Thierry Henry’s decision to walk away from social media could be a huge and decisive moment in the war against online racism, abuse and bullying.

The former France, Arsenal and Barcelona star has switched off his socials – including Twitter, where he has 2.3 million followers – until such a time that the companies behind them start to make abusers properly accountable for their hate crimes.

Finally, a person with influence and power who is prepared to put his money where his mouth is and take a proper, firm and decisive stand on an issue that needs strangling but has so far only been tickled.

Over the past few years, and even more over the last few months, there have been many, many players – mostly black, but not exclusively – who have been on the receiving end of racial abuse or bullying on their social media.

Marcus Rashford, Reece James, Danny Rose, Rhian Brewster, Paul Pogba, Raheem Sterling… The list of players who have had to put up with this repugnant behaviour is enormous.

Yet I don’t know of a single significant or influential footballer – including the victims – who has actually walked away from Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or any of the other sites.

Yes, there was a 24-hour player boycott back in 2019, but otherwise the fightback has been pretty much limited to complaining about the injustice of the situation.

Of course, I am not saying these players should have to stop using their social media. In an ideal world they should be able to operate their accounts without fear of abuse.

But the reality is that the legion of idiotic trolls aren’t going away of their own accord.

And while the social media companies claim they are doing their best to kick them out, the truth is they will only be forced to do so if there is a large-scale boycott of their platforms by people that matter.

Considering I have about three followers, it will not make one iota of difference to Twitter if I were to close my account. But if all the footballers who have received any sort of digital abuse in the past year suddenly stopped tweeting, that would make a proper dent in their advertising revenue. Then panic would set in.

Hopefully other footballers, and indeed stars from other sports and even non-sporting ones, will follow Henry’s lead and join him on what is a very noble, and somewhat overdue, crusade.

Hopefully other footballers, and indeed stars from other sports and even non-sporting ones, will follow Henry’s lead and join him on what is a very noble, and somewhat overdue, crusade

Sure, it would be rather sad to see these people disappear from social media, which is often the only way us mere mortals can connect with otherwise remote stars these days.

But if enough of them do, that may finally spark some sort of meaningful action – proper user verification, for example – and one day, sooner rather than later, they will be able to return, safe in the knowledge that their firm action has made social media a safer place for everyone.

So well done Henry for being the first major star to say enough is enough.

The woman in black

Yesterday was a low-key but momentous occasion for English football, with a female referee taking charge of a full league game for the first time ever.

Rebecca Welsh was the woman in the middle for the League Two clash between Harrogate Town and Port Vale.

Deadline restrictions mean I can’t tell you how the game went, but given her record officiating at lower levels, I have absolutely no doubt her performance was one of supreme control.

Interestingly, when her appointment for the game was announced, Welsh insisted that she had full confidence in the refereeing system and had always been adamant that her climb up the ladder should be based on merit rather than sex.

And the fact that it has taken her 11 years to reach this point in her refereeing career suggests that is precisely what has happened – she has earned her right to be where she is.

That undoubtedly makes the achievement that much more special for Welsh – knowing she has been the master of her own success rather than the recipient of some misguided positive discrimination.

Hopefully she will go working her way up the ranks and one day become the first woman to take charge of a Premier League match.

Considering the shambolic, indecisive and terminally nervous collection of male referees currently officiating top-flight games, having some fresh, female blood among the elite would be very welcome.

Last of the Mohicans

One of the silliest things I heard last week is that Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – when he was boss of Norwegian side Molde – once abandoned a scouting mission when he saw the player had a Mohican haircut.

Solskjaer said that when he saw the player come out of the tunnel and caught a glimpse of his hair, he told his companion than this player was definitely not for him.

How on earth is hair the basis for turning down the possibility of signing a player?

I can only assume that Solskjaer suspected the player in question, who he didn’t name, was more interested in image than substance.

But still, that can’t possibly be the clinching factor when it comes to deciding if a player is any good at his job, which is kicking a football, not having good fashion sense.

I mean, if he bases his decisions on haircuts – specifically of the Mohican variety – then that means he could have, at one time or another, turned down the possibility of signing David Beckham, Paul Pogba, Arturo Vidal, and, erm, Neymar.

They have all sported the unusual hairstyle during their playing careers, and Vidal, in particular, has been that way for as long as I can remember.

That would have been an awfully good bunch of players to miss out on.

As it stands right now, United don’t appear to be in the running for one of the most talented strikers on the planet, with Erling Haaland apparently moving to Barcelona or Real Madrid.

Maybe Solskjaer has heard rumours that the Norwegian is thinking about getting a bit of Mohican when the hair salons reopen….

email: james@quizando.com
twitter: @maltablade