Newcastle stand behind Joe Willock after reports of racist abuse
Newcastle united say they are disgusted after Joe Willock was targeted with racist abuse after yesterday's win over Crystal Palace
Newcastle United say they are disgusted after Joe Willock was targeted with racist abuse after yesterday's win over Crystal Palace.
The club say the midfielder received several messages on Instagram - including racial slurs and threats of violence towards his family.
Newcastle has reported the matter to the police, and say their priority is supporting Joe.
But they have also called on Instagram, and their parent company Meta, to take more action over incidents like this.
Willock responded to the abusive messages about him and his family, which were sent after his appearance as a late substitute in Newcastle's 2-0 Premier League victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday.
The 26-year-old posted a screenshot of what he received in his Instagram messages, and said: "I pray you and your family find God. And may him (sic) have mercy on you."
Newcastle issued a statement on Monday, saying: "Following our win over Crystal Palace, Joe received several direct messages from an Instagram account that included racial slurs and deeply disturbing threats of violence towards Joe and his family.
"Sadly, Joe has faced this before. Each time, we have acted quickly to support him and that has been our immediate priority again.
"We have swiftly reported this matter to the police and we will fully support any investigation to identify the person responsible and hold them accountable, wherever they are.
"This can only happen with meaningful action from Meta, Instagram's owners. We urge Meta to give the police all the information they need to identify the perpetrator, and to do so quickly.
"Removing content and applying message filters is not enough. Social media companies must do more to protect users and support the prosecution of those who seek to break the law on their platforms.
"We stand firmly with Joe and anyone else who faces this kind of abuse."