The Premier League and Brentford have condemned the racist abuse that Ivan Toney received after the match against Arsenal.
Toney received the abuse on Instagram after Brentford’s 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium, where he scored the goal that denied the league leaders the three points.
The #PL will continue to support players and work with clubs to tackle discriminatory behaviour through our online abuse reporting system:https://t.co/8kXwkO2DUX
— Premier League (@premierleague) February 12, 2023
A Brentford statement said: "Immediately after Brentford’s game against Arsenal, Ivan Toney received a barrage of abusive, racist direct messages via his Instagram account.
"We are disgusted and saddened that Ivan has had to deal with this yet again.
"We will not tolerate it and we will do everything we can to pursue the individuals involved.
"Ivan was subject to similar abuse in October last year, and the perpetrator is now facing the consequences in court.
"How many times does this need to happen?
"We call on football fans everywhere to relish the competition and rivalry that exists between us, but to respect and embrace our differences and celebrate the diversity that exists throughout the Premier League.
"There is no room for racism."
In response, the Premier League tweeted its support for the player and club: "No one should have to face abuse of the kind received by Ivan Toney. It has no place in football or society. We are supporting Ivan and the club with investigations.
"The Premier League condemns all forms of discrimination. Football is for everyone #NoRoomForRacism"
The incident came while the Premier League is highlighting its No Room For Racism initiative to tackle discrimination in the game and wider society.
Last week, the Premier League announced a two-year update on its No Room For Racism Action Plan, showing that progress has been made against all six pillars of the Action Plan, with targets set to ensure this momentum continues.
Online abuse reporting system
In June 2020, the League introduced a dedicated reporting system that players and others in the game can use to report any discriminatory tweet, post or direct message that they have received.
All reports received are fully investigated by the League's in-house legal team, with ongoing support provided for further action, including the banning and sanctioning of offenders. The legal team also works closely with the UK police and overseas authorities investigating cases.
From the start of the 2022/23 season, the online abuse reporting system was made available to all Premier League clubs to feature on their official websites, providing fans with a function to directly report discriminatory abuse.
Last month, Brentford revealed that a man from Blyth, Northumberland, had admitted to and apologised for sending an offensive message to Toney via Instagram in October 2022. The case has gone to court where it has been adjourned to 30 March.
We ask fans to challenge all forms of discrimination wherever they see it.
