Former Newcastle player alleges he was abused as youth player
Police are investigating an allegation by a former Newcastle United player that he was abused in the club's youth system, it has been reported.
It means that two police forces are now looking into the growing alleged sex abuse scandal which is threatening the national game as Detective Inspector Sarah Hall of Cheshire Police said it has "now been made aware of a number of people who have come forward wishing to speak to the police''.
A Northumbria Police spokesman told The Guardian:
"We have received a report in relation to an allegation of historic sexual offences in Newcastle. We are working closely with, and supporting the victim and enquiries are ongoing.''
The unnamed former Newcastle player came forward after other former players including ex-England and Manchester City players David White and Paul Stewart and former Crewe Alexandra players Steve Walters and Andy Woodward spoke out about being sexually abused by football coaches as children.
The Guardian said the former Newcastle player had contacted police to make allegations against George Ormond, a coach in the north east who was jailed for six years in 2002 for carrying out numerous assaults across a 24-year period.
An NSPCC hotline - 0800 023 2642 - received 50 calls within its first two hours of being launched. It was set up after the ex-footballers spoke about abuse.
Former coach Barry Bennell, who worked for Crewe Alexandra, Manchester City, Stoke and several junior teams in north-west England and the Midlands, has been at the centre of the unfolding scandal.
Bennell was given a four-year sentence for raping a British boy on a football tour of Florida in 1994 and then a nine-year sentence for 23 offences against six boys in England in 1998. The predatory paedophile scouted a host of future football stars in the 1970s, '80s and '90s.
Football Association chairman Greg Clarke said:
"We've got 8,500 safeguarding officers out there in the community and I wrote to 30,000 clubs today to raise their awareness.''
In a statement Crewe's director of football Dario Gradi expressed sympathy to the victims of Bennell and said he first knew of his crimes after his arrest in the US.
The club is carrying out an internal investigation. Manchester City told Press Association Sport:
"The club is aware of allegations that Barry Bennell had an association with Manchester City in the 1980s. As a result the club is currently undertaking a thorough investigation of any past links he might have had with the organisation.''