FA To Contact Newcastle United Over Mido Chants

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The FA are to contact Newcastle United after offensive chanting was directed towards Middlesbrough striker Mido during yesterday's game between the teams at the Riverside Stadium.

A small section of the travelling Newcastle support was heard to chant, "Mido, he's got a bomb" at the Egyptian player. The chant had been heard during this fixture last year and had sparked a debate around what was banter and what constituted abuse from fans in sports stadia.

Most chants are fairly harmless, but there is a nasty racial undertone to this particular one that the FA will not look kindly upon as it seeks to eradicate racism from the game with its 'One Game, One Community' campaign.

As they did in August last year, Newcastle immmediately condemned the chant, stating, "The club does not condone any sort of offensive chanting."

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate also took a calm, mature approach to the issue, implying that the chants siad more about the stupidity of those making them rather than causing offence.

"We have to rise above it. If people want to shout those things, then it is more a reflection on them," said the Boro boss.

The FA, which is likely to take an approach that involves working with the club to educate its fans to prevent a repeat rather than adopting a punitive line, didn't rule out police involvement.

"We’ll speak to the clubs," an FA spokesperson said. "This will most likely involve working with the club to try to prevent it happening again. The police may also be involved."

Zack Wilson, Goal.com