POLICE have identified 83 potential suspects in the child sex abuse scandal that has rocked English soccer and believe 98 clubs from all levels have been impacted, the National Police Chiefs Council revealed at the weekend.

    The scandal — in which two men have been charged with sex abuse although several of the coaches against whom allegations have been made are out of reach as they are now dead — has seen over a third of all British police forces launch investigations.

    The NPCC added that 98 percent of the victims, believed to total 350, are male with their ages at the time of the alleged abuse ranging from 7 to 20.

    The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said the figures reflected the seriousness of the scandal. “These shocking numbers now identified by police reveal the disturbing extent of abuse that has been going on within football,” said an NSPCC spokesman.

    The NPCC said all calls were being treated seriously — a total of 639 referrals have been relayed to Operation Hydrant, which is the overall police investigation into historic sex abuse.

    (SD-Agencies)