A STATUE of paedo accused Michael Jackson is to be removed from the National Football Museum in Manchester – after angry families contacted The Sun.

Visitors hit out yesterday after a monument to the singer remained in pride of place, despite fresh claims of his child abuse showcased in the Leaving Neverland documentary.

Dumbstruck Leeds fan Kyle Bradshaw, 29, with his three-year-old lad, Max, said: “I’m surprised it’s still here considering all the allegations of Jackson being a paedophile.”

Andrew Brocklebank, a 52-year-old Oldham fan, said: “I wouldn’t have it in the museum in the first place. There’s a bit more of a whiff of trouble with this guy.”

An alarmed mum told The Sun: “Why is an alleged paedo being celebrated in this way? My son was asking about the statue and I didn’t know what to say.

"It’s one of the first things you see here.

“Football has been tarnished by child abuse and the statue feels very wrong.”

The garish artwork remained on the first floor of the nation’s collection of footie memorabilia in Manchester. But after calls from The Sun, bosses said it was being removed.

The singer’s music was dropped from BBC Radio 2’s playlists ahead of a damning documentary about his alleged crimes.

ALARMED PARENTS

Leaving Neverland airs on Channel 4 on Wednesday and Thursday.

American TV host Oprah Winfrey aired a special show After Neverland after the finale of the two-part documentary was broadcast in the US tonight.

An irate Dad visiting the footie museum in Manchester yesterday afternoon said: “You would think the national museum would know better.

“Having a monument to Michael Jackson is shameful. That statue needs removing this second.”

The sculpture, in Jesmonite and paint, shows Jackson singing into a microphone in black trousers and a military-style jacket.

It was commissioned after his death in 2009 by friend and former Fulham FC chairman Mohammed Al Fayed.

The monument was initially displayed outside the club’s Craven Cottage ground in west London, and widely mocked by visiting fans, before new owner Shahid Khan ordered it be removed.

Mr Al Fayed Jackson, who had hosted Jackson at a Fulham match, said at the time: “This is such a fantastic statue which the fans are crying out for.”

A sign explained why the statue was on display at the footie museum.

It read: “When the new owners requested the statue to be removed, Mr Al Fayed agreed to donate it to the museum.

“It is unique, telling the story of a British football club at an exciting point in their history.”

Football has been rocked by child abuse, with paedo football coach Barry Bennell jailed for 30 years after being convicted of 50 child sex offences.

He worked at clubs including Manchester City, Stoke City and Crewe Alexandra.

Jackson defended sharing a bed with kids as a "beautiful thing" and hit out at "ignorant" abuse claims when he was alive.

ESTATE DISMISSED ALLEGATIONS

In the new Channel 4 documentary Wade Robson and James Safechuck detail a catalogue of abuse by the King of Pop.

The late singer's estate dismissed the allegations as “outrageous and pathetic” and “an attempt to exploit and cash in” on the star.

But both men went into harrowing detail about their experiences, and accused the singer of hiding his behaviour by getting close to their parents.

Safechuck, who said he was aged ten when the abuse started, revealed he was molested “countless” times by Jackson.

The National Football Museum, which has around 450,000 visitors a year, told The Sun last night: “While it’s not our place to comment on or react to allegations made in the new documentary, it’s our intention as part of our new plans for transforming the museum over the coming months to tell relevant stories about football.

MOST READ IN NEWS

"As part of these plans we have already made a decision to remove the statue from display.”

The shocking documentary also alleged that Jackson used to fax daily "love" letters and send songs to an eight-year-old boy who now accuses the pop superstar of shocking child abuse.

Wade Robson's Australian family told film makers, that Jacko would send so many creepy messages the boy's bedroom would often be swamped with paper.

This comes after claims that Jackson allegedly wed one of the little boys he is accused of raping in a ceremony held in the singer’s bedroom, it’s claimed.

Source: Read Full Article