Mark Allen speaks out on awful social media abuse and baffling lack of consequences

Sports people are depressingly used to receiving abuse on social media but Mark Allen says it is the lack of action from the platforms which upsets him most.

The 39-year-old has been in the public eye for a long time now and has become thick-skinned to the grim messages strangers send online.

However, what still baffles him is the reluctance of social media companies to step in and act when abuse is reported.

‘The thing that upsets me more than what we receive is the lack of things that are done by Instagram, Twitter (X), or Facebook to rectify it,’ Allen said.

‘I had one which said they hoped my daughter got cancer and dies. And Instagram deemed that not in violation of their community standards. That completely baffled me when I reported it.

‘That annoys me more than the content itself because it’s just idiots online writing stuff.

‘I don’t know how those social media platforms aren’t clamping down on it.’

The Pistol has been happy to fight fire with fire when it comes to online abuse, causing the trolls some problems of their own, although that has not gone unpunished.

Asked if the abuse gets to him he said: ‘Not in the slightest. I’ll be bored at an airport and have some fun with people, posting their bank details and things like that.

‘I posted a phone number, but I got in a bit of trouble for that one so I won’t be doing that again. It’s boredom really that I post them. It doesn’t get to me at all.’

Allen confirmed that it was ‘the beautiful governing body’ who he was in trouble with for his social media retort.

The Northern Irishman has no plans to come off social media because he sees the positives to it and feels that no matter what anyone achieves, the negatives are unavoidable.

‘I like interacting with the fans. I think my sponsors also like it when you share photos etc,’ he said. ‘I get a lot more good feedback than I get bad on social media so I don’t think I’ll ever come off it.

‘Maybe if I get old and, I was going to say grey, but greyer. That would be the only time.

‘You’ve seen with Kyren [Wilson] this season. He’s had one of the best seasons ever as a first-time world champion, probably one of the best ambassadors we’ve ever had and he’s still getting loads of abuse online, so what chance do the rest of us have? I take it with a pinch of salt.’

Back on the table Allen takes on Chris Wakelin in the second round at the Crucible, starting on Thursday after the Englishman picked up his first ever win at the venue against Neil Robertson in round one.

The 33-year-old is a vastly improved player in recent years and is confident of doing more damage in Sheffield.

‘I feel like a totally different person to three years ago, the last time I was there,’ he said. ‘I feel like a different player and person, so I am ready to face the challenge this time.

‘It’s been a long time coming. The first couple of times I qualified it felt as if I was having a day out. I never felt I was capable of doing damage there. The way things have gone for me the last couple of years, I feel I will be hard man to beat.

‘I know someone will have to play bloody well to beat me. I know I am playing at a really high level, if I bring my A game I will be tough to stop.’