Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony has launched an extraordinary attack on a section of the club’s support, describing the atmosphere around Posh Twitter as a “cesspit”.
MacAnthony accused a small but vocal group of supporters of taking pleasure from Peterborough’s problems, before delivering a graphic assessment of how he believes some of his online critics spend their days.
The comments arrive against the backdrop of a difficult period for Posh, who have won just one of their last 16 League One matches stretching back into last season. Their new campaign began with a 2-0 defeat at Bradford City, leaving them 23rd after the opening round of league fixtures.
Peterborough did record a victory in their first competitive game of the season, beating Bristol Rovers 1-0 in the League Cup through Harry Leonard’s 19th-minute penalty. However, that result did little to calm the growing concerns surrounding the club’s league form.
Luke Williams’ side were second-best at Bradford, registering only two shots on target and falling behind to Macaulay Gillesphey’s 54th-minute goal. Nick Powell added a second with 15 minutes remaining before David Okagbue was sent off late in the contest.
Speaking on the latest episode of his Hard Truth podcast, MacAnthony claimed the reaction to Peterborough’s defeat had been driven by a relatively small collection of accounts.
“It’s those 20 to 40 people, the same people, you know who they are, we know who you are, everyone knows who you are, who will take great joy in anything that happens,” he said.
“The football club lose a football game, it’s Chernobyl, it’s worst case scenario. It’s my fault. It’s recruitment. It’s always my fault. It’s always recruitment.”
MacAnthony has faced questions throughout the summer about Peterborough’s recruitment and whether Williams had been given enough support. Posh have added players including Liam Kelly, Ethan Williams and Vernon Masara, but the chairman believes criticism of the club’s transfer activity has been exaggerated online.
“Everything’s amplified to a 20 and I could describe it like this. I could probably describe the typical toxic person at the moment out there who’s just loving it and DMac out and, you know, where’s all the transfer money gone and putting up nonsense, you know, innuendos and all that kind of crap.”
MacAnthony targets online critics
The criticism then became considerably more personal. MacAnthony offered a disparaging description of the people he believes are responsible for repeatedly posting negative comments about him and the club.
“They get up, they walk upstairs from their, you know, grandmother’s basement. They make themselves breakfast, they turn a laptop on, and then they start scouring Twitter and social media because probably a lot of them are unemployed, probably not in great jobs, probably not doing really well in work life.”
“Then for the next two hours in between masturbating, they will keep scrolling on the same tweet or message they put out to see what the reaction’s like. Where’s the comments? Where’s the reactions? Where’s the comments? Where’s the reactions?”
“Then it starts gathering pace and a few more of their brothers in arms who all come from their own basement basically start making comments and before you know it, it’s just bang, it’s there and it’s out there.”
While MacAnthony directed those remarks at the club’s most vocal critics, he drew a distinction between that group and Peterborough’s wider support. He suggested the current online atmosphere could discourage other fans from expressing more positive or balanced opinions.
“People I really feel sorry for are the great fans, the fans who got to read this, who see it on their timelines, who probably want to say something but are frightened of being shouted down or abused.”
The chairman also expressed concern about the effect that sustained online criticism could have on Williams’ relatively young squad. Peterborough’s team at Bradford included several inexperienced players, with teenagers Harley Mills and Baylee Shofowoke among those starting the game.
“The football players who are all under the age of like 25, who, God help them if they go anywhere near that cesspit, you know, that’s around POSH Twitter at the moment.”
Poor form fuels frustration
Although this season is still in its infancy, Peterborough’s wider run of results helps explain why concerns have intensified. Posh endured a poor conclusion to the previous campaign and have now opened their new league season without a goal or a point.
The cup victory at Bristol Rovers offered some encouragement, particularly as Peterborough kept a clean sheet and progressed away from home. However, it was followed by another league defeat, extending a sequence in which victories have become increasingly rare.
MacAnthony acknowledged that the club’s recent record had contributed to the atmosphere but maintained that some people were actively enjoying Peterborough’s difficulties.
“We’re one league game in and that’s where we are and it’s been going on all summer and all summer. When I see, like, the joy particularly in, like, the local press, when I see the joy in, you know, us not winning.”
He also accepted that he could not change the opinions of those who have already turned against him. MacAnthony has owned Peterborough since 2006 and has frequently been an outspoken presence, particularly through podcasts and social media.
“I can’t control people who just dislike me anyway or people who are now enjoying themselves because Peterborough United have had a shit, shit year or whatever else.”
Ultimately, results are likely to determine whether the dispute subsides or develops into something more damaging. Peterborough’s defeat at Bradford offered little immediate evidence that their league fortunes have changed, despite the new additions made during the summer.
Posh now need to translate those signings into victories, beginning with their first home league game of the season. Another poor result would inevitably increase the pressure on Williams and MacAnthony, while a win could begin to shift attention away from arguments on social media and back towards events on the pitch.
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