That's an awful thing, Beddy. Don't mind at all, and respect to the gent in question for letting you write about his dreadful experience. How terribly sad. I'm not a believer in religion, but cases like this make me wish the perpetrator burns in hell or whatever there is. Way too much of this sort of thing - I can't even start thinking how it must be for a child to be abused and then not believed. As Fran says, I hope this encourages people to come forward, but we must be careful not to start a witch hunt.
Good Morning Britain sadly had the Saints crest included in a list of other clubs including the likes of Crewe, Newcastle, Man City, Blackpool etc. That would tie in with Hampshire Police's statement then.
I said on page one Craig, that it has happened at our club. I thought it came out in a television programme back in the 80s or 90s. Maybe Panorama.
Yes I saw that but today is the first time I've actually seen the crest of the club been stuck in their with the others.
What is obvious from recent revelations is that *****philia is everywhere and always has been....it's just being spoken about now. And *****philes will always go where children are....schools, youth clubs, scouts etc. The institutes themselves aren't at fault directly, but they need to be aware and listen to children. In the past, children have been called liars and not attended to (sadly of course, some are liars which makes things even more difficult). Years ago I was having a late night discussion with a large group of women....every single one of them had been sexually assaulted at some stage of their lives. Mine was on the lower scale...a man exposed himself to me when I was about five...didn't frighten me, but I knew to avoid him in the future. However, the most telling thing was that I didn't tell my parents because I thought I was in the wrong. Kids do stay silent....sometimes to their cost.
When I hear Hampshire police looking into old cases, I assumed it would be us. No matter which club, it is awful.
The *****phile (whose exposure started all this open discussion) was allowed to take kids home overnight because it seemed convenient....no club or institution should have allowed this. It protects the adult from gossip as well as the child from possible danger. Rules have to be clear and everyone aware of them.
Even at our local boys football club, I make sure it is not just me in the car with one boy. I make sure that I have at least my son there too. It's common sense practice now.
It's a shame that sometimes we have to think this way to protect ourselves as well as the children. However, safety for the kids must be paramount at all times.
Are you able to say how Saints may be involved because I don't remember anything about it? Did the club do the right thing or pretend it wasn't happening?
There was a former Senior Youth Coach who was accused at a later date of abuse. I can't remember whether he had left the club by the time the accusations were publicised or not, so I can't say how the club handled it. I was coached by him and I remember the lad who went public as he was being coached at the same time I was. I am pretty sure that it was on a TV programme too. I won't name either. My Dad recalls it too, because he phoned me last week to ask me about it when he heard Hants police involved.
