Chelsea have said they will fully investigate fresh allegations that former coaches Graham Rix and Gwyn Williams racially abused youth-team players during their time at the club. Chelsea said in a statement they were "absolutely determined to do the right thing'' and "fully support'' any former player affected.
Rix and Williams have previously denied "all and any allegations of racial or other abuse.'' A total of nine players have now made allegations of racism, including two white players who have said their teammates were subjected to abuse.
In January, the Guardian reported that three former Chelsea youth-team players had launched legal claims against the club, making allegations against Rix and Williams. The police investigated those allegations and took no further action, but they are still being looked at by the club and the Football Association.
More players have now come forward. Documents released to Press Association Sport by Hudgell Solicitors, acting for four of the players, said the allegations of abuse spanned some 14 years. They included witness statements from two white former youth players, Grant Lunn and Gary Baker, detailing the alleged abuse.
A Chelsea 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.''
Lunn, a goalkeeper in the Chelsea youth team of the early 1980s said: "As a group of kids, we probably became used to hearing racist terms and insults when we were at the club. One week they'd be only one or two, another day it may happen 10 times. It was the norm.
"Those boys had no support or no way of challenging it. There was nobody else to go to. They had to deal with it and accept it. It wasn't right, and that is clear now. We probably didn't realise back then how wrong it was. It's why I have come forward to support these players now.''
Fellow former Chelsea youth player Baker said: "It is wrong that people are still feeling the impact of racial abuse as children all these years on. "It is too easy to say people should be able to move on and handle it. People are affected in different ways, and it is why I have spoken out.''
All four players represented by the law firm say they were subjected to racist abuse by Williams, who started as a scout in 1979 and is credited with discovering John Terry. Williams later joined Leeds in 2006 to become their technical director.
One player alleges racism by Rix, who joined Chelsea in 1993 as a youth coach and also later served as assistant manager before leaving the club in 2000.
According to the law firm, one unnamed former Chelsea youth player said one match was organised as "whites against blacks,'' which he added was "all about isolation and humiliation.''
Solicitor Renu Daly, representing four of the men, said: "The more I have spoken to former footballers affected the clearer the large scale of this, and the deep impact of it, has become.
"Credit to Chelsea for their stance so far in recognising the seriousness of these allegations, and their commitment to ensuring these allegations are fully investigated. I am sure that has gone a long way to giving these men some confidence they will be listened to now.
"It has even had a profound impact on white players who were part of the youth teams in those days, as even though they were not abused, they witnessed it, and have openly and honestly said that they hadn't really considered the impact at the time. Now when they look back they can see and understand how it could have impacted on these young boys. That is why they have come forward too.''
The Football Association was not available for immediate comment when contacted on Tuesday evening.
