FA chairman Greg Clarke 'humiliated' me, says Andy Woodward
Thursday 26 October 2017 10:23, UK
FA chairman Greg Clarke "ignored" Andy Woodward for a year, the whistleblower on a major sexual abuse scandal in football says, leaving him "humiliated".
Clarke's position as head of English football's governing body has come under scrutiny after Eniola Aluko and Drew Spence received an apology for being subjected to "discriminatory remarks" from former England women's manager Mark Sampson.
The FA chairman gave evidence in front of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, in which he also brought up what Woodward describes as a "very confidential" meeting 11 months ago and criticised the Professional Footballers' Association.
Clarke told MPs last week: "I met a survivor who wept in the meeting in front of two FA witnesses, supportive people from safeguarding. He cried like a baby - a decent, honest person - because of what he'd been through."
Woodward, who revealed he was abused by coach Barry Bennell at Crewe from the age of 11 to 15, has been left "deeply upset" by Clarke's remarks.
"I wasn't crying whilst Greg Clarke was in the room," Woodward told reporters. "I'd been very upset beforehand, and understandably with what I'd spoken about; it was really raw then."
Woodward explained he had broken down in front of Sue Ravenclaw, the FA head of safeguarding, before agreeing to meet Clarke who pledged his full support to bring about "positive change".
Woodward added: "I certainly wasn't crying like a baby and I feel humiliated by the words that he used.
"I understand that he's under a lot of pressure at the moment, but I've had several people that have contacted me directly saying that they feel really sorry for me. They instantly knew that it was me he was referring to."
Clarke had told the DCMS committee the "survivor" he had met had been cut off from counselling sessions after the PFA stopped paying for them, despite spending "millions of pounds a year on the CEO salary and the CEO pension fund and they are walking away from alcoholics, they're walking away from gamblers and they are walking away from people like him".
Woodward confirmed PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor promised to fund more counselling for him and his wife after he finished his 12 free sessions.
Woodward says he had not been contacted by Clarke for 11 months, despite asking for the FA chairman to attend meetings on improving safeguarding, and has not had an FA response after he asked for an explanation as to why Clarke brought up their meeting in parliament.
An FA spokesperson has since said: "Greg and Andy had a private conversation. It was positive and they will meet again in person next month."
