A footballer who threatened to punch a fan’s ‘f***ing head in’ has desperately tried to explain his actions after wishing the supporter dead from cancer.
Tom Pope, 39, played for the likes of Rotherham, Port Vale and Bury in a long career in the Football League before eventually going semi-pro. He has most recently played for Kidsgrove Athletic in the Northern Premier League Division One West, where he has been joint-player manager.
But now he has been engulfed in controversy after screenshots emerged of the veteran seemingly arguing with a fan on social media platform X and telling him he hoped his chemotherapy cancer treatment killed him.
The situation escalated after Pope had originally shared his views on now-former Port Vale defender Nathan Smith leaving the club after 16 years, having previously played alongside him.
He posted: ‘Fans can say “Oh he’s your mate” I was a pro for 17 years I know what league 1 and 2 is about! I watched Stockport Orient last night with Horsfall and Beckles who couldn’t lace his boots and can’t pass either.
‘Played out from the back for 6 month, Smudge in promotion. Bye.’
Football Tom Pope has been caught up in a row after telling a fan he hoped his chemotherapy cancer treatment killed him
Nathan Shapland took to social media to reveal direct messages from Pope where he threatened him and wished him dead
Pope later claimed that he didn’t believe Shapland when he was told about his cancer
Fan Nathan Shapland had chipped into the debate, telling Pope not to ‘tell Darren Moore about managing’ because Pope has ‘not been a pro manager’.
Pope seemed to see red, replying: ‘That’s your last comment I won’t block you because that’s what f**nies do but I’m not replying to you again! You don’t know football and you’re a s***bag so got no more time to offer you. You’re a waste of time.’
After Shapland replied: ‘Good reasonable response’, Pope posted: ‘Reasonable you’ve spent 2 days talking s*** and pissing me off you little runt. That threat yesterday obviously didn’t register so now I’ll leave before your mouth leaves you in a situation you can’t run away from.’
But the duo had been arguing online the day before, with Pope branding Shapland a ‘cheeky p***k’ and threatening: ‘You better hope none of my mates point you out to me I promise you now.’
Beforehand, he had posted: ‘Oh I’m way over it mate I don’t go back getting claps and stuff “Oh you legend” “My son loved you” like every other ex player would! But I promise you now Nath after that comment I will now find out ALL about you mate you better hope you’re over 18 I promise you that.’
Shapland replied: ‘Very grown up.’ He would then go onto share a screenshot of a private message from Pope, which read: ‘You can put this on Twitter mate and show everyone you want. I’m going to punch your f***ing head in my warnings haven’t obviously sunk in after repeatedly telling you to leave it and you kept on and on and on behind your phone in your mums bedroom.
‘Obviously a big mouth whos never had a good slap but I’m going to now show you what a mouth like that gets you. I did warn you so don’t start crying pal.’
Shapland replied: ‘Mums dead pal.’ Pope then replied: ‘Oh well I’ll make sure you join her then,’ before Shapland responded: ‘Lovely my chemo might get me first.’
Pope then wrote: ‘Let’s hope.’
He would later wish Shapland well and told him he ‘actually don’t want you dead’
Shapland – a Port Vale fan – suggested Pope was a ‘hero’ in the aftermath of the fallout
Pope, who is now a semi-professional player, scored for Vale against Manchester City in 2020
After the post was shared, Pope wrote himself: ‘I’ve threatened a lad who abuses me and he said I’ve got cancer! As if anyone would take that as gospel.
‘I didn’t know he did ffs I thought he was taking the p*** I’m not that horrible. I thought he said it because I threatened him. Anyway speedy recovery big gob.’
When accused of ‘backtracking’, he added: ‘Backtracking he follows me I don’t know who he is do I you idiot. Trying make out I’d wish someone dead who I don’t even know you can all f*** off! If you all honestly think I knew he had that and still send that to him then that’s on you lot. You obviously don’t know me.’
Shapland replied: ‘If you briefly look at my account you’d have known before kicking off I’m very open about it that’s my way of dealing with it.’
Pope then replied: ‘No I don’t look at your account I see your name abusing me and hammering me for months on end! I’ve told you I wish you well I don’t actually want you dead I don’t have a clue who you are and anyone else would say fair enough! I do wish you well Nath you know I didn’t know.’
Shapland would later post: ‘Don’t argue with your hero I guess.’
Pope played more than 300 times for Port Vale in his career and scored in the FA Cup against Manchester City in 2020.
Pope was contacted by Mail Sport for comment.
