Leeds United have asked the UK Crown Prosecution Service and football authorities to crackdown on fan chants relating to Jimmy Savile and make them public order offences.
The Premier League club say that songs about Savile, who was one of Britain’s most notorious sex offenders, should be treated as ‘tragedy chanting’, with rival fans targeting the club with taunts about the late BBC star since his death in 2011.
Savile was born in Leeds and spent a large portion of his life in the Yorkshire city, but he held no affiliation with the football club.
Throughout the season chants about Savile have been heard from the terraces, including from both sets of supporters during the team’s FA Cup clash with Norwich City at Elland Road over the weekend.
The CPS outlines tragedy chanting as ‘tragedy-related abuse’ referencing fatal accidents or stadium disasters that involve fans, players or officials of rival clubs.
The Hillsborough and Heysel disasters, the Munich Air Crash and the deaths of Leeds fans in Istanbul are subjects that would fall under the category of tragedy chants.
Leeds United have called for a crackdown on supporter chants about Jimmy Savile
Leeds say chants about the notorious sex offender should be treated as ‘tragedy chanting’ under British law
In 2023, the CPS imposed tougher laws on tragedy chanting and said that it could be prosecuted as a public order offence – resulting in possible football banning orders, but Savile chants are not covered by the legislation because they are not related to football.
According to The Athletic, Leeds have called for the scope of the law to be broadened to include chants relating to Savile.
A spokesperson told the outlet: ‘Leeds United Football Club have lobbied and would be fully supportive of Jimmy Savile chants being classed as tragedy chanting and a hate crime.
‘The club’s supporters are subjected to these sickening taunts at every match by opposition fans, which should not be happening in today’s game and are a disgrace to the victims of Jimmy Savile’s abuse. Equally, the club disapproves of retaliatory chants from our own supporters.
‘The club is pleased this is finally being brought to the forefront by the media and hope that this can be the first step in helping to eradicate these chants, with support of the relevant governing bodies.’
Meanwhile, an FA spokesperson told the same publication: ‘We strongly condemn any offensive, abusive and discriminatory chants in football stadiums.
‘It is unacceptable and can have a lasting and damaging impact on people and communities within our game — and we support any club and their fans who try to eradicate this behaviour from the terraces. We continue to work closely with our stakeholders across the game and the relevant authorities to proactively address this issue.’
