Child sex abuse in football survivor says SFA are palming him off to English FA

By Gordon Blackstock
Daily Record
September 22, 2019

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/sfa-failing-sexual-abuse-survivors-20139590

The Renfrewshire-based 63-year-old has received English FA-funded medical treatments for the last two years

The Scot claims he has been ignored by Hampden chiefs after becoming a victim while travelling to trials in ­England as a schoolboy.

A victim of sexual abuse in football has ­criticised the SFA for “failing” survivors who are being helped by the English FA instead.

The Scot, whose evidence has been heard at both the Scottish and English child abuse inquiries, says he was a victim while playing schoolboy football in ­England in the late 60s.

For the past two years, the Renfrewshire-based 63-year-old has received medical treatments, paid for by the English FA.

He claims he has been snubbed by the Scottish football authorities.

The £4000-a-year care package is ending, with the survivor asking the SFA to pay for it instead.

The father-of-two said: “I was a registered schoolboy player with the SFA, ­regardless of where the abuse happened.

“They had a duty of care and should be helping me instead of palming me off to the FA. They have failed me.”

The former schoolboy travelled for trials with six English clubs from his ­secondary school in ­Glasgow, which was run by the Catholic religious order the Marist Brothers.

It was on one of two trips to the north-west of England when he was 13 that he says he was forced into a sex act.

He also says he was abused at primary school.

The SFA organised for him to be assessed by a clinical psychologist in 2017, who concluded he suffered from “severe” depression and anxiety and needed therapy.

He was referred to a trauma centre but found help in alternative ­treatments, including sports massage, reflexology and ear acupuncture.

He said: “It’s worked. It’s helped completely reduce my reliance on medication.

“I found it myself but when I approached the FA, they were happy to cover the costs. The SFA ignored me.

“My funding with the FA ends this year and I need to go through applying again.

“The FA have been great but in my book it’s not their responsibility, it’s the SFA’s.

“After initially engaging with me, the SFA are just ignoring me now.

“They aren’t interested in helping victims of abuse. All the SFA do is fob you off.”

The SFA said: “We have a duty of care to all survivors to ensure the support ­pathway offered meets their individual needs.

“We have engaged ­extensively with the ­survivor in the past two years.”