A SOCCER coach who used his links with Newcastle United Football Club to sexually abuse young players was jailed for six years yesterday.

George Ormond, 46, disguised his perverted intentions with "boisterous, playful behaviour", using his "jocularity" to grope and peek at young boys.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how the sordid campaign started when he was coaching a boys' football club in Newcastle in 1975.

He continued until the late 1990s, by which time he had spent five years coaching youngsters at the Premiership club.

Michael Hodson, prosecuting, told the court how one of his seven victims suffered five years of abuse while being coached by Ormond.

Mr Hodson said: "He made it clear to him that he held some connections with Newcastle and other clubs and could further his career if he did what he asked him to do."

Ormond, of Whickham View, Newcastle, was snared after the victim, now in his 30s, used a secret tape recorder to record an apology from Ormond for the years of abuse almost 20 years ago.

The man, a former player who spent two years with a top club, turned up at Ormond's Newcastle home in December, 2000 to confront him about his years of suffering.

He then handed over the taped confession to a close friend before finally contacting police.

Judge Esmond Faulks told Ormond: "The evidence demonstrates that you have been a predatory abuser of young boys."

The victim told a jury how he was abused by Ormond when he took him under his wing as a coach in 1975.

The court heard how the then 12-year-old boy was being tracked by scouts from many top clubs

And Ormond told him he could further his career if he did what he asked him to do, before beginning five years of systematic abuse.

He even used a team member's groin strain as an excuse to grope him and would frequently joke with the boys about taking their pants off.

The court heard how Ormond even used his position as works manager at a firm to target a young worker.

Ormond, from Newcastle, denied 15 charges of indecent assault relating to seven victims between 1975 and 1999.

He claimed there was a conspiracy against him to have him put behind bars.

He was found guilty of twelve charges of indecent assault, one attempted indecent assault, and was cleared of a further two charges of indecent assault on the direction of the judge.

None of the assaults took place while Ormond was employed at Newcastle United Football Club.