Pete Haynes will never forget the day his life changed for ever. It was May 12, 1979, the day before his 13th birthday, and he was a VIP guest at the Scottish Cup final between Rangers and Hibernian. “I was taken through the cordons and ushered into Hampden Park through the main gates,” he...
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Former chief executives of the Scottish FA have called for an inquiry into claims that a paedophile referee was “one of the most prolific sex offenders Scotland has ever known”.
Hugh Stevenson officiated at a number of international matches, was a registered referee for 19 years until 1983 and coached youth teams throughout central Scotland for decades.
Police were informed on at least two occasions that he was abusing boys but Stevenson was allowed to keep working with young players up until his death, aged 66, in 2004.
One survivor, Pete Haynes, 56, claimed that Stevenson forged a close friendship with another paedophile, a school football coach, and had free rein to walk the corridors and enter changing rooms.
He is demanding that Police Scotland start a posthumous investigation into the man he believes was a “serial child rapist” as he appealed for other survivors to come forward.
“Nothing can be done about the horrendous abuse that I suffered, but I want answers from the police about what they knew about Hugh Stevenson and why nothing was done,”
Haynes said. “I am convinced Stevenson was one of the most prolific sex offenders Scotland has ever known.”
He is being backed by Gordon Smith, the former Rangers forward and SFA chief executive, who said: “Who knows how many other kids suffered at the hands of Stevenson? A bigger investigation is needed to help those who have suffered for many, many years.”
Stewart Regan, another former chief executive, who offered a personal apology to Haynes, added: “I would support a police investigation that would shed light on exactly what happened to Pete and others who came into contact with Hugh Stevenson.”
Strathclyde police investigated Stevenson in 1993 and 1996 and submitted reports to the Crown Office, but no charges were brought. Police Scotland said it took all such reports seriously.
*Football referee Hugh Stevenson’s abuse victims want the truth*
Pete Haynes will never forget the day his life changed for ever. It was May 12, 1979, the day before his 13th birthday, and he was a VIP guest at the Scottish Cup final between Rangers and Hibernian.
“I was taken through the cordons and ushered into Hampden Park through the main gates,” he recalls. “I was seeing all my heroes and it was the biggest day of my life.”
The man who had made his dreams come true was Hugh Stevenson, a high-level referee and youth coach, who had officiated a home international fixture between England and Wales at Wembley two years earlier. Charming and adorned in a Scottish FA blazer, he had little trouble convincing the parents of this promising young player that he deserved a trip to the national stadium.
“That day turned into 43 years of pain,” Haynes, now 56, said. “I was groomed within the home of Scottish football.”
Immediately after the game Stevenson abused him. “When we were driving home he asked me to start changing the gears,” Haynes said. “He then unzipped my trousers and started to touch me.”
They are manoeuvres chillingly familiar to Stuart McMillan, 60, a retired prison officer, who has also waived his right to anonymity to accuse Stevenson of abuse.
Aged 17 he was assaulted by Stevenson months later after being given beer at a Masonic hall near Ferguslie Park, Paisley, following a friendly match between Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire referees.
“He offered me a lift home and said he could show me a way to get rid of a hangover,” he said. “Stevenson told me to undo the top button of my trousers, asked me to change the gears for him and then put his hand where it should not have been.”
Haynes, who lived in the same Paisley street as Stevenson, suffered horrific abuse over four years.
“I was raped dozens of times,” he said. “My dad would send me out to fetch a pint of milk and Stevenson would manage to find me.
Two hours later I’d be standing there bleeding, unable to explain to my family what had happened. For years I lived in fear that I had HIV.”
Now living in Fife and a father himself he is convinced Stevenson was a serial rapist. “I used to see boys going in and out of his house constantly,” he said.
“They’d come out looking how I felt the day that the abuse started.
They were traumatised.” Stevenson was associated with several clubs, including Ferguslie United and Eastercraigs Boys Club, right up until his death, aged 66, in 2004.
“In almost every game I played in, whether it was with school or a boys’ club, Stevenson would be there,” Haynes said. “He used to drive a yellow Austin Allegro, or a brown Mini, and would always offer a boy a lift home.
“Stevenson had unfettered access to thousands of boys for decades. He would take them away on trips to England and the continent.”
Haynes believes Stevenson worked with at least one other paedophile. “Weeks before he abused me the janitor at my school, who was also the football coach, and is also now dead, asked me to take my trousers down so I could see if I had reached puberty,” he said.
“He had coaching badges and he and Stevenson were very close. Their friendship meant Stevenson could wander around a primary school and a high school in Paisley at will.”
In 1993 Haynes reported his abuse to Strathclyde police and the Scottish FA. Stevenson was questioned but released without charge and continued to work with young footballers for many years.
In 1993 Haynes reported his abuse to Strathclyde police and the Scottish FA. Stevenson was questioned but released without charge and continued to work with young footballers for many years.
Jim Farry, then Scottish FA chief executive, now deceased, told Haynes he was “aware of Stevenson” but he could do nothing as he was no longer employed by the association.
By way of apology Haynes was offered a tour of Scottish Football Association’s hall of fame, then located at Park Gardens in Glasgow’s West End.
Haynes wants the police, whom he approached again in 2016, to launch a full posthumous investigation. “Had I killed Stevenson I would have been out of jail years ago, but without getting any form of justice I am effectively serving a life sentence,” he said.
“I believe he was a serial child rapist and the number of crimes he carried out was vast.” McMillan also wants to see the full extent of Stevenson’s abuse to be laid bare. “I have absolutely no doubt that he was abusing many other boys,” he said. “It is time for the truth to come out.”
*Behind the story*
Scottish football clubs including Celtic, Rangers and Hibernian apologised after an independent report revealed the scale of sexual abuse within the national game.
Dozens of survivors came forward to give evidence against paedophiles who targeted young players over three decades.
The findings were published last year in a review commissioned by the Scottish FA. The authors were shocked by how easy it was for predators to use their “good standing” to infiltrate the sport and gain unfettered access to children, who had little or no support from those tasked with protecting them.
The review found that former senior figures at Celtic FC were likely to have been aware that abuse was taking place within its feeder club but failed to alert authorities.
It suggested that senior clubs could not distance themselves from affiliated boys’ clubs. It also disclosed that known paedophiles worked together to groom boys and trafficked them over UK and international borders for abuse.
Ian Maxwell, chief executive of the Scottish FA, said the report left him “deeply upset”.