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In November 2016, the game was rocked by mass disclosures of the historic sexual abuse of children in football.
Survivors had spoken out beforehand – both publicly and privately – about the abuse they suffered. Wrongly, their voices often went unheard.
But in 2016, when Andy Woodward made his disclosure in a national newspaper and then on national television, the country finally listened to the truth.
Hundreds of other survivors came forward to add their voices. The official police statistics were stark. Within a month, 350 survivors had contacted the authorities. By 2018, 849 survivors had reported 2,807 incidents involving 340 clubs and 300 suspects.
10 years on from the mass disclosures, Voices of Truth acknowledges how the non-recent sexual abuse of children in football went ignored for too long, and pays tribute to all survivors. Those who have reached out, and spoken out. And those who haven’t yet shared their story, and may never do.
Every survivor, alongside those working in safeguarding roles across the game, has played their part in the pursuit of truth, justice and significant safeguarding progress in football.
The FA and Football Authorities have an unequivocal commitment to continuously evolving safeguarding across the game at all levels. Here are recent examples of what we’re doing to safeguard those playing and participating in football.
Not everyone is. We welcome all kinds of perspectives here, and there are so many opportunities to choose from across the FA. See some of our projects here that go beyond football.
Yes. The FA is a far-reaching organisation with many different divisions, from head office strategy and support, to working on-the-ground in the community. Whatever your experience, skills or background, you’ll find something for you. Check out our live roles.
Unless it’s a role requiring specialist football knowledge, then no… just be you. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to learn and grow.
Yes, absolutely. No matter your background or beliefs, we want you to feel like you belong here. Find out more about our game-changing commitment to inclusivity and representation.
We’ve made it our mission to make the FA a place which welcomes women and men equally. More and more women and girls are now able to access and enjoy football, and we’re reflecting this in our own internal culture. In fact, it might surprise you to hear that we have more women executive directors than men. As Lucy Wellings, Senior Lead of Women’s Club Development says, “It takes working here to understand how magical this place can be.”
The FA is dedicated to serving the English game for the benefit of everyone who loves, watches and plays football. We play an integral role in driving positive changes across English football as we strive to best serve the game on and off the pitch.