MANCHESTER United are being sued over a “sexual and physical abuse” claim.
The club is accused of failing to protect the victim from abuse while he was under their care as a child, court docs revealed.
A High Court personal injury claim was filed last week against the former Man Utd caretaker Billy Watts, who died in 2009, as reported by the Telegraph.
Lawyers for the claimant alleged the Premier League club did not cooperate with attempts to settle outside of court.
Simpson Millar LLP has accused the former caretaker of subjecting their client to “sexual and physical abuse when he was a child” in the 1980s.
Lawyers would not comment on whether the victim had been a youth player.
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Watts also worked as kit man and groundsman at United’s the Cliff training ground.
He was understood to be in his 50s when he worked at the Cliff, with his redeployment occurring in August 1989.
In 2016 several allegations were made against Watts, with youth team players referring to him as “a pervert”, a report found.
He was accused of forcibly pulling an individual into an office, following someone into a training ground sauna, and trying to touch another inappropriately in the showers.
In 2021, The Independent Review into child sex abuse allegations in football between 1970-2005, led by Mr Clive Sheldon QC, referred to accusations that “concerned a caretaker at the club, who is now deceased”, understood to be referring to Watts.
The report stated: “The club was made aware in 2016 of allegations that in the 1980s the caretaker had made inappropriate comments of a sexual nature, physically pulled an individual into an office against his will, followed an individual into a sauna at the training ground and wrestled with him.
“There was also an allegation that the caretaker had tried to touch another individual inappropriately in the showers; that the caretaker was referred to by youth team players as a ‘pervert’.
“There was a further allegation that the caretaker had tried to touch another boy, and when confronted had said that ‘I’m only messing, shut up’.
“The club referred the matter to the FA in 2016. The club has discovered that there was an investigation into the caretaker in the 1980s (not related to these particular allegations), and he was re-deployed from the club’s training ground to the club’s stadium.
“It is not known what the reason was for his re-deployment though it is known that he left the club within a number of months following his re-deployment.”
The Premier League giants said in a statement at the time: “We have co-operated fully with the Sheldon Review in an effort to make sure we were as comprehensive on this important matter as we could be.
“This involved conducting multiple interviews as part of our wide-ranging enquiries pursuant to the review.
“These included a former employee who had conducted the disciplinary process against the former caretaker in the 1980s and other current and former employees who worked at the club in the 70s and 80s.
“All interviewees provided their full co-operation and information relating to the former caretaker has been included in Manchester United’s submissions to the review.
“Identifying facts from historical allegations is never an easy process and their report will include any issues relating to Manchester United that are considered relevant by the review team.”
Kate Hall, Abuse Law Expert at Simpson Millar, said: “Our client has shown enormous courage in coming forward after so many years.
“He, like many survivors, has had to relive incredibly painful memories in order to seek justice.”
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Ms Hall claimed United’s response to the legal claim had been “disappointing”.
Manchester United has been contacted for comment.
