Troubled Magpies target of ‘abusive’ social media posts
Notts County have reported “a number of individuals” for what the Club alleges are abusive comments made on social media.
The news comes after the Magpies slumped back to the bottom of the Football League after a 3-0 defeat at Crewe Alexandra on Saturday, with only four games left to play.
In a statement, Notts County said: “The club fully accept this has been a bitterly disappointing and frustrating season for fans and respect their right to voice their displeasure, be that at matches or online.
“However, Notts officials, players and staff have recently been subjected to an increased number of comments which overstep the line between fair criticism and vile, threatening abuse, many of which have a knock-on effect on the families of those targeted. This can not and will not be tolerated.
“The club have been in contact with Nottinghamshire Police to report one particularly malicious tweet, while legal advice is being sought in relation to comments made by other individuals. Formal proceedings against the protagonists are likely to commence shortly and indefinite club bans have been imposed.
“Recent communications from Leicester Tigers RFC and Crawley Town illustrate that this is a growing – and concerning – problem in professional sport. Notts stand in solidarity with those clubs and implore supporters to consider the potential impact of what they’re saying – often in the heat of the moment – before doing so.
“Notts would like to take this opportunity to once again express their immense gratitude to their supporters, who continue to back the team in huge numbers.
“Everyone at Meadow Lane is doing their utmost to ensure the season ends on a positive note.”
Earlier this year, Alan Hardy, the chairman and owner of Notts County deactivated his Twitter account after accidentally posting an intimate picture of himself to the social media site.
