Fulham Youth Players Replied to Fake 16-Year-Old Fan in Club's Online Sting

Several Fulham players were caught in a sting set up by their own club, posing as a teenage girl on social media and sending messages to them.  

The sting was set up to test if the club's under-18 players would respond to the messages, and "several players" were reported to have replied, per the Times (via Martin Robinson of the MailOnline) on Monday.

The club used an "online expert" to set up the test two years ago. The news comes after former England and Sunderland winger Adam Johnson was convicted of child sex offences, guilty of grooming a 15-year-old girl online. 

According to Robinson, the operation was "unrelated to Johnson's case."

Johnson was proven to have "flirted with the girl on Snapchat, WhatsApp and Facebook," before meeting his victim.

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Former Fulham manager Kit Symons told the Times (h/t Robinson) his club actioned the test two years ago to forewarn the players of the dangers of social media:

"

Some of the young players fell for it as real. It was a short, sharp shock.

You can tell lads about getting caught out and they'll think "oh they won't catch me" and then that happens, they are caught.

You strive to make the club a reflection on your own values and if a player did something against those values you'd feel let down.

There are 30 lads you are father to. You hope when they are away from the working environment that their decision-making is sound.

"

A Fulham club spokesperson told the MailOnline it had "nothing to do with first team, who would never be tested in this way." The sting was considered an "educational exercise for the club's young professionals in the youth team," per Robinson. 

The spokesperson said, per Robinson: "One of the players accepted a Facebook friend request and another did the same and sent an innocent message. There was nothing untoward at all."

Robinson added: "The FA has a code of conduct for social media use for players and is visiting clubs to meet players."