Southampton facing legal action from alleged 1980s sex abuse victim

Southampton are facing the prospect of potential legal action by former youth players over alleged historical child sexual abuse.

One man has formally instructed a law firm after alleging that he was abused when he was a teenager training with the club's youth set-up.

It is understood others who were part of Saints' youth system in the mid-1980s are also talking to Southampton-based BL Claims Solicitors about possibly representing them.

The unnamed man who has formally instructed the firm claims the first incident of abuse he suffered took place during a youth tournament in Sweden.

The man, who remained at Southampton for two years after signing a youth team training contract, now suffers from severe mental health problems, lawyers said.

The disclosure of potential legal action came in the week that ex-Saints and England player Matt Le Tissier said he was given a "very, very wrong" naked massage by a coach at Southampton.

Southampton have previously said they are "committed to working together" with Hampshire Police to investigate any historical child sex abuse allegations.

Solicitor Malcolm Johnson, of BL Claims, said: "The problem in the sports world is that child abusers thrive in an environment where children are scared to speak up for fear that they will lose their place in a team.

"At the time when these incidents are alleged to have occurred, child safeguarding regulations were also less stringent than they are today, making it easier for abuse to go undetected.

"Any perpetrators who are found guilty of abuse will have not only groomed and abused their victims in the most catastrophic way but also abused the trust of their families and the rest of the football community."