Sheldon Review Highlights Institutional Failings In The Football Child Sexual Abuse Scandal

• Published date: 01 April 2021
• Subject Matter: Media, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment, Criminal Law, Sport, Crime
• Law Firm: Enable Law
• Author: Mr Gary Walker

The FA have published Clive Sheldon QC's independent report into allegations of non-recent child sexual abuse in football.

Mr Sheldon's report found "significant institutional failings by the Football Association which meant it "did not do enough to keep children safe". The FA was also criticised for being "too slow" to have sufficient protective measures in place between October 1995 and May 2000.

The long-awaited report, which was commissioned by the FA in 2016, covered a wide period of time between 1970 and 2005 and heard from many survivors of abuse as well as reviewing evidence from the police, researchers, a number of clubs and those in charge of the sport. The report refers to at least 240 suspects and 692 survivors but recognises that the actual level is likely to be far higher.

The key findings are:-

• Following convictions of abusers from the summer of 1995 until May 2000, the FA "could and should have done more to keep children safe"
• The FA "did not do enough" to keep children safe and "child protection was not regarded as an urgent priority".
• There was a significant delay by the FA in putting in place sufficient child protection measures
• Even following the FA's launch of a comprehensive child protection policy in May 2000 "mistakes were still made" by the FA
• The FA failed to ban Barry Bennell and Bob Higgins from being involved in football
• Clubs' responses to reports of abuse "rarely competent or appropriate".

The Report dealt specifically with the following offenders of sexual abuse

• Barry Bennell - former Crewe Alexander and Manchester City coach
• George Osmond - former Newcastle United coach
• Eddie Heath - former chief scout at Chelsea
• Bob Higgins - former coach at Southampton and Peterborough United
• Michael "Kit" Carson - former coach of Peterborough United, Cambridge United and Norwich City
• Ted Langford - former scout at Aston Villa and Leicester City
• Frank Roper - a scout from the north west of England, who recruited players to Blackpool's centre of excellence
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