Barry Bennell

[gilzeantheking]

I suppose it was only a matter of time before these sort of allegations came to light. Ideal surroundings for a serial abuser I imagine.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38075480

 

[Gassin's finest]

I thought they would have tried to dig deeper into this after that Chelsea coach was caught... Graham Rix was it?

 

[Shanks]

Worrying to read about it in all honesty.

I pass my boy over, up to 5 times a week at his club.

I'm not suggesting any of them will fiddle with him in the slightest, but as a parent you are kept at a rather large distance from the players and the team.

Example being, I dropped him off at the training ground at 6.30am, he returned at 7pm that day to play a game against Norwich.

Thats several hours on the coach there and back, changing, playing...

This weekend he is away at Arsenal, again another coach ride... if I go to watch, I don't see him, I literally watch the game and meet him afterwards.

Then there is the european tours, as a parent you are not allowed to stay in the same hotel as your kid, if you want to go, you have to get your own flights and accomodation, and you see your lad at matches only.

Pretty harrowing reading this stuff in all honesty, may have to have a little bit of a mans chat with him.

 

[Gassin's finest]

Worrying to read about it in all honesty.

I pass my boy over, up to 5 times a week at his club.

I'm not suggesting any of them will fiddle with him in the slightest, but as a parent you are kept at a rather large distance from the players and the team.

Example being, I dropped him off at the training ground at 6.30am, he returned at 7pm that day to play a game against Norwich.

Thats several hours on the coach there and back, changing, playing...

This weekend he is away at Arsenal, again another coach ride... if I go to watch, I don't see him, I literally watch the game and meet him afterwards.

Then there is the european tours, as a parent you are not allowed to stay in the same hotel as your kid, if you want to go, you have to get your own flights and accomodation, and you see your lad at matches only.

Pretty harrowing reading this stuff in all honesty, may have to have a little bit of a mans chat with him.

Tell him to punch 'em in the balls!

 

[Mustard]

I was going to make a thread about this. This article is a tough read but it's worth it.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/nov/19/andy-woodward

It was published on the anniversary of Gary Speeds death. At the time there were rumours sloshing about the media and within football that the reason Gary Speed killed himself was because of some dark secret Second life he was leading. He was gay ( a crime in football in those days ) not really changed that much now, or worse he was a peadophile. Gary Speado was a story many papers wanted to run, so I heard, but couldn't find any evidence. Those vile rumours came about because of suspicions of his past. He was most likely a victim of Bennell in the story above.

Football is such a closed backward world.


Edit. Follow up story today.


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

 

[gilzeantheking]

Reading that article is tough. Stewart states his problems with drink and drugs stem from this abuse, and he is probably right. I wonder how many other ex-pros went through this and have experienced the same consequences. We will never know I suppose.

The upside of this is that it hopefully will encourage others to speak out, especially those who are still suffering at the hands of their abusers either mentally or physically.

 

[nailsy]

Really brave decision to speak up by these players. Hopefully it will help kids in a similar situation now.

 

[TheHoddleWaddle]

Sorry if posted elsewhere, i couldn't see a thread on it. Absolutely awful to read about. Highlights the complete lack of awareness all those years ago. Brave man to make it public knowledge.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38075480

Former England and Tottenham footballer Paul Stewart has spoken of being sexually abused as a youth player.

Mr Stewart, who began his professional career with Blackpool and also played for Manchester City and Liverpool, told the Mirror an unnamed coach abused him daily for four years.

It comes after two ex-Crewe players said a club coach abused them as boys.

Eleven people have contacted Cheshire Police since one of the men, Andy Woodward, went public with his story.

 

[Shea]

I thought they would have tried to dig deeper into this after that Chelsea coach was caught... Graham Rix was it?

Graham Rix was caught with his daughters friend I think

Rather than boys at his academy

 

[Gassin's finest]

Graham Rix was caught with his daughters friend I think

Rather than boys at his academy

**** regardless.

 

[Shea]

**** regardless.

Even without the situation with his daughters friend he was a ****

He destroyed the confidence of my friend when he was his manager in the chelsea youth ranks

It was on some tv show actually - Rix treated him terribly

 

[TheHoddleWaddle]

@Shanks it makes your toes curl, doesn't it? But wrapping kids in cotton wool doesn't help either. At least anyone working with kids these days needs CRB checks etc, which is some comfort. But I suppose, you can't go through life assuming ones kids will be exposed to something as dreadful as this, or we'd never sleep or let them do anything.

