Cellino DID make those sexist comments says judge as Leeds United employee wins unfair dismissal case against the club

The Leeds panel described Ms Ward as an honest and truthful witness as they gave their judgement. She wept as the decision was announced.

The panel said they believed Cellino had made sexist comments to the manager of the United women’s team that women had no place in football and belonged in the bedroom or at the beauticians.

Ms Wardhad claimed unfair dismissal and sex discrimination against the Elland Road club.

The tribunal chairman, Employment Judge Stephen Keevash, said: “We conclude that this dismissal was unfair and that there was a gross unreasonable breach of the ACAS code of conduct.

“We find it extraordinary that this respondent (Leeds United) had no awareness of the ACAS code or what it contained and that it failed to comply with what are regarded as basic principles.”

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The panel also judged former Leeds United executive director Adam Pearson not to have been a ‘credible or reliable’ witness when he gave evidence at the hearing to defend the decision to sack Ms Ward.

The hearing was told: “He was evasive and inconsistent.”

Judge Keevash said: “On the balance of probability we find that Mr Cellino told Mr Pearson that the claimant had to leave the club.”

Club secretary Stuart Hayton, who this morning denied there was a “culture of discrimination” at Elland Road, was also judged to have given evidence that was found not “entirely credible”.

After the hearing Ms Ward spoke of her relief at having her name cleared and said she was looking forward to returning to football.

She said: “I am really pleased. I have spent 17 years building up a really good reputation only for it to be destroyed by the current owners.

“It is a club that I have loved dearly.

“I have enjoyed all my time there. It is a bitter-sweet moment for me. It is a victory but it is difficult to describe.

“I am very proud of being part of Leeds United and all the lads that I have looked after over the last 17 years.

“There was a lot of things said about me that were not true.

“I look forward to the rest of my career, hopefully back in to football.

“It has been an absolute nightmare. The things people said were lies. I was wronged. When the club felt they could not win they attacked my character.

“However, Leeds United is a wonderful club - and it is my club.”

Describing her experience at the hearing, Ms Ward said: “I have been cross-examined for six hours but when you are telling the truth it is easier. I was proud that I was telling the truth.”

She said the ruling also demonstrated that Leeds United needed to “get with the times.”

She said: “I was a strong woman. It did not make me intimidating. I was a strong woman in the work place. My friends and my colleagues all knew what I was like.

“We worked very hard and we were successful while we were there.