Coach ‘could have abused 100s of boys’

A FORMER youth footballer who played for a Manchester City feeder team claims his old coach could have abused hundreds of boys.

John Broome was named last week by City as an alleged abuser of young boys.

An ex-player for the now defunct Whitehill FC – who is taking legal action against the Blues – has said Broome abused him for four years at the club from the late 1960s.

Broome, now deceased, was not believed to have any links to paedophile Barry Bennell, who was jailed on Monday for 30 years for abusing 12 boys.

The ex-player, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has launched a legal claim for damages against the Premier League table-toppers and has spoken out about his ordeal.

The man, whose lawyers are calling James, claimed at the time of his alleged abuse it was widely known Broome was a danger.

“Nothing was ever done about it,” James added.

“He had access to all of these players and must have molested hundreds. He ran that club for over 20 years.

“I don’t think he even liked football, it was just a chance for him to molest children.”

Broome would not tell the players the details of each game on Sunday and insisted they call him the night before, James said.

But often Broome would leave the phone off the hook, he continued, and that meant boys had to go to his house.

James said: “When I was there he would say, ‘as you’re here I might as well give you a rub down.’”

Boys would also be invited around to Broome’s house to sort out tickets he had printed for junior league games, James added.

He said: “We would always try to go round in numbers as we all knew what he was going to do if we went by ourselves.

“But if there were two of us he would send one to a shop half an hour away so he could abuse the other.

“Myself and the other boys would talk about it and would try not to go alone.

“But when you were, it was the most sickening feeling you could ever have as you knew you were going to get molested.

“When I think back I wish I had gone to the police and feel guilty that I didn’t. “I wish he was still alive and could spend the rest of his life in prison.

“He was an evil and devious man and I despise him for what he did to me as he made part of my childhood hell.” City launched a QCled review in November 2016 to investigate whether Bennell or others used the club from 1965 onwards to facilitate abuse of young footballers.

The club has said it remains in ‘regular dialogue’ with the police and the Football Association (FA), which is conducting its own widespread investigation into allegations of historical sex abuse.

Anyone who may have information for the inquiry can contact the club at safeatcity@cityfootball.com.

I don’t think he even liked football, it was just a chance to molest children Ex-player who claims Broome abused him