Top football clubs hit by child abuse allegations

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Top football clubs hit by child abuse allegations

· Premiership probed as FA investigates 250 cases
· Seventy banned over 'threat to children' fears

Martin Bentham
Sunday September 18, 2005
The Observer


Hundreds of cases of suspected child abuse in football and serious flaws in the way young players and fans are cared for will be exposed this week in a report on the treatment of children in soccer.

The report, compiled by the government-backed Independent Football Commission after an 18-month investigation, discloses that 250 suspected child abuse cases are being probed by the Football Association and that two more allegations are being investigated at Premiership clubs. It also reveals that a further four cases of suspected child abuse have been investigated at Premiership clubs since 2003.

In a separate admission, the FA says it has banned between 60 and 70 people from any association with organised football because they are a danger to children and that it is dealing with up to 10 cases a week in which criminal record checks indicate that individuals in the game could be potential abusers.

The revelations are certain to revive concerns about the extent of physical abuse and bullying in sport, which have been highlighted in recent years by high-profile prosecutions in swimming, tennis and athletics, and to prompt calls for tougher action to safeguard children. Up to four million children participate in football in Britain, whether as ball boys, assistants or playing the game.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1572711,00.html

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1. How long before overspill into US soccer revelations?

Some years ago Operation Landslide started in the US and quickly spilled over into the UK....

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2. just a reminder for everyone...

wasn't bush's* nickname for blair (around the time of operation landslide)...Landslide?

i wonder why blair supported the u.s. invasion?

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3. Yep. First thing he said to Poodle when he came calling at Camp

David was :"Hello Landslide".

Which is ever more poignant when seen in the context of this January 2003 article from Counter Punch - citing the original Scotsman story -on "Alleged Pedophiles Helm Blair's War Room":http://www.counterpunch.org/james01292003.html

citing Operation Ore, another UK mega pedophile investigation with US connections.