In light of a societal problem that shows no real sign of getting better, the Premier League has taken the decision to introduce a reporting system for online abuse.
For far too long now, football players and their families have been on the receiving end of social media abuse that is unpalatable at best, criminal at worst.
The perpetrators of the same appear able to get away with saying just about anything they like – including abhorrent death threats or racist abuse – with no comeback from the authorities.
With the Black Lives Matter movement at the forefront of everyone’s minds, and a more general frowning upon of such incidents, the introduction of the reporting system will surely be welcomed.
“Online discriminatory abuse is unacceptable in any walk of life and tackling this issue must be a priority,” Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said, reported by BBC Sport.
“There are too many instances of footballers and their families receiving appalling discriminatory messages; nobody should have to deal with this.
“Our central reporting system has been developed to provide a rapid response and support for any players, managers and coaches who have been victims of serious online discrimination, whether targeted at themselves or family members. Our commitment is to review each case and to take immediate follow-up action.
With employers now apparently ready to take action against their employees for their social media interactions, and with the Premier League and relevant authorities looking to identify individuals and ban them from football grounds for life, we may finally be getting somewhere.