Chelsea racism row ‘just the tip of the iceberg’, warns lawyer

The accusations against former Chelsea coaches Graham Rix and Gwyn Williams of racial abuse are just the tip of the iceberg, a solicitor representing some of the players said.

Renu Daly, who works for Hudgell Solicitors, fears there are many more victims of the Chelsea duo during their time at Stamford Bridge and has urged them to come forward.

Williams, who worked for the club between 1979-2006 and Rix, who was employed from 1993-2000, were first subject of allegations from three youth-team players in January and the trio took legal action against the club.

Four more complaints have been made public by The Guardian in the past 24 hours, while two white players, Grant Lunn and Gary Baker, have now provided witness statements.

Speaking on BBC 5Live today, Daly said: “I think it will be the tip of the iceberg because so many children were involved in these youth schemes, there was a YTS scheme.

“There were so many children who went through during these years and so many children who didn’t.

“We are talking about abuse that went on for decades. Quite frankly it is racism against children.

“It wasn’t acceptable in schools at that time, it wasn’t acceptable in any other sport. It shouldn’t have been acceptable in football.”

All four black players represented by Hudgell Solicitors say they were subjected to racist abuse by Williams, one of whom has also made claims against Rix.

According to the law firm, one unnamed former Chelsea youth player said a match was organised as ‘whites against blacks’, which he added was “all about isolation and humiliation”.

Williams and Rix have previously denied “all and any allegations of racial or other abuse”.

Chelsea have promised to carry out a full investigation over the fresh accusations, just as they did at the start of the year.

A club spokesman said: “We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously and they will be fully investigated. We are absolutely determined to do the right thing, to assist the authorities and any investigations they may carry out, and to fully support those affected which would include counselling for any former player that may need it.”

Daly said those players allegedly targeted by Williams and Rix have suffered long-term damage.

“It is lifelong,” she said. “One can’t be forgotten is that it happened when they were very, very young. They were in their early teens and that is what they understood to be normal.

“As they got older they realised that it isn’t normal and the extent to which it’s affected them. I do hope that Chelsea keep to their word. As to whether it will be enough, it’s not for me to say. It’s for the ex-players [to decide]. I’m not the one who suffered the injury, they are. I would hope that Chelsea’s positive start is something they see through to the end.”

Asked if any of the behaviour Rix and Williams has been accused of could just be perceived as ‘banter’ and perhaps reflective of the time, Daly gave the theory short shrift.

She said: “Whenever you have conversations that causes injury, that’s not banter. It is simply unacceptable.

“What becomes apparent when we have spoken to these players is that Graham Rix and Gwyn Williams never did it on matchdays, never did it in front of parents.

“They knew from their actions, it is natural to assume, that it would be seen as unacceptable.

“Two white players came forward (to corroborate the claims). They didn’t know about the black players coming forward, I want to make that clear. However, they got in contact to say ‘it absolutely did happen’.

“They said they were absolutely outraged that Gwyn Williams has stated that this didn’t occur. It absolutely did occur and it happened on a daily basis, more than once.”

The police investigated the initial complaints made four months ago, but took no further action.

Standard Sport contacted the Metropolitan Police this morning to ask if they were planning to re-open proceedings, but there was no comment before the paper went to print.