CHELSEA N-WORD OUTRAGE
Ex-youth players claim coach racially abused kids
CHELSEA youth players were subjected to sick racial abuse by a former coach and scout, it has been claimed.
Graham Rix and Gwyn Williams allegedly launched verbal attacks on youngsters in the 90s, which the pair deny.
One ex-player claims: “It was constant… slurs of c**n, n ***** .”
Rix but had a hot cup of coffee thrown in his face. Later, he alleged, he was kicked while sitting on the ground.
He says wanted to tell manager Ruud Gullit about the alleged abuse but says the Dutch legend “didn’t even know what was going on”.
The civil claim is said to have been lodged with the club last February but only came to light yesterday.
Chelsea reported the allegations to the FA who informed Scotland Yard.
After a seven-month investigation, police dropped the case. But a probe is under way at Chelsea and the FA have so far spoken to two of the players. The Mirror knows the identity of the player, who went on to have a football career, but has chosen not to publish it.
Former Arsenal star Rix, 60, joined Chelsea in 1993 as a youth coach before climbing to assistant manager under Gullit then Gianluca Vialli until 1999.
He was jailed that year for having sex with an underage girl.
Chelsea took him back after his release six months later before he quit.
His last job in football was with AFC Portchester in the Wessex League which he left in August. Williams spent 27 years at Chelsea after being brought in by former owner Ken Bates.
He followed Bates to Leeds but was axed in 2013 for gross misconduct after emailing porn to colleagues.
The pair’s lawyer Eddie Johns said: “Our clients deny all and any allegations of racial or other abuse.
“These allegations were the subject of an investigation by the Metropolitan Police. The MPS did not consider there was even sufficient evidence to report it to the Crown Prosecution Service.
“Our clients are co-operating fully with the FA in this matter.” Chelsea said: “We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously, we are determined to do the right thing, to fully support those affected and assist the authorities.” The FA refused to comment.
Chelsea have been caught up in race storms in recent years. In 2012, captain John Terry was banned for four games by the FA for calling QPR defender Anton Ferdinand a “f***ing black c***”.
That year, then-Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck was racially abused by a fan at Stamford Bridge.