Crawley Town manager John Yems: Ban those who post abuse on social media

Crawley Town boss John Yems would like to see people banned from social media if they are found to have posted abuse online. Picture by Steve RobardsCrawley Town boss John Yems would like to see people banned from social media if they are found to have posted abuse online. Picture by Steve Robards
Crawley Town boss John Yems would like to see people banned from social media if they are found to have posted abuse online. Picture by Steve Robards
Crawley Town manager John Yems has called for people who are found to have posted abuse of any form on social media to be banned from the platform.

The FA, Premier League EFL, FA Women’s Super League, FA Women’s Championship, PFA, LMA, PGMOL, Kick It Out and the FSA will unite for a social media boycott from 3pm this Friday to 11.59pm on Monday in response to the ongoing discriminatory abuse received online by players and many others connected with English football.

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The boycott will take place across a full programme of fixtures in both the men’s and women’s professional game and will see clubs throughout the Premier League, EFL, FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship turn off their respective Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Yems said: “It’s not only racism, it’s some of the abuse that the players get. It’s just gone a little bit crazy.

“Fans can say what they want and do what they want, but there’s people’s families who read the abuse and it’s not nice.

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“When all is said and done, if you’re a bad person it doesn’t matter if you’re black, white, Chinese, red, blue. If you’re an idiot, then you’re an idiot.

“It’s a little bit beyond my pay grade, but I’d like to see them banned from doing it.

“I’d like them (social media platforms) to ask them what are they doing it for? What is your thinking behind it? Are they doing it for attention?

“I think there should be an age limit on it possibly.

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“I bet some of these little keyboard warriors are only about ten. You can tell they’re not that clever by some of the things they write.”

Scottish Premiership champions Glasgow Rangers and Championship outfits Swansea City and Birmingham City suspended use of their social media platforms for a week from Thursday, April 8.

The Swans did not post any content across their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Snapchat or YouTube accounts in response to online abuse.

Rangers arranged to meet Facebook, who own Instagram, to voice their concerns after Finnish midfielder Glen Kamara received almost daily abuse after he was racially abused by a Slavia Prague player.