Newcastle United’s Joe Willock Faces Racial Abuse on Social Media

Joe Willock made an appearance as a substitute in the 88th minute during Newcastle United’s recent 2-0 victory against Crystal Palace.

In the aftermath of the match, Newcastle United reached out to law enforcement following a series of “disgusting” racial slurs and “deeply disturbing threats” directed at Willock on social media. An anonymous Instagram account targeted the midfielder after he missed a chance to score late in the game, prompting him to share a screengrab of the offensive private messages he received.

The club expressed its outrage, stating, “We are disgusted by the racist abuse received by Joe Willock on Instagram on Sunday evening. Following our win over Crystal Palace, Joe received several direct messages containing racial slurs and alarming threats of violence against him and his family.”

In response to the abuse, Willock posted, “I pray you and your family find God. And may Him have mercy on you.”

This incident marks the second time in less than a year that Willock has publicly addressed racist messages received on Instagram. Last February, following a 2-1 defeat against Fulham, the club had also contacted the police regarding similar harassment.

Newcastle United has voiced that merely removing content and applying message filters is insufficient and urges social media companies to enhance their efforts in “protecting users and supporting the prosecution of those who violate the law on their platforms.”

The club added, “Sadly, Joe has faced this before. Our immediate priority has always been to support him, and we have promptly reported this matter to the police. We will fully assist any investigation aimed at identifying and holding accountable the individual responsible.”

A statement from Northumbria Police confirmed that an investigation is underway, in collaboration with the UK Football Policing Unit. A spokesperson commented, “We condemn all forms of discrimination; it has no place in society and our communities.”

Richard Offiong, campaign coordinator for Show Racism the Red Card— the UK’s leading anti-racism educational charity— expressed distress over Willock’s repeated experiences with “abhorrent abuse.” He emphasized the urgent need for social media companies to implement stronger measures to combat racial hatred.

“Stronger measures are needed to quickly identify perpetrators, remove harmful content, and ensure accountability for those responsible,” Offiong stated. “Education, accountability, and robust enforcement must go hand in hand if we are serious about tackling racism.”

A representative from anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out echoed similar sentiments, expressing disgust at the abuse directed toward Willock and calling for action from social media platforms to prevent such behavior. “We have seen a surge in online abuse reported to us this season, and there is no indication of it slowing down. Offenders must be held accountable, and social media companies must enhance protections for their users. The current safeguards are not fit for purpose.”

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has been in direct communication with Newcastle United and emphasized that “no one should be subjected to racist abuse.” A spokesperson added, “Sending messages like this is against our rules. Direct messages are a private messaging service; we can only review or take action on a message if the recipient reports it to us in-app.”

The spokesperson further stated, “No single solution will eliminate this behavior overnight, but we will take appropriate action and work to protect our community from abuse while supporting police investigations.”