A secret lifetime ban has been imposed on a former Chelsea coach following accusations of racist bullying there that saw them pay damages to former players.
Gwyn Williams, who spent 27 years at the club, was handed the strongest possible sanction by the Football Association almost five years ago – nearly three years before four of his alleged victims reached an out-of-court settlement over claims he and Graham Rix subjected them “to a barrage of disgracefully offensive racist abuse” in the 1990s.
It has emerged that Rix has also been serving a secret lifetime ban from girls’ football as a result of his 1999 conviction for two offences of underage sex with a 15-year-old – following which he returned to work at Chelsea.
That sanction was not extended over the racism accusations against the former England player, who is currently manager of Fareham Town of the Wessex Football League, after the FA ruled there was not enough evidence to substantiate them.
The secret bans imposed on Williams and Rix are part of a highly-controversial FA policy not to publicise safeguarding sanctions.
“Publication of details can have serious consequences,” the organisation explains in a media guide. “This includes re-traumatising victims and/or causing them to re-live harmful abusive experiences. In addition, vigilantism can have harmful effects on innocent people connected to those involved in safeguarding cases.”
The FA’s policy is in stark contrast to that of sports such as athletics and gymnastics, while there is usually no such secrecy around legal action taken against those accused of such abuse.
That included the out of court settlement that saw Chelsea agree to pay damages to four former alleged victims of Williams and Rix in February 2022, shortly before a pre-trial hearing into the case at the High Court in London.
Lawyers for the claimants said Chelsea were “vicariously liable” for abuse allegedly committed when they were aged between 14 and 18.
A Chelsea spokesman said after the hearing: “The club is pleased that we have been able to conclude a settlement of these claims without any further litigation.
“We will continue to offer support to the former players concerned through our dedicated Player Support Service.”
In 2019, a Barnardo’s report commissioned by Chelsea into accusations of historic abuse at the club found: “Whilst it appears that Graham Rix could be aggressive and bullying, on the evidence presented to them, he was not racially abusive. In the view of the reviewers the same cannot be said of Gwyn Williams.”
Williams and Rix had strongly denied allegations they racially abused Stamford Bridge youth players.
Rix worked at Chelsea between 1993 and 2000, while Williams joined in 1979 and left in 2006.
Upon publishing the 2019 report, Chelsea said: “Although the club today is a very different place from the club then, with new ownership, operational structures and safeguarding procedures in place, we will not shy away from responsibility for what happened in the past.
“The intention of the review was to shine a bright light in the dark corners of the club’s history so that we can learn lessons to help protect the players of the future. We also have no desire to hide any non-recent abuse we uncover.”
The FA declined to comment when contacted by Telegraph Sport.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
