Club statement regarding Barry Bennell's conviction

[Chris in London]

Well it wasn't at half time was it? It's like blaming British Rail for someone getting molested on a train.

Puzzled too about City being sued. Did any victims of Rolf Harris or Savile sue the BBC? (Obviously Savile is dead so that is a no to him)

I think the short answer is yes they did, compensation was quickly and quietly arranged, and the cases stayed a long way away from any courtroom

 

[levets]

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.

The story is that these poor lads were groomed and abused by a predatory monster.
However another narrative is being delivered. I’m in NZ and I’ve already heard ‘appalling’ and ‘abysmal’ behaviour by City. The turning of a ‘blind eye’ by a member of staff who is no longer able to respond to this allegation.

One reporter has said that Bennell ‘operated’ at City for 3 years along with another abuser since discovered. He never ‘operated’ at City, he was an unofficial scout. The story is being delivered now as MCFC have responsibility and are even complicit, which is completely unfair. The reason I asked where you got the info from was because it was reported that no abuse took place at MCFC property, perhaps they meant no evidence? However this is not to say it didn’t happen.

The story is terribly sad, I know this from a personal point of view; and if somebody had spoken out, a lot of abuse would have been avoided. However, MCFC as an institution are not responsible, the abusers and those who did nothing about it are. I do expect that City will act with compassion and dignity; and do the right thing. Sorry if I gave a different impression.

 

[Dribble]

What Bennell did goes beyond football, these were our children who suffered at the hands of this merciless brute.

Just because the world has changed in the last 40 years, doesn't excuse what this creature did. I hope he spends his every last remaining minutes on this planet in jail.

Albeit City is a completely different club these days with new owners, the fact this paedophile brute used our name to entice his victims will unavoidably cast shame on us. If there was a cover up at the time, City need to root out the people involved & hand their findings over to the police.

Having said that, it was such a long time ago, this process won't be easy, but is necessary on our part so that the wronged are heard & receive justice.

As for the victims suing City, I suppose my view will depend on the level of complicity regarding the alleged cover up. Whatever has happened, we need to get to the truth & face up to any consequences if there are any.

What's hurting me is when I put myself in Sheikh Mansour's shoes, I'm gutted that he may have to take responsibility for the actions of unscrupulous individuals once associated with his business 30 years before he purchased it.... This whole situation is a mess & I hope Bennell receives everything the law can throw at the bastard!

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Early 1970s. Whitehill

Was Broome ever associated with Tameside Schoolboys? I’m a little foggy on the name, but I think I might know who he was. Broome rings a bell.

Need to know if he was one of the adults who ran Tameside Boys (U-14s, I think) around 1977. Steve Nolan (Daily Express) seems to know him, and the description sounds like him.

Any help with ANY information would be helpful, as I may know a few things about him IF it is the same guy. If not, there was another kiddie fiddler out there preying on young lads trying to get on with City and others. I know of two. I was playing with Sunderland at the time.

ANY info on Broome would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Ken Barnes who I met and was a thorough decent man seems to have his name mentioned a couple of times. Sad that he is being tainted by this.

He was a family friend and I absolutely agree. As Chief Scout, Ken would have been remiss if he didn’t run the rule over someone who seemed to be able to attract the best talent from around Manchester, but Steve Fleet, another family friend, appears to have let him know he wasn’t right and shouldn’t be brought into the club...and if he was Steve would leave. Those kind of ultimatums don’t often happen when people have dream jobs, so Steve was taken seriously and it appears they discussed the issue inside the club before deciding not to hire him.

 

[shemnel]

Throughout the 80s as a young lad, I idolised City, I desperately wanted to play for them but sadly trials came to nothing. I would travel from Cumbria to watch games with my granddad, he would take me to see training sessions when Howard Kendall/Peter Reid was in charge, i even got onto the Maine Road pitch when they had a team photoshoot in 1991 and i took the team photo on my crappy instant camera (still have that photo, magic).

To learn that my club were possibly complicit/lenient towards a serial paedophile, who was making hellish existences for boys of a very similar age to me at the time, is profoundly upsetting and disappointing to me as a supporter of the club.

Some will see this as an overreaction, some wont really blink an eyelid at this from 30 years ago, but it's very very real.

 

[City Raider]

This is going to explode on us now, the baying hordes are going to need someone to hang it on. Regardless of your views on this twats links with our club, we are the big target and no doubt this will also provide a vehicle for attacking us for those with other motives.

