Peterborough chairman launches Twitter tirade against players
Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony took to Twitter this weekend to criticise his club’s players after a 2-0 defeat this weekend.
MacAnthony – who has the handle @DMAC102 – has been in charge of the League One club for eight years since taking over from Barry Fry, and had some advice for any of his staff who didn’t appreciate his comments:
Oh & finally;if any of my plyrs are bit too sensitive to whats been said,feel free to let me know anytime.Or Alternatively just do your job!
— Darragh MacAnthony (@DMAC102) January 10, 2015
This final message followed 11 reasons why he was annoyed with the team, which included singling out several players for criticism.
4. P….d off that a striker I paid half a million for minutes before Colchester score scuffs great chance 8 yards out with nobody near him
— Darragh MacAnthony (@DMAC102) January 10, 2015
3. P..d off that a player of Joe Newells ability can miss an open goal from 5 yards out early on. He should be scoring 10/15 a season.
— Darragh MacAnthony (@DMAC102) January 10, 2015
MacAnthony isn’t the first chairman to use Twitter to sound-off on his thoughts, Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn used the service to criticise his club’s fans in early 2014. Hearn took it one step further, however, by responding to several users, including telling one fan the club “don’t want or need your money”.
With the increase in popularity of social networks outbursts such as these are becoming more and more regular. While players and other club staff can be governed by the club’s media teams, it would take a confident person to ask the man who bankrolls the club to consider his actions online. Obviously owners are passionate about the clubs they look after and feel they have earned the right to criticise, but no-one comes out of these situations well.
