ALAN Brazil has called for clubs whose staff sexually abuse youngsters to be kicked out of the league.In his autobiography There's An Awful Lot Of Bubbly In Brazil, the former Ipswich Town striker talks candidly about how he was abused as a teenager by Jim Torbett when he was at Celtic Boys Club.

By Derek Davis

ALAN Brazil has called for clubs whose staff sexually abuse youngsters to be kicked out of the league.

In his autobiography There's An Awful Lot Of Bubbly In Brazil, the former Ipswich Town striker talks candidly about how he was abused as a teenager by Jim Torbett when he was at Celtic Boys Club.

Brazil is still angry at how Torbett got away with it so long and is adamant clubs should be severely punished if anything like it happens again.

The TalkSPORT radio host said: “If someone abuses a child, the clubs should be punished financially or struck out of the league.”

Brazil talks of his decision, more than 20 years after his ordeal, to provide key courtroom testimony that sent Torbett to prison.

Torbett was jailed in 1998 for molesting Brazil, who was 13 at the time of the abuse, and other youngsters over a seven-year period.

He was sentenced to two and-a-half years in prison, but only served half that term.

Brazil, who was nicknamed Pele during his Ipswich days and also played for Scotland, Spurs and Manchester United, added: “Torbett should have served his full sentence.

“If there are too many people in jail, then build more prisons. It's the only way to deal with this filth. They should be locked up and shown no leniency whatsoever.

“It's not only terrible for the kids. It's a slur on our sport.”

Last year, it was revealed 250 suspected cases of abuse at football clubs were being probed by the English FA.

Brazil added: “Clubs are going for kids younger and younger, and they have to make sure anyone working with them is vetted.

“They have responsibility to the kids and the parents who trust them to look after them.”

At one point, Celtic manager Jock Stein threw Torbett out of the club.

But when Stein left Celtic, the pervert wheedled his way back in.

Torbett was eventually fired but Brazil believes something should have been done to stop him sooner.

He said: “There were rumours flying about. I don't understand why something wasn't done earlier.”

derek.davis@eadt.co.uk