FOOTBALL CLUBS CHILD ABUSE CLAIM

21-05-2007

Football clubs who sign children and force them to travel long distances for matches and training are guilty of “child abuse” according to a Midlands journalist who’s been investigating the game's academy system.

Chris Green, presented a documentary on BBC Radio Five Live yesterday, but said “the most shocking findings I couldn’t put in the programme” for legal reasons.

He knew of a case for example in which a youngster travelled three times a week from the West Midlands to Manchester in defiance of the rule which says that the maximum journey time for youngsters is an hour.

This particular instance was ruled out by the BBC lawyers because it happened seven years ago, but Green insists that it still goes on: “I know of lads who've regularly traveled from Birmingham to Manchester, Worcester to Liverpool and Leicester to London.

“But it’s very difficult to govern. It’s almost impossible to get the boys to come on and talk about it because they want to make it. Even if they are kicked out by a club, they hope to find a way back in.

“All that travelling has an effect on their well-being. They are tired going to school, they eat on the move and do their homework in their car. It affects the family too. The parents’ have to ferry them around, and it impacts on any other children they might have.”

Even more remarkable is the revelation that these youngsters are traded between clubs; Green cites examples of ten year olds being sold for fees as a large as £30,000 - “ they are treated as chattels” he says. Dave Woolaston from the English Schools FA reckons this amounts to child trafficking.

“At the moment the monitoring of the academies is done by the FA and the Football League so it’s effectively self-regulation” says Green who believes there should be Ofsted-style independent monitoring of the academies.

“We also need to develop more child focussed coaches, who understand the needs of say 9 and 10 year olds or 11, 12 and 13 year olds. At the moment we’ve got too many frustrated coaches who just want to coach in senior football.”

Ironically, although children as young as 5 are being talent-spotted by professional clubs, Green says that many youth directors don’t actually want to have children that early - but feel they have no choice.

“I’ve spoken to four club Academy Directors who said they wouldn’t be coaching boys under 12 if they didn’t have to. But if they didn’t, other clubs would sign them, so it would end up costing them money.”

To listen to Chris’s report click here http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/programmes/fivelivereport.shtml

Should primary school children be signed up by pro football clubs? Have you got any family experience of this? Leave a comment on the Sport message board.