Barry bennell and the fall out for football

[horseplayer]

For those who missed this

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/nov/16/andy-woodward

Is the original interview with Andy Woodward last week. Crewe until today have shut up shop sadly.

Lots of the other players involved are now coming forward and another one hasn't spoken to Daniel Taylor today which will be published shortly.

Sadly one of the players Bennell scouted was Gary Speed. The family deny he had anything to do with the reasons for his suicide it should be said. An accomplice of Bennells is said to be shortly named.

[horseplayer]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/nov/21/crewe-alexandra-andy-woodward

Further bits today including Crewe response.

Must say I find the response clumsy at best. Dario Gradi a man I massively respect or did trying to fob it off and some of the abuse happened at his house (not that he was directly involved )

[horseplayer]

Here is Steve Walters story just released now

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/nov/22/steve-walters-andy-woodward-crewe-alexandra

Very harrowing. Some superb work by Daniel Taylor on this a proper journalist

[superwomble]

Awful response from Gradi, shocked by it to be honest.

“The chairman has told me he will issue a statement if he feels it necessary and that otherwise we should keep out of it. I don’t understand any of it. It was a long time ago and for all intents and purposes it was dealt with at the time.”

[Cavey007]

Somehow I've only heard of this today. Strangely enough the official Crewe pages aren't really talking about it...

There's always been rumours around Dario himself. He's got a big house swimming pool etc. Always had lads around there. But didn't know about Bennell until today. Tbh I'm not that shocked. However Crewe really haven't handled this very well at all. They should of been flat out condemning him. As should Dario. I would imagine Darios view was/is he was a friend and colleague and he doesn't want to be too harsh on him. Which doesn't look very good on him at all.

I wonder how it was "dealt with" at the time :/

For it to have possibly had some influence on Speed committing suicide is just a horrible thought. The fact it could of possibly ruined Steve Walters career is shocking too. Horrible story and disgusting that it happened at all. I wonder how many more stories will come out. Whether Neil Lennon or Danny Murphy had any knowledge of anything as they were young and around the academy at around the same time. Robbie savage too maybe.

[The Camel]

Reminds me of the Penn State Paterno/Sandusky scandal.

Harrowing reading.

[The Camel]

Gradi is an old man now, must be very difficult thing to face up to.

I think/hope he's talking about the 1995 court case when he refers to it "being dealt with at the time".

[aaron1867]

It does not surprise me that a story like this has come out in the wash. As some of you know, I am a gay man & this story doesn't surprise me at all.

The amount of straight men that have approached me on the poker scene (who are Married & some with kids) for "interactions" is quite surreal. They say 1/9 of the population is gay, but it's a lot bigger than that. All we hear nowadays is x person from religion is playing with boys, x person from reality TV is playing with boys, football is no different & anyone will exploit their position

[The Camel]

It does not surprise me that a story like this has come out in the wash. As some of you know, I am a gay man & this story doesn't surprise me at all.

The amount of straight men that have approached me on the poker scene (who are Married & some with kids) for "interactions" is quite surreal. They say 1/9 of the population is gay, but it's a lot bigger than that. All we hear nowadays is x person from religion is playing with boys, x person from reality TV is playing with boys, football is no different & anyone will exploit their position

Sorry, are you suggesting people who are secretly bi or homosexual are also paedophiles?

Your experiences with confused poker players have nothing to do with this story.

[horseplayer]

Puts a lot of questions in my mind this.

I hate to say this but does it in anyway explain why Dario stayed so long at Crewe?

As the reports say Bennell had links or at least found players for most of the northern clubs, lot more to come out sadly.

[horseplayer]

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/paul-stewart-manchester-city-abuse-12216110?service=responsive#ICID=sharebar_twitter


Paul Stewart seems to have been with the other coach linked to bennell

[Doobs]

Puts a lot of questions in my mind this.

I hate to say this but does it in anyway explain why Dario stayed so long at Crewe?

As the reports say Bennell had links or at least found players for most of the northern clubs, lot more to come out sadly.

I was thinking the same.  But wouldn't Woodward have named him by now?  Seems to have at least turned a blind eye?

The scale of it seems to be pretty horrific.  I can imagine that many men will just be unwilling to come forward even now.

[Cavey007]

Puts a lot of questions in my mind this.

I hate to say this but does it in anyway explain why Dario stayed so long at Crewe?

As the reports say Bennell had links or at least found players for most of the northern clubs, lot more to come out sadly.

I was thinking the same.  But wouldn't Woodward have named him by now?  Seems to have at least turned a blind eye?

The scale of it seems to be pretty horrific.  I can imagine that many men will just be unwilling to come forward even now.

Dario was there for so long as there was noone better for the club. They ran the best academy in the country, he was hugely profitable as a manager and took Crewe to the championship at one point. He was a great manager and developer of talent. As I said there were always rumours around Dario but you'd think that if this has come out then they wouldn't have batted an eyelid at naming everyone involved if anyone else was. So hopefully he is completely innocent of anything. I went to the summer soccer schools at Crewe in the 90s. So probably had interaction with Bennell at some point. Obviously as a kid didn't notice anything

[Tonibell]

Paul Stewart today in The Mirror: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/paul-stewart-sexually-abused-coach-9313094

Very difficult stuff to read but you have to think it's positive that men who've kept this bottled up for decades are now talking about it.

[aaron1867]

It does not surprise me that a story like this has come out in the wash. As some of you know, I am a gay man & this story doesn't surprise me at all.

The amount of straight men that have approached me on the poker scene (who are Married & some with kids) for "interactions" is quite surreal. They say 1/9 of the population is gay, but it's a lot bigger than that. All we hear nowadays is x person from religion is playing with boys, x person from reality TV is playing with boys, football is no different & anyone will exploit their position

Sorry, are you suggesting people who are secretly bi or homosexual are also paedophiles?

Your experiences with confused poker players have nothing to do with this story.

I'm giving my opinion as a gay man on the story and giving an example of why I'm not surprised in a "manly" environment. This stuff is happening all the time & takes an enormous amount of courage to be able to come out with the abuse that he says he has received.

It's not the all that surprising to hear. I know of plenty of professional footballers who are gay, one recently telling me the homophobic abuse he received from the manager (who got the sack recently) was a fine example of why he's not open about it. Who wants the extra hassle?