3 years from my coach ‘rub downs’
the defendant began to take the youngster for weekly training sessions and afterwards would suggest a ‘rub down’ for his muscles.
During the rub downs, Toner would indecently assault his victim, with the abuse continuing for three years until the youngster refused further massages.
Unable to tell his parents, the victim turned his back on football and began drinking and taking drugs.
Now in his 30s, he described the torment of dealing with his horrific experiences alone.
He said: “I found I always got on with women and girls. It was men I had trouble with. Large groups, not knowing what they’re thinking, constantly being angry, wanting to fight.
“I’m lucky that I have been with my wife for a long time and I’d even hidden what happened from her. You manage to close yourself off to a point so you can keep functioning, if that makes sense. But the more that you bury, the more you take away from yourself.”
He only spoke about the abuse for the first time when sexual abuse in football hit the headlines and he called Manchester City, which referred him to the NSPCC, Greater Manchester Police and Survivors Manchester - which helps victims of male rape and sexual abuse. “It felt good to step forward,” he said. “It was more that once you start getting the support you need you realise you’re not alone.”
“I would say to other victims, you are not alone. The feelings that you have, the thought processes you have are normal. You’re not abnormal.
“Being able to take that step forward and say ‘this happened to me’ is hard. But the charities like Survivors who deal with male abuse are amazing. Even if you can’t take the legal route and bring that person to justice you can still get the help that you need from people like Survivors and the NSPCC. It’s just being able to take that step forward.”
Father-of-three Toner, 74, was convicted of indecent assault on a teenager in 1992 and was on probation for that offence when he moved back north and began coaching for local youth football teams.
Toner, of Market Street, Whitworth, Rochdale, also had a previous conviction for gross indecency involving young boys in 1983 and he was later jailed for 12 months in 2001 for abusing a 15-year-old boy.
Manchester City say they have no record of Toner ever having been employed or paid as a scout.
His victim says: “I personally wasn’t bothered how long my abuser got. It was more that the police took you seriously. You were sat down, you were treated with dignity. The whole legal process, for me, was really good.”
He added: “Manchester City have been incredibly supportive. But in terms of people knowing, from what I understand there was no real database for them to look at.
“And with me what made it all worse was that he shouldn’t have been anywhere near kids in the first place.”
If you are a victim of sexual abuse or rape - or know someone who is - you can call police on 101. Always dial 999 where there is a threat to life or a crime in progress. Alternatively, call the charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Visit http://www.survivorsmanchester. org.uk for more information.