‘Monster’ grassroots football coach sexually abused children over four decades

A former football coach branded “a serial paedophile” has been jailed for 31 years for committing dozens of horrific sexual and physical offences against children.

William Woods, 67, manipulated his victims over four decades by inviting them into his home, forcing them to act out his twisted fantasies and endure physical abuse, including being locked in cupboards and burned with cigarettes.

Police described him as a “malignant and opportunistic sexual predator” who abused his position of trust as a football coach to prey on children in Crewe and Northwich, Cheshire.

Woods denied the charges and accused victims of lying, but was found guilty at Chester Crown Court of 57 offences against eight victims between 1976 and 2006.

The court heard harrowing testimonies of the long-lasting trauma he caused.

One survivor described Woods as a “monster of a man” who destroyed his childhood and left him with lifelong anger and broken relationships.

Judge Patrick Thompson told Woods he had used his authority — including his past as an army officer — to frighten and control his victims, tailoring his abuse to each child. Prosecutors revealed Woods had prior convictions for sexual offences and called him a “prolific, serial paedophile”.

The scale of his crimes makes this one of the largest child abuse cases in the Merseyside-Cheshire region, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Sexual abuse by Woods is one of many documented cases of sexual abuse in football. In 2021, a report by Clive Sheldon QC into non-recent child sexual abuse in football found there had been at least 240 suspects and 692 known survivors who had been abused within the sport.

Bolt Burdon Kemp’s specialist Abuse Team has represented clients in a number of similar cases, including claims against Blackpool FC, Manchester City FC, Chelsea FC, Peterborough United and many more. If you or someone you know has been a victim of abuse in football, please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss your legal options.