Mcleish calls for crackdown on online football trolls
● Former First Minister labels internet abusers of Scots players as ‘psychopaths’ and warns that trolling can end up with tragic circumstances for its victims
“It’s a pity people have to sink to this level but without the proper upbringing and basic human qualities, this is what you get. Pray for them”
JONATHAN BURNS
Former First Minister Henry Mcleish has called for a crackdown on online football trolls before a player is attacked or killed.
The politician has condemned the abuse directed at Scottish football stars in recent months and labelled those involved in it “psychopaths”.
He spoke out in the wake of Celtic captain Scott Brown being targeted last week by a troll who joked about the cancer deaths of Brown’s sister and Celtic great Tommy Burns.
Scotland skipper Brown shared the “disgusting” tweet – which he received through his Twitter account – to his 99,000 followers on Instagram. Former Labour MSP Mcleish, who played football for East Fife, referred to the death of Labour MP Jo Cox and warned trolling could escalate into violence if it is not tackled.
He said: “These people poison the game, their comments are quite abhorrent, they can unsettle players, there’s no doubt about it. And as we have seen in some of the political incidents and the tragic death, trolling can end up with horrendous circumstances.
“We do know if somebody is doing it on Youtube or Facebook one day they could be in your back garden the next day with a particular weapon.
“I don’t think we are taking it seriously enough. ”mcleish conducted a root and branch review of the Scottish game in 2010 and now sits on the board of the Scottish Football Supporters Association.
He backed plans by the Conservative government at Westminster to legally force social media giants like Facebook and Twitter to report to the police any threats of physical harm and to delete any posts that could incite violence.
He said: “I don’t often support Conservative governments but they are quite keen to get involved with some of the big tech companies and basically say if they don’t improve what they are doing then we will legislate. I think the Tories at Westminster are beginning to take it seriously.
“In newspapers and programmes they are things you can say and things you can’t say so why can’t that be applied to the internet.”
After the tweet was sent to Brown, Burns’s son Jonathan told followers on Twitter to “pray” for the sick troll. He tweeted: “It’s a pity people have to sink to this level but without the proper upbringing and basic human qualities, this is what you get. Pray for them.”
Brown’s Celtic team mate Scott Sinclair has been targeted by racist abuse online several times.
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