FA to investigate Premier club boss over alleged sexual offences

A spokesperson for the national governing body said they do not comment on individual cases but they have “robust safeguarding measures in place”.

In an email from the end of October, seen by the BBC, the FA invited one of the complainants, who we are calling Kate, to a meeting to discuss her experiences as part of their safeguarding investigation. They added that they will not be able to share with her any details of their investigations including any outcome reached once complete.

Kate first contacted the FA in July 2023, where she told them she had reported the man to the police for a historic rape that she says happened when she was 15. However, she believes nothing was done by the FA until now.

“Football authorities and [the] government seem to have turned a blind eye, deaf ear and chose to say and do nothing to protect females from the threats he poses to girls and women,” she told the BBC in reaction to the news of an FA inquiry.

While Kate is glad the investigation has been opened she says she has serious concerns about the lack of transparency about any action taken. “We need assurances that all females at the club are safe,” she adds.

The boss was also investigated in 2021 after an allegation that he sexually abused a different 15-year-old in the 1990s. No further action was taken in that case because of legislation which stated that if an offence of “unlawful sexual intercourse” took place between 1956 and 2004, and the alleged victim was a girl aged 13 to 15, she had to make a complaint within a year.