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| George Ormond crushed dreams and lives of boys he abused | George Ormond crushed dreams and lives of boys he abused |
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| It was painful timing that the trial of the Newcastle football coach George Ormond for sexually abusing young players over a 24-year period started on 21 May and ran into England’s debut at the World Cup. | It was painful timing that the trial of the Newcastle football coach George Ormond for sexually abusing young players over a 24-year period started on 21 May and ran into England’s debut at the World Cup. |
| As Gareth Southgate’s graduates of modern, multimillion pound Premier League academies were on big screens living their dreams, a trail of older men were filing into the anonymity of Newcastle crown court to recall the exploitation and crushing of theirs. | As Gareth Southgate’s graduates of modern, multimillion pound Premier League academies were on big screens living their dreams, a trail of older men were filing into the anonymity of Newcastle crown court to recall the exploitation and crushing of theirs. |
| Ormond, 61, was found guilty of 36 charges of sexual abuse against 18 victims, and not guilty on one charge of buggery and one of indecent assault. He committed his crimes between 1973, when he was a coach at a local boys’ club, and 1997, when he was a coaching assistant at Newcastle United itself. The club then was at the forefront of English football’s “coming home” renaissance, playing in thrilling style under manager Kevin Keegan, rebuilding the St James’ Park stadium, and in 1996 spending £15m to bring Geordie prodigy Alan Shearer back to his home club. | Ormond, 61, was found guilty of 36 charges of sexual abuse against 18 victims, and not guilty on one charge of buggery and one of indecent assault. He committed his crimes between 1973, when he was a coach at a local boys’ club, and 1997, when he was a coaching assistant at Newcastle United itself. The club then was at the forefront of English football’s “coming home” renaissance, playing in thrilling style under manager Kevin Keegan, rebuilding the St James’ Park stadium, and in 1996 spending £15m to bring Geordie prodigy Alan Shearer back to his home club. |
| But as former recruits grimly recalled in court, the accommodation for talented young men hoping to become the next Shearer lagged a world behind the first team’s Premier League standards. Brought to Newcastle at 16 from their homes around Britain, they were put up in humdrum rooms at a bed and breakfast in a down-at-heel inner-city area, left on their own most nights with nothing much to do. | |
| Ormond, in his 40s by then, had worked his way into assisting John Carver, a former player at the boys’ club and for Newcastle United, who was rising up the coaching ranks and would in 2015 become Newcastle’s manager. | Ormond, in his 40s by then, had worked his way into assisting John Carver, a former player at the boys’ club and for Newcastle United, who was rising up the coaching ranks and would in 2015 become Newcastle’s manager. |
| Former players, returning as men to give evidence, recalled Ormond turning up regularly, taking them out, bringing them pizzas – making himself “almost indispensable”, according to the prosecution barrister, Sharon Beattie. She told the jury Ormond “had a talent for ingratiating himself” with the young boys and their parents, describing him as a “classic groomer and manipulator”. | Former players, returning as men to give evidence, recalled Ormond turning up regularly, taking them out, bringing them pizzas – making himself “almost indispensable”, according to the prosecution barrister, Sharon Beattie. She told the jury Ormond “had a talent for ingratiating himself” with the young boys and their parents, describing him as a “classic groomer and manipulator”. |
| The men recalled in quiet voices Ormond introducing sex into conversations in ways which seemed at first like banter, bringing pornography to the hotel, then the mostly sudden, opportunistic abuse. One recalled waking up to find Ormond in his bed performing a sex act on him. | The men recalled in quiet voices Ormond introducing sex into conversations in ways which seemed at first like banter, bringing pornography to the hotel, then the mostly sudden, opportunistic abuse. One recalled waking up to find Ormond in his bed performing a sex act on him. |
| Det Supt Mick Paterson of Northumbria police, who appointed 11 detectives to the investigation, told the Guardian that modern psychological research into victims’ reactions has found that freezing – through fear and shock – to be most common, not fight or flight. | Det Supt Mick Paterson of Northumbria police, who appointed 11 detectives to the investigation, told the Guardian that modern psychological research into victims’ reactions has found that freezing – through fear and shock – to be most common, not fight or flight. |
