Football’s Dark Side: FA Investigates Premier League Manager Following BBC Report

A year after a BBC expose, the Football Association has launched a safeguarding inquiry into the manager of a Premier League club. According to the investigation, the man continued to work at the club.

This happens even after three women reported him to the police for alleged sexual offenses. Despite being under 16 at the time of the alleged assault. One of the ladies told the BBC that the FA had failed to protect women and girls by doing nothing.

The BBC has confirmed that its investigation has been launched. This happened after a police decision to take no further action, after the claims. According to a spokeswoman, the national governing organization has solid safeguarding measures in place. But it does not comment on specific incidents.

The FA invited one of the complainants to a meeting to talk about her experiences in an email. The FA stated that it could not provide her with any information about the results of their investigations. That also includes any conclusions they may reach.

When Kate initially got in touch with the FA in July 2023. She informed them that she had reported the man to the police for a past rape that occurred when she was fifteen. But she thinks the FA hasn’t taken any action yet.

Response

In response to the news of an FA investigation. She told the BBC, It appears that football authorities and the government have turned a blind eye, a deaf ear. They had chosen to say and do nothing to protect females from the threats he poses to girls and women. Although Kate is happy that the investigation has begun. She also expresses grave worries about the lack of openness around any actions taken. She continues, “We need assurances that all females at the club are safe.”

Following a claim that he had sexually assaulted another 15-year-old in the 1990s, the boss was also called for investigation in 2021. Because of a regulation that stipulated that if “unlawful sexual intercourse” occurred between 1956 and 2004 and the claimed victim was a girl below of age 15, she had to file a complaint within a year, no further action was taken in the case.

According to a third woman interviewed by the BBC. Her boss confined her in a room in the late 1990s as he tried to force her into having sex. She claims that when she was in her early 20s, this happened at a job interview. The police have now canceled all three investigations. The BBC discovered in November of last year that since 2020, police have looked into sexual offenses committed by players or managers at seven of the 20 Premier League clubs.

FA Rules

FA rules only address how to handle such accusations if they take place in a “football environment” or if there are concerns about children or vulnerable persons. According to its rules, the governing board may temporarily suspend the player and prevent them from participating in any activity within the game while it conducts an investigation.

When the FA receives information that leads it to “reasonably believe that a person poses or may pose a risk of harm,” such an order may be issued. The FA’s professional game safeguarding manager will be in charge of the new investigation.

“We investigate and assess all allegations and concerns about individuals who may pose a risk of harm to children and adults at risk in football and, where applicable, can impose appropriate safeguarding measures in accordance with FA safeguarding regulations,” stated a state representative for the national governing body.