A sports reporter has hit back at online abusers after being branded a “terrorist sympathiser” for his defence of a footballer.

Wigan Post deputy sports editor Paul Kendrick has dubbed social media a “cesspit” after receiving a torrent of abuse for reporting on chants aimed at Wigan Athletic player James McClean during his club’s match against Sunderland on Saturday.

Paul, pictured left, posted a recording on Twitter of a section of Sunderland supporters singing “f*** the IRA” while Mr McClean, a Catholic who has previously declared his support for Irish Republican causes, took a corner.

But his decision to highlight the sectarian abuse, which also allegedly included individuals shouting terms such as “Fenian b*****d” and “dirty Irish c**t” at Mr McClean, prompted some users of the social network to turn their attentions to Paul himself.

Responses aimed at him included “IRA sympathiser”, “f*** off”, “get off [McClean’s] c**k”, “salty bitch” and “grass c**t”.

Posting on Sunday, he wrote: “The fact my phone has been pinging all day with folk defending this s*** – and calling me a ‘terrorist sympathiser’ for daring to flag it up – underlines James McClean’s point.

“Continued non-action by the authorities is normalising and condoning this abuse and discrimination.”

In a follow-up tweet yesterday, as he prepared to take a pre-booked holiday, Paul added: “Hopefully the cesspit on here will eventually calm down… but I won’t hold my breath.”

In 2020, Reach plc’s then-sport audience and content director Jon Birchall warned “toxic behaviour” from readers had sparked a “crisis” for sports journalists facing abuse in their work.

In the same year, Reach plc’s North East audience and content director Helen Dalby also revealed a threat had been made against the children of Newcastle daily The Chronicle’s Newcastle United Football Club editor.

Discussing Saturday’s incident himself, Mr McClean said he also heard chants of “f**k the Pope and IRA” being sung, as well as individuals calling him a “Fenian b*****d”, “Fenian c**t” and “dirty Irish c***”.

He added: “Now everyone who attended the game would have heard this loud and clear, including the match referee, officials and other officials.

“I should not have to report every single incident when clearly they can all hear what I hear, and they should be doing their jobs by taking action.”

HTFP has approached Paul for further comment on the abuse he has faced.