Insulting as the word "Yid" is, some Jewish football fans have turned it on its head and adopted it. Spurs fans, Jew and gentile alike, chant "Yid Army" with pride.
It is easy to understand why, and to go along with it. But tempting as that might be, it is a mistake. It serves only to mask the the level of antisemitic abuse, a very real problem in the game. As David Baddiel says: "Anti-Semitism is the 'other' racism in football, and, because it so lags behind in visibility to racial abuse of black players, it is hardly ever discussed." But we need to be consistent. Before we demand that others stop using the word, we should do so ourselves at White Hart Lane.
