Ex-Chelsea Footballer Gary Johnson Says Club Paid £50K to Keep Sex-Abuse Secret

Former Chelsea player Gary Johnson has alleged that the Premier League club paid him £50,000 to keep quiet about alleged sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of former chief scout Eddie Heath in the 1970s.  

Per Jeremy Armstrong in the Mirror, Johnson said he approached the club on the issue after his attempts to tell the police failed and he was ignored by the Professional Footballers' Association, but the Blues did not accept any blame and paid him to not go public.

The 57-year-old was a part of Chelsea's senior team between 1978 and 1981 and alleged that he suffered abuse by Heath, who is now dead, from 1973 around two or three times a week until he was 16 or 17, which led to "turmoil."

He said that he may not have been the only one who suffered at the hands of Heath and explained why he thought Chelsea paid him off, per Armstrong: 

"

I think that they were paying me to keep a lid on this. 

Millions of fans around the world watch Chelsea. They are one of the biggest and richest clubs in the world. 

All their fans deserve to know the truth about what went on. I know they asked me to sign a gagging order and how many others are there out there? 

They may have paid others for their silence. I hope and pray no clubs are allowed to cover this up—no one should escape justice. We need total transparency now for the good of the game.

"

As with other former footballers who have recently revealed sexual abuse they suffered as youngsters—Andy Woodward, Steve Walters, Paul Stewart, per the Guardian and Mirror, respectively—Johnson has waived his right to anonymity.

Per Armstrong, Chelsea waived the clause in their settlement with Johnson earlier this week that banned him from speaking out about the abuse.

Johnson joined Chelsea as an 11-year-old in 1970 and said the abuse he suffered caused him great shame and affected his childhood, per Armstrong: "I felt shame, I felt my childhood had been taken away. I spent my late teens in turmoil, absolute turmoil."

The former forward detailed how Heath allegedly groomed him and then sexually abused him for the first time in 1973. 

Johnson said he knows of "at least three others" who were victims of Heath and said the former scout "got me to perform in threesomes with other boys, so I know there are other victims out there," per Armstrong.

The first time he attempted to speak out was after the Metropolitan Police’s Operation Yewtree in 2014, but he was reportedly "advised to 'go back to Chelsea' with his case," while he said the PFA did not return his calls.

Per Armstrong, Chelsea issued a statement in response to Johnson's comments concerning Heath, who was the club's chief scout from 1968 to 1979. It read: 

"

The club have retained an external law firm to carry out an investigation concerning an individual employed by the club in the Seventies, who is now deceased.

The club have also contacted the FA to ensure that all possible assistance is provided as part of their wider investigation. This will include providing the FA with any relevant information.

"

According to MailOnline's Oliver Todd, the Stamford Bridge club could face disciplinary action if they are found to have broken Football Association and Premier League rules that require clubs to notify them of any evidence of abuse or "a child or adult at risk."