Topic: Paul Stewart

[norecat]

When you reflect on Paul Stewart’s time at Anfield it wasn’t good. Another poor signing by Souness the same summer he let Ray Houghton leave to join ASTON Villa.

However in the light of the revelations surrounding the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of Barry Bennell it possibly explains why his time at Anfield wasn’t successful. It also shows that unknown factors can sabotage a player’s career. Unknown in the sense of private and not known by fans.

I can’t begin to imagine the horror sexual abuse inflicts on a victim in both the physical and psychological sense. That he had a successful career at all is a miracle and a credit to him as a person.

[Smellytrabs]

I was posting in another thread recently about Collymore. How, in the modern day his mental health problems might have been picked up on and helped, which could have led to a much more succesful career. It made me also think of Paul Stewart.

He flopped badly at Liverpool but he was also a player with bags of talent and potential. Was what happened to him with Bennell holding him back? Lots of young lads careers were ruined because of Bennell, lads who never wanted to play footy again. With the right help at the time, could Stewart have been able to fulfil his potential?

During a period in the mid-90's (when Stewart couldn't get a sniff near the first team) I used to go to a lot of the reserve games at Haig Avenue. Stewart was regularly playing CM, and was consistently brilliant. A bit overweight yes, but he looked class. A shame, but that he managed to make a career out of the game given what happened to him in his youth he did amazingly well.

[eddiedingle]

I remember him fondly from the cartooon strip in Match "Escape from Stalag Anfield" alongside Julian Dicks and Mark Walters.

[Stubbins]

During a period in the mid-90's (when Stewart couldn't get a sniff near the first team) I used to go to a lot of the reserve games at Haig Avenue. Stewart was regularly playing CM, and was consistently brilliant. A bit overweight yes, but he looked class. A shame, but that he managed to make a career out of the game given what happened to him in his youth he did amazingly well.

I genuinely thought it was a good signing at the time. He'd had a couple of seasons in central midfield for Spurs and he seemed to have a presence that I thought we needed. Someone who could be physical but had an eye for a pass as well. In the back of my mind I saw potential similarities with Ray Kennedy. A big lad, who's early career was as an 'out and out' striker, but moved back to provide some guile and goals from midfield.

Shame it didn't work out.

[Crosby Nick]

I genuinely thought it was a good signing at the time. He'd had a couple of seasons in central midfield for Spurs and he seemed to have a presence that I thought we needed. Someone who could be physical but had an eye for a pass as well. In the back of my mind I saw potential similarities with Ray Kennedy. A big lad, who's early career was as an 'out and out' striker, but moved back to provide some guile and goals from midfield.

Shame it didn't work out.

He scored in the Cup Final for Spurs didn’t he. I recall him having some success there and without seeing too much of him assumed he’d come in and be decent. Think he scored against Sheffield United in our first home game but then it seemed that almost immediately he struggled to make an impact. I didn’t get to see too many of our games around that time (probably for the best!) but felt like our only bright sparks were the youngsters who did step up under Souness and most of the ‘big’ signings failed, and the older pros like Whelan were on their way out.

In light of the stories that came out in recent years I think he gets a free pass on where he ranks among the signings of that era though. Hard to imagine having to go through all that in an era where you couldn’t speak out or if you did you got no sympathy.

[jillcwhomever]

My heart goes out to Paul, what he said in the documentary was so hard to listen too. I just cannot imagine how hard it was for him to deal with everything especially when so many people refused to listen to these boys. He said tonight by the time he was a Liverpool player he was on drugs, as he couldn't cope with anything. The last bit of his interview was hard to watch, the guilt he felt when having to tell his elderly parents about the abuse. I get so angry when I think that these lads were made to feel guilty when they should not be feeling anything of the sort. I hope they manage to deal with the situation now everything is out, but I fear this is something you cannot escape. 

[phil236849]

Just makes you think to always consider the person behind the player

I was pleased with his signing but we were all disappointed with his product. Went from bad to worse very quickly and it was clear he was not doing himself justice

And now we have a full explanation. Whilst Paul Stewart didn’t succeed with us on the pitch, we should feel extremely proud of him.  What a devastating story.  So brave to come out and call it - the programme said seven out of eight haven’t been able to - and so much sympathy for the pain and hurt suffered

On another note, Souness was blamed for a failed signing, but I now doubt that is fair criticism

[Manila Vanilla]

I’m surprised this has generated so little response.

Like most people who saw him play I considered Paul Stewart a waste of money, as much as anything because he didn’t try. My lasting memory of his Liverpool career was of making a half-hearted clearance to a Man United player, then giving up as they swarmed forward to score.

The documentary was chilling.

It was the academies that were outperforming that seemed to be the most dangerous. So long as they were performing nobody was willing to rock the boat. As adults, we think this could never have happened to us. The men who came forward reminded us of what it’s like to be a child and explained how nobody was immune. As parents, we think it couldn’t happen to our children. They had good parents too, yet they suspected nothing.

Paul Stewart and all of the other incredibly articulate and courageous men have gone up immeasurably in my estimation.

[Kekule]

I just feel so upset and angry on their behalf, I watched all three parts and barely kept my eyes dry throughout.  It's just ruined everything for them.  Their lives, their dreams, their profession, their relationships.  No kid deserves that.

From a footballing perspective to think that he got to play for his boyhood club, won the FA cup after his first big money move, played for his country and got a 2nd big money move to Liverpool, all whilst basically being a broken man, you have to wonder what he could have been had he never met his abuser.  To never have enjoyed any of that, despite it being his dream as a boy, because he was just empty inside is horrible enough.  But for it to have eaten into his whole life to the point where he's shunning affection and being unable to show affection to his family and kids, despite wanting to, is just so heartbreaking.

I think what he and the others have spoken out about is so brave, and so important.  This stuff still goes on, and the more people who can recognise the signs then the more chance we have of preventing so much damage being done to young people's lives, and maybe even saving a few as well.

[redgriffin73]

I posted about this in another thread as I didn't realise this thread existed: https://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=339377.0#top

I feel a bit bad because I hated Paul Stewart when he was a Red, and now I know just what he was going through at the time. It's heartbreaking watching the interviews with these men and their families.

[gamble]

Just seen the bbc documentary and feel absolutely sick. My heart goes out to Paul and all the other victims who had their lives ruined by these predators.

Major respect to them all, they have all been so brave coming out and hopefully these things won't happen again (but predators will always look for opportunities to exploit vulnerable kids).

You can see how it destroyed his life, I just hope he can heal somehow and go on to enjoy many more years in greater peace.