Newcastle United have reported to the police after midfielder Joe Willock was subjected to “disgusting” racial abuse and “deeply disturbing threats” on social media.
The 23-year-old was targeted by an anonymous Instagram account following Newcastle’s 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at St James’ Park on Sunday. Willock, who came on as an 88th-minute substitute, missed a late chance to score and later shared a screengrab of the abusive private messages he received.
Club Condemns Abuse
A Newcastle statement said:
“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 from an Instagram account that included racial slurs and threats of violence towards Joe and his family.”
Joe Willock responded to the messages, writing:
“I pray you and your family find God. And may him have mercy on you.”
Not the First Incident
This is the second time in under a year that Joe Willock has faced racist abuse on Instagram. Newcastle previously contacted the police after similar incidents following a 2-1 defeat to Fulham in February 2025.
The club stressed that removing content and applying filters was not enough:
“We have swiftly reported this matter to the police and will fully support any investigation to identify the person responsible and hold them accountable.”
Police and Campaigners Respond
Northumbria Police confirmed an investigation is underway, working alongside the UK Football Policing Unit. A spokesperson said:
“We condemn all forms of discrimination – it has no place in society and our communities.”
Richard Offiong, campaign co-ordinator for Show Racism the Red Card, described the abuse as “distressing” and emphasized the need for stronger action by social media platforms.
Kick It Out, the UK’s leading anti-discrimination charity, also condemned the abuse:
“We stand alongside Joe in calling out this behaviour. Offenders must be held accountable, and social media companies must provide better protections for their users.”
Instagram Responds
Meta, Instagram’s parent company, confirmed it is in contact with Newcastle. A spokesperson said:
“No-one should be subjected to racist abuse. Sending messages like this is against our rules. While DMs are private, we will take appropriate action when abuse is reported and work to support police investigations.”
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