Sheffield Wednesday condemn racist abuse targeting Jamal Lowe and his family

Sheffield Wednesday have condemned racist abuse directed at forward Jamal Lowe after messages targeting him appeared on his wife's Instagram photographs. BBC Sport reported on Thursday that the 32-year-old Jamaica international had revealed the abuse following his sending-off in Tuesday's 2-0 defeat at Notts County. The comments were posted repeatedly on his partner's account.

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Lowe addressed the incident on Instagram, rejecting any suggestion that a player's performance could justify racist treatment from someone claiming to support his team. He also appealed to parents to educate their children and urged people to challenge racist behaviour within their families. His response described the repeated abuse of footballers after poor results as unacceptable.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the League One club condemned the messages and said racism had no place in either football or wider society. Wednesday also said the incident was not an isolated example this season: players, staff and their families had faced previous targeting. The club's response specifically highlighted the abuse directed at individuals' loved ones alongside that aimed at those working in football.

BBC Sport said it understood that the UK Policing Football Unit was investigating and that it had contacted the unit for comment. That account of an investigation remained attributed to the broadcaster; its report did not include a response from the unit. Lowe has scored five goals in 10 League One appearances this season, according to the BBC.

The club also referred to its participation the previous weekend in the English Football League's Together Against Racism campaign. Wednesday said the latest incident underlined the importance of collective action and meaningful consequences, linking its condemnation of the messages to the wider campaign against discrimination.

BBC Sport identified an earlier incident in April, when an unnamed Wednesday player received racist messages after a 1-1 draw with Leicester. The club condemned those messages at the time. In a separate case in 2024, Wednesday were fined £12,500 and a supporter received a five-year ban after Coventry's Kasey Palmer was subjected to a racist gesture during a Championship match. Those earlier incidents provide the background to the club's latest condemnation.