Former Hartlepool United striker Chris Wreh declares himself unavailable for selection following racist abuse

The 28-year-old, who made 12 appearances at the Prestige Group Stadium last season, shared screenshots of the abuse following Tamworth's FA Cup defeat to Premier League Tottenham on Sunday.

The image, taken from Instagram, shows a man using racist and threatening language towards Wreh through a direct message.

Since then, the football world has rallied around the striker, with former Pools teammate Tom Crawford taking to X to voice his support for the frontman.

However, while Wreh said Lambs boss Andy Peaks had been in touch to offer his support, he alleged that the club had taken 36 hours to get in contact and that he was told they were hoping to deal with the matter internally.

Expressing his disappointment with Tamworth's response, Wreh ruled himself out of the Lambs midweek cup clash with Northern League Premier Division One Midlands side Boldmere St. Michaels.

In a statement on X, Wreh thanked Tamworth fans for their support but admitted he was frustrated with the club's reaction.

"I have been contacted by the police and, as of now, the incident is under investigation," he said.

"I would like to extend my gratitude to the Tamworth supporters and members of the public who have reached out to offer their support and assistance in identifying the individual responsible.

"Incidents like this highlight the ongoing issue of racism.

"It is shameful to be racially abused by someone simply because they lost a bet but, sadly, this happens all too often.

"Unfortunately, I will not be available for this evening's (Tuesday's) game.

"While I have the utmost respect for my manager, who has supported me throughout this issue, I am disappointed that the club has not publicly supported me yet.

"To date, I have received only one call from an official at the club, more than 36 hours after the incident.

"At no point was I asked if I was ok. Instead, I was informed that the silence was due to a desire to keep the matter internal.

"I cannot agree with or condone this approach.

"If these incidents are kept in-house, they will never be addressed."

On Wednesday, Tamworth said the club were working to support Wreh and assist the police in their ongoing investigation.

"We will continue to support Chris with the extensive work that's going on behind the scenes to bring the person responsible to justice," the club said in a statement.

"Tamworth Football Club and its management have and will always support its players against any sign of racism or discrimination so all players have trust within the club, for which they have all played a major role in the club's rapid growth and recent FA Cup run.

"Racist abuse will never be tolerated and will be thoroughly investigated."