| Many victims said shame had contributed to them not telling anybody for years. One, who said he “completely froze”, said he had always struggled with it – that he did not fight Ormond off – as a tough lad from his working-class background would have been expected to. | |
| The response of Northumbria police, and Newcastle United, to the first allegations made about Ormond 21 years ago fell far short of what would be expected now. | The response of Northumbria police, and Newcastle United, to the first allegations made about Ormond 21 years ago fell far short of what would be expected now. |
| Paul Ferris, a Newcastle United physiotherapist, told the court that in the spring of 1997 Derek Bell, a former player both at the boys’ club and Newcastle, told him that Ormond was a sexual abuser, but that he did not want to go to the police. | Paul Ferris, a Newcastle United physiotherapist, told the court that in the spring of 1997 Derek Bell, a former player both at the boys’ club and Newcastle, told him that Ormond was a sexual abuser, but that he did not want to go to the police. |
| Ferris testified that in 1997 he informed the chief inspector responsible for commanding Newcastle matches of allegations of a case of sexual abuse, but said the officer told him that if the victim did not want to make a formal complaint, the police could do nothing. | |
| Since the advances in safeguarding following the convictions of several coaches in the 1990s, the 2001 establishment of the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit and its work with sports governing bodies, reports of such allegations would follow established procedures. A football club would almost certainly suspend the member of staff accused, and formally notify the police. | Since the advances in safeguarding following the convictions of several coaches in the 1990s, the 2001 establishment of the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit and its work with sports governing bodies, reports of such allegations would follow established procedures. A football club would almost certainly suspend the member of staff accused, and formally notify the police. |
| Paterson accepted that the force’s response in 1997 “wasn’t adequate”, describing it as “a missed opportunity”. Until quite recently the police were too reliant on having an initial complainant who would make a statement, rather than finding ways to investigate, he said. | Paterson accepted that the force’s response in 1997 “wasn’t adequate”, describing it as “a missed opportunity”. Until quite recently the police were too reliant on having an initial complainant who would make a statement, rather than finding ways to investigate, he said. |
| “It is regrettable that George Ormond went on and abused after that,” Paterson said. “As the head of safeguarding now my approach would be very, very different.” | “It is regrettable that George Ormond went on and abused after that,” Paterson said. “As the head of safeguarding now my approach would be very, very different.” |
| At the club in 1997, Ferris informed Carver, who testified that he did not know what to do immediately, as he had no firm evidence with which to confront Ormond, whom he had known and trusted as a coach and friend for 22 years by then. | At the club in 1997, Ferris informed Carver, who testified that he did not know what to do immediately, as he had no firm evidence with which to confront Ormond, whom he had known and trusted as a coach and friend for 22 years by then. |
| Carver said he eventually found a way to get Ormond out of Newcastle United some months later, in 1998, when the FA began to require more formal coaching qualifications. But Ormond remained involved with young players at Newcastle United after Bell’s allegations were reported to Ferris, Carver and the police officer. | Carver said he eventually found a way to get Ormond out of Newcastle United some months later, in 1998, when the FA began to require more formal coaching qualifications. But Ormond remained involved with young players at Newcastle United after Bell’s allegations were reported to Ferris, Carver and the police officer. |
| He remained a coach at the boys’ club and generally at large until Bell did go to the police in 2000. Bell said he finally did so after seeing Ormond in the grounds of a Newcastle hostel for unaccompanied teenage refugees. | He remained a coach at the boys’ club and generally at large until Bell did go to the police in 2000. Bell said he finally did so after seeing Ormond in the grounds of a Newcastle hostel for unaccompanied teenage refugees. |
| Northumbria police then investigated, and six more boys’ club victims came forward with Bell. In 2002, Ormond was convicted of 13 counts of indecent assault. The latest offence in that trial was in 1999.. | |
