Hertfordshire under-fourteens team receives nine-month ban following “Hitler would be proud” Snapchat post

A Hertfordshire-based under-fourteens football team has received a nine-month ban following an inflammatory social media post from one of its players.

Following the Potters Bar United under-fourteen’s win over the Jewish children’s football team Maccabi London FC on 19th September, one of the Potters Bar players uploaded a Snapchat post which said: “4-3 win over some random Jews. Hitler would be proud.”

Accompanied was a petrol tank emoji, seemingly a reference to gas chambers in Nazi Germany.

The team has now been banned from playing games for nine months, two of which are suspended for one year. Additionally, two players have been suspended from playing, must attend an FA online education programme and the club must pay a fine.

The family of the boy responsible for the post has agreed to undertake a course on Holocaust education and Judaism with a rabbi. 

A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Police said: “An investigation was launched in September 2022 after police were made aware of a post on social media containing antisemitic language. The post was made in relation to a football match involving two youth teams based in Hertfordshire.

“Enquiries were carried out and a teenage boy was interviewed under caution. He fully admitted the offence and was dealt with by of community resolution.

“Hate crimes can have a severe impact on victims and on the wider community as a whole. Incidents of this nature will absolutely not be tolerated in Hertfordshire and any reports made to police will be taken seriously and dealt with sensitively.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism continues to report on and act against instances of anti-Jewish racism in all sports.