08 January 2024 , 09:27
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Northumbria Police are investigating a vile tweet about Gary Speed's death in the wake of Sunderland's defeat to Newcastle in the FA Cup.
An own goal from Daniel Ballard as well as two strikes from Alexander Isak ensured it was a dominant win for the Magpies. The third round clash was the first Wear-Tyne derby for eight years, with police mostly able to keep a lid on any trouble.
But tensions boiled over on social media in the aftermath of Saturday's game at the Stadium of Light. One Twitter account, purporting to be that of a Sunderland fan, posted a vile message, which The Mirror has decided not to publish, referencing Newcastle legend Speed's suicide.
Speed made more than 200 appearances for the Magpies but died in November 2011. The tweet mocked his death and immediately drew a negative reaction from Sunderland fans, who reported the tweet to the police.
One fan wrote: "We may be rivals on the football pitch but this is absolutely disgusting, Speed was a gentleman and more of a man than you will ever be, rivalry aside we unite in trying to beat the stigma about men feeling like they have to kill themselves when they feel alone."
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That tweet, and others which also brought the matter to the police's attention, drew a response from the force. They replied with a short statement and a link to their reporting page.
The statement read: "We are aware of a post which appears to make hateful comments about the late footballer Gary Speed. An investigation is underway to identify anyone responsible. Anyone with information is asked contact Northumbria Police quoting log NP-20240107-0254."
The tweet came after Newcastle beat Sunderland in Saturday's FA Cup third round clash (CameraSport via Getty Images)Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was pleased to see his side claim the bragging rights over their bitter rivals. Howe insisted he was not worried about having to play the Black Cats in what is nowadays a rare clash.
"It feels great. I never worried about the draw, I always thought it was a great draw - as long as we won it. We handled the occasion well, were brave with the ball and were very composed," he said.
"We didn't let the crowd take over and we handled everything really well in the first half. We had to do the little bits right today and that's what happened. It keeps us in an important competition and that brings hope."
Sunderland boss Michael Beale meanwhile was disappointed to see his side beaten by the Toon. But he called on his troops to refocus their efforts on the race for a Championship play-off spot.
“We’ve got 20 huge games now, and the focus has to be on what happens on the football pitch. I would have liked our players to have scored a goal for the fans, and stayed in the game for longer in the second half because I thought it would have been interesting," he said.
"If we’d stayed in the game at the start of the second half then anything could have happened, and I knew the fans would then have pushed the team onwards and upwards. We didn’t, but we’ve got 20 games to go in the Championship and we’re in a really good place."
*If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or visit their site to find your local branch