MANCHESTER UNITED have reminded their supporters not to use “discriminatory chanting” ahead of the Red Devils’ clash with Chelsea this weekend.
Chelsea visit Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon in a huge Premier League clash as Ruben Amorim‘s side look to bounce back from defeat in the Manchester derby.
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But ahead of the game, United have reminded their fans that offensive chants will not be tolerated.
The club have highlighted a commonly used chant that is offensive towards the LGBTQ+ community, explaining that taking part in the chant is a hate crime.
A statement read: “As we prepare to welcome Chelsea FC to Old Trafford this weekend, Manchester United would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to ensuring that Old Trafford remains a place where everyone feels safe, respected and valued.
“We are aware of the use of the ‘rent boy’ chant that has been heard at fixtures involving Chelsea in recent years.
“We want to be absolutely clear: this chant is offensive, inappropriate and has no place at our stadium or within our game.
“The Football Association and the Crown Prosecution Service have both confirmed that the chant is considered discriminatory and is classed as a hate crime.
“As such, supporters who engage in this behaviour risk serious consequences, including ejection from the stadium, banning orders, and potential criminal charges.”
The statement warned that anyone found guilty of taking part in the chant could face a three-year suspension.
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While they added: “Manchester United is proud to be a diverse and inclusive club, with a global fanbase that reflects communities from every background, faith and orientation.
“Our All Red All Equal campaign and our partnership with fan groups, including Rainbow Devils, underline our belief that football should be a welcoming environment for everyone.
“We call on our supporters to uphold the values of our club by avoiding language and behaviour that causes harm or offence.
“We encourage fans to challenge this chant and any other discriminatory behaviour, and instead channel passion into positive support for the team.”
The statement comes after over 1,800 fans were arrested last season.
The latest Home Office statistics found that there were 1,803 football-related arrests involving supporters of clubs in the top 6 tiers in English football in 2024-25.
That represented a 12 per cent decrease compared with the 2,043 arrested in the previous campaign.
But the 121 Man Utd fans arrested was the highest tally of any club, followed by the 94 Manchester City supporters and 77 from West Ham, whose supporters have racked up 112 banning orders – the most from any club.
And the 685 new banning orders – requiring those on the list to report to police at match times and ranging from three to 10 years – handed out by magistrates in the course of the year took the total in operation to 2,439, the highest number since 2013.
