The public disclosure by Andy Woodward of child sexual abuse perpetrated on him by Barry Bennell when Andy was an 11 year old junior at Crewe Alexandra has had a dramatic effect on the public thinking and football. The exclusive story in The Guardian ‘It was the softer weaker boys he targeted‘ on the 16th November, combined with Andy’s appearance on VictoriaLIVE the following day could improve safeguarding for the better. Abuse in football, and sport generally, has finally emerged into the daylight. Mandate Now and others contributed to the programme on this important day.
Pleasingly, mandatory reporting has been on the lips of a number of leading figures in football including the former FA CEO Mark Palios who was himself a former Crewe Alexandra player. The likelihood of football knowing much about the subject of mandatory reporting is vanishingly slim for a number of reasons. But this is now set to change.
On the 25/11/16 Mandate Now was asked to contribute to a discussion on VictoriaLIVE about child protection in football, and the future rôle mandatory reporting should play.
With Andrew Castle at LBC just after 1.00pm
Later in the day this contribution to BBC World News:
And then Channel 4 News, with Paul Stewart a former player at Liverpool, Spurs and an England International.