Club statement regarding Barry Bennell's conviction

[Rascal]

This has gone on wildly off topic with loads of whataboutery

1/ City need to sort this mess out quick.

2/ The lads abused need showing we are doing everything possible to get to the bottom of this

3/ Any **** associated needs reporting to the police asap

4/ Our team is on the cusp of greatness and I would give it all up, the lot, so that lads can maybe get some justice.

5/ Our reputation is now sullied for eternity, anything we do will have this shadowing over us. If we cant earn the respect back and do whats best for those abused we may as well pack up and close down. We have to live with the consequences of what that **** did and those lives he ruined. However I look at it this has to be the lowest time In our clubs history.

 

[twosips]

Of course it's not just a phenomenon of the 70's. But life was very different back in those days. Teachers were allowed to hit and use straps and canes on their pupils. There was no concept of ‘child protection’. I vividly remember my old primary school head shouting at one lad while we were all lined up in the playground for something he’d done and saying “You can barely write your own name!” Most nowadays would describe him as a sadistic bully (although he was fine with me).

When I went to grammar school there was a teacher there who was regarded as a little strange and who allegedly used to invite boys round to his house. I don’t know whether that was true or not. He never taught me thank goodness but we all talked about it. Other staff must have known of the stories but he stayed at the school for a while and nothing has ever come to light since, as far as I know. A teacher there was more recently dismissed for a physical assault on a boy that wouldn't have raised an eyebrow back in the 70's.

In the late 70's I was a young scout leader in the local troop and there was one leader who seemed to have developed a relationship with a boy who would today probably be described as vulnerable, with a troubled home background. Scouts gave him some of the stability & support he didn't get at home. I wasn't involved in them but was aware of discussions among the other adult leaders about this and their concerns. One was a police officer so you'd assume that any serious concerned might have been investigated but as the lad was over 16 there was possibly little they could do. The leader was asked to leave iirc and I think the young lad went with him. There was no apparent policy or process around child protection but the other leaders did what they thought was right.

Years later (early 90's I think) I returned to scout leadership and the first training course I went on was centred on child protection and ensuring that you were never in a position where you were alone with a child. I also had to have a police check (and one against the Scout Association's own database). I seem to recall it was presented more as protecting yourself (against false allegations) rather than protecting the child, which maybe was the wrong approach but the effect was the same and it was clear things had moved on.

The difference between then and now is that it was easier to gain access to networks like boys' clubs, scout groups, football clubs, and carry out abuse whereas it should be much more difficult now, with the right protections and procedures in place.

Yeah of course. Just talking about how it won't go away, and if anything it's probably still happening, and maybe to even more extreme days, but it's a lot more harder to detect as it's underground a lot more, which is worrying. Dark web and all that.

This actually happened at my school too which was in the 90s -

https://www.manchestereveningnews.c.../jailed-retired-teacher-church-deacon-7684285

Thankfully I joined St Ambrose two years after he left, but its creepy as fuck.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Instead of giving him the keys to homes and hospitals.

You're correct, though, Saville regularly bragged he was protected and had friends in the IRA.

It was all bull that Saville was protected by the IRA. My uncle got banged up for threatening the nonce

 

[Scottyboi]

This has gone on wildly off topic with loads of whataboutery

1/ City need to sort this mess out quick.

2/ The lads abused need showing we are doing everything possible to get to the bottom of this

3/ Any **** associated needs reporting to the police asap

4/ Our team is on the cusp of greatness and I would give it all up, the lot, so that lads can maybe get some justice.

5/ Our reputation is now sullied for eternity, anything we do will have this shadowing over us. If we cant earn the respect back and do whats best for those abused we may as well pack up and close down. We have to live with the consequences of what that **** did and those lives he ruined. However I look at it this has to be the lowest time In our clubs history.

Give over our reputation is sullied for eternity. We are in no way shape or form the same club as to when Bennel operated thank fuck.

 

[west didsblue]

This has gone on wildly off topic with loads of whataboutery

1/ City need to sort this mess out quick.

2/ The lads abused need showing we are doing everything possible to get to the bottom of this

3/ Any **** associated needs reporting to the police asap

4/ Our team is on the cusp of greatness and I would give it all up, the lot, so that lads can maybe get some justice.

5/ Our reputation is now sullied for eternity, anything we do will have this shadowing over us. If we cant earn the respect back and do whats best for those abused we may as well pack up and close down. We have to live with the consequences of what that **** did and those lives he ruined. However I look at it this has to be the lowest time In our clubs history.

As far as I can make out, the club are doing all they can to find out exactly what happened in the 70s, which probably isn't that easy as there's probably no-one left from that era.
The lowest time in our history was when it happened, not now. We have the opportuinity to show to the world that getting to the truth is more important than hiding skeletons in our cupboard. Carrying out a transparent enquiry that gets to the truth is more important than hand wringing and would help the victims more than anything else. Any hint of a cover up now would be worse for our reputation than whatever facts are unearthed however bad.

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

Of course it's not just a phenomenon of the 70's. But life was very different back in those days. Teachers were allowed to hit and use straps and canes on their pupils. There was no concept of ‘child protection’. I vividly remember my old primary school head shouting at one lad while we were all lined up in the playground for something he’d done and saying “You can barely write your own name!” Most nowadays would describe him as a sadistic bully (although he was fine with me).

