Nathan Jones says he hopes football’s social media boycott can force platforms to act against racism and abuse – because a change can only “come from the top”.
Luton Town, its women’s team and supporter groups will join the rest of the EFL, Premier League and other sports leagues in not using Twitter, Facebook or Instagram for three days starting from tomorrow afternoon.
The united call across the sport has come in response to rising abuse aimed at players and staff and especially racially motivated attacks, and Hatters chief executive Gary Sweet also spoke to the EFL to give his take on what can be done.
Hatters defender Peter Kioso – currently on loan at Northampton – fell victim last season and the club called for social media companies to be held accountable.
The Town boss said: “I don’t know how you stop it because until there’s big change at the top end of social media companies – and I’ve been the victim of social media abuse, trust me – then I’m not sure how much real work we can do to change it.
“People’s attitudes have to change in the world and I’m not sure that’s going to change any time soon, because it’s how society is.
“Anyone can set up an account, be totally behind a screen, and I mean not just actually but metaphorically as well, the can be unseen, say whatever they want and nothing happens.
“I could go on an hammer (Manchester City manager) Pep Guardiola if I want and make up a fake name. Until that thing changes, there’s no real change going to be made.
“But the fact there’s a boycott, and that means we won’t read it, we won’t write it, then that’s a good thing.
“For me, I’ve come off pretty much everything on social media because literally anyone, no matter how good a job you’re doing, how hard you’re working or whatever you’re doing, anyone could come up, say something and then it’s in the realm.
“And if you want to read everything, you can drive yourself crazy. I’m talking about normal comments. Anything that’s racially driven is fundamentally wrong, we’re against all that, we’ll support the boycott and just hope that it has some sort of minor ripple that the change will come from the top.”
Jones has also been the victim of online abuse after he received death threats when he left Luton in 2019 to join Stoke City, for which the police launched an investigation over ‘malicious communications’ aimed at him.
The Welshman said: “It’s difficult if you take all those things to heart. When I left the club, that was totally a different level.
“If I want to read social media now, we’ve only got to draw a game and there’ll be masses of negativity and that then affects my mindset, then I’ll drive myself potty.
“You can’t do that because anyone – and they don’t have to have the club or the good of the club at heart – could say anything, but we’re talking about a different thing.
“Racial abuse or any kind of abuse that is directed, not just at performance levels, but your race, ethnicity, gender or whatever it is, is wrong, but it’s just so easy to do.”
