Tarnished Medals

Emma

Tarnished Medals: True Crime in Sport Behind every medal, a shadow lurks. Five hundred convicted child sex predators. Close to fifty sports. Every one of them convicted in a British court. And that's just those who were caught. Tarnished Medals is a true crime podcast that does what British sport has been so reluctant to do — names the predators, exposes the systems and institutions that protected them, follows the money that funded them, and reveals what justice for child sport survivors has so often really looked like in Britain since the 1970s to today for those who tried to speak out — and how the halo of sport has repeatedly protected the predators over and above the rights of the child in the sector, which to this day still has no statutory regulation or independent ombudsman. Written and presented by Emma Webb — author of the internationally bestselling Historic: The True Legacy of Childhood Sport — and one of the youngest known survivors of abuse in the sector . Each episode profiles one convicted predator — the sport or sports, the conviction or convictions, the sentencing, and the institution that looked the other way. It examines the safeguarding failures that allowed the abuse to continue, and the system that consistently minimises these crimes while silencing those who survived them. Tarnished Medals confirms, clarifies and contextualises the grave situation surrounding child abuse in the sector — for survivors who deserve to be heard and believed, for parents who deserve to know, for children who deserve to be protected and for a system in 2026 that has run out of excuses. If you are a parent of a child in sport, this podcast exists for you. Are children really safe there? *If you or your child have been harmed in sport, help is available. Support resources and signposting can be found in the show notes of every episode. *

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    Tarnished Medals Episode Three-Donald Birley

    Episode Three: Donald Birley Donald Birley was a DJ, a Butlins redcoat, a primary school teacher, and an internationally celebrated gymnastics coach. He was also a prolific paedophile who filmed himself abusing the children in his care, manufactured indecent images using their faces, and offered the tapes for sale — and served just months in prison for it. This episode traces Birley's decades of unchecked access to children across Britain, America, and beyond, and asks the question this whole series keeps coming back to: how does British sport still have no statutory regulation protecting the children inside it? Birley's case is a seed story — the first of many we'll cover where indecent images of children (IIOC) and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) sit alongside contact abuse. Three episodes into this series, and every coach we've covered so far has also been a schoolteacher — a pattern too consistent to ignore. We trace his path through British Gymnastics' own establishment, examine why he's never appeared on any banned coaches list, and compare his sentence to others in our database — asking whether the gender of his victims shaped how lightly the courts treated him. Takeaways Child sexual abuse in British sport is a decades-long, unaddressed epidemicChildren's sport remains the only sector working closely with children that has no statutory safeguarding regulationGoverning bodies' voluntary, self-compiled banned lists leave serious gapsSentencing for child sex offences in sport shows a consistent gendered disparityChapters 00:00 Introduction to Child Abuse in British Sport01:05 The Epidemic of Child Abuse in Sport02:58 The Seed Story: Child Sex Predator Coaches05:21 The Pattern of Predatory Coaches10:25 The Connection to British Gymnastics20:17 The Dark Reality of Child Abuse in Gymnastics28:09 Seeking Opportunities Abroad30:21 Lack of Oversight and Accountability53:36 Inadequate Sentencing for Child Sex PredatorsExtended show notes, full source list, and an excerpt from Chapter Seven of my memoir Historic will be available within 24 hours  on my Substack, The Disruptive Survivor: thedisruptivesurvivor.substack.com Emma Webb Website: neverhistoric.comSupport For adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse: The Brave Movement — bravemovement.org/help (UK and international)NAPAC — 0808 801 0331The Survivors Trust — 0808 801 0818Rape Crisis England & Wales (24hr) — 0808 500 2222For eating disorders: Beat — Adult helpline 0808 801 0677 | Youth helpline 0808 801 0711For general crisis support: Samaritans (24hr, free) — 116 123

