Where did these people direct their hatred before social media?
BT Sports presenter Lynsey Hipgrave has been subjected to a torrent of abuse after offering an opinion, that some on Twitter disagreed with, on Lionel Messi’s penalty.
If you’ve just arrived back to Earth from Mars, you may have missed the Barcelona genius set up Luis Suarez from the penalty spot, rather take the shot himself, during the team’s 6-1 win over Celta Vigo on Sunday evening.
Most seemed to enjoy the piece of trickery, others, including Hipgrave, found it “disrespectful.”
Think that Messi pen is so disrespectful more I see it. Just let Suarez take the pen if you want to be such a good team mate.
— Lynsey Hipgrave (@lynseyhipgrave1) February 15, 2016
However, as everyone’s entitled to an opinion, someone holding a view contrary to your own isn’t the end of the world, or cause for outrage or vile abuse.
Yet that’s exactly what Hipgrave experienced.
https://twitter.com/juanalbert098/status/699250824539557891
https://twitter.com/ForestEchoNews/status/699247599677607936
@lynseyhipgrave1 This is why women should stay in the kitchen and keep their mouth’s shut or around my cock ?
— Martyn Macintyre (@MartynMacintyre) February 15, 2016
why do they let women watch football loooool football has never been about respect bitch https://t.co/zcb0jodxlm
— x (@kzke10) February 15, 2016
https://twitter.com/Simon_Rowntree/status/699249272051671040
https://twitter.com/SheikhItHaris/status/699244603766140929
Just a very small taster of what we have to put up with. The crime was being a woman and expressing an opinion. Still a long way to go
— Lynsey Hipgrave (@lynseyhipgrave1) February 15, 2016
Most right minded people supported the BT Sports presenter.
I'm appalled at the abuse @lynseyhipgrave1 copped for tweeting an opinion about football. Amazed that people think like that.
— Adam Hills (@adamhillscomedy) February 15, 2016
@lynseyhipgrave1 Thing is Lyns, whenever these gormless dregs get hauled to court they're always the same type: pimply pasty faced failures.
— Danny Baker (@prodnose) February 15, 2016
Oh & while we're at it, if @twitter/@Support is looking for accounts to suspend, check @lynseyhipgrave1's mentions & clean house
— Adam Digby (@Adz77) February 16, 2016