"I believe there is a real problem at Cardiff's academy."

[Penarth Blues]

If someone has made a complaint, it should be dealt with . If Bellamy and/or Harvey have made a kid feel bullied, they should have spoken to the kid, said this is why x,y,z happened, with someone else senior present and gone over it, after Bellamy/Harvey were spoken to first and reminded of their responsibilites (or if more serious been removed from their posts). This is supposed to be a talented youngster, that's the reason he's in the academy in the first place. This apparently hasn't happened, and Bellamy has made the kid's life worse, so nobody else would dare accuse Bellamy or Harvey of anything again. If you saw your mate getting frozen out after complaining, and you want a career in football, you shut up. It isn't physical abuse but lots of kids knew about Bennell etc but didn't say, because all they wanted to be was a footballer. Bellamy and Harvey are in positions of power, they can shape a kid's dream.

We don't know if it happened, or what the club found out but I'm sick of people being told that kids are too soft etc. So what if they are? Football and the world are changing, and in my experience there's no bigger snowflakes than 50 year old men like Piers Morgan who lose their shit over trivial bollocks like vegan sausage rolls.

I completely support your view over the insidious nature of bullying, and if there is a culture of bullying it needs to be stopped - no matter who is doing it, as it's counter-productive to all concerned.

I can't agree with your comment on 'so what if they are?' I watch players being bullied on the professional football pitch in every game I watch - whether it's physical or mental bullying. It's a competitive game. If they can't cope with that they won't survive.

Life is not fair and rarely played by rules. Better to find out you aren't cut out to be a footballer earlier rather than later, having wasted some of the most crucial years of your life aiming for something you'll never reach. The discussion should be what is acceptable in teaching young kids that professional football is tough and therefore they must be too, and at what stages are they ready to learn this lesson?

Completely agree about Piers Morgan by the way...

[Pedro de la Rosa]

I completely support your view over the insidious nature of bullying, and if there is a culture of bullying it needs to be stopped - no matter who is doing it, as it's counter-productive to all concerned.

I can't agree with your comment on 'so what if they are?' I watch players being bullied on the professional football pitch in every game I watch - whether it's physical or mental bullying. It's a competitive game. If they can't cope with that they won't survive.

Life is not fair and rarely played by rules. Better to find out you aren't cut out to be a footballer earlier rather than later, having wasted some of the most crucial years of your life aiming for something you'll never reach. The discussion should be what is acceptable in teaching young kids that professional football is tough and therefore they must be too, and at what stages are they ready to learn this lesson?

Completely agree about Piers Morgan by the way...

Being bullied by the opposition is completely different to being bullied by your boss. It's the manager's job to make sure that all sorts of players thrive. If they've overstepped the line, I would hope the club has conducted a full review at the time and has documented this. If that's the case, then great and we can know one way or the other. Bellamy found it tough at Norwich, and he wanted to quit. If you find it tough and then someone like Bellamy singles you out for stick, and you feel like you've been bullied it would be worse. We don't know exactly what's gone on but if what has been reported is true, I find it very hard how either Harvey and Bellamy could be employed by the club. After a complaint has been made, to double down on this is an intimidation tactic to stop others from acting out.

[The Lone Gunman]

Typical reply of sometimes TLG i expected nothing less off the sarcastic sod think he knows it all

You're the one who apparently knows it all regarding CCFC's academy set-up.

[MOZZER2]

first of all every football club has a welfare officer who's job it is to look after the well being of every child in the academy . when my lad was in it we were given the names of all contacts relating to each age group


I know it's only print we read on the link but why did the parents make complaints to an education officer in this case steve ellis when the club has a welfare officer ? Every parent is given a code of conduct by the club and what's expected by the club


as for rob cronick doing the investigation what a player he was back in the day . Mel Rees who has sadly passed away kept him out of he city set up as he was the same age but many people including myself thought he was a better keeper and should have got a pro contract somewhere

[Forest Green Bluebird]

Quick question... In what workplace has it ever been acceptable to call a staff member a snitch for raising a complaint?

Armed forces?

[Der Kaiser]

Armed forces?

Roman Catholic church ?

[xsnaggle]

Armed forces?

Really?????????

[Sloop_Jon_Bee]

Clubs have to take safe guarding and protection of the children very seriously here. The club has un-restricted access to children from a very young age, and has in its hand the hopes and dreams of every child in their care.

The harsh reality id the 95% of the children they deal with will not make it, and with it the dreams will be shattered. So with the harsh reality of this coming up it should be good practice to at least make the youth system a pleasant environment and to not humiliate the child in the process.

The singling out of individual children within the club does not make pleasant reading, and the club will have a serious issue if this has proved to be the case. The turning down of the volume of a tv does seem more trivial.

