Fury over failure to consult Bristol college
There is dismay at the Bristol college where Mark Sampson made his name over the Football Association’s failure to give any warning it was to sack the England Women head coach over evidence of inappropriate relationships with some of the Bristol players, The Daily Telegraph understands.
The South Gloucestershire and Stroud (SGS) College at which Sampson worked while he was head coach of Bristol Academy, in
the Women’s Super League, feels it has been hung out to dry by the FA over his shock sacking on Wednesday. It is understood that the FA gave no indication to SGS College that it was to revisit a safeguarding investigation into the former England Women head coach who was initially cleared of being a safeguarding risk by an FA probe.
The Telegraph also reveals today that SGS responded to rumours about Sampson’s conduct in 2012 and conducted its own investigation into the then head coach, which found no evidence of wrongdoing. Since the FA announced
Sampson’s sacking, SGS College has been in the process of checking its records to ensure that there were no formal complaints made about the coach’s behaviour beyond that which it investigated in 2012.
He was originally a coach at the Bristol Academy centre of excellence and was appointed first-team head coach in September 2010.
The college has privately asked the FA to clear its reputation, or at least share some detail as to the nature of Sampson’s alleged misconduct so that the college could also investigate. The college has been eager to reassure students and parents it is a safe environment for girls and women to play football.
The team are now Bristol City Women’s football club, under the auspices of the professional men’s club who play in the Championship, even though they were not in
control when his alleged misconduct took place. They still have their training ground and academy facilities on the site of SGS college, which has 15,500 full-time and part-time students. On Thursday the entrance to the training ground was shut and guarded, and all players had been told not to speak to the media about Sampson and his time at the club.
Bristol City took over running of the team last year and are now coordinating the response to the sacking of Sampson. Like SGS College, Bristol City were told nothing in the aftermath of Sampson’s sacking on Wednesday and have since been trying to contact former players to investigate that period.
Until this week, Sampson was still regarded as something of a hero in Bristol women’s football, having led the team during a period of unprecedented success, including a second-place finish in the Women’s Super League in 2013 and two FA Cup finals. He was voted FA Women’s coach of the year in 2013 and left the club with its fortunes transformed. It was that year Bristol City first took an interest – which began with a sponsorship deal before they eventually took over.