Hazard ballboy gets death threats as cops launch probe

Posted Friday, January 25, 2013 by The Sun

Hazard ballboy gets death threats as cops launch probe
'Hurt' ... kicked Charlie Morgan holds his ribs at cup clash

THE time-wasting ballboy given a kicking on TV by Chelsea ace Eden Hazard was in hiding last night after death threats from Blues thugs.

And police launched a probe following complaints from the public about the bust-up with Swansea City teenager Charlie Morgan.

He was made a target for revenge after getting the £32million midfielder sent off in the Londoners’ cup exit.

Hazard ballboy gets death threats as cops launch probe
Boot goes in ... ace Eden Hazard as time-waste lad Charlie Morgan shields ball

Fellow 17-year-old Ellie Moyle — a close pal — confirmed as the millionaire’s son was bombarded with vile abuse on the internet: “He has had death threats. It’s really bad.”

College student Charlie, whose dad is a Swansea director, fell on the ball when it went out with 12 minutes to go — shielding it from the frustrated Belgian who booted the lad in the ribs.

Ribbing ... fan's bandage tweet

Chelsea hotheads were enraged the ace, 22, was sent off in the Capital One Cup semi-final, which the Blues lost 2-0 on aggregate.

Hazard ballboy gets death threats as cops launch probe
Yesterday the web was plastered with posts from yobs insisting the boy, who was unhurt, should have been put in hospital.

One wrote on a fan site: “Little bl****r deserves a proper kicking. That will give him a reason to roll about in agony.” Another sneered: “I would dock wages for Hazard for not drawing blood.” Facebook trolls also chipped in. One said the lad should be “strung up”. Threats on other sites included one vowing: “I’m going to slit your throat.”

On Twitter, where one fan took the mickey by posting a fake image of Charlie bandaged, his girlfriend Jessica Lamb, 17, also fell victim to appalling abuse. The Essex-born teen, who lives with her parents in Swansea, was forced to take to the site to hit back — branding one user “pathetic”. Fans were not the only ones to let rip at Charlie, whose portrait snaps on Twitter include one of him flying Upper Class with Virgin.

Chelsea legend Pat Nevin, 49, claimed he would have reacted just like Hazard — and former England star Danny Mills, 35, waded in: “I’d have done the same.”

Soccer bad boy Joey Barton tweeted: “Hazard’s only crime is he hasn’t kicked him hard enough.” The QPR midfielder, 30 — currently on loan in France — later insisted he was not condoning attacks on ballboys. Stoke City’s Michael Owen declared: “Both the kid and Hazard were in the wrong.”

Upper Class ... Charlie Morgan on Virgin

The ballboy refused to report Hazard to cops and the player later apologised to him. But police have had three complaints from the public.

Hazard ballboy gets death threats as cops launch probe
Vile ... foul-mouthed rant from footie lout on the web yesterday

Charlie, who boasted on the net before the game of his plan to time-waste, was last night thought to be holed up at a £1.5million country pad owned by hotel tycoon dad Martin, 50.

Sick ... Twitter threat