Decades after alleged abuse at Man United training ground, victim tells his story

A man who was 14 when he visited Manchester United's training ground in 1986 has spoken publicly for the first time about being sexually abused by Billy Watts, a now-deceased club employee. The man, protected by an anonymity order, reached an out-of-court settlement with United in March without the club admitting liability. He says United have never offered the apology he believes would help him find closure.

The alleged abuse occurred in November 1986, during Alex Ferguson's first week as Manchester United manager. The victim, then 14, had traveled by bus to The Cliff training ground hoping to see players and collect autographs. Watts, who died in 2009, remained employed by United for three years after the alleged incident. United previously acknowledged in a football sexual-abuse inquiry that other alleged incidents involving Watts had been reported, including in the training-ground showers and sauna, and that youth-team players referred to him as a "pervert." The March settlement marked the first time United had been sued for such an incident since the sport's abuse scandal broke a decade earlier.