Sexual abuse in football: The responses from each London club when asked about the Met police investigation

Nine professional London clubs being investigated by Met over sexual abuse
Scotland Yard

Four Premier League clubs and five in the Football League from London are being investigated by Scotland Yard over claims of historical sexual abuse in football.

A total of 30 London clubs, many of them amateur, are being investigated by the Met, with 106 separate allegations of abuse.

The capital has 13 professional clubs, with nine of them now dragged into the scandal that has hit British football since Andy Woodward became the first former player to go public last month when he alleged he was abused by coach Barry Bennell when he was a youth player at Crewe in the Eighties.

The Met says it is looking at allegations involving two Championship clubs and three in Leagues One and Two.

Chelsea are the only London Premier League team named in the scandal after it was revealed they paid compensation to former player Gary Johnson after he was abused by former chief scout Eddie Heath. More complaints have been made about Heath, who also worked at Charlton, Leyton Orient and Millwall.

Last week Charlton said they had opened their own investigation into claims former youth player Russell Davy was sexually abused by Heath while at the club in the Eighties.

In addition, QPR said they would fully cooperate with the Met after claims Chris Gieler, head of youth recruitment at the club for 30 years, had allegations of abuse dating back to the Seventies against him. As of last week, police bosses said they had 83 potential suspects linked to 98 clubs nationwide, although it is not known how many of the alleged abusers are linked to London clubs.

Detective chief superintendent Ivan Balhatchet said: “The Met takes all allegations seriously, and specialist officers will work through the information passed to them. The number of referrals, pieces of information and allegations will change. Officers will continue to work through the information that has been reported.”

LONDON CLUBS STATE THEIR POSITIONS

AFC WIMBLEDON
Q: Is your club among those the Metropolitan Police is investigating?
A: No comment.

Q: Have you received any allegations of sexual abuse at your club?
A: No comment. 
 

ARSENAL
Q:
Is your club among those the Metropolitan Police is investigating?
A: No comment. 

Q: Have you received any allegations of sexual abuse at your club?
A: No comment. 


BARNET
Q: Is your club among those the Metropolitan Police is investigating?
A: No comment. 

Q: Have you received any allegations of sexual abuse at your club?
A: No comment.
 

BRENTFORD
Q:
Is your club among those the Metropolitan Police is investigating?
A: Club say they have not been contacted by the police.

Q: Have you received any allegations of sexual abuse at your club?
A: Club say they have received no allegations. 

 

CHARLTON
Club are investigating claims a youth player was abused by Heath while at the club in the Eighties.

 

CHELSEA
The club paid Gary Johnson £50,000 after he was abused by former chief scout Eddie Heath. 

 

CRYSTAL PALACE
Q:
Is your club among those the Metropolitan Police is investigating?
A: Club say they have not been contacted by the police. 

Q: Have you received any allegations of sexual abuse at your club?
A: Club say they have received no allegations. 

 

FULHAM
Q: Is your club among those the Metropolitan Police is investigating?
A: “Due to ongoing investigations by a number of police forces into allegations of non-recent child abuse at professional clubs, it would not be appropriate to provide information on the matter at this time.”

Q: Have you received any allegations of sexual abuse at your club?
A: “Due to ongoing investigations by a number of police forces into allegations of non-recent child abuse at professional clubs, it would not be appropriate to provide information on the matter at this time.”

 

QPR
Several complaints have been made about ex-chief scout Chris Gieler, who worked at QPR for 30 years. 

 

TOTTENHAM
Q:
Is your club among those the Metropolitan Police is investigating?
A: Club say they have not been contacted by the police. 

Q: Have you received any allegations of sexual abuse at your club?
A: Club say they have received no allegations. 

 

WEST HAM
Q:
Is your club among those the Metropolitan Police is investigating?
A: Club say they have not been contacted by the police. 

Q: Have you received any allegations of sexual abuse at your club?
A: Club say they have received no allegations. 

The Evening Standard are awaiting responses from Leyton Orient and Millwall

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