Season ticket holders have been speaking up, and in some cases boycotting Major League Soccer franchise Vancouver Whitecaps, after alleged negligence over abuse claims.
Many fans have cancelled, or are planning to cancel their memberships after allegations surfaced about a former women’s team coach.
Earlier this year, a player released a statement claiming their coach had touched at least one player inappropriately, sent sexual text messages to players and held private meetings in his apartment and hotel room in 2008.
According to a statement from the team, complaints from 2008 were brought to the attention of senior management at the club.
An investigation concluded that no further action was recommended, and the coach left the club. However, new information was reportedly discovered and the club contacted the Vancouver police department to “assess if further action or review is required.”
Fans took to Twitter to express their anger with the team’s letter, the lack of action and that the coach continued to work with young girls at a local youth club until he was recently suspended.
One fan tweeted: “No one in the organisation had the sincerity or integrity to sign their own name to the letter? That tells me how much they are willing to stand behind it. If they gave a damn, ownership and management would’ve signed it themselves.”
No one in the organization had the sincerity or integrity to sign their own name to the letter? That tells me how much they are willing to stand behind it. If they gave a damn, ownership and management would've signed it themselves.
— Mike Rink (@MikeRinkBC) April 17, 2019
Another fan, who was a Whitecaps season ticket holder since 2011, told City News 1130: “The latest letter from the Whitecaps was, for me, almost a slap in the face because it was a rehashing of the previous press releases — it was unsigned and shows no willingness, in my opinion, to take any accountability for 2008 and, again, showed an alarming lack of empathy for what the players went through.
“I don’t think I can look the parents of my players in the eye and tell them I’m still a Whitecaps supporter in the face of all that. So, we’re out.”
Image: velkr0
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