Portsmouth have condemned the “abhorrent” racist message sent to Peterborough forward Ivan Toney following Posh’s 3-2 win at Fratton Park on Tuesday night.
Toney was targeted on social media after scoring twice in the match. He tweeted an image of a message he had received – allegedly from a Pompey fan – consisting of emojis of bananas and monkeys.
Peterborough have reported the incident to the football authorities, social networks and the police, while Portsmouth have done likewise and have vowed to assist any investigation.
“Portsmouth Football Club have been made aware of a racist message sent to Peterborough United player Ivan Toney on social media,” said a club statement.
“The individual who sent this abhorrent message claims to be a Pompey fan and the club will do everything in its power to identify them.
“There is no place in football – or indeed society – for racism and it will not be tolerated at Portsmouth Football Club.
“The club have reported this incident to the police and will work to assist them with any investigation. We would also like to apologise to Ivan Toney for any distress this incident has caused.”
Last month the Professional Footballers’ Association’s #Enough campaign saw players take part in a 24-hour social media boycott in protest at racist abuse following a number of high-profile incidents.
