Barry bennell and the fall out for football

[DungBeetle]

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?

I still don't see how this is remotely relevant.

[TightEnd]

Paul Stewart: I was sexually abused by coach who threatened to kill my family if I told anyone

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/paul-stewart-sexually-abused-coach-9313094#ICID=sharebar_twitter

[Archer]

One of my all-time favourite City players David White is another one and he is seeking his closure via an autobiography:

http://www.amazon.in/Shades-Blue-Hidden-Torment-Football/dp/1782437703

[horseplayer]

Yep sadly so archer

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/nov/23/david-white

Is the guardian piece just released

[PokerBroker]

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?

I still don't see how this is remotely relevant.

+1

What point are you making Aaron, how is being gay remotely anything like child abuse? 

[Archer]

Yep sadly so archer

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/nov/23/david-white

Is the guardian piece just released

Cheers Horse.

just seen this link on a City forum, a Despatches interview with one of Bennell's victims from 1997 who testified against Bennell. Harrowing stuff. Eeerily it mentions White, Gary Speed, Rob Jones and Andy Hinchcliffe as being players who made it to the top having been under Bennell's wing and nearly 20 years later White confirms the abuse. There was specalution this might have been behind Speed's tragic suicide but IIRC his family denied that was the case.

[horseplayer]

Thanks archer

That was the clip I remember seeing a few years back. Like you say eeringly accurate so far

[TightEnd]

crewe's response from jun 1988

unchanged now

Click to see full-size image.

i know a lot has changed in youth football since then (accreditation and vetting of all those involved coaching kids for starters), but surely a fresh inquiry is called for to learn the lessons of this?

[TightEnd]

"As the Crewe abuse scandal develops, time for Dario Gradi to tell us what he knows."

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/crewe-alexandra-sexual-abuse-scandal-dario-gradi-andy-woodward-a7434706.html

[Archer]

crewe's response from jun 1988

unchanged now

Click to see full-size image.

i know a lot has changed in youth football since then (accreditation and vetting of all those involved coaching kids for starters), but surely a fresh inquiry is called for to learn the lessons of this?

I couldn't agree more.

From Dickinson in the Times

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/sport/chilling-echoes-of-savile-in-how-predator-abused-trust-xjlxj9gmd

From that article: The echoes are chilling; the exploitation of power over children; the failure over so many years of adults to act on troubling rumour; a lack of outrage or even curiosity by the media; the reluctance of the authorities at the time to face up to their own responsibilities, hiding from the shocking truth. When, in 1997, a Dispatches documentary for Channel 4 exposed the Bennell story, and other episodes of abuse in the game, the FA refused to comment. As Deborah Davies, the journalist behind that programme, said yesterday: “We knew there was so much more to come out. And not just about Bennell. But football was a man’s game. Sexual abuse wasn’t meant to happen. No one in the game wanted to speak.”

I heard all sorts of gossip, rumours and speculation about this 15-20 years ago. Different times now and hoping the whole lot comes out.

[Cavey007]

Generic "I know nothing" response from Dario.

http://www.crewechronicle.co.uk/sport/crewe-alex-director-football-dario-12225031

The thing is the people who commit these crimes won't go around talking about it to normal people. So it's plausible that the rest of the club knew nothing about it, you would of thought someone at some point would of said something to someone else at the club thiugh. But they're young lads who would of done anything to be pro footballers so if told to be quiet. They probably would of been.

Much like the Ian Watkins stuff from Lost Prophets. I don't believe his band mates knew a thing as they'd of murdered him if they did know.

[DaveShoelace]

I tip my hat to the bravery of these guys who have come out and spoken up. Such a stigma to men being open about this stuff, especially blokes in the public eye.

[PokerBroker]

I tip my hat to the bravery of these guys who have come out and spoken up. Such a stigma to men being open about this stuff, especially blokes in the public eye.

This.

I remember when rumours broke about abuse at Celtic years ago, I was horrified and isgusted in equal measure that something like that could happen at my club. 

What sickens me most is fans that thing its apropriate to chant songs about abuse.  There are certain things that can be past of as banter but a little decorum for the victims of such abuse isn't too much to ask for?

Alan Brazil was one of the victims back then.

To think though this guy Bennell gets 9 yars for ruining so many lives.  Hanging is too good for these sort of people.

[fidget1]

I felt a bit sorry for the dj Barry Bethall of slimfast advert fame until I googled and found out he was a beast too!

[DaveShoelace]

I felt a bit sorry for the dj Barry Bethall of slimfast advert fame until I googled and found out he was a beast too!

Jesus.

My nickname at school was Barry Bethel, because my name is Barry and the slimfast add was quite big at the time. Glad I'm still not at school now.