Wife of accused coach saw ‘nothing abnormal’

The wife of a former Southampton youth football coach, who has been accused of sexually abusing young players, told a court she saw nothing “abnormal” when boys stayed overnight at their home.

Giving evidence at the trial of Bob Higgins, his wife Shirley said she cared for trainees like her “own sons” and said that she would have raised concerns if she had seen anything wrong.

Mrs Higgins told Winchester Crown Court the boys would “clamber to be around” her husband.

Mr Higgins, 65, denies 50 counts of indecent assault against teenage boys between 1971 and 1996.