Social media must do more

IFFY Onuora, who is set to become the Premier League’s first head of equality, diversity and inclusion, has criticised social media companies for being too slow to take down racist posts after Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford became the latest player targeted.

The 53-year-old former Gillingham and Huddersfield striker spoke out as football again finds itself targeted by hate crime.

Chelsea defender Reece James, West Brom’s Romaine Sawyers and Rashford’s team-mates Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial all suffered online racist abuse this week.

Rashford was then targeted after United’s 0-0 draw at Arsenal on Saturday evening, prompting an investigation from Greater Manchester Police.

Onuora told the PA news agency: “A lot of this is now down to the responsibility of the social media companies.

“In my opinion they’ve been far too slow to take down harmful material, not just in terms of the abuse that footballers have suffered but abuse generally.”

A 49-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of racially abusing Sawyers and Onuora said that was an encouraging development.

“He’s probably thought he can get away with it.

“I wouldn’t wish ill on anybody in terms of family, but maybe’s he’s got a job to go to and his employers take a dim view of the publicity around it.

“That’s the way it’s got to go, for too long people have thought there’s no consequences to this. That’s the culture that’s got to change as well.”