Here’s some free advice for all sports-people engaged in tournaments of a high profile nature: TURN YOUR FUCKING PHONE OFF AND LEAVE IT OFF. In fact you can leave the phone on, in case your mum wants to speak to you. Or your dad wants to give some advice about taking penalties. But turn off all data. Don’t let one single little millibyte pass through to the screen. Because it’ll be abusive. And that’s upsetting. Destabilising. Which you really don’t need when you’re about to play that semi-final, first round match, anything. You don’t even have to do anything wrong.

If you miss a penalty it doesn’t help. But not a necessary requirement to being trolled. Just being there will do. Even Katie Boulter who is only ‘mixed race’ if you count ‘white’ and ‘whiter’ as 2 separate races, suffered terrible abuse during Wimbledon.

Bukayo Saka suffered terribly after his penalty miss for England, and even though he plays for Arsenal, that was undeserved. Harry McGuire is white and regularly gets online abuse when playing for both England and Manchester United. Ok, a lot of it is not completely wrong, but still.

Now Jess Carter, the Lioness, racially abused during the present Euro competition.

Online abuse is a particularly cowardly, anonymous and limp example of the art. The scrawniest of horrible little shits sit in their bedrooms getting off on sending out horrible, hate-filled messages, death threats, rape promises, knowing that ‘no-one will ever know’. These nasty little sociopaths are the ‘flashers’ of the post-digital world, the guys (sexist, I know, but I’m guessing 90% of these are guys) who sit in the corner of the room fondling themselves through their trouser pockets. And ‘online’ gives them the opportunity to say things they would never say to anyone’s face. They’re just too creepy. They voted for Corbyn, support Chelsea, claim sickness benefits, watch Eurovision, surf kiddie porn and drive Teslas.

Even with the Lionesses winning last night, the abusers will be there. So the logical approach would be: don’t look. The abuse doesn’t appear by magic, you have to go on the app. So don’t. No social media during competitions.

Poor Ozzie Osbourne. In a world dominated by the exceptionally bland, we need 3-D, 5k, ultra-HD characters like Ozzie. And for all the years he spent in Hollywood, he always sounded like he’d just walked away from the Bullring on his way to Villa Park. I’d love him for that, if nothing else. But there was so much else. I would say RIP, Ozzie, but it’s a bit inappropriate in the circumstances. He worshipped the devil and will be happy in hell. It’s how it should be.

Happy Wednesday

A xxxx