Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has revealed that the club have been working with police in their efforts to combat online abuse.
Wilder was speaking after referee Mike Dean was stood down from Premier League duty after he received abuse and death threats online.
Several Premier League players have been racially abused in recent weeks and Wilder suggested that people at his own club have also been targeted.
"Mike Dean is an honorable referee and a decent guy, and these guys are doing their best as the players and coaches are," he said.
"They don't deserve it. It's disgusting, the individuals need nailing and I wish I could nail them in my way, but I won't be allowed to. We've all been subjected to the abuse and I think it's cowardly, disgusting and inhumane.
"There's nothing positive about what's going off, whether it's from a racial point of view or what's gone off over the weekend. We've all suffered and shouldn't have to.
"It isn't football and it isn't life, no-one should be able to get away with it. There's stuff at the club that I can't discuss that players have received and it's not acceptable. I think the [social] media companies are getting away with it and making money at the same time."
Wilder admits that he is at a loss over how the footballing community deals with the issue of online abuse.
He did suggest that the social media companies need to start coming up with some solutions.
"The players have a responsibility and there is a part of social media that is advantageous, whatever platform it is, and there's some good bits," added Wilder.
"But there's some disgusting bits too and we've all suffered. We're in the spotlight and we all receive it. Our families receive it, and it's not on. Something has to be done.
"You should have to give up your passport details or something, what are people scared of? There's a lot of positives but I think the companies have to take a huge amount of responsibility, if not all of it, for what's going on."
