After picking up another three points this weekend, the feeling around Newcastle United should have been overwhelmingly positive. But one fan has spoiled that.
Starting 2026 with a win was important, and we saw a much better performance from many of the Newcastle players against Palace.
How much money would a club need to bid for you to consider selling Joe Willock in January?
Eddie Howe may have noticed some nerves around St. James’ Park before the game was wrapped up, but the majority of the fanbase still headed home in high spirits on Sunday evening.
For Joe Willock, however, Sunday night was not a pleasant one. That’s all due to one person taking to social media to attack him with racial abuse after the match.
Joe Willock abuse condemned
Willock only joined the action in the 88th minute against Palace, and yet he still ended up being the subject of abuse online. The club has been made aware of this and issued a stern statement to condemn the behaviour.
The statement reads: “Following our win over Crystal Palace, Joe received several direct messages from an Instagram account that included racial slurs and deeply disturbing threats of violence towards Joe and his family.
“Sadly, Joe has faced this before. Each time, we have acted quickly to support him and that has been our immediate priority again. We have swiftly reported this matter to the police and we will fully support any investigation to identify the person responsible and hold them accountable, wherever they are.
“This can only happen with meaningful action from Meta, Instagram’s owners. We urge Meta to give the police all the information they need to identify the perpetrator, and to do so quickly. Removing content and applying message filters is not enough. Social media companies must do more to protect users and support the prosecution of those who seek to break the law on their platforms.
“We stand firmly with Joe and anyone else who faces this kind of abuse.”
- READ MORE: Bruno Guimaraes given special praise as Eddie Howe’s faith in Newcastle United captain rewarded
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What we know about Joe Willock’s future
Willock is tipped to leave Newcastle this month after four-and-a-half years with the Magpies. Given the number of midfielders at the club, he simply cannot get regular football under Howe anymore.
Leeds have shown an interest in Willock but have been told to make a ‘proper offer’ after claims that the Yorkshire outfit had tried to snap him up for around £10m.
We know Crystal Palace were also keen on Willock last month, but it remains to be seen whether they, or any club, make a firm offer for the midfielder in January.
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