Image Credit- AP
As part of an out-of-court settlement, Yorkshire has
publicly apologised to Wayne Morton, its longstanding physiotherapist, who was
one of the 14 employees fired in December 2021 during the height of the club’s
racism controversy.
The club’s former chair, Lord Kamlesh Patel, fired Morton, 62, from his
position as head of sports science and medicine after he signed a letter
criticising Yorkshire for how they handled Azeem Rafiq’s disclosures about club
culture and charging Rafiq with being on “a one-man mission to bring down
the club.”
Yorkshire settled the case of Morton’s company,
Pavilion Physiotherapy Clinic Limited, earlier this week for an undisclosed sum
in advance of the High Court hearing slated for March 8. This closes a chapter
in the club’s history that is estimated to have cost them severance payments
and legal bills of over £3.5 million.
“The club can confirm that it has agreed a
settlement agreement in respect of the ongoing civil claim brought against the
club by Pavilion Physiotherapy Clinic Limited (‘Pavilion’),” Yorkshire
said in a statement. “Pavilion has received a sum in damages and its legal
costs. The amount is confidential between the parties and will not be
disclosed.
“The club apologises to Pavilion, Mr Morton and any other parties that may
have suffered distress since and as a result of the termination of the contract
with Pavilion by the club. The club acknowledges that Mr Wayne Morton of
Pavilion worked with the club for approximately 38 years. The club thanks Mr
Morton for his service to the club and wishes him and Pavilion well for the
future.”
Writing on Facebook in the wake of the settlement,
Morton claimed he had been the victim of “horrendous, scurrilous
untruths”, and thanked Colin Graves, the returning chair whose takeover of
Yorkshire was ratified earlier this month, for overseeing the end of the legal
stand-off.
“Thankfully, the return of someone with integrity and a genuine love of
Yorkshire cricket has seen the end to this monumental waste of money,”
Morton wrote.
“Sadly, it took over two years and over £400k in legal fees to end this nonsense
that should have been sorted within weeks of the ending of my contract and the
sacking of the employed staff.”