Abuse survivor Paul Stewart on how to make Scottish youth football safer for kids

Boys club abuse survivor Paul Stewart believes more must be done to protect kids in youth football and is backing a new app he believes can help.

By Matthew Lindsay · The National

Published: Sunday, 4 October 2026 at 6:09 AM

Key Things to Know

Abuse survivor Paul Stewart is advocating for improved child safeguarding measures across youth and grassroots football.
Stewart has partnered with the Football Safety App to help spectators and clubs quickly report touchline misconduct.
Scottish clubs Clyde and Dumbarton have joined English teams in adopting the free reporting app.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Former England international and abuse survivor Paul Stewart is campaigning for youth and grassroots football to prioritize safeguarding, warning against complacency. Stewart has become an ambassador for the Football Safety App alongside Emile Heskey and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. The free service enables spectators and clubs to quickly report touchline misconduct, violence, and abuse.

Stewart emphasized that sporting bodies must invest properly in welfare rather than treating child protection as an afterthought. Scottish clubs Dumbarton and Clyde have already signed up for the platform, which allows users to upload video evidence to help discipline offending adults.

Read the full article on The National

Abuse survivor Paul Stewart on how to make Scottish youth football safer for kids

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