Manchester United Faces Legal Action Over Historical Abuse Allegations
Manchester United Football Club is confronting a High Court lawsuit after a man came forward claiming the club failed to protect him from sexual and physical abuse by a former employee during the 1980s. The claimant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, alleges suffering abuse at the hands of Billy Watts, who worked at the club's training ground as a caretaker, kit man and groundsman.
Details of the Allegations and Legal Claim
The personal injury claim was lodged last week by solicitors Simpson Millar LLP, who state that Manchester United failed in its duty to protect the claimant while he was under the club's care and supervision. Watts, who died in 2009, is accused of abusing the man when he was a child.
Kate Hall, Abuse Law Expert at Simpson Millar, commented: "Our client has shown enormous courage in coming forward after so many years. He, like many survivors, has had to relive incredibly painful memories in order to seek justice."
Hall expressed disappointment with Manchester United's approach to the legal claim, despite the club's previous cooperation with the Sheldon Review. "Survivors deserve more than sympathy—they deserve meaningful engagement and accountability," she added.
The Sheldon Review Connection
The allegations connect to the wider Sheldon Review, an independent investigation commissioned by the Football Association in 2016 into historical child sex abuse in English football between 1970 and 2005. Published in 2021, the report mentioned a "caretaker who is now deceased" as the subject of multiple allegations matching Watts' description.
The review documented several disturbing incidents:
- Inappropriate comments of a sexual nature
- Physically pulling an individual into an office against his will
- Following an individual into a sauna at the training ground and wrestling with him
- Attempting to touch another individual inappropriately in the showers
Youth team players reportedly referred to the caretaker as a "pervert", according to the review. When confronted about trying to touch another boy, the caretaker allegedly responded: "I'm only messing, shut up."
The club referred the matter to the FA in 2016 after becoming aware of the allegations. Investigations revealed that Watts had been subject to an unrelated investigation in the 1980s, resulting in his redeployment from the training ground to the club's stadium.
Manchester United's Response
The allegations against Watts first became public in 2019. Manchester United responded with a statement emphasising their cooperation with the Sheldon Review, stating they had "conducted multiple interviews" as part of wide-ranging enquiries.
"All interviewees provided their full cooperation and information relating to the former caretaker has been included in Manchester United's submissions to the review," the club stated in 2019. They acknowledged that "identifying facts from historical allegations is never an easy process."
The case continues to develop as the High Court considers the claimant's pursuit of justice decades after the alleged abuse occurred at one of England's most prominent football institutions.
