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Police Investigations into historical interference with young players


spyinthesky

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They are playing the interview on 5live shortly.

Just been on. We'll done Matty.

 

I'm sure the club historian will be on here shortly saying it's just "slinging old mud" and reminding us that good old uncle Bob was acquitted and everything.

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At the time Higgins was operating there were some strong characters at The Dell. Lawrie Mac, Branfoot and Merrington plus some very experienced pro's!. I would have thought these men would have rooted Higgins out or at least got to hear about him?? I just hope some of the people that were there did not keep anything quiet?

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MLT seems to have been victim to passive paedophilia rather than active. Not a huge difference in my book, save for passive likely doesn't scar the victim as badly.

 

Someone said earlier on on this thread, that the 70s and 80s were a little different, and I think that they were. I went to an all boy's boarding school, and the house master (who was gay) used to come around every night and check that everyone was OK. He used to stroke your leg while you were in bed. Now I found that pretty freaky, but it went on and while we all hated it, it seemed to be accepted and it went no further than that. I have a friend who went to another similar school who was raped by a teacher and ended up in hospital. How that teacher didn't go to prison is a mystery to me. The friend is a bit screwed in the head and an alcoholic.

 

The whole lot of them should be sent to prison (general ward not the nonce ward) and get some big bull ***** to **** them up the **** before showing them a bit of rough justice, which if it ends up with them being killed, so be it.

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At the time Higgins was operating there were some strong characters at The Dell. Lawrie Mac, Branfoot and Merrington plus some very experienced pro's!. I would have thought these men would have rooted Higgins out or at least got to hear about him?? I just hope some of the people that were there did not keep anything quiet?

 

One of those did root it out after hearing young lads talking about what was going on.

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Just been on. We'll done Matty.

 

I'm sure the club historian will be on here shortly saying it's just "slinging old mud" and reminding us that good old uncle Bob was acquitted and everything.

 

You really are quite an unpleasant person trying to be funny over an issue that is far from amusing. My point remains that as far as the present club is concerned none of these new revelations are suggesting Saints were in the wrong. It seems at the time of the court case many sat tight lipped with the result Higgins wriggled free (with the help of a deluded judge). Indeed some are still in denial ( Shearer), but back then the climate was different and to speak out was a tough ask. Now let's see how you twist this latest post into something snide and nasty.

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As CB Fry has deliberately misinterpreted a previous post I made about Higgins and is even suggesting I have stuck up for him I would like to categorically state that is nowhere near my position. I sincerely hope he is prosecuted and if found guilty they throw away the key. At the present I still believe Saints as a football club did what they could under the circumstances they were faced with when the judge made his bewildering decision. They could only deal with what was public knowledge at the time.

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You really are quite an unpleasant person trying to be funny over an issue that is far from amusing. My point remains that as far as the present club is concerned none of these new revelations are suggesting Saints were in the wrong. It seems at the time of the court case many sat tight lipped with the result Higgins wriggled free (with the help of a deluded judge). Indeed some are still in denial ( Shearer), but back then the climate was different and to speak out was a tough ask. Now let's see how you twist this latest post into something snide and nasty.

 

Not trying to be funny. Just quoting you being dismissive ("just slinging old mud") and your pertinently pointing out that he was acquitted.

 

You've changed your angle now and that's great.

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I know!! Let's forget about the real issue of historic child abuse at the football club we all support and have a shît slinging contest instead, who cares about the real people who have suffered at the hands of at least one depraved perverted nonce.....:rolleyes:

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I know!! Let's forget about the real issue of historic child abuse at the football club we all support and have a shît slinging contest instead, who cares about the real people who have suffered at the hands of at least one depraved perverted nonce.....:rolleyes:

 

Well people have forgotten about it for the last 20 years so why haven't you brought this up before.

There is a sickening stink of self-righteousness about so many of the twitterings on this site and in the press by people who have probably spent the last 20 years s******ing about it and have done absolutely nothing about following up Channel 4's revelations that long ago. The FA and the press should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves; they knew and did absolutely nothing about it.

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Quite clearly the club didn't do all that they could. Quite clearly the FA didn't. Quite clearly people and society didn't. As more and more comes out, it seems obvious there were systematic failings to protect children in all institutions where they interacted with in the 80's. It's a complete disgrace. I'm glad there are more and suitable safeguards in place now, but the question has to be how did we as a society let this go on for so long?

