FOOTBALL ABUSE CASE

A former Peterborough United youth coach has denied inappropriate behaviour with young footballers saying he treated them ‘like family.

Bob Higgins, who ran the schoolboy coaching programmes for Southampton and Peterborough United, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of 50 counts of indecent assault against 24 complainants dating between 1971 and 1996.

The prosecution allege that the indecent assaults happened while the 65-yearold defendant gave boys a lift in his car, when they stayed at his home and during soapy massages.

Higgins told the court that he got the idea of giving the boys naked massages from a documentary he saw on television about former Leeds United and England manager Don Revie.

Higgins said that massages, given “after heavy physical training”, were not normal practice at the time, and added: “We brought in health professionals to give talks to the players, dieticians, a lot of forward-thinking stuff.”

Alistair MacDonald QC, defending, asked Higgins: “Was any part of the aim of giving these massages sexual pleasure on your part?” He replied “no”, and added: “I think they quite enjoyed the massages.”

Higgins said that his home was used as a “hub” for par- ents to pick up their children after training sessions and he would give up to two boys a lift in his car.

He said that he would not be alone with a boy in the car and had not committed any impropriety.

The defendant said that some of the boys would stay at his home on a “rota” organised by his wife Shirley based on the difficulties the players had with travelling to training. Mr MacDonald asked him: “Would you ever put an arm round a boy while you were sat on a sofa?”, to which Higgins replied: “I probably did, yes” but added that boys would not sit on his knee.

He added: “We treated everyone like family.”

Higgins, of Southampton, Hampshire, denies the charges and the trial continues.

Bob Higgins