Phil SumblerPlymouth Argyle have closed the investigation into the online racial abuse of an unnamed Swansea City player after it was found that the account providing the abuse was a “bot”.
The abuse happened after the Carabao Cup tie in August, a game that the Swans won 4-1. The account from which it appeared claimed to be a Plymouth supporter butย Sky Sports Newsย has been told the club’s investigation discovered it was a bot – and not a registered supporter on their database.
The offending tweet was removed quickly by Twitter and at the time a Swansea club statement saidย “Swansea City is aware of an alleged racist tweet in response to a post on our social media channels following last night’s Carabao Cup win over Plymouth Argyle.
“We have reported the tweet to Twitter and the EFL. As a result, the account has been suspended while the tweet has been deleted. We thank both organisations for the swift action taken to address this issue.
“The player targeted by the poster has been informed, while he continues to receive our unwavering support. However, we remain hugely concerned by the fact that racist posts continue to be aired on social media platforms.
“Once again, we reiterate our own strong stance on this matter, and condemn racism and abuse of all kinds because it has no place within football and wider society.”
Plymouth themselves issued their own statement “The club has been made aware of an alleged racist tweet sent from an individual claiming to support Argyle following last night’s Carabao Cup fixture at the Swansea.com Stadium.
“We condemn this behaviour in the strongest possible terms, and underline our commitment to eradicating discrimination of all forms. There is no place for it at Home Park, in football, or society.
“The club will work with the relevant authorities to ensure that the individual is identified, and appropriate action is taken.”
