England's Football Association is guilty of significant institutional failings in delaying the implementation of child protection measures between October 1995 and May 2000, an independent report concluded.

The review into historical child abuse in the game was commissioned by the FA in 2016 and conducted by senior lawyer Clive Sheldon, with the soccer body releasing its findings in a 710-page report.

"The FA acted far too slowly to introduce appropriate and sufficient child protection measures, and to ensure that safeguarding was taken seriously by those involved in the game," the report said.

"These are significant institutional failings for which there is no excuse."

There were at least 240 suspects and 692 survivors of sexual abuse as of August last year and the vast majority of allegations involved the period of review, the report said.

"It is clear that a great deal of sexual abuse did occur within football from 1970 to 2005," it said.

The FA is due to respond to the findings later on Wednesday.