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Southampton asked to remove statue of Ted Bates from outside St Mary's ground after former boss was accused of ignoring child sex abuse complaints surrounding youth coach Bob Higgins

Southampton have been asked to remove the Ted Bates statue from outside St Mary’s Stadium following football’s child sex abuse scandal.

Former manager Bates was named in the FA’s independent report and accused of ignoring complaints about youth coach Bob Higgins.

Higgins was jailed for 24 years in 2019 after being found guilty of 45 charges of indecent assault on 24 boys between 1971 and 1996 while at Southampton and Peterborough.

Southampton are in discussions with the victims of ‘predatory paedophile’ Higgins and taking down the Bates statue is one of the ideas that has been put to the club.