Southampton FC consider future of Ted Bates' statue, reports say
It follows a review of historic child sexual abuse at the club
Southampton are reportedly considering the future of a statue of Saints legend Ted Bates outside St Mary's Stadium.
Bates, who dedicated over 60 years of his life to the club as a player, manager, director and president, is accused of ignoring complaints about paedophile youth coach Bob Higgins.
Higgins was jailed for 24 years in 2019 for sexually abusing schoolboy footballers between 1971 and 1996.
A review by children's charity Barnardo's concluded that Southampton's board must have been aware of rumours circulating about Higgins' behaviour but failed to act.
Southampton said the current board fully accepted all the findings and issued an apology to the victims and survivors of the abuse.
An independent FA report into allegations of historic child sexual abuse in football named Ted Bates
The FA report included evidence from a former headmaster who said he had called Southampton in around 1974 and spoke with Bates to raise concerns about Higgins.
He said: "Bates was enraged and threatened to take legal action if I persisted with what he called malicious gossip".
One of Higgins' victims said: "I don't have a great opinion of Ted Bates, but it's history.
"There are better things in place now to keep children safe.
"Taking his statue down won't achieve anything.
"Maybe it's a good thing to keep it up, so people will remember what he didn't do."
Ted Bates died in 2003 and the statue was unveiled in 2008.
We have contacted Southampton Football Club for a response.
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