Spurs Fans Can Be 'Rejected' From Jobs Alongside Arsenal Fans Following Judge's Ruling

Employers can lawfully choose one job candidate over another on the basis of which football teams they support, according to a court judgement.

The ruling by Judge Daniel Wright concluded a case that had nothing to do with football and was focused instead on employers' right to maintain cultural harmony in the office.

But the judge laid out a football example to illustrate his judgement, effectively giving employers the legal right to overlook a fan of a particular club in one ludicrously specific circumstance.

The case in question was brought by a Russian job candidate in the UK who claimed she was rejected for a job at the final interview stage because she doesn't like going to the pub.

Maia Kalina said she wasn't hired because she wasn't keen on the 'typically British' pastimes of swearing and drinking with colleagues.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (Image: Getty)

The interviewer told the court she 'vibed' better with the chosen candidate, thus rendering the entire case utterly farcical. The judge continued that theme with the football illustration outlined in his ruling.

"We have two candidates who were both considered appointable. They were pretty evenly matched, with their own particular strengths. I see nothing wrong with looking at who would fit into the team better as long as the assessment is done with caution," said the judge.

"I find that there is no stereotype of British workers being as [Kalina] describes.

James Maddison practising a typically British pastime (Image: Getty)

"There may be times when it is perfectly lawful for an employer to decide that somebody just will not be a fit with the team and that therefore it would be difficult to work together."

Social suitability is undoubtedly a tiebreaker in hiring processes but the idea of a candidate missing out on a job because of the football team they follow is a huge leap from there.

'Last question from us. What football team to you support?'

"An example of this could be a small company where everybody who works in the office is an ardent supporter of Arsenal football club, and they decide to pick an Arsenal fan at interview over a similarly qualified Tottenham Hotspur season ticket holder because they do not want to damage the harmony of the office," added Wright.

It might not be too long before that particular shaky precedent gets a legal test of its own.