I'm not surprised no one wants to discuss this, and I only do so because on the World at One today, Charlton came up - but in a positive way.
Apparently there was a Dispatches programme on this way back in 1997. The programme maker came on today to talk about it, how the FA blanked them and swept it all under the carpet. She then said "It could have been stopped even then - we did some filming with Charlton Athletic" . I held my breath, dreading what I was about to hear. However she went on "they already had a programme in place; a really simple set of rules that ensured this kind of thing could not take place". Phew. And well done to our club back in the day. But we were a great club, from top to bottom, back in the day.
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Awful stuff and think there's going to be so much more coming out
I have nothing but total admiration for him in doing so, as well as the others. Absolutely heartbreaking and brought a tear to my eye.
I have just finished my level 1 coaching course and safeguarding is one element now.
My wife works in child protection social care so hearing about child abuse cases has become a depressingly regular part of my life. The predatory paedophile is mercifully a rare, if incredibly destructive, beast, but one thing these high profile cases have taught us is that those who choose to hunt down kids to abuse are often resourceful, organised and often work in groups and hide in plain sight.
Kudos to the club for taking steps above and beyond the standard at the time, but this is not an area where you should ever be complacent and just assume it couldn't happen to you.
When Speed died, like everyone else, I badly wanted to know what had happened, what had led him to do what he did. I read a number of stories, on here, in the papers, on Reddit etc. I'd figured out my own version of events. Like it was some form of detective show entertainment.
But two years ago I met his sister, and I've gotten to know her. She's spoken of Gary openly a few times, and as soon as she did I felt like such an asshole. I immediately realised all of my speculation was well-wide of the mark and beyond that, it was none of my business anyway.
I have personal experience of being abused - not by a football coaching but by a piano teacher in my parents front room.
It stopped when I was 13 and I buried the whole thing in the darker recesses of my mind and got on with my life.
I got married and eventually felt safe enough to tell my wife and also my sister. I couldn't tell my parents. I never have - they are both dead.
When the Saville stuff started to come out, I decided I was not going to hide anymore and I have spoken up about it now. Even my son knows now.
I did share it on here a few years ago when others had shared. It helped hugely.
Those ex Footballers sharing their story so publically are very brave. They will need counseling - I did - but sharing is the start of healing. I hope more come forward - whether publicly or just to their nearest and dearest.
I played youth football to a shit/semi shit standard in the 80's and although I now have the benefit of hindsight and older age/experience there were unquestionably things that went on that were "odd" at best, and possibly a lot more to it at worst.
I hope this is not another "Saville" type scenario, but you know what - from my Limited experience I would bot be at all surprised.
It must help others so much that have been through and are maybe still going through the same, with both their own lives and the possibility of bringing justice.
It was mentioned on the news that a Premier League footballer did not want to come into the open because of the chants he would receive from the crowd - surely that can no longer be true? Surely any idiots trying to start such abuse would be shouted down pretty quickly?
That in itself can have its good and bad points, but I think that is still a step too far for the "norm"
Horrific story.
Just really sad
Clubs can have the most stringent frameworks, guidelines, best practices in place. I expect all have now and none did in the 80s. Even now though, you can't police everything 100% despite things are far better regulated.
I will try and dig out the clip if it is possible. I certainly did not wish to make a tribal point, although I did feel relieved that the perception we were a 'model" club in those days, extended to important matters like this. And if Les Reed drove that, hats off to a very decent man.
Have coached young kids myself, this just depresses the hell out of me tbh.
Because the vast majority of people coach kids for all the right reasons, but there are on occasion, individuals who are involved for quite different darker reasons.
It is really important that we tell our kids to report anything untoward of that nature that happens to them, that they feel uncomfortable with, to their parents or a trusted adult.
That way, it becomes much more difficult for these predators to continue.
Really good of these players and other abused victims to come forward, must be so difficult, but huge respect to them for doing so.
I also hope Bennell is alive after the recent news so he can stand trial (why hadn't he been arrested straight away?) and the Police can find out more of the abusers through him.
If you're not already familiar, I recommend (maybe "recommend" is too strong) reading about the Penn State sex abuse scandal, where one of the assistant coaches spent decades molesting boys (warning, it's pretty grim and disgusting). After a lengthy investigation it was discovered that various people had come forward saying they'd seen him doing inappropriate things. None of this is to say that Crewe or any of the other clubs knew what was going on, or should have, or that they did anything wrong, but hopefully investigations into this will thoroughly review if there were any warning signs that were missed (or intentionally ignored).
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/28/us/penn-state-scandal-fast-facts/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/penn-state-should-own-its-role-in-the-sandusky-scandal/2016/05/10/41eea4ce-16b3-11e6-924d-838753295f9a_story.html
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/nov/29/eric-bristow-loses-sky-sports-role-twitter-sex-abuse-story-comments
I notice Eric Bristow has got in trouble for some comments about these footballers being weak. I have heard of victims of abuse being castigated for not coming forward earlier - in the Saville case for example.
These guys are incredibly brave - they certainly are not at all weak. There will be many others - I am sure of that. They will have tried desperately to have buried these terrible events in their minds to get on with their lives. Most will not have told a soul.
I believe most will come forward - now they have seen that they are not alone - the fear they will have lived in for years will start to abate. Fear of what these monsters made them feel. Fear of the self-loathing of
"why me?"
"Why didn't I stop it?"
"It was my fault"
"If people find out they will judge me as a weak or as behaving inappropriately"
Believe me I went through all of these things but now I am strong. I can tell my story, I am not afraid any more. For me I can say that despite my encounter with a sad weasel bully of a man that I have a great life and a wonderful wife family and circle of friends, and he died still the sad weasel bully that he was.
Who'd ever have thought it?