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Swinney urges SFA to launch their own child abuse inquiry
THE Scottish Government last night urged the SFA to launch an independent inquiry into historical child abuse in the game as the stream of allegations continued unabated.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney implored the governing body to take the decisive step after confirming Holyrood had no intention of widening its own probe into historical child abuse to include football.
His call came as the number of potential suspects reached 83, with 98 clubs at all levels of football throughout Britain involved.
Police Scotland, who are among a number of UK forces investigating allegations, are due to meet the SFA today for talks.
Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Politics Scotland programme, Mr Swinney reiterated First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s views that it would be counter-productive to extend the remit of the government’s inquiry looking into the historical abuse of children in care in Scotland.
‘I won’t do that,’ he insisted. ‘Survivors’ groups want that (the inquiry) to proceed. They don’t want the timescale extended, which would be an inevitable consequence of extending into other sectors, whether that was football or any other sector.’
Asked whether the SFA should look at establishing their own inquiry, however, Mr Swinney said he thought they should.
‘I think, first and foremost, the police have got to be given the time and the space to address any complaints made by any individual who has had the whole experience of being affected by
child abuse within football,’ he said. ‘They must go to the police, there are helplines available to assist people to make that contact, and I encourage people to do that. ‘I think the SFA should recognise the extent of the actions that various clubs have taken individually to examine previous conduct in handling these issues. ‘But I think the existence of that information is now so widespread that I think the SFA has got to consider setting up an independent inquiry that will satisfy that these issues have been properly and fully addressed by everyone in football.’ He said any inquiry set up by the SFA should be fully ‘independent’. He added: ‘It should be conducted by an authoritative, independent, respected figure who will be able to look at these issues without fear or favour, and to examine all of the issues to the satisfaction of the wider debate within Scotland. ‘I think that’s a necessity of the current situation that football in Scotland finds itself in.’ The SFA are believed to be in favour of an inquiry but were last night said to be ‘bemused’ at the Scottish Government’s call for immediate action given any police inquiry and possible criminal proceedings would have to be concluded before any such investigation could take place. Meanwhile, fresh allegations were yesterday made concerning how Hibernian handled claims that one of their youth scouts had molested boys in the mid-1980s. Gordon Neely worked at the club in that era before leaving abruptly to work with Rangers. It was alleged that then Hibs chairman Kenny Waugh sacked Neely but failed to inform the police in order to protect the club’s reputation as a developer of young talent. Neely went on to secure a position at Rangers but was dismissed by manager Graeme Souness in 1990 when fresh allegations of abusing a youth team player came to light. Claims were made in a Sunday newspaper yesterday that two sets of parents had complained about Neely to Waugh, who died last year, but the Easter Road chairman decided not to involve the authorities. However, the exact circumstances of Neely’s departure from Hibs is unclear, with reports at the time claiming he had been ‘poached’ by the Ibrox club. Neely himself died from cancer two years ago. The fresh allegations were made by respected freelance journalist Ray Hepburn, a close friend of Waugh’s. A Hibs spokesman said last night: ‘We would encourage Mr Hepburn to go to the police with his information.’