Newcastle Contact Police After Joe Willock Suffers Racist Abuse

Joe Willock Suffers Racist Abuse After Crystal Palace Win

Newcastle United have contacted the police after midfielder Joe Willock was subjected to racial slurs and violent threats in direct messages on Instagram following the team’s 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

The 24-year-old, who came on as a substitute and missed a late chance in the match, publicly shared screenshots of the vile abuse he received from an anonymous account.

“I pray you and your family find God. And may him have mercy on you,” Willock responded, maintaining dignity in the face of the hate.

Newcastle Responds and Calls Out Meta

In a strong statement, Newcastle said they were “disgusted” by the messages and are now working with Northumbria Police to investigate the incident. The club also called on Meta, Instagram’s parent company, to cooperate fully with the authorities and help identify the perpetrator.

“Sadly, Joe has faced this before,” the club said.

“We have acted quickly to support him and reported the matter. This can only be resolved with meaningful action from Meta.”

Newcastle previously took similar action after Willock was abused online following a match against Fulham in February 2025.

Police & Campaigners Demand Action

Northumbria Police confirmed they had launched an investigation and were liaising with the UK Football Policing Unit.

A police spokesperson said:

“We condemn all forms of discrimination – it has no place in society and our communities.”

Show Racism the Red Card and Kick It Out, two of the UK’s leading anti-racism charities, also issued strong condemnations:

• Richard Offiong (Show Racism the Red Card):

  “It’s distressing to see this again. Social media platforms must do more to prevent and punish these attacks.”

• Kick It Out spokesperson:

  “There’s been a surge in online abuse this season. Safeguards on platforms like Instagram are not fit for purpose.”

Meta Responds

Meta said they are in direct contact with Newcastle and confirmed that sending racist abuse violates their policies.

“DMs are private, so we can only act if the user reports the messages to us. But we are taking appropriate steps and assisting the police.”

Still, campaigners argue that Meta’s reactive approach is inadequate, especially as filters and content removals have failed to prevent repeat incidents.

The Bigger Picture

This is the second time in under a year that Willock has publicly exposed the abuse he’s received, highlighting a wider issue of racism in football and on social media. The incident comes amid ongoing calls for platforms to implement stricter ID verification, better moderation tools, and more severe legal consequences for abusers.

Key Takeaways

• Joe Willock was racially abused on Instagram after Newcastle’s 2-0 win over Crystal Palace

• Newcastle contacted the police and urged Meta to cooperate fully

• Police and anti-racism groups have condemned the abuse

• Meta claims it’s working to assist, but filters and safeguards are still falling short

• Pressure is growing for systemic change in social media accountability