When I was growing up we were told to say coloured gentleman or lady ,calling someone anything else was considered racist back then. I will be 60 next week so kinda know where smithy is coming from that's the way it was back then ,I don't think smithy meant any harm ,its just a generation thing.I don't think it would've been patronising to have just politely DM'd or even replied saying where they went wrong.
I think at the least it would've been better than condemning someone for what was very much likely an innocent and oblivious mistake due to a different generational upbringing.

. I remember as well one was talking about "saving the lad from the forest" to which people at the time said it was about trying to sign Jamaal Lascelles from when he was at Notts Forest. Ahh the memories are coming back, I'm gonna have to pop over later.