Paedophile football coach ‘abused Milk Cup player in his hotel room’

A REPORT into child abuse in football has detailed how a paedophile coach allegedly abused a young player after he travelled with Newcastle United to the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland.

George Ormond was jailed for 20 years in 2018 after being convicted of carrying out a campaign of sexual abuse from 1973 to 1998. Not all his victims were at Newcastle United, where he worked in an unofficial capacity. Some played for the local junior team, where he started coaching.

An independent report into historic child sex abuse in English football, led by Clive Sheldon QC, was published yesterday. It was commissioned by the Football Association (FA) after numerous ex-footballers came forward to detail abuse they had suffered at the hands of coaches.

The report concluded that Ormond, who was never formally employed by Newcastle, travelled with the club to the Milk Cup in 1997 after former player Derek Bell told team officials he had been abused by him.

It also mentioned that fellow disgraced coach Barry Bennell, who was jailed for 31 years in 2018, travelled with young players to Northern Ireland and the Republic for matches.

Through his investigation, Mr Sheldon established that Ormond attended the Milk Cup in both 1994 and 1997.

He is listed as a Newcastle United official in a programme for the 1994 tournament.

The Milk Cup, now known as Super Cup NI, is a world-famous football tournament held on the north coast every year.

Clubs from all over the world take part, with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Harry Kane playing in the tournament over the years.

One former Newcastle youth

Abusers:

Barry Bennell (main picture) and George Ormond player, listed in the report as ‘BD’, alleged that Ormond sexually assaulted him in his hotel room during the 1994 Milk Cup.

While BD did not proceed to trial with the allegation, Mr Sheldon found “the allegation against Ormond is largely consistent with that in other cases where Ormond has been found guilty, and is consistent with other accounts of Ormond’s behaviour”.

Mr Sheldon also concluded that the club allowed Ormond to take part in the 1997 Milk Cup despite being aware of an allegation of abuse against him.

He found that youth coaches John Carver, who later managed the club, and John Murray “took Ormond on the Milk Cup trip in 1997”. “In light of what was known by John Carver and John

Murray, I consider that Ormond should not have been allowed to go on that trip,” Mr Sheldon said in his report.

“They had possession of information that Ormond may pose a risk to young boys.”

Mr Sheldon concluded that Lisburn man Paul Ferris — a club physiotherapist who later became a barrister and author — tried to restrict Ormond’s access to young boys by making a speech at the beginning of the trip that only he (Ferris) would be administering physiotherapy.

“This was designed to prevent Ormond having an excuse to touch boys,” the report said.

It was found that insufficient safeguards were put in place on the trip and that Ormond was twice caught alone with boys in their chalet. While Mr Sheldon noted no players had alleged abuse during the trip, “there was clearly a risk of abuse being committed by Ormond”.

The paedophile eventually left the club in the months following the trip.

The report found that the FA was responsible for “significant institutional failings” and “did not do enough to keep children safe in the game”.

Newcastle United yesterday commended the bravery of those who came forward and expressed its sincere apologies.

“Upon receipt of Clive Sheldon QC’S full and final report today, the club and its safeguarding team will take time to review and carefully consider its findings,” it said in a statement.