Club statement on bullying allegations

[jon1959]

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news...ement-23102019

Club Statement: 23/10/2019

Cardiff City Football Club can confirm that a comprehensive investigation into accusations of bullying and abuse by current and former employees has been concluded.

The investigation, commissioned under the direction of Capital Law Ltd, conducted by the Club’s Head of Safeguarding and overseen by a senior member of its Board of Directors, highlighted a number of significant concerns relating to an unacceptable coaching environment over the relevant period of time. This was magnified due to the lack of effective safeguarding processes being followed. Cardiff City Football Club regrets the impact this has had and any distress that may have been caused to those affected by the investigation process that has followed.

The confidential investigation report containing the Club’s conclusions and recommendations, has been delivered to the Club’s Board of Directors; the Premier League, the Football Association, Football Association of Wales and our statutory partners. We can provide reassurance that robust changes to procedures have subsequently been implemented and awareness of these issues will be reinforced for the protection of young players at Cardiff City Football Club.

These plans and associated safeguarding education measures have been welcomed and endorsed by the associations and bodies referenced above. An independent audit of the Club’s safeguarding provision by Barnado’s in April 2019 confirmed that the Club is compliant with the Premier League’s Safeguarding Standards.

The investigative report continues to form part of an employee disciplinary process and thus the Club is unable to publicly provide specific details of matters relating to individuals.

Cardiff City Football Club wishes to express its sincere thanks to the players, families and Academy staff that have assisted throughout the investigation. This engagement has allowed the Club to address previous failings and implement processes and procedures in the most thorough way to prevent similar issues arising in the future.

[ManBearPig]

Oh dear!

[The Lone Gunman]

Ouch! That’s a damning admission.

[Tuerto]

Ouch! That’s a damning admission.

Been going on for years, some clubs worse than others. When i was knocking about the jacks had a coach named Ronnie Walton, Mark Walton's Dad i believe (Goalkeeper) he was a decent bloke by all accounts. We used to go to college with them on a wednesday, we used to tell them what we had to put up with from certain individuals, they couldn't believe it.

[surge]

That's really not good. Come to Cardiff City kids, there are concerns about your welfare and you'll never get a chance in the first team.....

[Wales-Bales]

I was pushed very hard as a teenager by coaches with international playing experience. Some people couldn't handle it, but I came out of it a stronger person, and I was even selected to be the team captain. I always gave 100% and I was a team player, so I never really had any negative experiences. I am naturally very focussed and mentally strong with an abundance of controlled aggression, so football was the perfect sport for me. I understand that times change and things are a little different now, but you still need certain attributes to succeed in team sports, and in my era we just learnt about these realities at a younger age.

[Father Dougal]

I was pushed very hard as a teenager by coaches with international playing experience. Some people couldn't handle it, but I came out of it a stronger person, and I was even selected to be the team captain. I always gave 100% and I was a team player, so I never really had any negative experiences. I am naturally very focussed and mentally strong with an abundance of controlled aggression, so football was the perfect sport for me. I understand that times change and things are a little different now, but you still need certain attributes to succeed in team sports, and in my era we just learnt about these realities at a younger age.

Well done you.

Did you actually read the statement from the club though or was this always going to be your response?

[CCFCC3PO]

I was pushed very hard as a teenager by coaches with international playing experience. Some people couldn't handle it, but I came out of it a stronger person, and I was even selected to be the team captain. I always gave 100% and I was a team player, so I never really had any negative experiences. I am naturally very focussed and mentally strong with an abundance of controlled aggression, so football was the perfect sport for me. I understand that times change and things are a little different now, but you still need certain attributes to succeed in team sports, and in my era we just learnt about these realities at a younger age.

Cock.

[cyril evans awaydays]

Cock.

Give him a chance. You just don't understand narcissistic delusion!

[WJ99mobile]

So what actually happened?

[Wales-Bales]

Well done you.

Did you actually read the statement from the club though or was this always going to be your response?

Yes I read it. I think the clubs will now review the goals of their academy systems after this inquiry. The original intention was to develop young players with the right skills and mental strength to make it as professional football players. This involved pushing people beyond their comfort zones in search of their weaknesses. As discussed elsewhere, only a few players have the right attributes to progress into professional sport, so the question now is how will they go about separating the few who have the potential to make the grade? If you run the academy like an after-school club where nobody is ever scolded, and voices never raised, the clubs will never know how the players are likely to react in a high-pressure professional environment. I have no idea what the solution is, but a precident has been set and the model that worked for over a hundred years has now been declared unacceptable.

[Wales-Bales]

Cock.

Who the feck are you? I was just giving an example of the attributes that would get you through what some might consider to be a harsh regime. The clubs are looking for specific types of people, and while some have zero problems thriving in such environments, others have great difficulty. It looks like the clubs will now have to gear themselves towards the lowest common denominator, or find some other way to weed out weakest links.

[Wales-Bales]

Give him a chance. You just don't understand narcissistic delusion!

I understand the real world mate, having lived through it!

[RonnieBird]

I understand the real world mate, having lived through it!

Stop stalking people Cyril / Dorcas

[life on mars]

I understand the real world mate, having lived through it!

