Anger as football abuse scandal sees victims let down again - "An absolute joke"
A furious former England star has hit out at the game's authorities after a Mirror investigation found many victims of the football abuse scandal received no compensation... and no apology.
Some players targeted by the worst offenders - including Blackpool scout Frank Roper and former Crewe Alexandra coach Barry Bennell - were unable to prove that clubs were liable. Victims of Blackpool FC scout Roper, now dead, lost a legal 'test case'.
Former Blackpool, Spurs and England star Paul Stewart, 58, who was abused by Roper as a child, said: "I genuinely believe the courts were in the wrong. The decision on Roper and Blackpool was an absolute joke. But once it gets to an appeal court, that is it and the decision stands. Blackpool FC have not apologised to me and that is the case for so many players who have suffered. I cannot speak for everyone but an apology would go a long way."
Another victim, former Chelsea star Gary Johnson, is now considering a ‘group action’ against the FA in a bid for compensation. Legal teams for the players had to prove the ‘vicarious liability’ of the clubs at the centre of the scandal.
Paul Stewart was abused by Roper as a child (Getty Images)One group took action against Man City over Bennell, in a bid to challenge a ‘tariff’ system placed on the compensation awarded. But they lost the case. One faces a bill in excess of £300,000, another estimated costs of £450,000. "I wish that I had never started this legal action,” a victim of Bennell told the Mirror. "It was worse than any of it because it is such a horrendous process."
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One man, in his 40s and identified only as DSN to protect his anonymity, sued Blackpool FC. He was sexually assaulted by Roper on a tour to New Zealand in the late 1980s, when he was a 13 year-old junior player. The High Court ruled the club was "vicariously liable".
But the Court of Appeal overturned that decision, concluding that the club should not be held responsible. Retired London cabbie Gary may yet seek redress from the FA following abuse by former Chelsea scout Eddie Heath during the 1970s. Chelsea paid compensation to his victims, and apologised.
"I am looking to see if others would like to join a group action," he said. "The FA was responsible for safeguarding children and giving coaching qualifications to some of the abusers... but many of the victims of the abuse scandal just feel forgotten."
Legal expert David Milton, a partner with Clyde and Co, has worked on behalf of ex-players. He said: "The clubs can only be held liable for the acts of abusers if it can be proven that they were employed by them or akin to being employed by them.
"I think that was the issue with Blackpool, they could not establish that. The cases I have dealt with, the abusers were clearly employees. Man City had a tariff scheme to pay the victims of Bennell, but there is no set figure, each case has to be assessed on its own merits."
Gary Johnson is considering 'group action' against the FA (Getty Images)The FA's Independent Report into Child Sexual Abuse in Football covered 1970 to 2005. Despite many high profile convictions, some of the game's most notorious abusers were allowed to carry on working. Roper, a junior coach, was convicted of indecent assault on a minor in 1960, 1961, 1965 and 1984. But there was 'no formal mechanism' for Blackpool FC, where he worked as a scout, to obtain his criminal record.
Man City agreed to pay victims of Bennell. Those targeted while playing for his junior sides were unable to pursue a claim against him. Now 69, Bennell is likely to die behind bars. He is serving a 34-year sentence after being convicted of child sexual abuse. Man City issued a statement to "apologise publicly and unreservedly'' to the victims following the independent FA report on the scandal in 2021.
Crewe said 'sorry to every survivor of abuse' but added they were unaware of Bennell's offending. In a statement following the DSN case, Blackpool FC said: "Blackpool Football Club strongly condemns and is utterly appalled by the actions of Frank Roper.
"Ensuring the safety, welfare and protection of all children involved in football is paramount, and we have dramatically progressed our safeguarding procedures since these events occurred. We continue to review and refine these on an ongoing basis, and will also continue to cooperate with the Football Association and its stakeholders to ensure the safety of children playing football at all levels."
David McClenaghan, head of the abuse team at law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp, who acted on behalf of DSN, said: "A professional football club holds the hopes and aspirations of many young, talented players. That individuals can trade on the reputation of such clubs, to satisfy their own depraved desires, whilst the club gets the benefit of such relationships without taking any responsibility for such immoral and illegal actions, is hard to understand."
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The FA, Man City and Blackpool were approached for a comment by the Mirror.
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