According to the findings of an independent review into historical child sexual abuse in the game, "Significant institutional failings" by the Football Association meant it "did not do enough to keep children safe".
It found the FA was "too slow" to have sufficient protection measures in place between October 1995 and May 2000. It said there was no evidence the FA knew of a problem before summer 1995. The report focused on the abuse of children between 1970 and 2005.
It said: "The FA acted far too slowly to introduce appropriate and sufficient child protection measures, and to ensure that safeguarding was taken sufficiently seriously by those involved in the game. These are significant institutional failings for which there is no excuse."
The long awaited 710-page review, led by Clive Sheldon QC and commissioned by the FA in 2016, found:
· Following high-profile convictions of child sexual abusers from the summer of 1995 until May 2000, the FA "could and should have done more to keep children safe".
· There was a significant delay by the FA in putting in place sufficient child protection measures in football at that time. In that period, the FA "did not do enough" to keep children safe and "child protection was not regarded as an urgent priority".
· Even after May 2000, when the FA launched a comprehensive child protection policy and programme, "mistakes were still made" by the FA.
· The FA failed to ban two of the most notorious perpetrators of child sexual abuse, Barry Bennell and Bob Higgins, from involvement in football.
· There were known to be at least 240 suspects and 692 survivors, yet relatively few people reported abuse and the actual level was likely to be far higher.
· Where incidents of abuse were reported to people in authority at football clubs, their responses were "rarely competent or appropriate".
· Abuse within football was "not commonplace". The overwhelming majority of young people were able to engage in football safely.
· While several of the perpetrators knew each other, there was not evidence of a "paedophile ring" in football - Sheldon says: "I do not consider that perpetrators shared boys with one another for sexual purposes, or shared information with one another that would have facilitated child sexual abuse."
Sheldon's review has made 13 safeguarding recommendations, and he said: "Understanding and acknowledging the appalling abuse suffered by young players in the period covered by the review is important for its own sake. Survivors deserve to be listened to, and their suffering deserves to be properly recognised. As well as recognising and facing up to what happened in the past, it is also important that this terrible history is not repeated, and that everything possible is done now to safeguard the current and future generations of young players."
On 16 November 2016, former footballer Andy Woodward waived his right to anonymity to talk about how he was sexually abused by Bennell at Crewe Alexandra from the age of 11 to 15. Several other people contacted police in the following days, before former England and Tottenham player Paul Stewart said he was abused as a child by a coach, later named as Frank Roper.
Children's charity the NSPCC set up a hotline with the Football Association dedicated to footballers who had experienced sexual abuse - more than 860 calls were received in the first week. After investigations involving several police forces started, the FA announced an independent inquiry into non-recent child sex abuse, led by Sheldon.
The independent review made its first call for evidence in January 2017, writing to all football clubs in England and Wales, amateur and professional, asking for information about allegations between 1970 and 2005.
Sheldon's review said the FA was not aware that abuse had actually occurred in football prior to the summer of 1995, before Bennell had been convicted in Florida in connection with a football-related tour. The report found that the provision of child protection guidance was "not something which was happening widely within sport".
The report said that for much of the period the review covered:
· club staff and officials were generally unaware of child protection issues;
· they were not trained in child protection issues;
· they did not identify or respond to signs of potential abuse;
· and if they were aware of the signs, they did not examine them with curiosity or suspicion.
In March 2019, Manchester City set up a multi-million pound compensation scheme for victims of historical child sexual abuse carried out by former coaches. The report said that Manchester City senior management were aware of rumours and concerns about Barry Bennell's conduct in the early 1980s. "The club did not investigate these rumours. It should have done so. The club should also have investigated the arrangements for boys staying at Bennell's house."
Crewe Alexandra have reiterated that they were not aware of any sexual abuse by Bennell until 1994 when he was convicted of sexual assault, and did not receive a single complaint about sexual abuse by him. The Sheldon report said: "It is likely that three directors of Crewe Alexandra FC discussed concerns about Bennell which hinted at his sexual interest in children.
There’s no evidence that the advice of a senior police officer to the club's former chairman to keep a 'watching brief' on Bennell was heeded. The club should also have ensured that there were appropriate arrangements in place for boys staying overnight at Barry Bennell's house.
The boys should have been spoken to periodically to check that they were being properly cared for. Had such steps been taken, this might have led to boys making disclosures to the club".
Stoke City were "also aware of rumours about Bennell" during his time associated with the club in the early 1990s, said the report, and steps should have been taken to monitor his activities. Premier League clubs Aston Villa and Leicester paid damages to five victims of Langford in March 2020. The report said Aston Villa should have reported disclosures about sexual abuse by Langford to the police when his role as a scout was terminated in July 1989.
Southampton admitted "considerable failings" and said they were "deeply sorry" to young footballers abused by Higgins. The report found that Southampton and Peterborough FC were also aware of rumours about the inappropriate behaviour of Bob Higgins, and were aware that boys were staying at his home. This awareness should have resulted in greater monitoring by clubs. Had Higgins been properly monitored this might have prevented some of his abuse of young players.
At Chelsea, in relation to Eddie Heath, the Sheldon report said steps should have been taken to protect the young player who had made a disclosure about abuse in or around 1975. Newcastle United should have acted more quickly following disclosures of abuse by George Ormond at the youth club "Monty's" in early 1997.
Ormond was only removed from the club many months later, and after Ormond had been permitted to travel abroad with young players. The report found that despite being aware of the allegations, no additional safeguards were put in place by the club.
Among Sheldon's recommendations are the introduction of safeguarding training at several levels in the game, including all players and young people as well as the FA board and senior management team. He also recommends there should be safeguarding officers employed by all Premier League and English Football League clubs.