Dont bite thats what they want they wouldn't dare say this stuff to your face ,they must have very shallow lifestyles.

I played a decent standard and at times it was about being brutal and frank , extracting the strong from the weak, or making you stronger , after all its a sport not a social club.

[The Lone Gunman]

I was pushed very hard as a teenager by coaches with international playing experience. Some people couldn't handle it, but I came out of it a stronger person, and I was even selected to be the team captain. I always gave 100% and I was a team player, so I never really had any negative experiences. I am naturally very focussed and mentally strong with an abundance of controlled aggression, so football was the perfect sport for me. I understand that times change and things are a little different now, but you still need certain attributes to succeed in team sports, and in my era we just learnt about these realities at a younger age.

Unbelievable.

Literally.

[The Lone Gunman]

Yes I read it. I think the clubs will now review the goals of their academy systems after this inquiry. The original intention was to develop young players with the right skills and mental strength to make it as professional football players. This involved pushing people beyond their comfort zones in search of their weaknesses. As discussed elsewhere, only a few players have the right attributes to progress into professional sport, so the question now is how will they go about separating the few who have the potential to make the grade? If you run the academy like an after-school club where nobody is ever scolded, and voices never raised, the clubs will never know how the players are likely to react in a high-pressure professional environment. I have no idea what the solution is, but a precident has been set and the model that worked for over a hundred years has now been declared unacceptable.

Considering that club's report is confidential, you literally have no idea what the statement is referring to when it talks of bullying and abuse by current and former employees, significant concerns relating to an unacceptable coaching environment and a lack of effective safeguarding processes. Not a clue. Nevertheless, you talk about a precedent being set, clubs (plural) reviewing the aims of their academies following this investigation and a model that worked for over a hundred years being declared unacceptable.

You're just a narcissistic idiot. It's a pity that, once again, you've decided to try to make this thread about you, because the club's frank statement is not only a damning indictment of its own youth system but it clearly highlights the deficiencies of an individual some have believed would make a good manager.

[Wales-Bales]

Considering that club's report is confidential, you literally have no idea what the statement is referring to when it talks of bullying and abuse by current and former employees, significant concerns relating to an unacceptable coaching environment and a lack of effective safeguarding processes. Not a clue. Nevertheless, you talk about a precedent being set, clubs (plural) reviewing the aims of their academies following this investigation and a model that worked for over a hundred years being declared unacceptable.

You're just a narcissistic idiot. It's a pity that, once again, you've decided to try to make this thread about you, because the club's frank statement is not only a damning indictment of its own youth system but it clearly highlights the deficiencies of an individual some have believed would make a good manager.

I have real world experiences of being coached by ex-pros from the age of 13, and they were hard bastards and very demanding. They could destroy you in a second, but it was all part of the development process of being a team player. Like I said some people couldn't handle it, but it had no adverse effect on me, and I even thrived in such an environment. Obviously times have changed with our current snowflake culture, and people can no longer accept a bollocking for making a mistake, or failing to make an effort. The question still remains about how these young players are going to transition into the harsh world of professional football, or is football going to adapt and become less aggressive and more polite? Tackling is already on the way out, so are we heading towards a contactless sport where taking part is more important than winning?

Regarding calling people narcissistic idiots, I would have put you and the ball into Row back in the day if we had ever met on a football pitch

[RonnieBird]

The lack of discipline and consequence is a big factor in the demise of education and the rise in violent crime. Why should football be any different ?
The whole sport is gradually being brought into line with a political absolutism which imposes itself upon every corner of human thought and endeavour and there are no exceptions for private or family matters or things like sports. All are theatres where the audience is compelled to sit respectfully, listen to the virtue signalling show and pretend to feel grateful and guilty.

As I said in another thread here recently , football is in its last days as a source of innocent and wholesome fun and will shortly be entirely consumed into the Maoist like 24/7 dogma fest which has replaced productive life in this country .

[Wales-Bales]

Regarding calling people narcissistic idiots, I would have put you and the ball into Row back in the day if we had ever met on a football pitch

Regarding calling people narcissistic idiots, I would have put you and the ball into Row Z back in the day, if we had ever had the pleasure of meeting on a football pitch

[thehumblegringo]

Sign out from Wales Bales and Ronnie Bird and sign back in with Life on Mars and we'll have the full house again!

You're an absolute weapon of a bloke

[Wales-Bales]

Sign out from Wales Bales and Ronnie Bird and sign back in with Life on Mars and we'll have the full house again!

You're an absolute weapon of a bloke

Flippin' 'eck, you need to man up you daft sod

[Trigger]

Isn't this just football culture. From the touchline on a Saturday you're getting pushed by your parents and coach so that when you make it you can take the abuse you receive on forums, social media and the stands.

[Toadstool]

Considering that club's report is confidential...... it clearly highlights the deficiencies of an individual some have believed would make a good manager.

How can you know it highlights this if it's confidential?

[thehumblegringo]

Isn't this just football culture. From the touchline on a Saturday you're getting pushed by your parents and coach so that when you make it you can take the abuse you receive on forums, social media and the stands.

Bear in mind that kids are in academies from 5 years old these days. How young is acceptable for this "football culture" to be imposed on them?