North London Derby - Fans

Fans

Both Spurs' and Arsenal's fan bases are highly cosmopolitan and multi ethnic - a reflection of the racial diversity of London. According to a report in 2002, Arsenal had 7.7% of their fans calling themselves non-white British, the highest in the league at the time. Both clubs also have extensive fan bases throughout the UK and the rest of the world. Arsenal fans call themselves "Gooners" - a reworking of the club's "Gunners" nickname (itself a reference to Arsenal's origins as a munitions factory team). Spurs fans call themselves "yids" - a reference to the fact that, because of the large Jewish element among their support, fans of many other clubs back in the 1970s and 80's directed antisemitic chants at Spurs fans. In an attempt to draw the sting from these chants, Spurs fans (whether Jewish or not) adopted the words "yid" and "yiddo" for themselves and thereby turned a pejorative into a term of pride and belonging. With the passing of time and as a consequence of the ever mutating nature of the English language, the words "yid" and "yiddo" now only ever mean "Spurs fan" (or player) when used in the context of English football - even by fans of other teams. There is, however, still some controversy over the use of "yid" or "yiddo", especially for those who do not understand the positive origins of Spurs fans' use of the words.