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FA chairman: Football asleep to issue of child sex abuse in 1990s

FA chairman Greg Clarke said football - and society as a whole - had a "total unawareness" of safeguarding children in the 1990s.

Speaking as police forces around the country investigate historical allegations from more than 20 former players said the sport and other institutions were "sleepwalking" rather than dealing with the problem.

Eight police forces are now looking into allegations of historical abuse in football.

There have been 250 reports made to police and more than 50 calls were made to an NSPCC hotline set up for sexual abuse victims in football in the initial hours of opening.

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Mark Palios: There could be more child sex abuse victims

A former chief executive of the FA has claimed there could be many more footballers who have been victims of child sexual abuse.

On Thursday, former Manchester City star David White became the fourth ex-footballer to speak publicly about the abuse he received from a former football coach.

Speaking to ITV News, Mark Palios said: "If you stand back and look at the sport, it is a sport that has so many youngsters playing in it, it's one of those areas - one of those fertile grounds - that paedophiles would attack.

"One would expect at some stage this would have happened.

"As to whether it's the tip of the iceberg, I think almost certainly if you play a numbers game there are a lot of individuals who have unfortunately been dealt with in this way."

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FA chairman: Football asleep to issue of child sex abuse in 1990s

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