This archive report was first published on 23 December 2019.
On December 22, 2019, a Premier League match between Chelsea and Tottenham was marred by alleged racist comments from the crowd, prompting a call for a government inquiry into racism in football.
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard described the problem as needing to be dealt with strongly, while Tottenham promised a thorough investigation after referee Anthony Taylor halted play during the second half when Antonio Rudiger complained of hearing monkey noises from spectators.
Earlier in the match, Rudiger was involved in a second-half clash with Son Heung-min that saw the South Korean sent off.
As the game resumed, two public address announcements were made, warning spectators that racist behaviour was interfering with the game.
Chelsea's Willian scored a double, including a penalty, to give Lampard a memorable triumph over his former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.
Former Manchester United player Gary Neville accused top UK politicians of fuelling racism, saying that if it's accepted in the highest office in the country, then the issue needs to be tackled at a higher level.
