More than 100 reports of child sex abuse from every level of football in Scotland are being investigated.
Police Scotland said it may take months to determine how many suspects or victims were involved and declined to say which clubs were linked to the allegations.
A team of 40 specialist officers has been set up to investigate the reports, which have come through a variety of sources including the national NSPCC helpline and local police offices.
The scale of the reports was revealed at a Scottish Police Authority meeting yesterday and follows widespread claims of abuse at football clubs north and south of the border.
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) confirmed on Tuesday that it would conduct an independent review into the allegations while a number of clubs have set up their own investigations. Police are urging victims of abuse to come forward. Football has been rocked by claims from former players across the UK that they were abused by people in positions of authority.
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The announcement of the SFA review came after pressure from various quarters, including the deputy first minister, John Swinney, and the former justice minister Cathy Jamieson, for Scottish football chiefs to act.
Speaking at the Scottish Police Authority meeting in Tulliallan, Chief Constable Phil Gormley said: “Police Scotland is also responding to this situation. The protection of children is a cornerstone of our service and should be a concern for all. We have begun a major investigation to ensure our response is as co-ordinated, professional and as victim-focused as possible.”
He said that a system of notification had been agreed between the force and the NSPCC to allow all referrals in Scotland to be sent to a single point within the national child abuse investigation unit.