Sick tweets sent by Saints fans to footballer (From Daily Echo)

Vile Twitter messages from Southampton fans to Leicester City's David Nugent

9:47am Wednesday 25th January 2012 in Southampton By Jon Reeve, Education Reporter

SAINTS fans have condemned sick supporters who publicly sent vile abuse to ex-Pompey striker David Nugent, urging him to “do a Gary Speed” and kill himself.

The vile messages were sent to the Leicester player on social networking website Twitter after he scored in his side’s 2-0 victory at St Mary’s on Monday night.

Police say the offensive posts could have broken the law.

Hate-filled messages flooded in after the match, including a suggestion that Mr Nugent, who has one England cap, should “do us a favour and do what Dean Windass couldn’t,” after the retired player admitted recently that he had attempted to take his life as he battles depression.

Saints fans quickly deluged the site with condemnation of the abuse and called for police to take action.

Last night supporters’ representatives also said that they were horrified by the actions of a few “cowards”.

Mr Nugent incensed some Southampton supporters before the game by saying that he was looking forward to getting one over on the “scummers” – the nickname given to Saints by Portsmouth fans.

He prompted further outrage among sections of the St Mary’s faithful by running to celebrate in front of them, cupping his hands behind his ears and telling them to be quiet with a finger to his mouth, before pointing to his name on the back of his shirt.

He later gestured to fans to sing up as they continued to direct chants in his direction, and afterwards admitted that they had spurred him on.

But after receiving the Internet abuse, he said he felt that there was a line when venomous comments cease to be funny and are “below the belt”.

Other posters, claiming to be Saints fans, said they wished that his family would “die of Aids”, and hoped that the striker, who is from Liverpool, had relatives who died in the Hillsborough disaster.

Mr Nugent wrote: “Some of them are harsh!

Love the banter but people can’t say stuff they say about Gary Speed and Dean Windass.”

Wales manager Gary Speed was found hanged in his garage in November, which shocked the football world and sparked a mass outpouring of grief at matches across the country.

Mr Windass’ public admission last month of his struggle with depression was seen as symptomatic of wider problems faced by retired players.

Hampshire police said yesterday they had not received any complaints, but would investigate if anyone reported being affected by the comments.

As well as the possibility that they could represent harassment of Mr Nugent, the tweets could fall foul of communications legislation, which says that it is illegal to send anything “indecent or offensive” that is aimed at “causing distress or anxiety” to either the recipient, or anyone else who could read it.

Mike O’Callaghan, chairman of the Saints Independent Supporters’ Association said: “It’s alright having a bit of banter, and he was fanning the flames, but there’s definitely a line.

“You shouldn’t go around saying things like “you should go and do a Gary Speed”. Not if you’re a decent human being.

Some-body who says things like that should be treated with the contempt they deserve.

“It’s a very small minority.

Saints have a reputation as a family club, but it only takes one or two to ruin it for everyone.”