Wayne Morton thanks Yorkshire CCC for apology he hopes will extend to all the sacked staff

Earlier this month, Yorkshire reached an out-of-court settlement with Morton, 63, who was seeking upwards of £500,000 damages on behalf of himself and seven subcontracted staff after the club terminated its contract with his Pavilion Physiotherapy Clinic.

Morton thanked the club - and specifically returning chair Colin Graves for his “integrity and speed of action” - for an apology that he said was “far too long in coming”, saying he hopes it will be the first step towards clearing the names of all those who signed the letter and who lost their jobs around that time.

“I am obviously pleased that the new board at YCCC have settled my case and apologised for the trauma that has been caused by the wrongful and unnecessary actions of Kamlesh Patel and Paul Hudson in dismissing the contract between Pavilion Physiotherapy Clinic and the club,” said Morton.

“The process to settle has been both financially and emotionally draining, no doubt for both parties. I maintained the legal fight, despite the scurrilous false accusations thrown at me, in order to reveal the truth for both my staff and myself.

“Whilst it has been far too long in coming, this apology exonerates them all and is an admission of their unnecessary removal from their care of the Yorkshire playing staff.

“I would like to acknowledge the integrity and speed of action of Mr Colin Graves in resolving this case. And, likewise, I now wish this new Yorkshire cricket club the very best going forward.

“Let us hope that with further examination of the facts, an apology will be forthcoming for the wrongful dismissal of the employed staff also.”

In a statement, Yorkshire said: “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”).

“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.”

Meanwhile, Yorkshire are inviting applications for two new members’ representatives to join the board.

The move follows the departure of John Jackson and Richard Levin following the wider reshuffle, with application details/criteria on the club website.