Newcastle United release Joe Willock statement as sickening incident reported to Northumbria Police

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Newcastle United are working with Northumbria Police after Joe Willock was targeted by racists after the 2-1 defeat against Fulham.

The former Arsenal midfielder received sickening messages on Instagram in the aftermath of the defeat at St James' Park but has had full support from the club and his team-mates. The matter is now being dealt with by social media provider Meta and the authorities.

A United statement read: "Newcastle United strongly condemns the appalling racist abuse received by Joe Willock on Instagram on Saturday evening.

"There is no room for racism anywhere. Joe has been given the club’s full support and we will continue to do all we can to ensure the welfare of our players, staff and supporters. The club has reported the abuse to Meta - the owners of Instagram, and urges all social media companies to do more to eradicate this behaviour from their platforms. The club has also reported the abuse to the police, and will support the strongest possible action against those responsible."

Willock's team-mate Alexander Isak also posted: "We win together, we lose together! Always with you brother Joe Willock. There's no room for racism."

Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out last year received record-high reports of discrimination during the 2023-24 campaign, with levels of racism, sexism and misogyny rising. 1,332 incidents were reported across English football, representing a 32 per cent increase from the previous season.

Kick It Out chairman Sanjay Bhandari believes there is now a "greater awareness of reporting procedures", with the rates rising for five consecutive seasons. "Encouragingly, we are seeing stronger punishments for racist abuse in recent years," he told the BBC.

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