Aston Villa have been accused of a cover-up over their internal investigation into bullying allegations made in 2016 against the club’s youth coach Kevin MacDonald.

The claim comes as a fresh blow to Villa after four of the club’s former youth players alleged in interviews published by the Guardian over the past week and a half that they suffered sustained bullying and abuse from MacDonald and another coach, Tony McAndrew, in the 1990s.

‘Being released was like a relief’: more players allege Aston Villa bullying Read more

The 2016 complaints were made by a young Villa player and his father, to the club’s academy director, Sean Kimberley, that MacDonald’s verbal and emotional bullying were damaging the player’s mental, emotional and physical health.

The club took no discernible action but a Premier League investigation did find MacDonald guilty of bullying, and severely criticised Villa’s handling of the complaints against him.

The father, who does not want to be named because he does not want his son to be widely identified as the bullying victim, claims an employee at the club told him there was “a drawer full” of bullying complaints but nothing had been done about them.

The player has left Villa but the father is still dissatisfied by the club’s response to his concerns. Kimberley remains the head of the academy and the father is concerned the culture may not have wholly changed, despite the turnover of chief executives and other management.

“I felt very strongly that the club covered up the bullying and just wanted to leave Kevin MacDonald in place,” the father says. “I believe what happened should still be investigated and lessons learned, not only for my son, but for other young players going through the academy system, which is not as good as it is made out to be.”

The club’s investigation left MacDonald still in a coaching post, while others left, including the well-respected coaches Stuart Taylor and Gordon Cowans. Several support staff, whom the father believed to be good people who had nothing to do with any bullying, also left. Those former employees are believed to have had confidentiality clauses incorporated into their settlements.

Villa failed to keep the father informed of their investigation’s progress despite his repeated requests, then their human resources department replied five months later, saying: “The club has taken the actions it deems are appropriate and the investigation is now closed.”

After the investigation concluded with unspecified actions, the father accused the club, in writing, of having conducted it improperly. His allegations included that information provided confidentially by a player was shared with other staff; that young players were encouraged to speak up for MacDonald; and that others who had voiced concerns were intimidated. He says he did not receive a reply.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest An independent review by the Premier League found evidence of ‘evidence of bullying, aggressive behaviour and unacceptable language’ by Kevin MacDonald. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

With the help of the organisation PlayersNet the father pursued his concerns to the Premier League, which has regulatory oversight of its clubs’ academies – Villa were in the top flight until May 2016.

The league wrote to the father in February 2017, with damning findings against Villa and MacDonald. The letter said the league had commissioned an independent review “after dissatisfaction at the club’s response to our initial inquiry”. The conclusions were that: “There is evidence of bullying, aggressive behaviour and unacceptable language by Mr MacDonald.”

Villa’s handling of the bullying concerns was extensively criticised, although the letter did not name any individuals. “There was failure by several club personnel to take responsibility for dealing with the concerns raised by you and your son,” the review concluded. “The club’s management of your complaint and the concerns raised by you and your son was characterised throughout by a lack of focus on player welfare, failure by the club to implement its procedures and poor communication.”

The league told the father that Villa, then “under new management”, had “demonstrated improvement with a new emphasis being placed on safeguarding and welfare”. Despite the findings, MacDonald remained at the club as the under-23 coach. A subsequent investigation by the Football Association, whose oversight relates only to safeguarding of under-18s, found no concerns.

Pete Lowe, of PlayersNet, said the Premier League findings were “damning,” adding: “The new investigation started by Aston Villa should not only focus on the latest bullying allegations but the multiple failures of the club last time, so that finally there can be transparency and lessons can be learned.”

The latest allegations began when Gareth Farrelly, now a solicitor, spoke about his time under MacDonald in the mid-1990s, which he described as a “toxic, bullying culture”. This time Villa, who have a new chief executive since August, Christian Purslow, immediately removed MacDonald from “player-facing duties” and commissioned an outside barrister, Jack Mitchell, to conduct an investigation. On Thursday three more men spoke out, alleging sustained verbal and physical bullying by MacDonald and McAndrew in the late 1990s.

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Farrelly has been contacted by Villa’s appointed barrister but says he has concerns about the scope of this investigation, including how far it will truly be independent. He says he would be more confident if the firm Sports Resolutions, which specialises in independent reviews, had been appointed.

“Given the history, it is difficult to have any faith or confidence in Aston Villa undertaking a truly independent investigation now. Some people involved in the previous failed investigation are still at the club. MacDonald has been ‘temporarily reassigned to non-player-facing duties’, according to the club, but is still employed there, casting a dark shadow. Clearly he has relationships with people in management positions who have been complicit over the years, by omission at best.

“f the club is serious about a meaningful independent investigation this time, it must address the past failed investigation, and waive confidentiality agreements so that the departed staff are free to talk.”

A club spokesman said Villa are not commenting until the investigation is complete.