Paedophile coach at Crewe?

[JOHNNYAITCH]

Saying nothing is almost an admission that there is something which they don't want to say.

 

Could be...could be they have been advised not to say anything or not to say what they would like to say at this point.

[Shropshire_Valiant]

As Andy(cv) says this could run and run with Crewe probably at the centre of it. They perhaps weren't the only club who employed some of the protagonists(i.e. Bennell) though which suggests there may have been a culture of 'turning a blind eye' to such issues in the 80s/90s due to lack of awareness and procedures.

[Jacko51]

And so it goes on.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38057441

[Twitters]

And so it goes on.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38057441

 

The Crewe response is laughable:

 

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

[Jacko51]

The Crewe response is laughable:

 

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

 

Indeed it is. What was actually done by Crewe at the time of Bennell's arrest and conviction? Was an investigation held by the club? If not, why not? I see Gradi says "It was a long time ago and for all intents and purposes it was dealt with at the time.” How was it dealt with? Does he mean by the Courts? How was it dealt with in the club? Saying it was a long time ago is irrelevant - is there a statute of limitation on child sexual abuse that I wasn't aware of? This whole affair stinks to high heaven yet the local media are largely ignoring it.

[Santa]

Did Gradi ever explain how Bennell had access to his house? Was he watering his plants while Dario was on holiday or something?

[robf]

The Crewe response is laughable:

 

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

 

I totally agree and I think Pete Morse's coverage in the Crewe Chronicle is highly questionable too.

 

Some very serious incidents appeared to have happened and his response in this article is to complain about... "the club’s good name being dragged through the gutter by the national press".

 

Firstly, it's not about the club - it's about serious sexual abuse. Plus there are surely more important things here than Crewe's reputation! But that's the Chronicle's Crewe reporter's sole contribution to the issue - not to investigate more, not to question how this was allowed to happen but to complain that it damages the club's reputation!

 

Astonishing!

 

Link - http://www.crewechronicle.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/crewe-alex-opinion-point-solace-12204142?

[PV1973]

I was talking to a friend whos a Crewe fan and the talk amongst his group of fans he goes with is that they are worried this will trigger a more full blown investigation (which is what should happen IMO). They are also concerned with the clubs level of invesitagtion at the time and if anyone else knew or turned a blind eye to what was going on.

 

Yet the point is being missed that there are innocent child victims here. They and their parents put their trust in these people.

 

I think that this former player coming froward may mean others come forward too, and if recent historic child abuse investigations are anything to go by then I'd expect Crewe and any other club implicated to be getting a visit.

[Howjy04]

Did Gradi ever explain how Bennell had access to his house? Was he watering his plants while Dario was on holiday or something?

 

He must have broken in Santa.It will all come out.

[IanW]

I think there are some very worried people down at Gresty Road currently!

[bycars rob]

I heard rumours of this stuff going on at Crewe in the 80`s from one person who at one time had close relations with the club but would not while "that pervert" was still connected with them. He also told me that similar stuff happened at Stoke as well, which as Bennel also worked there, would not be a total surprise. Shut them both down I say!

[cheshirevaliant]

I totally agree and I think Pete Morse's coverage in the Crewe Chronicle is highly questionable too.

 

Some very serious incidents appeared to have happened and his response in this article is to complain about... "the club’s good name being dragged through the gutter by the national press".

 

Firstly, it's not about the club - it's about serious sexual abuse. Plus there are surely more important things here than Crewe's reputation! But that's the Chronicle's Crewe reporter's sole contribution to the issue - not to investigate more, not to question how this was allowed to happen but to complain that it damages the club's reputation!

 

Astonishing!

 

Link - http://www.crewechronicle.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/crewe-alex-opinion-point-solace-12204142?

 

Always a risk of the club's name being dragged through the gutter when you are accused of running a paedophile ring I guess.

[geosname]

How big is a pedophile ring?.... the strange thing about pedophiles is [one of the strange things that is] that no matter how low they fly under the radar they like to share.

Given the length of time that it went on I would be shocked if no one else knew about it or in fact had taken part in some way.

[JOHNNYAITCH]

Indeed it is. What was actually done by Crewe at the time of Bennell's arrest and conviction? Was an investigation held by the club? If not, why not? I see Gradi says "It was a long time ago and for all intents and purposes it was dealt with at the time." How was it dealt with? Does he mean by the Courts? How was it dealt with in the club? Saying it was a long time ago is irrelevant - is there a statute of limitation on child sexual abuse that I wasn't aware of? This whole affair stinks to high heaven yet the local media are largely ignoring it.

 

I'm not excusing Crewe but we are looking back at this from the position of what would happen now..not what was required/expected/posible at the time. We can still judge their inaction but it has to be put into a context of how things were at the time..there wasn't the protection for whistleblowers at the time for example so individuals might have not felt able to come forward.

 

Anyways..it should be investigated now to get the guilty and hopefully enable more victims to come forward and get help

[Shropshire_Valiant]

Morse is a **** you only have to listen to his waffle on Radio Stoke as Crewe 'summariser' to realise that. Like through most of last season he would comment how well Crewe were playing at times and they weren't far away, when in actual fact they were the worst team in the division by some distance! Clearly if all he can comment on is 'Crewe's reputation' when children have been sexually abused by a former club employee I give up!

I honestly think Crewe and everyone associated with the club(directors, media etc) live in a bubble. Like there is Crewe Alex and there's everyone else. As eluded to on the previous pages we're perhaps now starting to see what the 'Crewe Way' was all about!