A victim of child abuse by an SFA official and former referee has called on chief executive Ian Maxwell to resign.
Pete Haynes initially thanked the SFA for publishing the independent report but backtracked when he heard their chief executive give his views in an interview with the BBC.
This morning a report into child abuse, the role of the SFA, their policies and procedures was published which made for uncomfortable reading.
In typical SFA fashion Maxwell tried to flannel his way through an interview with BBC Scotland, using all the buzzwords and putting any problems down to past regimes and claiming that the garden was rosy.
Outstanding interview. Really challenged Maxwell, his media training mode kicked in & he has car crashed against damning evidence. The denial & ignorance & protectionism is a huge part of the problem. In my experience its the lawyers briefing him in terms of PR & future claims. https://t.co/0Gl5HsjGSy
— TonyW (@Yellowarmy1876) July 26, 2018
Maxwell denies SFA has ‘failed children’ https://t.co/TCcwQ6kC8Z via @bbcsport
— Joe McHugh (@videocelts) July 26, 2018
The former Partick Thistle chief did apologise to ‘victims and survivors’ but came unstuck later on with a Trump like u-turn when he was asked if the SFA had any stage in the past failed the children of Scotland.
Hesitating before answering Maxwell said: “I don’t believe so.”
The chief executive of the SFA then lurched into the usual defensive sound-bites.
Those four words– I don’t believe so- undone everything else that Maxwell had said, highlighting the contempt that the SFA and his office has for anyone that suggests that they have made a mistake.
After reading the reaction from Haynes, Maxwell contacted the BBC to withdraw his comment but the damage was done as he proved himself to be out of his depth in his first major public appearance.
Haynes then contacted the BBC to call for the resignation of Maxwell with his comments gaining a lot of support on social media.
Mr Maxwell,
On behalf of myself, my family and all victims of abuse within Scottish Football, your comments today were offensive, poorly judged and insulting. Did you even read the report? Shame on you. 40 years of hurt to be told SFAs policies on child safety are a success. Go.— Pete Haynes (@PeteHaynes13) July 26, 2018
Many Thanks https://t.co/tYx7o8Tu4O
— Pete Haynes (@PeteHaynes13) July 26, 2018
Thanks ???? https://t.co/jrxPw2FLY1
— Pete Haynes (@PeteHaynes13) July 26, 2018
How did the @sfa not fail children in the past? @PeteHaynes13 made you aware that Hugh Stevenson was abusing children in 1994 and you failed to take action. #shame
— tracy warburton (@petesnowflake) July 26, 2018
This sums up exactly how as a family we are feeling right now.
If the SFA didn’t fail the children of Scotland, then who did!?!? pic.twitter.com/MfdUi1BXit
— Michelle Gray (@michellegray75) July 26, 2018
