Luton Town rejected ‘Tommy’- Now it’s Hearts turn.

He goes by the name of Tommy Robinson, a famous Luton Town casual. Yaxley-Lennon uses the name to give him credibility amongst football lads. His real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon. He is a convicted fraudster and former member of the BNP. Despite his claims, he’s a racist. One of his tweets reads “What do you call a Pakistani that don’t smell? #asif”. A few years ago, he formed the English Defence League (EDL), a virulently Islamophobic organisation led by racists and fascists. He led racist EDL marches and brawls across the country. He also unsuccessfully attempted to form Pegida UK which is another openly racist movement who attack refugees, Muslims and people of colour. At the Luton v Plymouth game he turned up with 10 bodyguards, 8 of them were black. He claimed they were his mates. He’s like a posh white liberal who turns up with black people to try and look ‘politically correct’. Last weekend, his mask slipped again. He videoed himself after a night out. He claimed to have been in an all black night club and said, “I’m like a rice crispy in a bowl of coco pops”!

Yaxley-Lennon and his supporters claim to stand up for free speech. They want the freedom to denigrate Muslims. But whenever they organise and spread their lies we see an increase in attacks on Muslims and Mosques. We’ve also witnessed a growth in attacks on people for ‘looking Muslim’. That means people of colour who look different to the knuckleheads who are unable to draw any distinction between Muslims and Sikhs or other people from the Indian subcontinent. The right to spread hate is not the same as free speech. Yaxley-Lennon claims to stand up for victims of sexual abuse yet has defended paedophiles in his own ranks. The British far right is littered with sex pests and paedos. Yaxley-Lennon doesn’t care about this. He focuses instead on highlighting cases that help him promote his racist agenda. He has nothing but contempt for working class people and want’s scapegoats for the problems we face.

Two weeks ago, Yaxley Lennon turned up at the Luton Town v Plymouth game. This was 8 weeks after Luton Town FLAF leafleted the Luton v Charlton match. There was a reunion of Luton casuals. We took out the Luton Town Football Lads and Lasses against Fascism (FLAF) banner but some of his bodyguards tried to stop us. There were some scuffles with his bodyguards. In one of his videos you can hear him shouting, “Where’s the f**king bobyguards?” The police surrounded Yaxley-Lennon and escorted him and his bodyguards away with some Luton Fans chasing after them. He was repeatedly challenged and confronted all the way to the game.

Since the Plymouth game, he’s repeatedly taken to social media to try and get his story across. Within a couple of days of the match he’d already deleted 4 videos and changed his story as many times. He’s tried calling out Luton Town FLAF supporters for being anti racist and anti fascist. He’s even posted a family photo of one of the Luton Town firm as he tries to discredit him to his followers. Yaxley Lennon is a racist fraud and a low life.

The group who want to welcome Yaxley-Lennon to Tynecastle are a vocal minority at the club who are fascists. They are the core who bring shame to the club with their anti Irish bigotry and singing that creates a hate filled environment. They create the conditions for violent assaults against Neil Lennon and the ‘Hang Neil Lennon’ effigies. Everyone likes banter at the game but the overwhelming majority of Hearts fans oppose bigotry and this disgusting racism. Many also want the club to act. Hearts fans have decided to organise a Hearts FLAF supporters group. Here’s what some of them think about Yaxley-Lennon:

“I just ignored them but trying to use the memory of the McCraes battalion was the last straw for me. They are hurting Hearts.” – Gary

“Fans from our famous club fought and died fighting racists like him it would disrespectful to them to allow him to come to Tynecastle.” – David.

“Our club has a long and proud history of resisting fascism, we must keep that up now more than ever.” – Rab

“Fascism is a direct threat to working class folk. And Yaxley Lennon is their Hitler wannabe. Not at my f***ing club they don’t.” – Neil

“If he turns up he’ll get knocked on his arse just like at Luton. That goes for his fanboys at Hearts too. Enough is enough.” – Lee

Many senior figures have also come out against Yaxley-Lennon. Ian Murray, MP for Edinburgh South and former Foundation of Hearts chairman, says: “It’s sickening to see him post a mocked-up photo wearing the strip worn by my childhood heroes John Robertson, Craig Levein and Gary Mackay. Yaxley-Lennon couldn’t lace their boots,”

Jack Alexander, the author of McCrae’s Battalion: said “I have spent many years studying the battalion and I was privileged to know many of the original members, and many more of their descendants. They would be saddened by today’s developments and by the recent upsurge in offensive behaviour around Tynecastle and beyond.”

Hearts fans ran a tremendous campaign to save the club from financial ruin. The model of fans participation is something fans at other clubs can learn from. Hearts FLAF are working with other fans to oppose racism and fascism at Tynecastle. The anti Irish songs and waving of Red Hand of Ulster and Union Jack’s help create an atmosphere of hatred and an environment that attracts people like Yaxley-Lennon. We believe that fellow Hearts fans need to join us to stop this behaviour.

For more information about Hearts FLAF contact us here: www.flaf.org.uk