West Ham Urges Supporters to Drop Offensive Chant Ahead of Championship Home Game

West Ham have issued a sharp warning to their own supporters, urging them to drop a chant “containing an anti-Palestine message” ahead of their first home game of the Championship season.

The club moved on Thursday after footage and reports emerged from Sunday’s opener at Burnley, where a section of the away end was heard using the offensive song. The incident has overshadowed the start of life back in England’s second tier and forced West Ham to confront a flashpoint that sits uncomfortably at the intersection of football and geopolitics.

In a detailed statement, the east London side said it was “aware of an offensive and divisive chant” and made it clear that such behaviour has no place at the club. The message was framed not as a gentle reminder, but as a firm line in the sand.

One of the subplots is the arrival of Manor Solomon. The Israel winger, a summer signing from Tottenham Hotspur on a three-year deal, has already stirred debate among some fan groups because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. His presence has become a lightning rod for wider tensions that extend far beyond the pitch.

West Ham’s hierarchy moved to separate support for the team from any political messaging in the stands.

“We encourage our supporters to sing loud and proud about their football club and the players wearing the claret and blue shirt — but never in a way that creates division or causes offence among fellow fans,” the statement read, stressing that everyone associated with the club carries “the responsibility we all hold to represent the club in the right way”.

The timing is deliberate. West Ham, relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season, host Charlton Athletic at the London Stadium on Saturday in what should be a raucous first home outing of the new campaign. The club want the noise. They just don’t want that chant.

How the fanbase responds in that vast bowl in Stratford will say plenty about the culture West Ham intend to build in their Championship fightback.