An investigation has been launched into allegations of homophobic chanting that appeared to be directed at Frank Lampard.
The Football Association said it had begun a probe after comments seemingly directed towards the Blues boss at Old Trafford as Everton battled Manchester United in the FA Cup third round. It made reference to Lampard's past as a player and manager at Chelsea and has been condemned by Rainbow Devils, United's LGBTQ+ supporters' group.
Rainbow Devils has called on the club to identify those responsible and to take action. The club released a statement in which it said: "Homophobia, like all forms of discrimination, has no place in football."
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A statement from the FA said: "We strongly condemn the use of the term 'rent boy' and we are determined to drive it out of our game. We continue to work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service, as well as the UK Football Policing Unit, in relation to the use of this term.
"Part of our work in this area has been to provide the relevant authorities with impact statements from LGBTQ+ supporters, detailing how chants of this nature affects their experience and feeling of inclusion at football matches, so that a clearer stance and understanding on the chant can be established. We stand firmly against all forms of discrimination and we are striving to ensure our game is a safe environment for all, which truly embraces diversity and challenges hateful conduct both on and off the pitch."
Manchester United, which won the game 3-1, commented: "Homophobia, like all forms of discrimination, has no place in football. Manchester United is proud of our diverse fan base and the work we have done to reduce instances like we sadly heard today. We will continue to campaign for inclusivity and to tackle discriminatory abuse whether inside stadiums or online. This includes working with fan groups to educate fans on the offence which discriminatory language causes."
Rainbow Devils added in a comment posted on Twitter: "We strongly condemn the taunting of Frank Lampard with the illegal and homophobic chant from a section of our fans and call for the club to take action. We call on Manchester United to do everything in their power to identify the culprits and deal with them in the strongest possible manner."
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