February 07, (THEWILL) – Chelsea FC have agreed to pay compensation to four former players who filed civil claims against the club after alleging they were victims of “racist bullying” in the 1990s.
Following rigorous conversations between the two legal camps over the last week, an out-of-court settlement was achieved early on Monday morning, before a pre-trial hearing at the High Court in London.
Each former athlete is expected to receive a six-figure amount, which was not precisely made public.
Chelsea was so eager to avoid a High Court trial that they took the unprecedented step of removing themselves from the legal team of its insurers who would normally regulate these matters, to handle the matter themselves.
David McClenaghan, a lawyer at Bolt Burdon Kemp who represents the claimants, stated in court on Monday: “We are grateful for the extra time. We are pleased to let you know that a settlement agreement has been achieved between the parties. There is now no need for a pre-trial.”
A five-week trial was slated to begin on March 7 with 62 witnesses and perhaps some of the biggest stars who played or worked for Chelsea during that era under Ken Bates’ ownership.
According to court documents, the young, black players were punched, kicked, and subjected to other forms of assault by their own instructors.
One of the black players claims that Graham Rix, the club’s former youth-team coach, punched him several times and that Gwyn Williams, the director of youth development, assaulted him repeatedly.
Rix was said to have denied all of the charges.
Williams admitted to using racist slurs, but he provided proof to the court that it was not maliciously intended. He is also said to have denied assaulting any of the players.
Chelsea disputed vicarious liability through its insurers’ attorneys, despite earlier admitting elsewhere that there was a racist culture within the club at the time — and, in fact, issued a public apology two years ago.
An official statement from Chelsea read: “The club is pleased that we have been able to conclude a settlement of these claims without any further litigation. We will continue to offer support to the former players concerned through our dedicated Player Support Service.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
