Football and the FA ignored the signs of abuse allowing monsters to get away with it for years – just like Jimmy Savile
THE shadow of the Evil Knight, Jimmy Savile, falls over football again with the disturbing just-published report on sickening crimes against boys.
The coincidences are striking. Just as the DJ and TV personality managed to silence many suggestions that he was sexually assaulting boys and girls, so too the knowledge of coaches conducting their repulsive crimes was ignored in football for many years.
At least one pervert escaped discovery until long after Savile died in 2012, despite FA ordering safeguarding at clubs. They are a current and everlasting danger.
Clive Sheldon’s report into sexual abuse details the horror of what young boys were subjected to and turns the spotlight on the period 1995-2000 during which the FA ignored signals that paedophilia was widespread in sport.
The first was the conviction of Olympic swimming coach Paul Hickson.
The second was another conviction, that of Barry Bennell, found guilty of abusing a schoolboy footballer.
As Savile remained untouchable, hiding behind the knighthood bestowed on him in the 1980s, the paedophiles in football hid behind significant failures by the FA and football clubs, which meant children were not kept safe and reports of abuse, as well as whispers of wrong-doing, were usually ignored.
Bennell, whilst at Manchester City, Stoke and Crewe, raped and sexually assaulted boys who, years later, are still traumatised by the innocence they lost to Bennell, who much later was jailed for 34 years.
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It was thirty-plus years before Andy Woodward of Bury and Sheffield United, braved publicity to talk about his experiences with Bennell.
He was only 11 when he first came to the attention of the coach, scout and serial paedophile thus beginning a four-year horror story that took Woodward to the brink. It’s difficult even to contemplate how much Woodward has suffered.
Bennell, sadly was not the only paedophile in football, there were many. In July 2018 it was reported that there were 300 suspects identified by 849 alleged victims, with 2,807 incidents involving 340 different clubs.
Paul Stewart, of Manchester City, Spurs, Liverpool and England, talked about his experiences with paedophile coach Frank Roper.
Paul was only 11 when the coach first touched him on the knee, the opening scenario in a four-year horror story that ruined Stewart’s childhood and had life-long consequences.
Stewart says he “contemplated suicide even when things were going well. I was playing for Spurs and England, at the peak of my success.
But there was that constant feeling. It was so dark and I just wanted to step out of it.” He’s 56 and, yes, the tears still well up.
Roper threatened to kill Stewart’s mother, father and two brothers if he breathed a word to them. For an 11-year-old the threat was believable.
Abuse could have happened at almost any club in those days, the procedures were paper-thin and little defence against determined, prolific and dangerous men was deployed.
The naivety in all sports was unbelievable. Bullying, abuse, threats and punishment were ignored or treated as matter for jokes. It could have been Oliver Twist with skates on.
Thank God things have changed. The FA, the Premier League and the clubs are united in determination to keep boys and girls safe.
Premier League clubs now have big safeguarding teams whose remit includes safer recruitment practices, player welfare teams and safeguard training.
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Without these procedures in place there was poor supervision in football which allowed Bennell, Roper and others to destroy lives.
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It isn’t much of a defence to point out that attitudes in society were different in the 20th century but it’s the only one Sheldon puts forward.
So I’ll leave you with a Sheldon remark. Bennell, he says, destroyed the lives and dreams of many of those entrusted to his care. True of those other abusers, too.