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| Sunderland under pressure to explain Adam Johnson support | Sunderland under pressure to explain Adam Johnson support |
| (6 months later) | |
| Sunderland football club are under increasing pressure to explain why they allowed Adam Johnson to continue playing despite knowing he had privately admitted kissing a 15-year-old girl. | Sunderland football club are under increasing pressure to explain why they allowed Adam Johnson to continue playing despite knowing he had privately admitted kissing a 15-year-old girl. |
| The struggling Premier League club were accused of making a “catastrophic error of judgment” over their decision to stand by the midfielder after he was arrested for child sexual abuse on 2 March last year. | The struggling Premier League club were accused of making a “catastrophic error of judgment” over their decision to stand by the midfielder after he was arrested for child sexual abuse on 2 March last year. |
| The Sunderland manager, Sam Allardyce, said the club felt “extremely let down” by Johnson. In a fractious press conference, a club official intervened 10 times to block questions about the issue. | The Sunderland manager, Sam Allardyce, said the club felt “extremely let down” by Johnson. In a fractious press conference, a club official intervened 10 times to block questions about the issue. |
| Johnson, 28, faces between five and 10 years in jail after being found guilty of sexual activity with a child. He admitted two other counts and was cleared of one further charge. | Johnson, 28, faces between five and 10 years in jail after being found guilty of sexual activity with a child. He admitted two other counts and was cleared of one further charge. |
| In carefully worded statement issued after the verdicts, Sunderland AFC said they would have sacked Johnson immediately had club officials known he intended to plead guilty to two of the charges. | In carefully worded statement issued after the verdicts, Sunderland AFC said they would have sacked Johnson immediately had club officials known he intended to plead guilty to two of the charges. |
| However, the club did not comment on evidence heard at Bradford crown court that Johnson admitted privately to the club as long ago as 4 May 2015 that he kissed the teenage fan and sent her sexually explicit messages. | However, the club did not comment on evidence heard at Bradford crown court that Johnson admitted privately to the club as long ago as 4 May 2015 that he kissed the teenage fan and sent her sexually explicit messages. |
| In evidence to his trial, Johnson said he told “everything” to Margaret Byrne, Sunderland’s chief executive, at a meeting and there was no suggestion he would be sacked. | In evidence to his trial, Johnson said he told “everything” to Margaret Byrne, Sunderland’s chief executive, at a meeting and there was no suggestion he would be sacked. |
| It also emerged at the trial that Byrne had copies of the 834 WhatsApp messages Johnson exchanged with the girl, as well as transcripts of their police interviews. In Johnson’s first police interview, he admitted kissing the girl on the lips and knowing she was underage. | It also emerged at the trial that Byrne had copies of the 834 WhatsApp messages Johnson exchanged with the girl, as well as transcripts of their police interviews. In Johnson’s first police interview, he admitted kissing the girl on the lips and knowing she was underage. |
| He was allowed to continue playing for the club until 6 February – the weekend before his trial – and earned nearly £3m after his suspension was lifted just 16 days after his arrest. | He was allowed to continue playing for the club until 6 February – the weekend before his trial – and earned nearly £3m after his suspension was lifted just 16 days after his arrest. |
| In the press conference before Sunderland’s game against Southampton on Saturday, Allardyce was asked repeatedly about the issue only for the media manager, Louise Wanless, to block questions. | In the press conference before Sunderland’s game against Southampton on Saturday, Allardyce was asked repeatedly about the issue only for the media manager, Louise Wanless, to block questions. |
| After a series of stonewalled questions, a journalist asked: “Where is the name of the football club at the minute as a result of Adam Johnson being found guilty?” Wanless intervened: “Guys, stop.” | After a series of stonewalled questions, a journalist asked: “Where is the name of the football club at the minute as a result of Adam Johnson being found guilty?” Wanless intervened: “Guys, stop.” |
| In another tense exchange, Allardyce was asked whether he had seen the police interview transcripts and Whatsapp messages that suggested Johnson was guilty. Wanless said: “Thanks, we’ll move on”, before Allardyce replied: “No. I’m the manager, why would I know that?” | In another tense exchange, Allardyce was asked whether he had seen the police interview transcripts and Whatsapp messages that suggested Johnson was guilty. Wanless said: “Thanks, we’ll move on”, before Allardyce replied: “No. I’m the manager, why would I know that?” |
| The journalist then asked whether he should have been given that information, but Wanless said: “Guys, we’ll move on from there please.” | The journalist then asked whether he should have been given that information, but Wanless said: “Guys, we’ll move on from there please.” |
| Gabrielle Shaw, the chief executive of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac), described the case as “very troubling”. | Gabrielle Shaw, the chief executive of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac), described the case as “very troubling”. |
| “For a year Johnson had been rubbishing these claims and giving tacit approval to his fans to drag her [the victim] through the mud,” she said. “That’s the thing to focus on – the trouble and torment of his victim. | “For a year Johnson had been rubbishing these claims and giving tacit approval to his fans to drag her [the victim] through the mud,” she said. “That’s the thing to focus on – the trouble and torment of his victim. |