| Newcastle United declined to comment after the verdict on the abuse of young players in their care, or their handling of the allegations in 1997. A spokesman said the club had cooperated fully with the police investigation and with the inquiry being conducted for the FA by Clive Sheldon QC, into whether clubs’ responses to the allegations were appropriate. | Newcastle United declined to comment after the verdict on the abuse of young players in their care, or their handling of the allegations in 1997. A spokesman said the club had cooperated fully with the police investigation and with the inquiry being conducted for the FA by Clive Sheldon QC, into whether clubs’ responses to the allegations were appropriate. |
| In November 2016, Bell waived his anonymity in an interview with the Guardian, speaking out, as other former footballers were prompted to, after the former Crewe Alexandra playerAndy Woodward spoke publicly of his abuse by Barry Bennell. | |
| Other men then came forward, contacted the new NSPCC helpline, or the police, and Paterson’s detectives in Northumbria police’s dedicated safeguarding department launched a thorough investigation. All the victims who testified in the trial had told nobody for years; they said they had buried their memories and, to differing degrees, been traumatised by them. | Other men then came forward, contacted the new NSPCC helpline, or the police, and Paterson’s detectives in Northumbria police’s dedicated safeguarding department launched a thorough investigation. All the victims who testified in the trial had told nobody for years; they said they had buried their memories and, to differing degrees, been traumatised by them. |
| One repeated victim said he had been “like a rabbit in the headlights”. Explaining why he had not reported the crimes, he cited feelings common to many victims: he felt shame, that it may somehow have been his fault, intimidated by Ormond’s position of authority, and that he would be disbelieved and “ridiculed”. | One repeated victim said he had been “like a rabbit in the headlights”. Explaining why he had not reported the crimes, he cited feelings common to many victims: he felt shame, that it may somehow have been his fault, intimidated by Ormond’s position of authority, and that he would be disbelieved and “ridiculed”. |
| He finally mentioned it almost 30 years later, when he was undergoing cognitive behaviour therapy for depression and suicidal thoughts, he said. The therapist told him there had to be some underlying cause, and the man then replied that he had been sexually abused as a child. Asked how he felt when he told the therapist, the man broke down weeping in the witness box, saying he had “cried like a baby”. When he went to bed that night, he said: “I didn’t want to wake up, ever.” | He finally mentioned it almost 30 years later, when he was undergoing cognitive behaviour therapy for depression and suicidal thoughts, he said. The therapist told him there had to be some underlying cause, and the man then replied that he had been sexually abused as a child. Asked how he felt when he told the therapist, the man broke down weeping in the witness box, saying he had “cried like a baby”. When he went to bed that night, he said: “I didn’t want to wake up, ever.” |
| Ormond’s long tenure at the boys club began in the early 1970s when he was a teenager. The victims recalled their love of football and pride at playing for that club, but testified to an odd, oversexualised culture, in which boys were not allowed to wear underpants under their shorts. Ormond escalated his activities from sexual talk, to having showers with the boys, to sexual assaults in rub-downs before matches, to more serious abuse. | |
| One victim said Ormond used his football ambitions to menace him into keeping quiet, telling him: “I’ve got your dreams in my hand. If you say anything, I will crush them.” | One victim said Ormond used his football ambitions to menace him into keeping quiet, telling him: “I’ve got your dreams in my hand. If you say anything, I will crush them.” |
| Professional football fulfils the dreams of a gilded few, and dashes those of many more deemed not good enough. One victim said he suffered from depression years later, struggling both with not making it as a footballer, and the assault by Ormond. It took place on the very night of a Newcastle United function to celebrate the teenagers signing their first professional contracts. | Professional football fulfils the dreams of a gilded few, and dashes those of many more deemed not good enough. One victim said he suffered from depression years later, struggling both with not making it as a footballer, and the assault by Ormond. It took place on the very night of a Newcastle United function to celebrate the teenagers signing their first professional contracts. |
| The reckoning is still only beginning with the decades in which football, and young boys dreaming of glory, were vulnerable to predators, before safeguarding was even recognised as a word. | The reckoning is still only beginning with the decades in which football, and young boys dreaming of glory, were vulnerable to predators, before safeguarding was even recognised as a word. |
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