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Nottingham Forest warns fans over 'misogynistic' chant
Picture of the red and white stands of the Nottingham Forest football ground, around the pitch in front of the blue sky.
Image caption, Nottingham Forest said "any form of discrimination" would not be tolerated

Nottingham Forest have warned anyone caught singing a well-known chant could face a ban while the club itself may also face sanctions.

The "Nottingham Is Full of Fun" song has been criticised for its use of crude terms for female body parts.

The ban follows discussions with Nottinghamshire Police, anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out and the club's fan advisory board.

In a statement, the club said "any form of discrimination, including misogynistic chanting, will not be tolerated".

The chant - performed to the tune of When the Saints Go Marching In - has been sung by some Forest fans for a number of years and there are similar versions adopted by supporters at other clubs around the country.

Pictures of Nottingham Forest supporters in the stands cheering and waving Forest scarves.
Image caption, The club has said the chant is not welcome

In a statement, the club said: "We want all supporters, including the women and girls who are an integral part of our Forest family, to feel safe and respected at the City Ground and when following the team away from home.

"Any supporters identified to be engaging in discriminatory chanting may face education sessions or further action, including club bans and being placed on acceptable behaviour contracts.

"The club may also face sanctions if such chanting continues.

"We ask all fans to consider the impact of their words and help ensure Nottingham Forest remains an inclusive environment where everyone belongs."

Picture of a white female with brown hair, wearing a scarf and black coat, pictured in front of a football pitch.
Image caption, Lisa Fox said she had mixed feelings about the chant

Kick It Out said reports of misogynistic chanting "rose sharply" last season and more than 50% of female fans had experienced sexism or misogyny at matches.

Paul Obayo, from the charity, told the BBC chants like these "create a sense of othering and unease for a number of different fans".

He said there were a "record number of reports" for sexism and misogyny in the game and for sexist mass chanting.

"We really welcome and acknowledge Nottingham Forest being proactive about this and the work they have done to consult with their fan groups, and really try and get ahead of this and I think that's an example people want to see all clubs do," he said.

Obayo said going forward he wanted to see wider acknowledgement of the hurt caused and more education and action about the issues concerned.

He said the charity was clear clubs could not "ban [their] way out of abuse" but praised Forest's proactive approach in working with the fan advisory board to "shift the culture".

The decision has caused a lot of debate among supporters on social media, with some questioning how offensive the chant is.

Forest supporter Lisa Fox said she was "not overly offended" by the chant, but found it "a bit archaic".

"I think there's other chants that we could sing that would make everybody join in and brings back some atmosphere that has been much needed," she said.

"It's expressing local identity, sense of humour to some degree, but it doesn't necessarily make it harmless."

Nottinghamshire Police has been approached for comment.

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