Club statement regarding Barry Bennell's conviction

[johnmc]

Moot point maybe but apparently Bennell was all set for a role at united but fergie kicked him off the premises with the suggestion that he knew about his reputation. Did he report his concerns?

 

[geoff clipp]

I’ve read all that in detail, I have a vested interest as my brother played for Whitehill and White Star. The lad doesn’t actually state he was abused on the pitch, this is my point.

Come on, nobody is disputing that that is the story in this piece. Do you seriously think that they would have misrepresented him in the headline, in such such a blatant way if that wasn't what he'd said? The journalist is the guy that broke the story originally and has the trust of many of the survivors that have chosen to speak.

Not only that, but Cliffe pretty much spells it out here:

“We were one end of the pitch, we had our tracksuit bottoms on and he spied his opportunity. It just shows the arrogance of the man and his confidence that he could do what he liked, and never thought he would be caught. But he had the run of the place.."

Don't know why I'm even arguing this point with you. It's clear and also, the precise location is not really that important is it.

 

[cleavers]

Again can we insist that non related allegations/implications/convictions are left out of this thread.

Thanks.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

My heart goes out to all that bastard's victims. Whether he was a City employee isn't the point - makes no difference and certainly not to the public at large. With more to come involving other clubs, this case may well be the tip of the iceberg. The club needs to be seen to be being open and honest - not defensive and not trying to distance ourselves from 80s City. Let's be honest, the media want us to be defensive and attempt to avoid the hard horrible questions so they can stick the boot in. No doubt Panorama and other documentaries to come. This whole situation is repellant, revolting and worse than disgusting. Just two words - child safeguarding.

 

[bellsouth]

As a child in the 70s and 80s I don’t remember on any occasion receiving guidance or education on potential wrongdoing against us as a generation by people in positions of responsibility - unquestionably, those that were presented with evidence of wrongdoing who chose to do nothing should be held to account retrospectively, individuals and institutions like Crewe, City, the BBC etc but it’s also my opinion that our generation was severely let down by society as a whole, poloticians, police, parents, schools, journalists etc etc who all could have done so much more to protect children from this abuse

 

[SiMCFC]

I'm sure the club will do everything it can to assist in these investigations, it does feel however that the press are having an absolute field day dragging 'Manchester City' as if the current owners/directors were complicit in this. What about Stoke and all the other clubs he scouted for? I sincerely hope the piece of shit rots to death in prison but the hatchet job going on towards the club isn't right either.

 

[typicalcity...]

SOmetning on channel 4 now about it even though first dates is listed presume it’s dispatches.

 

[Hes the left back remember]

Bennel was never a full time employee of City but never the less if as reported knowledge or even suspicion was ignored then it was neglect of children on a massive scale.
John Broome has now been named who was a manager of Whitehill teams around 1968 onwards.
Whitehill played at Park Road Cheadle which was Citys training ground at the time and the link was one that was pushed by these 'coaches'
Broome actually worked full time for Manchester Education Committee in some capacity.
Many of the players aged 12 upwards were aware of his predatory instincts and spoke openly of it.
Broome 'left' or was 'asked to leave' and took a younger team with him as the Whitehll idea was scaled down,however this team lasted a season only as far as I can remember.
Don't think the scale of incidents by Broome will be on the same scale as Bennel as Bennel was more or less full time coach/abuser.
I played for Whitehill around the time Broome was there but never knew Bennel .
The age group above who had a different manager (TC) had a few players who did play for the first team.

 

[C-E-L-FBlue]

There are so many angles to this story but the one I find most disturbing is the fact that clubs (of which our beloved City were highly involved) could turn a blind eye to this in the hope of finding the next star young player.

There is absolutely no way that anyone in the close knit footballing community would not have been aware of what this monster was doing. I include clubs who had no direct contact with him as well as those directly involved.

I was a member of a really succesful school team in the High Peak area in the mid eighties and a number of our team played for a Bennell ran side (I think they were called White Knowle but I could be wrong). It was a running joke at school that these boys were Bennell’s special friends and he would always be openly referred to as Bummer Barry or Bummer Bennell. Sadly the lure of the promise of becoming footballers drew my friends into Bennell’s group. Although no one mentioned any specific instances of abuse I can only wonder what experiences they had to endure.

I am also friends with one of the guys who waived their anomynity before this trial but not once had he previously mentioned this abuse. God only knows what he has had to live with all these years!!

 

[cleavers]

I'm sure the club will do everything it can to assist in these investigations, it does feel however that the press are having an absolute field day dragging 'Manchester City' as if the current owners/directors were complicit in this.

I think they've been quite restrained, and stuck to the facts.