Football child sex abuse: More than a third of parents less likely to let children join club as scandal widens

Poll shows 57% of people do not trust FA’s inquiry into historical allegations

37 per cent of survey respondents said they were less likely to send their children to play football (AFP/Getty)

More than a third of people would be less likely to allow their child to join a football club in the wake of emerging allegations of child sex abuse, a poll has shown.

A survey for Sky News showed that 37 per cent of people may not send children to play football, but for 48 per cent the scandal made no difference.

When asked whether they trusted the Football Association to investigate the accusations, 57 per cent said they did not, with only a fifth confident in the authority’s ability to lead its probe.

Greg Clarke, the FA chairman, said he “was not ruling out” possible cover-ups but found alleged bribes to gag abuse victims “morally repugnant”.

Calling the growing scandal the biggest crisis the FA has ever faced, he added: “If there are legal consequences, we'll deal with it.”

Kate Gallafent QC is leading the FA’s inquiry, which is running parallel to police investigations and focusing on what officials and clubs may have known.

Gary Johnson, a former Chelsea striker, said he was paid £50,000 not to go public with allegations that he was sexually abused by the club’s former chief scout Eddie Heath.

Another former Chelsea star, Alan Hudson, has since said it was “common knowledge” that Heath, who died in the 1980s, “was a danger to us youngsters”.

He is one of at least 10 suspects now identified in the scandal that started last month with revelations about convicted paedophile Barry Bennell.

Abuse claims are being handled by 18 British police forces, which have received calls from more than 350 people who say they were victims. The NSPCC has warned that the crisis could be worse than the Jimmy Savile revelations after setting up a dedicated helpline.

The National Association for people Abused in Childhood also said it had seen a tenfold increase in the number of adult victims registering for their support groups in recent weeks.

Alan Shearer, the former England captain, has urged footballers to come forward with allegations of sexual abuse.

The 46-year-old said: "I've been shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the abuse that colleagues, and in some cases former team-mates, suffered.

“All clubs now have dedicated people tasked with keeping kids safe but there's always more to be done.

“Every club – from the grassroots up – must continue to look at what they’re doing to prevent abuse happening to any kids today and in the future.”

Current captain Wayne Rooney, 31, has joined with figures, including women’s captain Steph Houghton, in a new FA video on “safeguarding”.

Southampton became the latest club to receive information in relation to historical child abuse on Friday, saying it would work with Hampshire Police in the probe.

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

* Correction. This article was originally illustrated with a picture of some children playing football against the backdrop of Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow. The image was used purely for illustrative purposes and there was no intention to suggest that Rangers F.C. had been drawn into the abuse scandal which is currently under investigation by both police and the Football Association in England. Indeed, the photograph was deployed without it being known that the building in the background was Ibrox. We regret the error.