More than 400 delegates, ranging from National Game representatives to those making academic studies, attended the conference, arranged with the aim of 'making a change, making a difference'.

Dave Jones was one of the keynote speakers, having agreed to talk about his experience in order to help those who may find themselves in a similar predicament.

The father of four said he felt "totally lost" when he was quizzed by police about child abuse allegations and charged three years ago. He called for greater action to be taken to protect sports coaches wrongly accused of harming youngsters and gave his support to the advances that The FA is making in this area.

The Molineux boss, who was cleared of the allegations against him in December 2000, said: "The one group of children they forgot to protect was mine. I was there to be shot at. We are cocooned in football. It's a different way of life. I was totally lost. Who protects the coaches? No-one.

"In child abuse you are guilty until you can prove your innocence." Jones added: "I think there has got be a law that's got to say until you are in court and charged then your name cannot be released.

"Why were they protecting the people who made the accusation and not protecting me? Being a high profile manager there's nowhere you can go to, I was paraded like a trophy.

"In the past I used the phrase 'there's no smoke without fire' but I shall never use or believe that phrase again."

Jones also paid tribute to the football world for keeping him going. "The fans at Southampton were brilliant," he said. "And the support I received from the whole football community was so important."

Alan Shearer, Sir Bobby Robson and Hope Powell  have all become ambassadors for the FA's Child Protection GOAL Campaign, which is targeting five main areas of abuse: neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and bullying.

Tony Pickerin, The FA's Head of Education and Child Protection said after today's conference: "We have a long term aim to improve best practice is understood and employed in Child Protection.

"We set ourselves a goal of ten years for the changes that we want to make to be instituted and, with the support that we are receiving from The FA and football as a whole, we are already seeing some of these improvements come to fruition.

"The momentum is increasing and we are looking to ensure that there is best practice available to everyone involved in football."

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