Jewish Teenagers Report Antisemitic Abuse at School Football Tournament
Jewish teenagers have come forward with disturbing allegations of antisemitic abuse during a school football tournament, claiming they were told to 'go back to the gas chambers' and called 'dirty Zionists' by spectators. The incident occurred during the quarter-final of an Under-15s national football tournament held at Thorpe St Andrew School in Norwich on Thursday, leaving the students from Jewish Free School (JFS) in London feeling 'threatened', 'hurt', and 'ashamed to be Jewish'.
Details of the Alleged Abuse
According to reports shared with the Daily Mail, the offensive remarks began as soon as the JFS team started warming up on the pitch. Students heard repeated chants of 'Jews' and slurs against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a particularly shocking claim, one mixed-race boy alleged he was called a racial slur combined with 'Jew' by the crowd. Another boy reported being called a 'monkey', a term historically used by Islamic extremists as a derogatory reference to Jewish people.
The teenagers expressed deep emotional distress over the experience. One pupil stated, 'It's hard to describe how much it hurt to hear those words, and it left me feeling disgraced and worried about what else might happen.' Another added, 'We should be able to play without hate and antisemitism attacking our religion and us as a whole.' A third described the team as 'completely shaken', noting that the constant abuse made them feel 'ashamed, scared, and lacking in confidence'.
Response from Authorities and School
Parents of the affected boys have reported the incident to Norfolk Police as a hate crime and to the English Schools' Football Association (ESFA). Both organisations have confirmed they are investigating the matter. JFS subsequently lost the match 4-1, but the team and parents argue that the alleged racism disadvantaged them and are calling for the game to be declared void. They have also requested that ESFA disqualify Thorpe St Andrew from the competition.
In a letter to concerned parents, Thorpe St Andrew School emphasised that it takes 'all matters relating to discrimination, including antisemitic comments and abuse, very seriously.' The school stated it is liaising with JFS and that 'the wellbeing, safety and dignity of all players remain our highest priority.' However, students alleged that staff from the school 'didn't seem to care' when concerns were raised, allowing the abuse to continue.
Broader Impact and Reactions
The incident has sparked outrage among parents and advocacy groups. One mother, whose grandmother was a Holocaust survivor, shared her heartbreak, saying, 'I'm broken and heartbroken that my child needed to witness the antisemitism that my grandmother suffered 80 years ago in Latvia and lost all her family to.' She questioned the lack of adult intervention, noting, 'What is so hurtful is that it was so public. It was shouted and chanted and was just everywhere. I don't understand where the adults were to stop it from happening.'
JFS headteacher Dr David Moody described the incident as 'unacceptable' and confirmed that student statements are being collated as part of a wider investigation. In an email to parents, he praised the team's performance, stating, 'The team has done the school extremely proud going so deep into the competition and they should never have had to put up with the abuse that was thrown at them yesterday.'
Campaign Against Antisemitism, an advocacy group, condemned the behaviour, stating there is 'no excuse' for what amounted to 'outrageous and potentially criminal behaviour'. A spokesperson urged the police to investigate and for offenders to face the full force of the law, adding, 'The school too must probe what has happened and take urgent educational steps. We cannot allow tropes like these to become normalised in British schools.'
The Daily Mail has reached out to Norfolk Police, Thorpe St Andrew School, JFS, and ESFA for further comment as the investigations proceed.
