Southampton football club’s ‘inertia’ allowed coach to abuse boys
A PAEDOPHILE was allowed to carry on abusing boys at Southampton FC because bosses failed to act on rumours, a damning review has found.
The “inertia” of the board allowed youth coach Bob Higgins to continue his sick reign at the club, causing “incalculable” damage.
Children’s charity Barnardo’s said Southampton had failed to protect boys in their care by not acting on stories about Higgins.
He was jailed for 24 years in 2019 for abusing aspiring stars over 25 years. Higgins was found guilty of 46 counts of indecent assault on 24 victims, mainly Southampton and Peterborough United trainees, between 1971 and 1996.
The independent review, commissioned by Southampton, said: “The board and/or management must have heard or been told about stories circulating about Higgins.
“If this was so, they failed to take
any action to find out whether there could be any substance to the rumours.
“The club failed to put the safety and welfare of boys concerned first.”
It said there was no evidence the club explored why a talented footballer, selected by the Football Association to train at its national training ground, did not want to return to Southampton, despite signing a few months earlier. It also concluded it was “highly likely” the board would have been told of a letter from the FA which suggested questions were being asked about Higgins. Barnardo’s said the board “took no action, leaving boys vulnerable and Higgins free to continue abusing them”.
The club was also criticised over a failure to immediately report allegations of abuse, made to them in 1989, to the police for four months.
The review said: “The damage caused by Higgins’ abuse of children in his care is incalculable. The damage to their physical and mental health as they grew up, their relationships, their families and even their ability to confidently parent has been devastating.
“These individuals have paid the price for what seems to be the inertia of board members.”
Southampton’s current board said it fully accepted all the findings and issued an apology to the victims. The club said: “Everyone at the club today is deeply sorry for the harm and anguish the victims and survivors of the abuse carried out by Bob Higgins have suffered over so many years.”