By Sebastian Murphy-bates For Mailonline
Published: 17:05 GMT, 26 March 2019 | Updated: 17:05 GMT, 26 March 2019
Mr Higgins (pictured in July last year) is charged with 51 counts of indecent assault on trainee players
A former professional football coach used his reputation as a 'kingmaker' to act with 'near impunity' as he sexually abused 24 teenage players, a court heard today.
Bob Higgins, 66, stands accused of 51 counts of indecent assault on ambitious trainees between 1971 and 1996.
He ran youth team coaching for Southampton Football Club and Peterborough United and is accused of using his position of 'supreme power' to abuse boys, several of whom went on to become professional players.
Mr Higgins is facing retrial at Bournemouth Crown Court and denies of all the charges.
Adam Feest QC, prosecuting, told jurors that the allegations against Higgins were made after ex-pro player Andy Woodward, of Crewe Alexandra, appeared on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme and spoke of the abuse he had suffered at the hands of another coach.
He said this led to the NSPCC charity setting up a helpline and added: 'The telephone started to ring and one name was mentioned over and over again - that is the name of Bob Higgins, this defendant.'
Mr Feest explained
![](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://en.mogaznews.com/World-News/1162063/Ex-football-coach-used-reputation-as-a-kingmaker-to-sexually-assaulted-24-.html&media=https://en.mogaznews.com/temp/resized/medium_2019-03-26-262db31a05.jpg&description=Ex-football coach 'used reputation as a "kingmaker" to sexually assaulted 24 ...){kind=link}