Are we talking about children here or young adults; here is a huge difference. I am not condoning bullying, but life starts to get tough once you leave school (no longer a child), or in this case join the youth academy at a football club. I do not think Bellers will come out of this well, as common sense will not prevail. **** knows what the knock on affect IS going to be like through UK youth football afterwards.
sPEDGER

[surge]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-PFA-help.html

I'll return to the tweet I saw outlining series of events:

- Bellamy criticises media treatment of Sterling based on his race
- Daily Mail reports on Rise's book and negative impression of Bellamy several months after the book was printed
- Daily Mail reports starts this story several years after the incident
- However, proper process should be followed and, despite Daily Mail's explosion of interest in this, an investigation should take place to make sure it's cleared up properly.

[Sloop_Jon_Bee]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-PFA-help.html

I read this late last night Paul. And thought, I don't think this is going to end well for CB. Pity really, as despite is feisty/aggressive nature I feel he can produce some good youngsters.
remember a story that when he was young and playing for the first team at Norwich, if he got feisty on team bus, Malky would lock him in the bog.
Spedger

[delmbox]

Generation snowflake , bless them . Probably not anywhere near the required level and having no discipline in schools , get a rollicking and cannot handle it .

Out of interest how old are you mate? Not having a dig, just wondering which famously tough generation you're part of and what this new one can learn from you guys

[jamieccfc]

In sport, football.

Presume you agree that swearing at an employee is gross misconduct too. You'd end up with whole squads bringing claims ....

referees could take practically every player to court for bullying the amount of abuse they take

[JDerrida]

referees could take practically every player to court for bullying the amount of abuse they take

Totally agree.

Professional footballers are such appalling role models.

Dive and cheat to get any advantage and scream abuse directly into the face of the referee.

[JDerrida]

When I worked with young Elite sports people, we used to screen not only the young person, but their parents, siblings and significant others.

No point in wasting a valuable space and money on someone who may have talent, but the wrong mental approach and attitude.

Becoming an Elite sportsperson takes a lot more than raw talent.

They 'have' to be able to deal with uncomfortable or difficult situations and deal with what they perceive as pressure.

If they couldn't deal with those, then they were gone.

[Sloop_Jon_Bee]

Funny how it says former players.

Bullying is such an easy thing to throw out there but so hard to identify what it really is.

I have no doubt what has happened in our academy happens at many up and down the country, more so at senior level. if successful then many more will come out.

Some of the abuse you hear from parents at Sunday league isn't any better.

From reading his book, about how low he was at Norwich as a kid, and considering Gary speeds mental health I'd be stunned if Bellamy is going out of his way to bully these lads. For me it's a case of him maybe being a little too honest and not pc with his language. If he is at fault then more than likely most of football is at fault. Sitting in the ground on a Saturday and hearing what you do wohld undoubtedly offend a lot of people.

[Wales-Bales]

Out of interest how old are you mate? Not having a dig, just wondering which famously tough generation you're part of and what this new one can learn from you guys

I bet you wouldn't say that to Norman Hunter, Dave MacKay, Ron "Chopper" Harris or Tommy Smith!

[Croesy Blue]

Generation snowflake , bless them . Probably not anywhere near the required level and having no discipline in schools , get a rollicking and cannot handle it .

Isn’t it weird that this is people’s reaction to any sort of adversity, you don’t know even really know what’s happened yet.

[Wales-Bales]

"Dad, the coach forced me to play with a sore head"

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Isn’t it weird that this is people’s reaction to any sort of adversity, you don’t know even really know what’s happened yet.

Absolutely. Dismiss weak comments as those who shouldn't contribute. If the right ever get total control over Britain I'm out of here.

[Croesy Blue]

It’s short sighted and shows short memory I’m in my 30s and people were saying the same about my generation being soft, the same for the generation before that.

It’s been going on for centuries and it’ll be continued by miserable old bastards with zero common sense forever.

The leading cause of death for men under 40 is still suicide ffs, the world isn’t getting too soft it’s just catching up with how people should be treated so they aren’t ****ed up later in life.

[Wales-Bales]

Lots of psychoanalysis going on in this thread, but the truth of the matter is most people aren't wired for the rigours of professional football, and the sooner they find it out the better it will be for all concerned.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Lots of psychoanalysis going on in this thread, but the truth of the matter is most people aren't wired for the rigours of professional football, and the sooner they find it out the better it will be for all concerned.

Do you advocate an initial course in correcting this or letting youngsters find out for themselves?

[Der Kaiser]

Lots of psychoanalysis going on in this thread, but the truth of the matter is most people aren't wired for the rigours of professional football, and the sooner they find it out the better it will be for all concerned.

"the rigours of professional football"

Have a ****ing day off.

[Wales-Bales]

Do you advocate an initial course in correcting this or letting youngsters find out for themselves?

Football is a very psychological activity, and you have to know how people tick. Those in charge push a few buttons to see what peoples limits are. A team is only as strong as it's weakest links, so I presume they like to weed out the ones who won't make it as quickly as possible.

[Croesy Blue]

Lots of psychoanalysis going on in this thread, but the truth of the matter is most people aren't wired for the rigours of professional football, and the sooner they find it out the better it will be for all concerned.

Probably easier to watch them play football and decide if they can cope with playing football than anything else.