Former striker Tom Pope’s latest online argument has resulted in coverage in the Daily Mail newspaper.
On the pitch, Pope will be remembered as the club’s post-war top scorer. He had three spells with the club, scoring 115 times as well as being top-scorer during the 2013 promotion campaign. However, since leaving the club he has courted controversy with some of his views on social media sites.
His comments about Manchester City defender John Stones, before the two clubs met in the FA Cup hit the headlines while he was handed a £3,500 fine and a six-game ban for posting an antisemitic view on his social media account. Now a recent argument has been covered by the Daily Mail newspaper.
The latest Pope online row
The latest row occurred after Pope shared his views on long-serving defender Nathan Smith leaving the club, having previously played alongside him. Port Vale fan Nathan Shapland replied, telling Pope not to ‘tell Darren Moore about managing’ because Pope has ‘not been a pro manager’. Pope responded ‘You don’t know football and you’re a s***bag so got no more time to offer you. You’re a waste of time’ to which Shapland replied ‘Good reasonable response’, Pope posted: ‘Reasonable you’ve spent 2 days talking s*** and pissing me off you little runt. That threat yesterday obviously didn’t register so now I’ll leave before your mouth leaves you in a situation you can’t run away from.’ Pope had previously labelled the fan a ‘cheeky p***k’ and threatening: ‘You better hope none of my mates point you out to me I promise you now.’
The argument continued – Pope posted ‘I promise you now Nath after that comment I will now find out ALL about you mate you better hope you’re over 18 I promise you that.’ Shapland replied: ‘Very grown up.’ The fan would then share a screenshot of a private message from Pope, which read: ‘You can put this on Twitter mate and show everyone you want. I’m going to punch your f***ing head in my warnings haven’t obviously sunk in after repeatedly telling you to leave it and you kept on and on and on behind your phone in your mums bedroom. Obviously a big mouth whos never had a good slap but I’m going to now show you what a mouth like that gets you. I did warn you so don’t start crying pal.’
Shapland replied: ‘Mums dead pal.’ Pope then replied: ‘Oh well I’ll make sure you join her then,’ before Shapland responded: ‘Lovely my chemo might get me first.’ Pope then wrote: ‘Let’s hope.’
After the post was shared, Pope posted ‘I’ve threatened a lad who abuses me and he said I’ve got cancer! As if anyone would take that as gospel. I didn’t know he did ffs I thought he was taking the p*** I’m not that horrible. I thought he said it because I threatened him. Anyway speedy recovery big gob.’
When accused of backtracking, he added: ‘Backtracking he follows me I don’t know who he is do I you idiot. Trying make out I’d wish someone dead who I don’t even know you can all f*** off! If you all honestly think I knew he had that and still send that to him then that’s on you lot. You obviously don’t know me.’ Shapland replied: ‘If you briefly look at my account you’d have known before kicking off I’m very open about it that’s my way of dealing with it.’
Pope then replied: ‘No I don’t look at your account I see your name abusing me and hammering me for months on end! I’ve told you I wish you well I don’t actually want you dead I don’t have a clue who you are and anyone else would say fair enough! I do wish you well Nath you know I didn’t know.’ Shapland would later post: ‘Don’t argue with your hero I guess.’
The row has prompted some Port Vale supporters to contact the club calling for the Valiants to cut all ties with their former player. One supporter posted on the OVF forum saying: “After a fan very civilly disagreed with Tom about Smith’s release, Tom has threatened to assault him several times and said he hopes the fan’s cancer kills him. Hope the club, with its strong values, makes it clear that Pope isn’t welcome in hospitality ever again. Never want to hear his name associated with us again.” However, another supporter added “Just remember him for being a football legend. I am sure many players in the past were the same before social media came along.”
The Valiants have lined up a friendly against Kidsgrove Athletic, the club Pope currently jointly manages, this summer.
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