| “We need to get to the bottom of what did they know and when did they know it.” | “We need to get to the bottom of what did they know and when did they know it.” |
| On Thursday night the Durham police detective who led the investigation, DI Aelfwynn Sampson, said the victim will “want to know why he was allowed back on the pitch”. | On Thursday night the Durham police detective who led the investigation, DI Aelfwynn Sampson, said the victim will “want to know why he was allowed back on the pitch”. |
| She added: “At the centre of this we have a 15-year-old girl who was an avid Sunderland fan and a massive fan of Adam Johnson, she describes him as her idol, she’ll want to know why he was allowed back on the pitch.” | She added: “At the centre of this we have a 15-year-old girl who was an avid Sunderland fan and a massive fan of Adam Johnson, she describes him as her idol, she’ll want to know why he was allowed back on the pitch.” |
| The NSPCC said Johnson “cynically used his celebrity status … to groom and sexually abuse an impressionable schoolgirl” and should have been suspended by the club. | The NSPCC said Johnson “cynically used his celebrity status … to groom and sexually abuse an impressionable schoolgirl” and should have been suspended by the club. |
| “If Sunderland AFC had known that Johnson had kissed the girl, prior to his guilty plea, then he should have been suspended pending the police investigation,” an NSPCC spokesman said. | “If Sunderland AFC had known that Johnson had kissed the girl, prior to his guilty plea, then he should have been suspended pending the police investigation,” an NSPCC spokesman said. |
| The demands for a full investigation were met with a wall of silence from the club’s main sponsors, including adidas, Carling, South African Airways, Betfair and the Asian betting site Dafabet. | The demands for a full investigation were met with a wall of silence from the club’s main sponsors, including adidas, Carling, South African Airways, Betfair and the Asian betting site Dafabet. |
| The Guardian understands that safeguarding officials from the Football Association, football’s governing body in England, sought assurances from the club after Johnson’s arrest that he would not be allowed in a position of trust with children or young people. | The Guardian understands that safeguarding officials from the Football Association, football’s governing body in England, sought assurances from the club after Johnson’s arrest that he would not be allowed in a position of trust with children or young people. |
| It remains unclear whether the club or any external body was investigating whether the club followed safeguarding practices when they allowed the winger to return to the team between 18 March 2015 and February this year. | It remains unclear whether the club or any external body was investigating whether the club followed safeguarding practices when they allowed the winger to return to the team between 18 March 2015 and February this year. |
| Byrne, a qualified solicitor who sits on the FA’s football regulatory authority committee, has refused to answer questions about her involvement in the case. | Byrne, a qualified solicitor who sits on the FA’s football regulatory authority committee, has refused to answer questions about her involvement in the case. |
| She became chief executive of Sunderland AFC in summer 2011, four years after joining the club as secretary and in-house lawyer under the then chairman, Niall Quinn. She also sits on the Premier League’s legal advisory group and is company secretary of the Foundation of Light, Sunderland AFC’s charity arm that works with thousands of children across the region. | She became chief executive of Sunderland AFC in summer 2011, four years after joining the club as secretary and in-house lawyer under the then chairman, Niall Quinn. She also sits on the Premier League’s legal advisory group and is company secretary of the Foundation of Light, Sunderland AFC’s charity arm that works with thousands of children across the region. |
| There were also calls for transparency from Sunderland fans. Rory Fallow, a writer on the Sunderland fans’ website Roker Report, said the club’s statement “glossed over” whether bosses were aware of Johnson’s crimes when they allowed him to continue playing. | There were also calls for transparency from Sunderland fans. Rory Fallow, a writer on the Sunderland fans’ website Roker Report, said the club’s statement “glossed over” whether bosses were aware of Johnson’s crimes when they allowed him to continue playing. |
| Urging the club to come clean about their knowledge of his crimes or face an external investigation, Fallow said senior executives should step down if they knew he admitted kissing the girl and sending her explicit messages. | Urging the club to come clean about their knowledge of his crimes or face an external investigation, Fallow said senior executives should step down if they knew he admitted kissing the girl and sending her explicit messages. |
| “If people employed by the club, whoever they may be, knew about what Johnson had done then I don’t see how they can carry on in their job,” he said. “They’ll have allowed a manager to pick a player, therefore representing a community, who has disgraced himself and brought shame to the club. They’ll have allowed the victim to be put through even more turmoil as people took the club sticking by him as a sign of innocence. | “If people employed by the club, whoever they may be, knew about what Johnson had done then I don’t see how they can carry on in their job,” he said. “They’ll have allowed a manager to pick a player, therefore representing a community, who has disgraced himself and brought shame to the club. They’ll have allowed the victim to be put through even more turmoil as people took the club sticking by him as a sign of innocence. |
| “If they were in the dark on the matter, however, they shouldn’t be sacked just for being another person on the end of his lies.” | “If they were in the dark on the matter, however, they shouldn’t be sacked just for being another person on the end of his lies.” |