Exclusive: Southampton facing tidal wave of legal action from Bob Higgins' victims

Southampton are facing a tidal wave of legal action from victims of Bob Higgins after one of football’s worst paedophiles was finally brought to justice.

Abuse survivors and lawyers representing them told the Daily Telegraph they were already pursuing civil claims against the club for the crimes of their former head of youth development.

Those were expected to multiply following Higgins’ conviction on Thursday for sexually abusing 23 schoolboys in his care, something that could end up costing the Premier League side millions of pounds.

Southampton were also condemned on Friday for their handling of their role in football’s paedophile scandal, with more than one victim claiming they had heard nothing from the club since coming forward.

They included Greg Llewellyn, who Higgins had been convicted of abusing in an earlier trial in July.

Confirming he had begun legal action against the club which had been “put on hold” pending the outcome of Higgins’s retrial, Llewellyn said: “I was not only a schoolboy, apprentice and professional at Southampton, but a lifelong fan of the club, and it galls me that I’m actually doing it.”

Peterborough United were also being pursued by victims of Higgins, some of whom were being represented by one of the country’s top child abuse lawyers, Dino Nocivelli of Bolt Burdon Kemp.

He said of both clubs: “They face substantial civil actions which reflect the pain and suffering that these survivors have been through.”

Nocivelli revealed not all his clients had seen their cases heard in court yet, adding weight to Llewellyn’s claim that there were “many more” victims of Higgins than the 24 he had been convicted of abusing.

Indeed, more than 100 have accused the coach of molesting them during soapy massages, at his home or in his car – over a period spanning decades.

Following his conviction on Thursday, Southampton issued a statement expressing their “deep regret” and offered “support” to all who suffered abuse while in their care.

Llewellyn said it was too little, too late, arguing the club should have offered him a private “apology” after Higgins was convicted of abusing him last summer.

He contrasted the “lack of empathy, lack of anything” from them since the allegations against Higgins first emerged with the counselling he had been offered via the Football Association.

“Unfortunately, Southampton Football Club have failed massively,” he added.

Another victim, who did not want to be named, said he had heard “nothing at all” from the club since coming forward.

He said of their post-trial statement: “As far as I’m concerned, that statement can be put where the sun don’t shine.

“I think it’s disgusting, to be quite honest with you, and quite a few of the lads feel the same way.”

Nocivelli said: “What our clients want and what the survivors want is an apology – the word sorry – and answers. Not sympathy.

“Sorry is sometimes the hardest word, and, in this case, it clearly is, isn’t it?”

Southampton are not the only club to face a flood of legal action over the historic sexual abuse of children in their care.

Manchester City’s response when confronted with the prospect of such claims by victims of Barry Bennell and John Broome was to launch a compensation scheme and issue private apologies to survivors.

Both Llewellyn and Nocivelli said there no excuse for Southampton not to follow suit.

Steve Walters, co-founder of the Offside Trust – which was formed to help survivors of sexual abuse in sport – said: “It would be beneficial to all of us if Southampton would go ahead and do something like that.”

Damian Collins MP, the chairman of parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media & Sport select committee, added: “Southampton should look at the example of Manchester City in creating a scheme to compensate victims and their families.”

Southampton declined to comment beyond their post-trial statement, which they were advised to wait until the outcome of the case before issuing.