When I went to grammar school there was a teacher there who was regarded as a little strange and who allegedly used to invite boys round to his house. I don’t know whether that was true or not. He never taught me thank goodness but we all talked about it. Other staff must have known of the stories but he stayed at the school for a while and nothing has ever come to light since, as far as I know. A teacher there was more recently dismissed for a physical assault on a boy that wouldn't have raised an eyebrow back in the 70's.

In the late 70's I was a young scout leader in the local troop and there was one leader who seemed to have developed a relationship with a boy who would today probably be described as vulnerable, with a troubled home background. Scouts gave him some of the stability & support he didn't get at home. I wasn't involved in them but was aware of discussions among the other adult leaders about this and their concerns. One was a police officer so you'd assume that any serious concerned might have been investigated but as the lad was over 16 there was possibly little they could do. The leader was asked to leave iirc and I think the young lad went with him. There was no apparent policy or process around child protection but the other leaders did what they thought was right.

Years later (early 90's I think) I returned to scout leadership and the first training course I went on was centred on child protection and ensuring that you were never in a position where you were alone with a child. I also had to have a police check (and one against the Scout Association's own database). I seem to recall it was presented more as protecting yourself (against false allegations) rather than protecting the child, which maybe was the wrong approach but the effect was the same and it was clear things had moved on.

The difference between then and now is that it was easier to gain access to networks like boys' clubs, scout groups, football clubs, and carry out abuse whereas it should be much more difficult now, with the right protections and procedures in place.

was still going in the late 90s in the cubs, but then again they let the priest in so hey...

 

[Happy Feet]

Give over our reputation is sullied for eternity. We are in no way shape or form the same club as to when Bennel operated thank fuck.

As far as I can make out, the club are doing all they can to find out exactly what happened in the 70s, which probably isn't that easy as there's probably no-one left from that era.
The lowest time in our history was when it happened, not now. We have the opportuinity to show to the world that getting to the truth is more important than hiding skeletons in our cupboard. Carrying out a transparent enquiry that gets to the truth is more important than hand wringing and would help the victims more than anything else. Any hint of a cover up now would be worse for our reputation than whatever facts are unearthed however bad.

Correct

 

[lancs blue]

If we would of voiced our concerns to Crewe and bennell found out do u think we would of been liable to slander and as not having full proof evidence? I know the same can be said for the touting of tickets but it's hardly in comparison to the other crime. I really can't see any other reason for city not telling Crewe?

It didn't need to be said in explicit terms, there are ways of wording comments to get the general message across, especially if it was a private conversation. And maybe we did tell them and Crewe are being evasive, who really knows after 30-odd years?

 

[worsleyweb]

This has gone on wildly off topic with loads of whataboutery

1/ City need to sort this mess out quick. I am sure they are on it

2/ The lads abused need showing we are doing everything possible to get to the bottom of this I undertand the club have held a detailed investigation

3/ Any **** associated needs reporting to the police asap no one will disagree

4/ Our team is on the cusp of greatness and I would give it all up, the lot, so that lads can maybe get some justice. The two are not linked

5/ Our reputation is now sullied for eternity, anything we do will have this shadowing over us. If we cant earn the respect back and do whats best for those abused we may as well pack up and close down. We have to live with the consequences of what that **** did and those lives he ruined. However I look at it this has to be the lowest time In our clubs history.

A serious as this matter is I can't help but think this post is wrong in some ways. Of course if anyone at the club knew of it and there was a cover up in any way then they should be dealt with and I don't doubt they will be. From what I have read this twat was not employed as Steve Fleet had doubts about him so he went elsewhere.

Our current owners I understand have already spent in excess of £1 million pound investigating this matter from 30 years ago. With all due respect talk of knocking down the Etihad and packing up and close down is nonsense. This is one vile individual who was never employed by our club but had links to it. And to say our reputation is now sullied for eternity is in my opinion wrong too. This is one man who the club had dealings with 30 years ago. What he did was abhorrent but our club is a wonderful club and has done so much good over so many years. Barry Bennel is not our club.

 

[Jazzman]

Yeah of course. Just talking about how it won't go away, and if anything it's probably still happening, and maybe to even more extreme days, but it's a lot more harder to detect as it's underground a lot more, which is worrying. Dark web and all that.

This actually happened at my school too which was in the 90s -

https://www.manchestereveningnews.c.../jailed-retired-teacher-church-deacon-7684285

Thankfully I joined St Ambrose two years after he left, but its creepy as fuck.

I feel very sorry for everyone who suffered, so much that I am not sure I even have the right to utter any opinion in this matter.

However here my 2 cents. I think this shit is still ongoing in many places today, youth sports is per definition a good hunting ground for these people. Therefore it is so, so important that City brings things out into the open. Talking about it can and will raise awareness and hopefully inspire today's and future victims to speak up about it. To me City's transparency and willingness to stop the silence is a very, very important contribution to finding a better way for all of us to deal with this problem. Anybody who use this as a stick to beat any particular club with (be it City or other clubs) is not taking the issue serious, and not taking it serious is equal to accepting that it will happen again some where else.