Healing survivors
Nailsea workplace coach and postman, Phil Underhill is an ambassador for the Offside Trust, a charity working to combat child abuse in sport.
The Offside Trust was set up ‘by survivors for survivors’ in December 2016, following a series of high-profile revelations regarding child sex abuse in football. Several players came forward and waived their right to anonymity to speak out about the abuse they suffered. This led to a number of convictions against coaches who had been working at professional football clubs across the country.
For the last two years the Trust has been providing support to abuse survivors and working to raise greater awareness of the need for safeguarding in sport to protect children from sexual abuse.
Phil joined Southampton FC at the age of 13 and spent six years at the club (pictured front row, third from the right) ‘I was lucky enough to sign professional forms at 18, but unfortunately never quite made the first team and left at 19,’ he said. ‘I then had spells at Torquay United, Forest Green Rovers and Bath City.
‘Sadly, the coach who oversaw youth development at Southampton FC has been accused of historical sex abuse offences, both psychological and physical, dating between 1971 and 1996, relating to 50 charges against 24 boys. There is currently a retrial arranged to take place at the end of March this year as the previous jury could not come to a decision on 48 of the charges.
‘Being involved in this I have met many other players who have suffered or been affected by what happened to them and I have attended several survivor events, organised by The Offside Trust at Wolves, Portsmouth and Bristol City FC.’
The support that Phil has provided to others led to ex-footballer and co-founder of The Offside Trust, Steve Walters, asking him to be an ambassador.
‘I was honoured to accept the role,’ said Phil, ‘which now means I need to raise awareness around historical child sex abuse in all sports, along with offering support to existing victims and helping to ensure that the correct safeguarding procedures are in place at grassroots level to protect future generations.
‘On Sunday 31 March a “Hollyoaks XI” of celebrities and ex-professionals will face off against The Offside Trust XI at Chester FC's Swansway Stadium in aid of the Trust. The idea behind the event came about on the back of a recent storyline in the Channel 4 soap opera, Hollyoaks, which powerfully addressed the issue of child sex abuse in football.’
Click here if you would like to buy tickets to the event and to find out more.