  2. Jul 7

    Tarnished Medals Episode Two-Tony Castle

    Most of Britain’s beloved sports have been hiding an epidemic: a systemically tolerated culture of child abuse, with predators lurking behind trusted titles and shiny medals. Tony Castle, a prominent karate coach with a murky past and multiple convictions, exemplifies the horrifying gap between reputation and reality and how systemic failures let him and hundreds more remain in plain sight for decades. In this chilling investigation, Emma Webb exposes how predators exploited the very structures meant to safeguard children. Castle’s story is just one of over 500 convicted perpetrators in British sport. In early 2010, police were given a clear warning that was ignored by an ineffective system for 8 months. You will discover how the lack of a statutory safeguarding framework, voluntary codes, and ‘unfit for purpose’ police databases create a dangerous environment where predatory risk was not taken seriously. We explore how sport’s obsession with reputation enables ongoing abuse, and why the current legal and regulatory gaps are a threat to every child in the sector. But it also highlights a vital opportunity to build a future where a watertight monitoring system is hardwired into every level of child sport through statutory regulation. It’s a call to action—challenging the dark status quo and demanding protection for the children of now and tomorrow. SUPPORT - Full Extended Support and Episode Links Can Be Found In Extended Shownotes at https://thedisruptivesurvivor.substack.com https://www.bravemovement.org/help — UK and International Support - Follow the link and Select your Country for specific support details For Child and Youth Support: Childline: 0800 1111 Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ Call free on 116 123. Survivors Trust: 08088 010 818 https://thesurvivorstrust.org/act-on-iicsa/ National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC): Freephone: 0808 801 0331 . Email: support@napac.org.uk. Website: http://napac.org.uk/ NSPCC: Freephone: 0808 800 5000. Email: help@nspcc.org.uk. Website: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/ To report a criminal offence: In an emergency, always call 999. Non-urgent: call local police on 101. Crimestoppers (anonymous): Freephone 0800 555 111. Website: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information-online/ Website: neverhistoric.com Book: Historic: The True Legacy of Childhood Sport — available now on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Historic-Legacy-Childhood-Sport-Parent-ebook/dp/B0FPGRB9MW © Emma Webb 2026. All rights reserved.

  3. Jun 23

    Tarnished Medals Episode One -Bob Bellew

    Show notes episode one Tarnished Medals - Bob Bellew Episode Description Bob Bellew was one of the most highly regarded gymnastics coaches in Britain. He taught at schools across London for more than forty years. He served on committees planning the London 2012 Olympic Games. He was named Male Community Coach by Sport England in partnership with British Gymnastics. He was awarded the Order of the Smile. He was also a primary school teacher He had dual institutional access — the education system and the sports system. In April 2013, Bellew admitted eight of seventeen charges against him, involving six victims, the youngest aged six. His offending spanned forty years — from 1970 to 2010. He was sentenced to fifteen months' imprisonment, suspended for two years. He walked free from court. He did not serve a single day in prison. The investigating detective publicly condemned the sentence. The Solicitor General challenged it as unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal upheld it. And his Order of the Smile has never been revoked. This episode is his legacy. Survivor Support If anything in this episode has affected you, support is available: The Brave Movement — international support and healing toolkit (enter your country for local resources) — https://www.bravemovement.org/help NAPAC (National Association for People Abused in Childhood) — 0808 801 0331 (free, confidential) — https://napac.org.uk The Survivors Trust — 0808 801 0818 — https://www.thesurvivorstrust.org Childline — 0800 1111 — https://www.childline.org.uk NSPCC Helpline — 0808 800 5000 — https://www.nspcc.org.uk The CPTSD Foundation — trauma-informed support and education for complex trauma survivors — https://cptsdfoundation.org Police — 101 (non-emergency) to report abuse in a sporting context You are not alone. You are believed. And it is never too late to speak. Eating Disorder Support: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/get-help-for-myself/i-need-support-now/helplines/ To report a criminal offence: In an emergency, always call 999. Non-urgent: call local police on 101. Crimestoppers (anonymous): Freephone 0800 555 111. Website: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information-online/ Website: neverhistoric.com Book: Historic: The True Legacy of Childhood Sport — available now on Amazon in 15 Countries https://www.amazon.co.uk/Historic-Legacy-Childhood-Sport-Parent-ebook/dp/B0FPGRB9MW © Emma Webb 2026. All rights reserved.

