Former Hampshire football club employee accused of abusing young players

BBC Radio 4’s Today programme said it understood the former staff member left Southampton Football Club after concerns were raised regarding his behaviour towards members of the club’s youth team.

The employee’s alleged inappropriate conduct at Southampton included making the young players line up naked in a changing room for inspection, according to testimony from an unnamed former player now in his 40s.

The programme said he was the fourth former player at the club who had come forward with allegations of abuse against the same man.

It claimed the staff member went on to work for other clubs and, despite being asked to leave one of them, is still working in the game.

Southampton has previously indicated it would work with Hampshire Police after becoming the latest team to receive information in relation to historical child abuse as a major probe into the issue in youth football continues up and down the country.

The NSPCC hotline is available 24 hours a day on 0800 023 2642.