 

[gushayes11]

David White is claiming he was abused too now. Ex Leeds, Man City.
Football sex abuse claims: David White latest ex-player to come forward
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38084213

 

[nailsy]

The bastards walking around at the moment as well. Hopefully he'll face fresh charges now.

 

[gushayes11]

I played youth football to a good level, coached by a guy, on and off,who I thought I knew well, from the age of about 11 to 18. All the guys liked him, very funny man. I'd been in a room alone with him too. Well known coach in the area. Then almost 15 years later, go into local shop and see his face on the front page of local paper, sent down for abusing boys for the last 17 years. Never in a million years would I have thought he was capable. It shows you never really know someone or whats going on behind closed doors or in his head.

 

[Shea]

I played youth football to a good level, coached by a guy, on and off,who I thought I knew well, from the age of about 11 to 18. All the guys liked him, very funny man. I'd been in a room alone with him too. Well known coach in the area. Then almost 15 years later, go into local shop and see his face on the front page of local paper, sent down for abusing boys for the last 17 years. Never in a million years would I have thought he was capable. It shows you never really know someone or whats going on behind closed doors or in his head.

My old junior school pe teacher was recently jailed for making pornohraphic images using the faces of little boys form his school and photoshopping them on to hard core sex scenes

He only served a year because it was argued that the sex scenes were of consenting adults and no actual abuse of the kids took place

Who knows what else he did when being in charge of so many kids for so many years (I think he started in the early 80s)

He used to take us to the local swimming baths, football matches as the only adult

In fact when I was in the 3rd year I was promoted to play for the 4th year team too

I've always thought it was because I was the best footballer in the school but it turns out he just wanted extra opportunities to see me in my football shorts and I was actually crap at football

 

[gushayes11]

My old junior school pe teacher was recently jailed for making pornohraphic images using the faces of little boys form his school and photoshopping them on to hard core sex scenes

He only served a year because it was argued that the sex scenes were of consenting adults and no actual abuse of the kids took place

Who knows what else he did when being in charge of so many kids for so many years (I think he started in the early 80s)

He used to take us to the local swimming baths, football matches as the only adult

In fact when I was in the 3rd year I was promoted to play for the 4th year team too

I've always thought it was because I was the best footballer in the school but it turns out he just wanted extra opportunities to see me in my football shorts and I was actually crap at football

Wow, I expect this goes on a hell of a lot more than we'll ever know. The stuff in the media is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[Shea]

Wow, I expect this goes on a hell of a lot more than we'll ever know. The stuff in the media is just the tip of the iceberg.

I'm sure the amount of people caught compared to the amount of people doing these types of things is as you say the tip of the iceberg

Rules are stricter now days - a single teacher wouldn't be allowed to take a bunch of kids into a swimming baths changing room like they were in my day

Peoole have to have enhanced CRB checks to be able - my wife works in an infant school and they often ask me to dress up as santa for all the kids, despite everyone at the school knowing me well I still have to have an enhanced CRB just to help out

But CRB checks can only catch people who've already been caught in the past
So anyone who is under the radar will continue to be regardless of the checks

In a world of camera phones these people can easily take photos of kids etc and I'm sure there are times when even with the best will in the world its impossible to stop a teacher having the opportunity to be alone with a kid or kids at some time or another

It's a sad fact that these things do happen to kids in schools, sports teams etc and probably a lot more than people know

 

[TheHoddleWaddle]

I'm sure the amount of people caught compared to the amount of people doing these types of things is as you say the tip of the iceberg

Rules are stricter now days - a single teacher wouldn't be allowed to take a bunch of kids into a swimming baths changing room like they were in my day

Peoole have to have enhanced CRB checks to be able - my wife works in an infant school and they often ask me to dress up as santa for all the kids, despite everyone at the school knowing me well I still have to have an enhanced CRB just to help out

But CRB checks can only catch people who've already been caught in the past
So anyone who is under the radar will continue to be regardless of the checks

In a world of camera phones these people can easily take photos of kids etc and I'm sure there are times when even with the best will in the world its impossible to stop a teacher having the opportunity to be alone with a kid or kids at some time or another

It's a sad fact that these things do happen to kids in schools, sports teams etc and probably a lot more than people know

That's the thing, you have to put some trust into where your kids go. I went to army cadets as a young lad. Never had any issues. I then read in a paper, about 5 years ago, the bloke running it had been sent down for noncing. I knew the victim too. Made me feel bad as i feel like I should have known or something. He was definately a bit vulnerable, behaviour issues and broken family etc. These predators know who to go after, I'm sure they can sense the kids who will be the easiest targets. Very manipulative and clever about it too.

 

[Shea]