LAST UPDATE | 13 Jul 2020
SHEFFIELD UNITED AND the FAI have condemned racist abuse which was directed at striker Irish international striker David McGoldrick on social media.
McGoldrick, who scored twice in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Chelsea, wrote “2020 and this is life” as he shared a screengrab of a message he was sent in which he was called a “f****** dirty n*****”, a “c**n”, a “f****** sh** ape” and told his life “defo doesnt matter”.
A United tweet said: “As a club we will support David McGoldrick and will do all we can to find the perpetrator of this disgusting message.
“We will work with the relevant authorities to ensure the person behind this post is brought to justice.
“This cannot continue. Something needs to change.”
An FAI spokesperson added: “The Football Association of Ireland condemns the online racist abuse aimed at our striker David McGoldrick and joins Sheffield United in offering David all the support we can give him at this time.
“Such behaviour is appalling and cannot be tolerated by football or society.”
It comes a day after West Midlands Police arrested a 12-year-old boy in relation to racist abuse sent to Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha on social media.
Zaha, 27, had posted screenshots on Twitter from messages sent to his Instagram account ahead of Palace’s Premier League fixture at Aston Villa on Sunday.
“You better not score tomorrow you black c***,” one read.
That was followed by a second message reading: “Or I’ll come to your house dressed as a ghost.”
West Midlands Police said in a statement on Twitter on Sunday afternoon: “We were alerted to a series of racist messages sent to a footballer today and after looking into them and conducting checks, we have arrested a boy.
“The 12-year-old from #Solihull has been taken to custody. Thanks to everyone who raised it. Racism won’t be tolerated.”
Palace manager Roy Hodgson, speaking after his side’s 2-0 loss at Villa Park but before news of the arrest, described it the post as a “cowardly, despicable act”.
- Updated with comment from the FAI at 14:29