  4. Season 1 Trailer

    Tarnished Medals Trailer

    TARNISHED MEDALS — TRAILER SHOW NOTES Tarnished Medals is a true crime podcast rooted in social justice, exploring the darkest truths of child abuse embedded in sport. Who perpetrates it. Who funds it. Who hides and minimises it. And why it is allowed to continue when it so blatantly flies in the face of the rights of the child that are front and centre in just about every single other child-related sector. Each episode profiles one convicted child sex predator in British sport — the sport or sports, the conviction or convictions, the sentencing, and the institutions that so often looked the other way. It examines the safeguarding failures that allowed the abuse to continue, and the system that consistently minimises these crimes while silencing those who survived them. About Emma Webb Emma Webb is the pen name of the host — one of the youngest known survivors of abuse in the sector, and the youngest known survivor of what has been called one of the worst child abuse stories in British sport. She is a conscious parent, nurse, journalist, screenwriter, survivor advocate, and the author of Historic: The True Legacy of Childhood Sport — the 2025  internationally bestselling memoir in multiple categories. Foreword by Professor Melanie Lang and Hester Viney. Available internationally on Amazon. Emma is the founder of the PICS Database (Predators In Child Sport) and a legal and advocacy initiative pursuing institutional accountability for child sexual abuse in British sport. Content Warning This podcast contains harrowing accounts of child sexual abuse, including multiple child rapes and indecent assault, drawn from public court records and news reports. The words of survivors, judges, and perpetrators are reported as they appear in the public domain. Some content is deliberately detailed — because the cultural habit of softening these accounts is part of how this abuse has continued unchecked for more than five decades.  Listener discretion is strongly advised. On Language The terms 'victims' and 'survivors' are used interchangeably, or sometimes together. Vocabulary preferences are uniquely personal and important to every victim/survivor. Please substitute whichever term you prefer. The term 'paedophile' is not used as a catch-all — child sexual abuse is perpetrated by many types of predators, driven by complex motivations including power, control, and a desire to dominate. All, by coincidence, also key words often linked to sport. SUPPORT Support Resources: https://www.bravemovement.org/helpNAPAC: http://napac.org.uk/ (0800 801 0331)Childline: 0800 1111Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ (116 123)NSPCC: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/ (0808 800 5000)Crimestoppers: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information-online/ (0800 555 111)Emma's Book Available On Amazon - Book website : neverhistoric.com© Emma Webb 2026. All rights reserved.

Trailer

About

Tarnished Medals: True Crime in Sport Behind every medal, a shadow lurks. Five hundred convicted child sex predators. Close to fifty sports. Every one of them convicted in a British court. And that's just those who were caught. Tarnished Medals is a true crime podcast that does what British sport has been so reluctant to do — names the predators, exposes the systems and institutions that protected them, follows the money that funded them, and reveals what justice for child sport survivors has so often really looked like in Britain since the 1970s to today for those who tried to speak out — and how the halo of sport has repeatedly protected the predators over and above the rights of the child in the sector, which to this day still has no statutory regulation or independent ombudsman. Written and presented by Emma Webb — author of the internationally bestselling Historic: The True Legacy of Childhood Sport — and one of the youngest known survivors of abuse in the sector . Each episode profiles one convicted predator — the sport or sports, the conviction or convictions, the sentencing, and the institution that looked the other way. It examines the safeguarding failures that allowed the abuse to continue, and the system that consistently minimises these crimes while silencing those who survived them. Tarnished Medals confirms, clarifies and contextualises the grave situation surrounding child abuse in the sector — for survivors who deserve to be heard and believed, for parents who deserve to know, for children who deserve to be protected and for a system in 2026 that has run out of excuses. If you are a parent of a child in sport, this podcast exists for you. Are children really safe there? *If you or your child have been harmed in sport, help is available. Support resources and signposting can be found in the show notes of every episode. *

Information

  • Creator
    Emma
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Emma
  • Show Website
    Tarnished Medals