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:rolleyes:

Well people have forgotten about it for the last 20 years so why haven't you brought this up before.

There is a sickening stink of self-righteousness about so many of the twitterings on this site and in the press by people who have probably spent the last 20 years s******ing about it and have done absolutely nothing about following up Channel 4's revelations that long ago. The FA and the press should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves; they knew and did absolutely nothing about it.

Because I didn't know about it before Einstein!

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What irritates me about this article is that it is all about him - "cleanse my soul" " haven't had a good nights sleep in ages" "I feel unburdened"

 

Well f*cking bully for you, you sick f*ck - shame that all the poor sods you put through that experience wont be able to cast off the effects so easily.

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The whole lot of them should be sent to prison (general ward not the nonce ward) and get some big bull ***** to **** them up the **** before showing them a bit of rough justice, which if it ends up with them being killed, so be it.

 

These pedophiles are filth and should be punished severely, but why are you condoning that other rapists get to enjoy themselves and rape the pedos in prison?

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:rolleyes:

Because I didn't know about it before Einstein!

 

Then before commenting and giving your opinion do a little research so that your opinion can be 'informed' and then apply a little intelligence and thought to the subject so that your reaction can be a little less hysterical than that of e.g. The Sun.

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Then before commenting and giving your opinion do a little research so that your opinion can be 'informed' and then apply a little intelligence and thought to the subject so that your reaction can be a little less hysterical than that of e.g. The Sun.

Wow.., there I was trying to make the point that we should stick to the subject and not argue about petty points scoring (CB Fry and FF) and in flies 'Super Bellend' who begins doing exactly that.....I suggest you read my post again, think about it for a second and then go and have a lie down.....jeeez!

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Wow.., there I was trying to make the point that we should stick to the subject and not argue about petty points scoring (CB Fry and FF) and in flies 'Super Bellend' who begins doing exactly that.....I suggest you read my post again, think about it for a second and then go and have a lie down.....jeeez!

 

 

"nonce", "bellend" - you are clearly extremely erudite but appear to lack the intellect that often accompanies this. You have missed my point. From what we do know (and that is far from everything) Saints acted reasonably at the time; the law, the press and, particularly, the FA have let young players down. You admit to a lack of knowledge but that does not entitle you to fall back on the self-serving, self-righteous indignation shown by the less responsible members of the media.

Hopefully age and experience will render you capable of a less-blinkered view.

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The practices MLT described date back to at least the mid 1970's. I know because i was one of them.

They were not limited to SFC signed up young players or "good" players. Many children invited to residential soccer camps under the saints umbrella suffered those practices at that time, football team mate friends who were there with me experiencing the same thing.

The numbers of kids interfered with is huge. There were at least two coaches/staff involved.

Southampton FC of today is an extremely laudable organization and parents should have no concerns about child welfare when in Saints care. In the middle/late seventies onwards I know that was not the case.

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Fair enough.

 

However, doesn't the 1992 not guilty court case somewhat complicate things?

 

Also like to know how a club that has changed hands many times since can be held accountable, surely the legal action should be directed towards the people in charge at that time , smells like a money spinner to me !

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Also like to know how a club that has changed hands many times since can be held accountable, surely the legal action should be directed towards the people in charge at that time , smells like a money spinner to me !

 

Who can they sue? The company behind Southampton FC only came into existence when we came out of Admin. SLH and the other companies which came before it are all long since wound up.

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So after the Daily Echo editor Ian Murray somewhat lambasted the 'trial by media' of Bob Higgins over a two page spread yesterday they are now splashing on players suing the club.

 

You couldnt make it up

 

 

That whole chelsea thing of paying money to a player was about a legal claim brought against them and settled and they got **** for that.

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  • 6 months later...
  • 1 year later...
  • 9 months later...
One of those did root it out after hearing young lads talking about what was going on.

 

This was Merrington. I heard the minibus story years ago from one of the young players on the minibus when the lads were talking about Higgins behaviour. He told me that Merrington stopped the bus that day to find out what had been going on, and blew the whistle sharpish. Massive credit to him, and his actions led to Higgins resignation and stopped him abusing other lads at the club.

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