Volcanic Eruption Continues in UK Football Pedophilia Scandal

Football's child sex abuse scandal: More ex-players

speak out in growing scandal

Hotline get 50 calls in first 2 hours

The scale of football's child abuse scandal has widened - with several police forces now investigating historical allegations, and more former players speaking out about being preyed upon during their youth careers.

    Former professionals (from left) Andy Woodward, David White, Steve Walters, and Paul Stewart
    have all described being abused. Credit: PA

A former Newcastle United player is among those to come forward, claiming he had been abused while in the club's youth system.

While ex-England player Paul Stewart has told ITV's This Morning he is "almost sure" young footballers are still being sexually abused.

Stewart was one of the first former professional footballers to come forward to describe four years of sexual abuse he suffered in the early 1970s.

He said: "I've never been able to put my arm round my children and say the words that I love you. This week I don't think I've ever cried as much in my life, I'm 52 now, than I have the past few days."

Meanwhile, Cheshire Police confirmed information passed on from the NSPCC "included allegations made against more than one individual" and Hampshire Police said it is investigating an alleged offence "within the football community" from the 1980s.

    Paul Stewart was one of the first former professional footballers to speak out on abuse.
    Credit: This Morning

In new allegations, the Guardian newspaper said an unnamed former Newcastle player contacted police to make allegations against George Ormond, a coach in the north east.

Ormond was jailed for six years in 2002 for carrying out numerous assaults across a 24-year period.

A Northumbria Police spokesman told the newspaper: "We have received a report in relation to an allegation of historic (sic) sexual offences in Newcastle. We are working closely with, and supporting the victim and enquiries are ongoing."

Newcastle United issued also a statement, saying: "At this time, the only information we have is that which appeared in the Guardian newspaper."

The Championship club confirmed it would "cooperate fully with the police and relevant authorities and provide every assistance we can if or when the club receives further information".

It urged anyone with information about possible abuse to contact authorities or a dedicated NSPCC hotline.

The hotline set up for former and active players to report abuse received 50 calls within its first two hours of being launched on Thursday.

    Newcastle United confirmed it would assist any investigation into allegations against its former
    coaching staff. Credit: PA

Two more men told the BBC they were also preyed upon by former Manchester City and Crewe Alexandra coach Barry Bennell.

Bennell is a convicted paedophile who has been at the centre of English football's scandal.

Former Crewe youth players Chris Unsworth and Jason Dunford - who left the sport in their teens - both waived anonymity to give accounts of abuse at the coach's house involving several other boys.

Both men said they did not turn professional because, in part, of their experiences.

Former professionals Andy Woodward, Steve Walters and David White have all described being abused by Bennell, while ex-pro Paul Stewart said he was abused by a different coach.

    Two more former Crewe youth players have described being abused by convicted paedophile
    Barry Bennell. Credit: PA

Bennell, who worked for Crewe Alexandra, Manchester City, Stoke and several junior teams in north-west England and the Midlands, scouted a host of future football stars from the 1970s to the 1990s.

His career in football ended when he was given a four-year sentence for raping a British boy on a football tour of Florida in 1994.

This was followed by a nine-year sentence for 23 offences against six boys in England in 1998.

Bennell was jailed again in May last year for two years for sexual offences committed against a 12-year-old boy in 1980.

England captain Wayne Rooney has meanwhile praised former players for speaking out and urged any abuse victims to use the NSPCC's dedicated hotline.

The hotline is available 24 hours a day on 0800 023 2642.

UK Football Child Sex Abuse Revelations ‘Potentially Worse’ Than Jimmy Savile Scandal

BY JEREMY ARMSTRONG, MATT LAWLESS, Mirror

Andy Woodward was a youngster at Crewe when he was subjected to attacks at the hands of scout and coach Barry Bennell

Andy Woodward believes football’s sexual abuse revelations are 'potentially worse’ than the Jimmy Savile scandal.

Former footballer Woodward bravely revealed he suffered years of sexual abuse from one his coaches, Barry Bennell, at Crewe Alexandra.

Bennell, 62, was jailed for nine years in 1998 for sex offences against boys.

Bennell was also sent to prison for two years in 2015 for a historic sex offence against a boy, aged 12, on a football course.

Woodward appeared on Good Morning Britain this morning - as former England ace Paul Stewart broke his silence in the Daily Mirror, revealing he was also sexually abused by a youth coach.

