term, and has warned fans they could face criminal charges for using it.
In a statement, FA general secretary Alex Horne said his organisation believes that the word “is likely to be considered offensive by the reasonable observer and considers the term to be inappropriate in a football setting.”
Mr Horne added that “use of the term in a public setting could amount to a criminal offence, and leave those fans liable to prosecution and potentially a lengthy football banning order.”
The organisation, which oversees football in England, admitted that “language is a complex issue,” and that in some cases, “use of the term is a ‘badge of honour’ and is not intended to be offensive.”
