BRENTFORD BOSS DEMANDS ACTION OVER TOTTENHAM CHANT AT STADIUM

Brentford manager Keith Andrews has called for a formal investigation into a second-half chant from Tottenham supporters that he said “crossed a line,” overshadowing his side’s 2–0 defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Goals from Richarlison (25’) and Xavi Simons (43’) sealed the win for Spurs, but Andrews’ post-match interview was dominated by his concerns over what he described as “a harmful and targeted chant” altered from one of Tottenham’s most famous songs.

Andrews angered by “unacceptable” second-half chant

The atmosphere was typically fierce inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with home supporters in full voice throughout. But shortly after the hour mark, during a spell of Brentford pressure, a chant emerged from the South Stand that immediately drew the attention of the Brentford bench.

Andrews said he heard a manipulated version of Oh When the Spurs Go Marching In, one of the club’s best-known terrace anthems, repurposed with what he called “inflammatory and personal” lyrics aimed at one of his players.

He declined to repeat the chant but insisted it strayed far beyond ordinary matchday rivalry.

Andrews said: “I know what football banter sounds like. Today wasn’t banter. When an iconic chant gets warped into something personal and derogatory, you can’t brush it off as passion or rivalry. There are lines supporters don’t cross, and what we heard in the second half crossed one of them.”

When asked whether Brentford will pursue the matter formally, he confirmed they had already spoken to the match delegate.

“Absolutely. It’s not about punishment, it’s about accountability. Clubs do brilliant work to promote respect and inclusion and chants like that undo it in seconds. The player involved is shaken but fine. He wants it handled properly and we’ll support him.”

Tottenham were informed of Andrews’ comments shortly after full-time. A club spokesperson said Spurs would “review all available footage and audio” and reaffirmed their commitment to enforcing their supporter conduct policy.

“We take allegations of discriminatory or abusive chanting extremely seriously,” the statement read. “If any behaviour is found to have breached our code of conduct, appropriate action will be taken.”

Spurs have issued bans in previous seasons for abusive chanting and maintain a zero-tolerance approach.

Famous chant “turned sour”

Witnesses seated near the Brentford dugout said they heard a version of Oh When the Spurs Go Marching In with derogatory references to the player’s nationality and a recent off-pitch rumour. Brentford staff, who chose not to publicly identify the player, were said to be visibly angered.

One member of the coaching team leaving the pitch was overheard saying: “That’s not the Tottenham I know. They’re better than that.”

On the pitch, Tottenham were dominant in the first half. Richarlison opened the scoring with a sharp finish midway through the half and Xavi Simons curled in a second shortly before the break. Brentford improved after the restart, controlling long periods of possession, but rarely troubled the home defence.

Andrews accepted Tottenham were deserving winners but insisted the chanting incident was of greater concern.

“Football is emotional. We lost to the better team today, that happens. What shouldn’t happen is a player being subjected to things that have nothing to do with football.”

The Premier League will study the match delegate’s report before deciding whether to open a formal investigation. Tottenham may also carry out internal checks, including steward reports and stadium audio monitoring.

For Andrews, the incident is one the game cannot ignore.

“We’ll move on from the result,” he said. “But we can’t ignore what happened in the stands. If we want a better game, we have to deal with these things, not excuse them.”