If social media is a club's shop window, why should it let fans chuck bricks through it?

The club has revoked their season ticket and banned them from entering the rink on match nights after it was made aware of derogatory and discriminatory comments made across its social media platforms and forums in recent days.

The actual words were not repeated, but Storm described them as “deeply concerning” - to the extent it reported the matter to Greater Manchester Police.

That response is how you deal with abuse on social media - and I wonder if more clubs will follow suit as they all face the same challenge of managing increasingly toxic comments on their platforms, given the tech giants have shown little interest in addressing the issue.

Teams need to be active on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram - they are key to engaging with fans and promoting the sport, and that means opening up their channels to comments, but it’s a double-edged sword.

When the team is winning and there is a buzz then comments are upbeat, supportive and easy to manage. The underbelly is dark - often very dark. We post in real time, and say what we think often when emotions are running high - anger being the most potent of them. We lash out, and single out players or coaches for criticism.

And criticism does come with the territory - up to a point.

The problem with social media is the line hasn’t so much been blurred as shredded to pieces. The way we communicate today is vastly different to a decade ago or back in the days of the BNL. The tone is much, much harsher and the language deeply corrosive. That is entirely down to social media - or rather how we choose to use it.

Ask anyone who manages a social media platform and they will show you countless examples which are truly horrifying, grotesquely offensive and wholly indefensible. They will also tell you that, however hard they try, some comments will get under their skin - that sting can last for days and can be hard to shrug off. Some take a very deep, personal toll.

That isn’t fair on the volunteers who give their time to help behind the scenes. This isn’t why they signed up to be part of a team they care about and want to see flourish.

Storm’s clear, unequivocal stance has to be welcomed. Abuse has to be called out, and the people responsible for it simply removed. We’re ‘way past a three strikes and your out policy when it comes to social media.

As someone connected with Flyers said last week, Facebook is our shop window, so why should we let folk throw bricks through it?

Wading through the venom and bile posted in the immediate aftermath of a disappointing performance or crushing loss is akin to having to sweep up the broken glass - and the shards can, and do, cut and wound as deep as the real thing.

As a new season dawns, it’s time to put down those bricks. Think before you post if you want to avoid the block and ban hammers. Trust me, the sound of silence which follows removing someone from a social media page is utter bliss …