‘I know how heroic these brave men are’: Alan Brazil on the abuse scandal hitting English football

SHOCKED – but not surprised.

That’s how the horrific stories of sexual abuse told by six ex-footballers over the last week have left me feeling.

Andy Woodward, Steve Walters, Paul Stewart, David White, Jason Dunford and Chris Unsworth deserve our respect and support for choosing to go public with their experiences.

They were brave to do so. In fact, they were heroic.

By coming forward, hopefully they have given strength to other players who have endured similar ordeals.

Hopefully, they have given hope to youngsters who find themselves in that horrendous position today.

Hopefully, they have delivered a wake-up call to football – and sport in general – that can no longer be ignored.

The bottom line is this – no child should have to suffer at the hands of perverts masquerading as coaches.

No child should have to suffer like Woodward, Walters, Stewart, White, Dunford and Unsworth did.

No child should have to suffer like I did.

I’m not going to make this about me. To do so would be wrong.

But I can’t address these revelations without acknowledging that I have a dog in this fight.

When I was 13, I was sexually assaulted by a man called Jim Torbett – a man who was supposed to have my best interests at heart.

I was a young striker at Celtic Boys Club. Torbett was the boss.

One day, while I was at his house with a group of team-mates, he sat next to me on the couch and put his hand between my legs.

It was horrifying then. It still haunts me now.

I was lucky. I managed to get away from him that day and he never tried anything with me again. But there were other victims.

Years later, I gave evidence against Torbett in court and he was convicted of – then jailed for – his crimes.

It was a moment I – and others – had waited decades for.

So I understand the pain of the players who have so bravely stepped into the spotlight with their stories over the past week.

My story is why I am not surprised by theirs.

They will be in turmoil today, but my message to them is this – it gets better.

And if going public helps football and other sports to deal with this issue once and for all – the way it should have been dealt with years ago – it will get better still.

It’s hard to find a silver lining here.

There is so much pain, so much damage done to people at such a vulnerable time in their lives.

I’ve witnessed it firsthand. I’ve also had guys, former players, former colleagues, crying down the phone to me about the abuse they endured as kids.

I would never betray their confidences. I wouldn’t dream of it.

But my hope is that these revelations help them, somehow, to find a ray of light in the darkness.

They should not be ashamed to tell their stories. They have done nothing wrong.

By talking, they will be taking the power back from their abusers – from the Jim Torbetts of this world, and from all the others who have so far escaped justice.

And there ARE others. There are sick former coaches and scouts out there trembling with fear today. Perhaps even current ones.

It’s time football and the sporting world at large spoke out against them.

It’s time for justice to be done.