Jimmy Savile is believed to be the most prolific paedophile in British history

It echoes the Jimmy Savile scandal where it emerged after the BBC presenter's death that he had sexually abused hundreds of victims, many when they were children.

When Piers Morgan asked if this could be the 'Jimmy Savile [case] in football', Woodward said: “It's potentially worse than that.

"My heart goes out to all the ex footballers and those footballers that haven't made it.

"I had a horrendous sad story last night, they say 6 [people have come forward], [others are] coming to me direct because they are worried about going to the police and I understand why, it's very difficult.”

The FA are now working with NSPCC children’s charity to set up a helpline to encourage other sex abuse victims to come forward.

And speaking on his reason for speaking out, Woodward added: “I think the main reason I had to do this was because I've gone through hell, I've gone through problems with my relationships, my poor ex wives have suffered, my children have suffered, they haven't had the dad that they should, I've had nervous breakdowns.

"It got to the point now where I've had the therapy now that I felt strong enough, and it's always been in my stomach, I knew what went on at the time, I knew how many victims have been involved in this.”

    Woodward spoke to Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid (Photo: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Detective inspector Sarah Hall of Cheshire Police Protection Unit said: "As of today, Wednesday 23 November, We have now been made aware of a number of people who have come forward wishing to speak to the police.

"At this stage we are in the process of making contact with them, and to date no arrests have been made and no on else is under investigation.

"Cheshire Constabulary takes all reports of sexual offences extremely seriously and has specialist trained officers to provide advice and support.

"We urge anyone who has been a victim, no matter how long ago the incident took place, to contact police on 101."

Woodward’s story prompted former England, Spurs and Liverpool ace Paul Stewart to open up to the Daily Mirror about his own harrowing experiences – in the hope more victims will come forward.

    Paul Stewart opened up about his own experiences (Photo: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)

Stewart, 52, said a pervert youth coach attacked him from age 11 to 15 after pledging to “make him a star”.

For more than 40 years, Stewart kept the trauma of his horrific child sex abuse ordeal at the hands of a coach bottled up from everyone, including his family.

Paul claims he was assaulted every day for four years and that his tormentor got away with it because he threatened to kill his ­relatives if he ever told anyone.

He claimed: “One day, ­travelling in the car, he started to touch me. It frightened me to death, did not know what to do, I tried to tell my parents not to let him in but I was only 11.

    Stewart played for the likes of Liverpool and Spurs (Photo: Getty)

"From then, it progressed to sexually abusing me, he said he would kill my mother, my father, my two brothers if I breathed a word about it. And at 11 years old, you believe that."

“He would say, ‘Does anyone want to drive the car?’ I sat with a leg on one side by the steering wheel. That is when he first touched me.”

The trainer, who cannot be named, would also take him to ­football ­tournaments, giving him another chance to prey on him.

Paul’s brothers were on the trips away. Breaking down in tears, the former striker and midfielder claims: “He abused me there and told me he would kill them if I told anybody."

“We went away for another ­tournament. He abused me there too. I could never tell my team-mates.

"I was always under threat, if I was not playing well, he would threaten me with violence as well as sexual abuse. He was a monster.

“My brothers are older than me, but he would offer to take them as he wanted to abuse me while we were there. That is how he did what he did, it was all a front.

“I still went out and played. After a while, that became an escape from him, a total relief for 90 minutes.”

    Stewart holds up the FA Cup in 1991 (Photo: Action Images)

Paul claims the coach even told him about the abuse by Bennell, who was jailed in 1998 and again last year for sexual abuse, in a bid to persuade him it happened everywhere.

He adds: “He told me Barry was doing it to kids on a team we played. I think I was 12 or 13, he was trying to infer it was normal.

"I have never met Andy Woodward, but I read the Daily Mirror at work and when I saw it, it was like reading my own life story.

“It brought a lot of issues up for me, and wanted people to know how ­difficult it was to come forward.

“It stirred up a lot of my past which I thought I had buried.”

Gary Lineker, who played in the same Tottenham team as Stewart, led the tributes.

He said: "Wish my former Spurs teammate, Paul Stewart all the very best. Extremely courageous in telling his appalling story".

Sue Ravenlaw, head of equality and safeguarding at the Football Association, said she applauded Woodward's courage after he spoke out.

She added that the FA takes all matters of safeguarding and child protection seriously and encouraged anyone who may have experienced or is experiencing abuse in football to contact the NSPCC or Childline.