Departing Dee star Meeks’ social media flak was anti-social

SUPPORTING a football club seems to short-circuit certain people’s decisionmaking machinery.

How else do you explain the online abuse dished out to former Dundee captain Josh Meekings over his departure from Dens Park?

“Good luck finding a new club in the current climate. You were lucky to be offered even half the wages, you useless specimen,” spat one brave soul from behind a pseudonym.

“Big ******* cart horse. Good riddance,” spluttered another.

Meekings was called a “wage thief”, “stinking” and “a bombscare (sic) waiting to happen”.

One fan wondered why the Dark Blues had offered their captain a deal at all, one celebrated his departure with a hearty “get in there”, and Meekings was also told his decision to leave would not cause lost sleep.

And what heinous crime triggered such a charming array of responses? There wasn’t one.

All Meekings did, upon the expiry of his contract, was reject a new offer at vastly reduced terms.

Put yourself in that position.

Your employer comes to you and offers you a new contract, on 50% earnings for the next three months, rising thereafter to 75% through to next summer.

There’s nothing wrong with your employer asking the question, especially under the testing circumstances of an ongoing global pandemic.

But if you accept the deal, the upshot is that, come this time next year, you’ll have earned a third less than you did this year for doing the same job.

First things first, it’s one you’ll need to speak to your family about, especially if you have children, as Meekings does.

Secondly, you’ll want to assess the alternatives, just in case there’s a better offer out there for you – and by extension for your family.

If, having done those two things, you accept reduced terms and stay on with your employer, fair play to you.

But if you instead opt to pursue something different, does that make you some sort of traitor to the cause?

For the benefit of any hard of thinking types who may have made it this far, the answer is: “NO”.

Josh Meekings was the epitome of professionalism throughout his spell at Dens Park, and he was 100% entitled to make the decision he made for the sake of both his career and his family.

Decent Dundee fans will wish him the best. As for the rest, Meekings should follow their lead and not lose any sleep.

Former Dundee captain Josh Meekings (right) came in for some fan flak.