Ex-Newcastle boss 'shocked' at George Ormond abuse claims

George Ormond is accused of 38 sex offences

A former Newcastle United boss told a court he used changes in FA rules to get rid of an assistant coach when an allegation about sexual abuse emerged.

John Carver told Newcastle Crown Court he was "shocked" to hear allegations levelled at youth coach George Ormond, who he said he respected and trusted.

Mr Ormond, 62, denies 36 counts of indecent assault, one of indecency with a child and a serious sexual assault.

Mr Carver said a club physio brought the allegations to his attention.

The jury heard how Mr Carver, 53, was Newcastle United's Centre of Excellence director in the 1990s.

He had known Mr Ormond after playing for a boys' side the defendant coached and socialised with him as an adult.

Mr Ormond was a full-time printer who helped out at Newcastle United and was "paid" with match tickets and official club tracksuits, the court heard.

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In the late 1990s, physio Paul Ferris passed on an allegation made by a player about Mr Ormond, the jury heard.

Mr Carver said: "When I found out I was extremely shocked. I was not quite sure initially how to react, obviously I trusted George."

He said the physio had passed on the allegation to him and another senior club employee, and had also spoken to the police.

Mr Carver said he had trusted George Ormond

Mr Carver added: "I needed time to digest it, we needed a way of getting George out of the football club."

Mr Carver, who went on to manage the first team at Newcastle United, said he used new FA regulations that coaches involved in youth teams needed to have qualifications.

He said: "I said he was going to have to leave. He left that night when we had that conversation and we didn't see him again."

Mr Carver told the jury he did not raise the allegation directly with Ormond.

He said Mr Ormond used to drive young players around, was a "sponge man" when they got injured and helped put cones out at training under Mr Carver's direction.

Mr Carver, 50, won three of his 20 games in charge of Newcastle United following the departure of Alan Pardew in 2014. He left the club himself a year later.

The trial continues.