"The FA acts on all reported incidents of discrimination and we continue to work with both Tottenham and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on the matter of anti-Semitic chanting," said a spokesman. "The FA takes all matters of discrimination with the utmost seriousness and encourages the reporting of any such incidents through the appropriate channels."
Spurs fans defied critics of their Y-word chant during their Europa League win against Maribor on Thursday night, singing: "We'll sing what we want."
Though Tottenham defend their fans' right to use the term, they have been anxious not to cause offence themselves.
"As a club we are very conscious of the sensitivities of the word," the spokesman added. "We do not use it in any form of official communication and by way of example we will not agree to print it on the back of any shirt bought in the club stores."
Tottenham have taken advice from the Metropolitan Police and the CPS. The club say that their fans are acting lawfully.
"We are quite clear as a club it is not accurate or just to call our fans racist and on a point of accuracy they are not breaking the law," a spokeswoman said. "The law is clear that the use of the word is all about the context and intonation in which it is used.
"Otherwise you have the nonsense of accusing a Jewish fan who might use it of being anti-Semitic."
The police declined to comment yesterday on the prospect of its officers following up complaints from the society, saying that in the absence of allegations about specific instances the matter is speculative.
But it is clear the authorities have fallen short of eradicating anti-Semitic abuse from football. Jonathan Metliss, an Advisory Group member at Kick It Out, said: "There are many problems in relation to racism and racial abuse in football and anti-Semitic chants, which are all equally intolerable and unacceptable. It is an ongoing problem which needs to be addressed with zero tolerance."
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