As has been said the club have to be proactive in managing this. Releasing carefully worded statements isn't going to hack it, we need to show real leadership.

 

[The perfect fumble]

This is going to explode on us now, the baying hordes are going to need someone to hang it on. Regardless of your views on this twats links with our club, we are the big target and no doubt this will also provide a vehicle for attacking us for those with other motives.

As has been said the club have to be proactive in managing this. Releasing carefully worded statements isn't going to hack it, we need to show real leadership.

Yes, we do, by doing absolutely nothing beyond the bare minimum we are doing now.

 

[asahartford1]

This is going to explode on us now, the baying hordes are going to need someone to hang it on. Regardless of your views on this twats links with our club, we are the big target and no doubt this will also provide a vehicle for attacking us for those with other motives.

As has been said the club have to be proactive in managing this. Releasing carefully worded statements isn't going to hack it, we need to show real leadership.

Try to remember the clubs first consideration is for the victims.
The owners are doing everything in a classy, professional manner.

 

[The Silver Surfer]

This is going to explode on us now, the baying hordes are going to need someone to hang it on. Regardless of your views on this twats links with our club, we are the big target and no doubt this will also provide a vehicle for attacking us for those with other motives.

As has been said the club have to be proactive in managing this. Releasing carefully worded statements isn't going to hack it, we need to show real leadership.

I agree with this, I've not read the entire thread but was pretty dismayed this morning with what seemed like the "glee" multiple media organisations seemed to be blaming MCFC the club for all this.
It needs be made clear that bennell did these disgusting things of his own volition and used MCFC as a vehicle to carry these awful attacks.
If ANYONE at City at the time knew and ignored what was going on they should be held accountable.
The media showing footage of the current badge and stadium with this news will give a biased view of the club, give it a "nonce club" image and as we all know regarding the misinformation spread from jealously that we're nothing but an "oil club" while totally ignoring all the great things the owners do in the community and over the world - and shit really does stick.

 

[Len Rum]

As has been said the club have to be proactive in managing this. Releasing carefully worded statements isn't going to hack it, we need to show real leadership.

Seems to me the club have been proactive by instigating a QC led internal investigation.
The club are constrained by what they can say due to ongoing legal cases.
What exactly did you have in mind by saying the club should "show real leadership".

 

[its a Barm]

I wad seriously pissed of last night that they had cameras at the stadium reporting on this terrible event, you can see the headlines soon "city cover up" and don't be surprised to see "pep knew" it's like the media are loving this and are so desperate to get some shit to stick on us.

 

[DontLookBackInAnger]

I wad seriously pissed of last night that they had cameras at the stadium reporting on this terrible event, you can see the headlines soon "city cover up" and don't be surprised to see "pep knew" it's like the media are loving this and are so desperate to get some shit to stick on us.

The problem is it would seem that there was a "City cover-up" given Swales position within the FA I'm shocked that the FA seem to be getting a free ride on this right now.

 

[City Raider]

Seems to me the club have been proactive by instigating a QC led internal investigation.
The club are constrained by what they can say due to ongoing legal cases.
What exactly did you have in mind by saying the club should "show real leadership".

Unfortunately I don't think hiding behind due process is going to cut it in this case. We need to find a way to balance that with some openness and transparency around the facts as we uncover them.

 

[Indaparkside]

I wad seriously pissed of last night that they had cameras at the stadium reporting on this terrible event, you can see the headlines soon "city cover up" and don't be surprised to see "pep knew" it's like the media are loving this and are so desperate to get some shit to stick on us.

Said the same to the wife anything to tarnish us, supprised they didn't go on about Adam Johnson straight afterwards

 

[Rascal]

Personally I could not give two fucks about City with this. This is far more serious than our football club, as much as I love City I would rather we were closed down and get the real truth out so lads could maybe get some relief from the horrors inflicted upon them

I lived close to Bennell, my mum and his mum were friends. Toffee Balls from here lived round the corner from him (if he still posts I will leave his thoughts for him to post) We played football with his younger brother. His older brother was a **** who murdered two girls, one was with my Aunty the night he did the first girl and the coward hung himself. His mum had to move, she told my mum she had tried really hard to bring her boys up properly. She is a victim of the bastard too. Hounded out of her home, had to get a new identity and move on. Not seen the younger brother for years, maybe he has done the same. Last time I saw him was over 20 years ago and he had a pub in Worsley.

