Plymouth 'appalled' after 'vile racist abuse' against Bim Pepple
It's following Argyle's 2-0 win over Cheltenham on Tuesday night
Plymouth say they are "appalled" after Bim Pepple was subjected to "vile racist abuse" on social media following Argyle's 2-0 win over Cheltenham on Tuesday night.
The Pilgrims collected their first Vertu Trophy points of the season as Lorent Tolaj scored a first-half brace before Pepple earned a penalty but then saw his 81st-minute spot-kick saved.
Following the match at Home Park, the 22-year-old striker told Plymouth officials he had been targeted by racist abuse across his social media platforms, sharing screenshots of the accounts and the messages he had received, which have been passed to the police and Meta to investigate.
A Plymouth statement said: "We are appalled to learn that Bim Pepple was subject to vile racist abuse on social media, after last night's match.
"We will do everything possible to support Bim and hold those responsible to account. Why did he receive these messages? Because he didn't score a penalty in a football match. We're all human.
"Why does Bim deserve to receive messages of this nature? Well, the answer is simple. He doesn't. Nor do any of our players or staff, and we stand with Bim and everyone at the football club, because we are One Argyle and against abuse of any kind.
"The actions of small-minded individuals will never impact that, and we know the Green Army will support Bim in any way he needs."