Two men have been questioned by police after allegedly chanting homophobic abuse at Brighton fans during Saturday’s (November 19) Albion game.
The pair, both Southampton fans, were arrested after allegedly singing offensive anti-gay chants during the match, which was attended by more than 3,000 Brighton fans.
They were arrested by officers from Hampshire police during the game at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium.
People reported offensive singing in the stands despite police warning Southampton fans before the match that any homophobic chanting would be taken seriously.
The arrests, which are believed to be among the first of their kind, come just weeks after Albion fans said they believed they were targeted because of the city’s large gay population.
John Hewitt, the chairman of Brighton and Hove Albion Supporters’ Club, said: “We get it everywhere we go.
“The ground regulations say you cannot use homophobic behaviour.
"There’s a certain amount of banter between fans, but when it crosses that line and becomes offensive it’s not acceptable.”
A spokesman on behalf of the Brighton-based Justin Campaign, which works to tackle homophobia in football, said: “Southampton fans were warned before the game by police that any homophobic chanting would be taken seriously.
“While there is still a lot of work for equality in the game, these arrests do show that the authorities are taking positive action to show homophobia is not welcome in the beautiful game.”
Two Brighton fans were also questioned by police after the game – one of suspicion of throwing a bottle and another on suspicion of a public order offence.
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