Arrest made amid reports Sheffield man sent racist tweet to Wigan Athletic footballer Nathan Byrne

South Yorkshire Police have made an arrest amid reports that a Sheffield man sent a racist tweet to a Wigan Athletic footballer.
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The Championship club said it is "angered" by an abusive message sent to defender Nathan Byrne on Twitter after a 2-2 draw with Bristol City and they have reported the incident to police.

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The player posted an image of an abusive direct message he received on the social media site after being involved in Wigan's late equaliser at Ashton Gate.

Nathan Byrne.Nathan Byrne.
Nathan Byrne.
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There are indications on social media that the man who allegedly sent the tweet was from Sheffield but this has not yet been confirmed by police.

While South Yorkshire Police have not stated where the suspect is from, they have revealed officers questioned a man over the incident.

In a statement, police said: “An investigation has been launched following reports of a racist tweet being sent to Wigan FC player Nathan Byrne, on Saturday, April 6, 2019.

“A 20-year-old man has been arrested under suspicion of sending malicious communication and remains in custody. Enquiries are ongoing.”

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This was just one of several alleged racist abuse incidents that happened yesterday.

Brentford confirmed a season-ticket holder was arrested after Derby manager Frank Lampard said midfielder Duane Holmes was abused in the dugout during their 3-3 draw.

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha retweeted an allegedly racist message directed at him.

And in another incident, Northampton Town said their players suffered "appalling" abuse after midfielder Timi Elsnik said his team-mates were racially abused outside a hotel in Nottingham before Saturday's League Two match against Notts County.

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Meanwhile, Doncaster-born Tottenham defender Danny Rose said on Thursday he "can't wait to see the back of football" after racist chanting was reportedly directed at him and several England teammates during the Euro 2020 qualifier in Montenegro last week.

The English Football League said it was "saddened, disappointed and angered to hear of further reports of alleged racism.”

The statement added: "It was exceptionally disappointing that this happened as clubs up and down the country were raising awareness of such issues as part of Kick it Out's Week of Action.

"We remain fully committed to continuing to work alongside the Football Association and Premier League as well as other relevant parties to ensure that football provides a welcoming environment for supporters attending matches and those participating in them.

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"We cannot, and will not, accept this type of behaviour inside our stadiums, as we know our clubs won't."

Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out also condemned the latest incidents.

The body said: "Another week, another group of players racially abused. We won't stop highlighting this disgraceful behaviour while it remains deeply ingrained within football. We'll be liaising with the relevant authorities and offering support to clubs and players involved."