SEPARATE PROBE EXPOSES RACIST CHELSEA COACH

the early 1970s after the father had made a complaint. Gradi, who belatedly communicated with the review via his solicitors and who has been suspended by the FA since 2016, says he passed on the complaint to a senior figure at the club and denies he tried to ‘smooth over’ the matter. However, Geekie casts substantial doubt over the 78-year-old’s account, saying that far from raising the complaint with the relevant powers at Chelsea, Gradi went directly to Heath and, by telling him, exposed the victim to further ‘bullying and intimidating behaviour’. Geekie added that the next time Heath saw the victim he strode over and asked him: ‘Do you still love me?’ He states that Gradi, still on full pay as Crewe’s director of football, is the ‘single example of a clear account of an adult in a position of responsibility at the club being informed about an allegation in relation to Mr Heath… The complaint about Mr Heath was not referred to more senior members of the club and an opportunity to prevent Mr Heath from going on to abuse others was lost.’ Heath, Chelsea’s chief scout, went on to abuse boys aged 10 to 17 for many years, with 23 complaints from boys in Chelsea’s youth system and two other players from London youth football. Geekie concluded that the version of events given by Gradi, who was awarded an OBE in 1998 and is also facing questions over the Barry Bennell abuse scandal at Crewe, was unlikely and unconvincing. The Geekie report also discloses:

Allegations of non-recent sexual abuse have been received over three other employees at Stamford Bridge.

Sir Geoff Hurst, one of England’s 1966 World Cup winners, refused to be interviewed formally, despite having been manager of Chelsea when Heath was sacked in 1979. In a separate inquiry commissioned by Chelsea into racism at the club, substantial evidence was found that former academy director Gwyn Williams routinely subjected black players to racist remarks. Williams is also accused of demonstrating a ‘dismissive disregard’ to concerns raised with him over John Butcher, another paedophile who worked as a scout for the club in Scotland, and former first-team coach Graham Rix, who returned to Chelsea after being jailed in 1999 for having sex with a 15-year-old girl. Heath was eventually sacked in 1979, around six months after Hurst took over at Stamford Bridge. Heath died in 1983 at the age of 54. Hurst declined to be interviewed, saying he did not have any ‘relevant information’. He added that he was ‘categorically not aware of any inappropriate behaviour’ and ‘had not heard any gossip in relation to that sort of behaviour’. Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck wrote to Hurst later to arrange a formal interview. Hurst left a voicemail for Buck in response, thanking him for the letter but stating that he ‘did not wish to get involved in anything with this matter at all’ and did not ‘wish to respond in any way, shape or form’. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on Hurst’s behalf. Hurst said in a statement yesterday: ‘1. I was interviewed by the powers that be via telephone and told them exactly what occurred when I sacked Eddie Heath. I saw no reason to meet in person to repeat the same facts. ‘2. Eddie Heath’s title was chief scout but he spent most of his time in the stands at Stamford Bridge and rarely if ever on scouting trips. The club, including the youth section, was not doing well so I made the decision to sack him for footballing reasons. ‘3. At no time before I became manager of Chelsea, during my time as manager, nor for any of the intervening years did I hear any untoward allegations in respect of Mr Heath until a few years ago when his situation was made public. ‘Hopefully this clarifies my situation.’ Chelsea put out a statement yesterday, pointing out that the club is now a ‘very different place’ but adding that the review was meant to ‘shine a bright light on the dark corners of the club’s history so we can learn lessons to protect players of the future’. Of Heath, they added: ‘It is evident from the review that Heath was a dangerous and prolific child abuser. His conduct was beyond reprehensible.’ A number of compensation claims have been launched, and are ongoing, and some have already received payments via Chelsea’s insurers. Buck has met a number of victims and is understood to have been reduced to tears while listening to some of their harrowing recollections. Gradi was unavailable for comment yesterday. Crewe said he did not wish to speak. Heath was first accused of sexual abuse by former player Gary Johnson. Speaking to BBC Sport yesterday, Johnson said: ‘You get rid of it and it all comes back now the report is out. I am shocked by the number of victims. The stress, the tears, the anger, the depression — that won’t go away. It just eases in time. Many times I’ve been too depressed to get out of bed, don’t want to face anybody and couldn’t understand why — I’m sure many other victims have felt the same.’