West Ham United has issued a strong appeal to its supporters to avoid “offensive and divisive” chanting after a controversial chant containing an anti-Palestinian message was heard during the club’s Championship opener against Burnley.
The incident occurred during West Ham’s 2–2 draw at Turf Moor on Sunday, Aug. 16, as the London club began life in the Championship following relegation from the Premier League. Reuters and CNA reported that the chant was sung by a section of West Ham’s travelling support.
The club did not identify a player in its statement. However, footage circulated online appeared to indicate that the chant was directed toward new West Ham winger Manor Solomon, the Israel international who joined the club earlier this month.
The timing has made the controversy particularly significant.
Solomon, 27, had only recently arrived at West Ham and then scored his first goal for the club in the same match, putting the Hammers 2–0 ahead in the 72nd minute. West Ham ultimately surrendered that advantage after Burnley’s Zian Flemming scored twice late in the game to secure a 2–2 draw.
WEST HAM: SUPPORT THE TEAM, NOT DIVISION
Ahead of West Ham’s first home Championship fixture against Charlton Athletic at the London Stadium on Saturday, the club publicly addressed the controversy.
West Ham said supporters should be able to attend matches without fear of discrimination or abuse, while encouraging fans to continue creating the passionate atmosphere associated with the club—but without crossing into conduct that causes offence or division.
The club also pointed to its long-standing identity as an inclusive institution, emphasizing equality, equity, diversity and inclusion and describing football as a force capable of bringing people together.
The message is significant because the upcoming Charlton match will be West Ham’s first home league fixture since returning to the Championship.
SOLOMON’S DEBUT BECOMES PART OF A MUCH BIGGER STORY
On the field, Solomon’s debut had initially looked like the perfect start.
West Ham led 1–0 after Max Kilman scored in the 10th minute before Solomon doubled the advantage midway through the second half. But Burnley mounted a dramatic comeback, with Flemming converting a penalty in the 83rd minute before finding a stoppage-time equalizer.
That result already raised questions about West Ham’s ability to hold onto leads during their push for an immediate return to the Premier League.
Now, the club faces another challenge away from the pitch: ensuring that the atmosphere surrounding its new signing—and its wider fanbase—does not become defined by discriminatory or politically charged abuse.
THIS IS NOT WEST HAM’S FIRST FIGHT OVER FAN CONDUCT
The club’s latest warning also comes against the backdrop of previous disciplinary action.
In 2025, the Football Association fined West Ham £120,000 after determining that a significant number of supporters engaged in discriminatory homophobic chanting during the club’s Premier League match against Chelsea. The FA described the incident as sustained mass chanting and imposed an action plan requiring West Ham to strengthen measures aimed at preventing discriminatory supporter behaviour.
That history makes the club’s latest intervention more consequential.
West Ham is therefore not simply dealing with an isolated public-relations problem. It is also operating under heightened expectations regarding supporter behaviour and the club’s responsibility to prevent discriminatory conduct.
THE BIG QUESTION NOW: WHAT HAPPENS AT THE LONDON STADIUM?
West Ham has not announced a specific punishment for supporters in connection with the Burnley chant in the statements reviewed for this report.
For now, the club’s message is clear: supporters are free to sing, chant and passionately back the team—but not in ways that create division or cause offence.
The focus will now turn to Saturday’s home match against Charlton.
Will the controversy fade once football takes centre stage, or will the club face further scrutiny if similar chanting returns to the stands?
For West Ham, the answer could matter almost as much off the pitch as the result on it.
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