ABUSE NOT ON: HUSSEY

FACELESS WARRIORS Conor Hussey is worried that online social media abuse will only get worse for high-profile players

ROSCOMMON’S Conor Hussey has joined manager Davy Burke in condemning social media abuse of players in light of Cathal Heneghan’s suspension.

Heneghan received a one-game ban for standing on Jason Foley’s leg immediately after scoring a goal in Roscommon’s defeat to Kerry on March 17, with a video of the incident widely circulated online.

Foley was replaced minutes later but the Kerry management later clarified that the ankle injury he sustained was not as a result of the incident with Heneghan.

The player served his ban in last Sunday’s defeat to Derry as Roscommon were relegated to Division Two,

After the game, Burke hit out at the invective that had been aimed at him online.

“Social media is a massive problem,” said Burke.

“I would have pulled Cathal aside during the week.

“It’s not a nice place to be, particularly for a 23 or 24-year old.

“It’s rotten, it’s toxic. “Something has to be done about it.

“Cathal absolutely didn’t mean it.

“Yes, he stood on Jason Foley’s leg.

“He took his suspension and we’ll move on but it’s terrible the way these people on social media can disrespect a player and drag him through the mud like that.”

Hussey hasn’t been on the receiving end of online abuse himself that he is aware of but, as a secondary school teacher, is aware of how influential social media can be.

“I wasn’t actively looking to see what was being said about Cathal but I just know, in a general sense, it can be very hard,” said Hussey.

“At the end of the day, we’re amateur players, we play for the love of the game.

“We play because we enjoy the game.

“We want to become the best players we can be, represent your county but probably don’t sign up to this side of things.

“Everyone’s entitled to an opinion, everyone has opinions about sport, life, politics, you name it but what kind of bugs me — and I haven’t been speaking to Cathal about this at all — but it certainly annoys me where you see the faceless accounts and people saying nasty things but they have no name or they have no face and that’s kind of what would irk me slightly.”

He added: “It can be hard sometimes.

“Someone said to me before, it’s funny, you’d see some people on Twitter or other social media sites talking nonsense.

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“In the past if those people were in a pub you’d just walk away from them and no one would listen to them.

“But nowadays they have this amplifier and everyone has to see their opinions. but it can be tough.

“I wouldn’t be at the top level of the game in terms of the highest names so I wouldn’t be scrutinised like the higher lads would be, but it can be tough.”

Having observed the habits of his students around social media, Hussey believes it could be an even bigger problem for the next generation of intercounty players.

“I know some players can be searching for their names the odd time and stuff like that but it’s just better to avoid it, in my opinion, and stay away from it.

“I haven’t noticed many players, younger players, in our panel who would be affected by it but as a teacher, and I teach 17/18-yearolds, I could see how it could become a major issue.

“The phone is a second part of their body, they’re on their phones, Tik Tok, social media, you name it, and I could easily see how it could become a major focus for younger players in the coming years too.

“This generation would become intercounty players, I could definitely see how it could become a problem.”