The Chelsea supporters thread

[Nembo_Kid]

Little old Bournemouth, mate.

So much for the major conglomerates…

Spuds are 2nd though.

@GeoffreyBoycott is anti-logic and needs to start being honest with the forum.

[GeoffreyBoycott]

@Little_Lord_Fauntleroy

Still waiting for an answer to my Harry Kane query @GeoffreyBoycott?

@GeoffreyBoycott

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38196746

Chelsea Football Club has apologised “profusely” to former footballer Gary Johnson over sex abuse he suffered as a youth team member in the 1970s.

Mr Johnson, 57, told the Mirror on Friday that the club paid him £50,000 to keep quiet about allegations of sexual abuse by a former chief scout.

In a statement, Chelsea said Mr Johnson had “suffered unacceptably”.

The club said a review into the case would take place, adding it had “no desire to hide any historic abuse”.
It said the review would examine whether it had carried out a proper investigation when the allegations first came to light and why it did not report them to the Football Association and Premier League.

"We are fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children and young people who are in our care or attending our premises.

“Their welfare is of paramount importance,” the club said.

Mr Johnson was a member of Chelsea’s first team from 1978 to 1981.

He joined the club as an 11-year-old in 1970 and told the Mirror he had been groomed from the age of 13 by scout Eddie Heath.

Mr Heath, who was the club’s chief scout from 1968 to 1979, died before the allegations against him were made.

According to the Mirror, Mr Johnson signed a confidentiality agreement in 2015 and accepted £50,000 from the club, but they did not accept blame.

Chelsea said in its statement that when the settlement was reached the club’s board understood it was “usual practice” to include a mutual confidentiality agreement, adding that Mr Johnson’s solicitors had not objected to the clause.

“More recently, against the current backdrop of wider revelations and other victims coming forward bravely to tell their story, we no longer felt it appropriate to keep the confidentiality agreement in place. It was therefore removed,” the club said.

The club said the decision to have a confidentiality clause had received “significant scrutiny” and it had now asked an external law firm to review this decision and make recommendations for settling claims in the future.

"In advance of that, however, the board would like to make clear that, in light of what we know now about the wide-scale abuse in football clubs in the 1970s and 1980s, it now believes that the use of such a clause, while understandable, was inappropriate in this instance.

“We certainly have no desire to hide any historic abuse we uncover from view. Quite the opposite.”
Chelsea said Mr Johnson’s solicitors at the time claimed Heath had “inappropriate relationships” with other young boys and men from the club, but no names were given.

The club said with the “limited information” it received it had been unable to identify any further individuals who may have been subject to abuse.

It comes after former Chelsea midfielder Alan Hudson said on Facebook that it was “common knowledge that Mr Heath was a danger to us youngsters”.

Chelsea added it was now a “very different club” to the one it was in the 1970s.

It said its safeguarding policies were robust and continually reviewed and audited by the Premier League.strong text

@GeoffreyBoycott

So Chelsea paid Gary Johnson £50,000 in 2015, told him to keep his mouth shut and didn’t accept any blame. Chelsea have now apologised and are saying they are a very different club to the one it was in the 1970’s. What about the club they were in 2015, not accepting responsibility, still sweeping it under the carpet and still blackguarding Gary Johnson 35 years on.

@GeoffreyBoycott

The silence from all these new Chelsea fans like @Tassotti, @Nembo_Kid, @ProjectX and @Little_Lord_Fauntleroy on this one is deafening. The clubs attitude to sex abuse and how they treated victims of sex abuse on their watch clearly wasn’t part of their due diligence in deciding to suddenly start supporting Chelsea.

The outrage of the new found brigade of Chelsea fans in relation to query’s not answered to their liking is quite selective. Five months on, after getting called on to do so any number of times @Nembo_Kid still refuses to condemn the role Chelsea FC, as late as 2015 in continuing to cover up its paedophile former employees.

[Nembo_Kid]

That’s great mate but I don’t see the relevance to it when you’re the one who has been requested to come onto this thread and explain himself.

[GeoffreyBoycott]

@Nembo_Kid

That’s great mate but I don’t see the relevance to it when you’re the one who has been requested to come onto this thread and explain himself.

Anybody who repeatedly calls me racist and a xenophobe is no mate of mine. My line of questioning is very relevant. I repeatedly asked you to come onto this thread and explain yourself on this issue. You have refused to do so I am renewing the request now. Why do you refuse to condemn the role of Chelsea FC, as late as 2015 in continuing to cover up its paedophile former employees?

[Little_Lord_Fauntleroy]

Mate.Conte might be going back to Italy to manage.if he does I’ll sign out of this thread. Please answer me before then

[Nembo_Kid]

That’s great, mate - but it’s not what you were requested in here to answer.

Disappointing that you don’t have the class to put your hands up and admit your xenophobia led you to make some really bad judgement calls.

[Tassotti]

Tonight is the night

[GeoffreyBoycott]

@Nembo_Kid

Will you be in full Chelsea pensioner regalia, pal?

The Chelsea pensioners, the acceptable face of Chelsea F.C. What wonderful service these marvelous men have given to the British Army and the British Armed Forces down through the years.

[Tassotti]

Heros one and all

[Little_Lord_Fauntleroy]

I’m so so happy

[backinatracksuit]

Great news when the forum bellwether is in such a good place.

[Tassotti]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04854XqcfCY

[Tassotti]

Becoming a Chelsea supporter was one of my better life decisions

[Little_Lord_Fauntleroy]

Ever since I started supporting Chelsea I have had an attitude of gratitude

[anon70480284]

JT is choking up and Cesc said ‘foobaw is facking unbaleewable’ on sky sports

[Ashman]

There isn’t a dry eye in the premises I am in. JT transcends football .

[gilgamboa]

@backinatracksuit

forum bellwether

Was that a misprint? 🕭🔚

[Tassotti]

JT is Chelsea

[KinvarasPassion]

Congrants mate. I’m hoping we might tempt yourself and @Tassotti back at some stage.

[anon70480284]

He’ll be kissing the Bournemouth badge next season