Cardiff City Lose Appeal For Homophobic Chanting

Cardiff City’s appeal against a £15,000 Football Association fine for homophobic chanting by supporters during a Carabao Cup match against Chelsea has been dismissed, with an FA Appeal Board ruling that the sanction was proportionate and justified.

In a written decision published following a hearing in May, the Appeal Board upheld the punishment imposed by an Independent Regulatory Commission after Cardiff admitted a breach of FA Rule E21 relating to discriminatory supporter conduct.

The charge stemmed from an incident during Cardiff’s Carabao Cup tie against Chelsea on 16 December 2025, when supporters were heard chanting the homophobic phrase “Chelsea Rent Boy” in the second minute of the match. The chant lasted approximately 10 seconds and was later brought to the FA’s attention through a social media post.

Cardiff accepted the charge earlier this year, acknowledging that under the FA’s strict liability regulations it had no defence to the misconduct allegation. However, the Championship club appealed the size of the sanction, arguing that it had taken extensive measures before, during and after the match to prevent and address discriminatory behaviour.

The original Regulatory Commission imposed a £15,000 fine, ordered the club to implement a detailed action plan through the end of the 2026-27 season, and issued a warning regarding future conduct.

In its appeal, Cardiff contended that the commission had underestimated the club’s preparations and response to the incident, including engagement with supporter groups, discussions with police, anti-discrimination messaging and measures deployed after the chanting occurred.

The Appeal Board rejected those arguments, concluding that the commission had been entitled to find significant shortcomings in the club’s match-specific planning and evidence.

The ruling noted that Cardiff had identified the risk of “Chelsea Rent Boy” chants before the fixture and had recognised that discriminatory behaviour was possible. However, the board agreed with the commission’s assessment that the club failed to demonstrate adequate planning to mitigate that heightened risk.

The board also supported criticism of the club’s efforts to identify those responsible for the chanting. No individuals involved in the incident were identified, and the decision highlighted shortcomings in the club’s evidence regarding surveillance, crowd monitoring and post-match investigations.

The Appeal Board further endorsed the commission’s finding that hundreds of supporters had participated in the chant, rejecting suggestions that only a handful of individuals were involved.

While acknowledging Cardiff’s prompt admission of the charge, cooperation with the FA and otherwise clean disciplinary record, the board concluded that the club’s level of culpability justified a financial penalty in addition to the action plan.

“The Fine was a sanction that the Regulatory Commission was entitled to impose,” the Appeal Board said in its final ruling. “It was not disproportionate or unnecessary in all of the circumstances of the case.”

The board also rejected Cardiff’s attempt to introduce additional evidence from a South Wales Police officer during the appeal process, finding that the club had failed to explain adequately why the material had not been presented at the original hearing.

As a result, the appeal was dismissed and the £15,000 fine remains in force. The action plan ordered by the Regulatory Commission, aimed at strengthening Cardiff’s measures against discriminatory conduct, will also continue unchanged.

The decision represents another example of the FA’s ongoing efforts to combat discriminatory behaviour in English football, with governing bodies increasingly scrutinising clubs’ preventative measures as well as supporter conduct itself.