My mate was coached by Bennell and drank himself to death aged 29. He never spoke about it, but it makes sense now. The bastard had reduced a decent very talented young footballer into a shell of himself. A fair number of lads from my area where involved with Bennell. He was well known in our area. I remember as a kid my mum crossing the road and telling me to avoid him, he was not a nice man she said.

I'm angry this morning, I'm not a violent man at all, but I could quite easily disembowel the **** and have no regrets at all.

 

[DontLookBackInAnger]

Said the same to the wife anything to tarnish us, supprised they didn't go on about Adam Johnson straight afterwards

What do you want them to say? There is an established and acknowledged link between Bennell and the club and it would seem that atleast at some level the club turned a blind eye. As a supporter from back then I can totally imagine it was due to the club's total mismanagement at pretty much every level, but we have been caught with our pants down, forgive the pun. However I'm sure there are those out there that would take a darker view.

 

[geoff clipp]

Well it wasn't at half time was it? It's like blaming British Rail for someone getting molested on a train.

Puzzled too about City being sued. Did any victims of Rolf Harris or Savile sue the BBC? (Obviously Savile is dead so that is a no to him)

I think the train analogy is shaky. Even though I don't know why it should be needed, i'll respond with another shaky one.

A music teacher (not officially employed by a prestigious high school but very well known to them) asks to use the school's facilities to provide private lessons for kids about to hoping to attend that school, and that high school, even after being warned that this particular person was a child molester, gives him the keys to the school to bring in kids to come and go as he wants. The inevitable happens. You don't think that school is partially responsible for what happened on its premises? It's ok cos it happened after school rather than at playtime?

Ps for what it's worth, I would hold British rail partly responsible if i was assaulted by an outsourced employee on one of their trains and I discovered they had been warned he was a threat.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Throughout the 80s as a young lad, I idolised City, I desperately wanted to play for them but sadly trials came to nothing. I would travel from Cumbria to watch games with my granddad, he would take me to see training sessions when Howard Kendall/Peter Reid was in charge, i even got onto the Maine Road pitch when they had a team photoshoot in 1991 and i took the team photo on my crappy instant camera (still have that photo, magic).

To learn that my club were possibly complicit/lenient towards a serial paedophile, who was making hellish existences for boys of a very similar age to me at the time, is profoundly upsetting and disappointing to me as a supporter of the club.

Some will see this as an overreaction, some wont really blink an eyelid at this from 30 years ago, but it's very very real.

It’s clear the investigations need to be very thorough. Anyone complicit or turning a blind eye to abuse need to be held to account.

That said, the despicable Bennell may well have had to much / to easy access at City but like you said in your post, anybody could walk around Platt Lane or around Maine Road. The media are using this access as proof of guilt. There is a shortage of hard evidence and very few people are still about who ran the Club in those days.

 

[City Raider]

Personally I could not give two fucks about City with this. This is far more serious than our football club, as much as I love City I would rather we were closed down and get the real truth out so lads could maybe get some relief from the horrors inflicted upon them

I lived close to Bennell, my mum and his mum were friends. Toffee Balls from here lived round the corner from him (if he still posts I will leave his thoughts for him to post) We played football with his younger brother. His older brother was a **** who murdered two girls, one was with my Aunty the night he did the first girl and the coward hung himself. His mum had to move, she told my mum she had tried really hard to bring her boys up properly. She is a victim of the bastard too. Hounded out of her home, had to get a new identity and move on. Not seen the younger brother for years, maybe he has done the same. Last time I saw him was over 20 years ago and he had a pub in Worsley.

My mate was coached by Bennell and drank himself to death aged 29. He never spoke about it, but it makes sense now. The bastard had reduced a decent very talented young footballer into a shell of himself. A fair number of lads from my area where involved with Bennell. He was well known in our area. I remember as a kid my mum crossing the road and telling me to avoid him, he was not a nice man she said.

I'm angry this morning, I'm not a violent man at all, but I could quite easily disembowel the **** and have no regrets at all.

Can't argue with this. I may have been more concerned with reputational damage on the club and impact this could have on our owner, as the club is used as a vehicle for promoting Abu Dhabi.

However my brother played for Blue Star and we both attended regular training sessions at Platt Lane in the 80s. I was also at Nova, another club with links to a now dead pervert. There but for the grace of God, somehow I wonder how we both made it through. The victims come first.