:: Ever wondered why Tottenham fans are called... 'YIDS?' ::
 
When you first start going to White Hart Lane your first job is to learn the words to the songs that everyone else knows except you. One song or chant! that you won't fail to hear starts before the game as you walk down Tottenham high road. You'll hear it in pubs for your pre match drink up, You'll also hear it at five minutes to three when the team comes out onto the pitch and it will more than likely continue throughout the game. I'm talking about the chant "Yidos! or Yids!".

Most away fans try and wind us up by calling us "Yids" thinking it will get on our nerves but in fact to most fans in the ground it's quite a normal name to be referred to and we even call ourselves it. The reason being is that Tottenham has quite a large Jewish community. The language spoken by Jewish people is in fact "Yiddish" A cockney rhyming slang of a Jewish person is also to call them a "Yid". This is now a nickname associated with Tottenham Hotspur and I'm sure you'll be aware that 35,000 Spurs fans week in week do not get upset and in fact accept the term of being called a Yid! You can actually see Tottenham fans making a song and dance of the latest chant "Who? Who? Who Let the Yids Out??" Even so this still has a controversial affect. I mean within the stands of the stadium no one means it in an insulting or derogatory way but as a way to encourage our team to victory. Unfortunately if you use the same context in a street or some bone head hurls this abuse at a Jewish person the reaction is not the same and a great deal of offence could be taken. The fact that it was our Saarf London trespassing neighbours who aimed this chant at us in the 1970's. We showed that is was only water falling of a ducks back and instead of taking offence found our new nickname. So! now all you Ch*lsea and (W)Pest 'am fans that come to the Lane thinking you are insulting us with your chants! Next time look carefully at the Tottenham fans and you might find us singing along with you!!!

[source: Spurs fansite]