"If you are disabled or changing a baby there's a possibility that someone's going to be looking at you."
Manchester United fan and former employee, Marcus King, from Weaste, is currently in the process of taking the club through an employment tribunal hearing for unfair dismissal, after he claims he was victimised for reporting bullying and sexual harassment at the club.
Part of the case is that female employees spied on him while he was on the toilet, through a vent fitted the wrong way around, which he claims to have subsequently discovered, is common practice in disabled toilets and baby changing rooms around the stadium.
Marcus worked at Old Trafford for around six years, firstly as a contract liaison person, then in the warehouse, and later, following an accident, in the kitchen of the staff canteen, Suite 68. It was here, he alleges, that he was subject to bullying by female employees during 2013...
"I enjoyed the job for several months, then things started to go pear shaped" he recalls "I used to run the food from the kitchen to the canteen area where I would replenish the dishes for them to share out to staff. The women used to wear long sleeve shirts, a black tie and bib and they didn't like me wearing a polo shirt so they picked on me and bullied me for several weeks.
"On one occasion, a girl brought a tie over with all food on it and said `That's for you', while my line manager was laughing" he adds "It was just little things like saying my jobs weren't done properly and things like that. If someone's bullying you every day it builds up, so I reported them to my line manager who said she was dealing with it and took notes. It turns out that she wasn't dealing with it."
Then one day in August of that year, Marcus made a horrifying discovery while on the toilet...
"There's a men's and ladies' staff toilet in the kitchen area but in the men's toilet you've only got three minutes to do what you've got to do because the lights go off after three minutes, so I used to use the disabled/baby changing toilets on the odd occasion" Marcus explains "Over several weeks I could hear noises which I thought was just normal, the girls giggling and laughing all the time. I thought nothing of it. But on one occasion it seemed close, very close, like they were on the other side of the door.
"I thought there was something not right, so I got off the toilet, washed my hands, got cleaned up and went outside" he adds "I could see them all laughing and giggling. Then I looked at the grill which is a foot or so wide square. I knelt down and could see clearly though. They are supposed to be turned the opposite way so it's at an angle.
"The girls could see everything while I was sat on the toilet; it's a shock because you don't know what to say to people the bullying and then this, and they thought it was funny, it's a form of bullying as well" he says.
Marcus alleges that, subsequent to his toilet violation, he found out that the vents are fitted the wrong way around so that security can see through them at events when party goers head to the baby changing rooms/disabled toilets for sex and to take drugs...
"People who drink champagne and do other things go the disabled toilet so they can lock the door and have a bit of nookie as well" he reveals "I believe that's the reason why the vents are like that. Those toilets have been like that for a long time. But if you are disabled or changing a baby there's a possibility that someone's going to be looking at you."
Apparently, following the complaint by Marcus, the vent in this particular toilet was put right. Meanwhile, he continued with his allegations of bullying and, by now, was on medication for palpitations caused, he explains, by stress... "I put complaints in about line managers not dealing with my complaints" he says "I had five women on my case and none of them would take notice of me the three girls wouldn't stop bullying me, and the two line managers didn't want anything to do with it as far as I could see."
Events reached a head later that month when Marcus says he was working between the kitchen and canteen, there was a row about moving a decorative melon and staff began winding him up... "I was stressed and getting palpitations" he recalls "It was red hot and I was feeling dizzy with an hour to go on my shift. I told my line manager that there were sharp implements, wet floors, hot ovens...it was a dangerous environment I didn't feel safe. I wanted to leave early."
Both line managers and United's HR staff refused him permission to leave the stadium but, he says, the Health and Safety Manager eventually told him verbally to go. The following week, after being off work, Marcus was told that his bullying complaints could be written off as `communication problems' and the toilet incident as `fun and banter'.
Meanwhile, Marcus was hit with two disciplinary notices for `unauthorised absence' and `unacceptable behaviour towards colleagues', and, following submission of an official grievance letter, two more disciplinary notices for sending the `deliberately malicious' grievance `in bad faith' and the use of `loaded threats' against an HR officer. In January 2014, Marcus was removed from his job and in March, sacked.
Now, he is in the process of taking Manchester United to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal which has had preliminary hearings with judges and the club's solicitors. Marcus is claiming Sexual Harassment and Sex Discrimination - "because if I did to a girl what they did to me I would have been sacked instantly" although he has been told he won't be allowed to claim Sex Discrimination...and feels that United are trying to flush away the embarrassing toilet episode.
"I'm dealing with something here that is out of my scope" he explains "There's something not right, so I have decided to make it public over a period of time, to let people know what's happening and how they do things. I feel that the general public need to know because Manchester United are for the general public."
"I don't think they care about anything but themselves" he adds "It's very disrespectful the way they've treated me and it's very disrespectful for fans and supporters. I always supported United as a kid, although I've never been able to afford to watch them. I think they're great and still do. But I feel they've treated me and my wife and baby daughter disgracefully
"It's been a long haul from the beginning the bullying, the sexual harassment, the sex discrimination and the victimisation after I reported the toilet incident" he explains "I'm a hard working, decent family man who loved the company he was working for, and still do to be honest...but it's shocking the way they've treated me and can't believe how far this has come. I need to fight my corner and need to see justice done. Fans should be voicing their concerns over the toilets which have, I believe, been like this for years."
Meanwhile, the Salford Star understands that Manchester United - which has spent £39million on players this week - has offered Marcus, who is currently living on benefits, £5,000 to settle the case.
The full employment tribunal case is set to be heard in November this year.
* The Salford Star emailed Manchester United with details of all the allegations that Marcus King has made but a spokesperson said that the club doesn't comment on legal cases that are on going.
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