Welsh fans see red over Austin's Twitter taunt
He is known as the Leicester Lip for his outspoken and straight-talking style. But now former Leicester Tigers and England star Austin Healey's views have left him facing a torrent of online abuse.
The 38-year-old received a host of unpleasant messages on social networking site Twitter from Wales supporters after telling a newspaper that Warren Gatland's side would struggle in this year's Six Nations.
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Austin Healey
He predicted the red dragons would lose to Ireland last weekend – but instead Wales claimed a dramatic late victory.
Dean Jones, from South Wales, wrote: "You were part of one of the most boring teams ever, Leicester, and let's be fair you only ever started when someone was injured."
Steffan Thomas, from Blaenau, west Wales, urged Healey to "think before you speak" and "sleep with one eye open".
Healey wrote on Twitter that he did not mind the banter – but was unhappy that some of the messages had become hostile and included swear words that his daughters might read.
He also said: "Please, if you are Welsh and are small-minded (likely) stop following me. It takes too long to block you all."
But he then denied being "anti-Welsh" and said the side were worthy winners against Ireland.
He tried to clarify his Tweets, writing: "I was generalising, the small-minded idiots that post constant hatred at me... not the whole nation. If you can't see that – tough"."
The Mercury could not reach Healey for a comment yesterday.
Welsh rugby fan and Leicester primary school teacher Gavin Skye, 30, from Blaby, said the furore had been blown out of proportion.
He said: "It's a bit of a storm in a teacup, but Austin likes a bit of controversy – he's a bit of a Robbie Savage character.
"I think some of the Welsh fans have overreacted. He's entitled to his opinion and it's only a bit of banter anyway – rugby would be a sadder place without some good-humoured ribbing."
Healey is not the first Leicester sporting star to receive abuse via Twitter.
In January, Leicester striker David Nugent endured a barrage of offensive messages from Southampton supporters following City's 2-0 victory against the South Coast side.
2 Comments
by steffanos2001
Friday, April 13 2012, 8:14PM
“Totally agree with you on modern media, there are several keyboard warriors who hide behind their laptops and fire non relevant abuse at various innocent celebrities.
In regards to abusing celebrities, some of them attract attention to themselves, and in this case I refer to Mr Austin Healy. Please see below for just a small margin of the abuse he fired out before and during the 6 Nations.
1- "how are you watching this have mcdonalds got flat screens now"
2- "we've never seen a Welshman on mastermind"
3- "to the decent people out there thanks to the rest of you get fu*k*d see you in the afterlife"
4-"I've had a sh*t with more talent that Leigh Halfpenny"
What is annoying about this story is that he used his 10 year old daughter for sympathy yet he has used his fair share of foul language in his twitter profile, Quote 3 above highlights this, and he didn't use any asterix font to hide what he had to say!
Qupte 4 refers to the Welsh full back Leigh Halfpenny, a player in his early 20s who plays his skin out week in week out and an experience British Lion like Austin goes out and says that about him!!!!
As a professional TV Pundit he should know better to rise above any form of abuse, as a proud Welshman, I can speak on behalf of the nation that when a small minded bigoted celebrity does nothing but belittles our "little" country, then he should feel the brunt of our force, not individually but as a Nation.
Best Regards
Steffan Thomas, Blaenau, West Wales.
PS "sleep with one eye open", basically means never become unaware of potential threats, and in 2012 Wales were the threat and the naïve little Austin Healy took no option but to talk down us as a Nation, and look what happened, the rest is history…………………….”
by graydjames
Saturday, February 11 2012, 2:01PM
“I would like to ask this primary school teacher - a primary school teacher for goodness sake - by what measure "sleep with one eye open" counts as banter.
This is the problem with modern media and the current 21st century norms and morals of society. Football has an even bigger problem. The bile and hatred that ordinary supporters can throw at players and managers is shocking. It is terrible and yet the authorites specifically and society generally now seems to accept it as normal.
The recent series of letters on these pages, in response to a letter from a supporter at the King Power objecting to bad language, which to a man regarded obscene language and hatred directed at the oppostion as "banter", proves the point.
I depair of this world I really do. If a primary school tacher considers this acceptable what kind of further degradation is going to occur when the generations he is repsonsible for teaching grow up.”