Advertisement

  1. National

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.

View all 38 updates ›

More alleged victims of abuse in football come forward

Paul Steward said he was abused as a child by a football coach. Credit: PA

Eleven people have come forward to police in the wake of the revelations about sexual abuse in football.

Detective Inspector Sarah Hall, of Cheshire Police, said: "We have now been made aware of a number of people who have come forward wishing to speak to the police.

"At this stage we are in the process of making contact with them, and to date no arrests have been made and no-one else is under investigation."

Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Footballers' Association, said it was a "timely warning for everybody in football about our duty of care to these youngsters" and wanted the union to be a "safe haven".

  1. Read more
  2. 38 updates
FA chairman: Football asleep to issue of child sex abuse in 1990s

More on this story