Club statement regarding Barry Bennell's conviction

[flb]

Senrab was 'Barnes' backwards. Not named after the area of SW London, but supposedly because the coach who set up the London club Senrab was called Barnes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38218377

Ray Barnes is mentioned in this article

 

[Neville Kneville]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38218377

Ray Barnes is mentioned in this article

Just noticed this bit at the end of that piece:

Separately, a lawyer representing a new body supporting victims said "calls and emails are coming in all the time" from players claiming to have been forced to sign non-disclosure agreements with clubs in return for compensation.

"Certainly, the allegations have been made by victims that confidentiality clauses have been used in relation to other clubs but I'm not in a position to independently verify this," said Edward Smethurst, who also chairs the Madeleine McCann Fund.

"It's unfolding as we speak. It's a number. It's several (but) less than five."

The claims come after Chelsea FC apologised to former player Gary Johnson for the abuse he suffered as a trainee in the 1970s, having waived the confidentiality clause in a £50,000 agreement they made with him last year.

So clubs are alleged to have, & have, 'non disclosure agreements' in place.

That is truly awful if true & I hope we did't have any.

 

[petrusha]

I thought it was named after the street (Barnes) where the club was formed in East London. Not important though. The club is certainly famous down here as it has produced several topflight footballers. Including Ledley King, John Terry, Jermaine Defoe and Bobby Zamora.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38218377

Ray Barnes is mentioned in this article

This source claims that the club was originally formed at Senrab Street in Stepney, which is close to Barnes Street (and is Barnes spelt backwards): http://londonist.com/2005/08/all_aboard. They subsequently moved to Poplar, which as Manc in London notes, isn't far from West Ham's traditional home. I guess it's not very important in the overall scheme of things.

 

[petrusha]

I was interested in what you referred to above, about what appears to be a network, of sorts. I find it all very creepy. It certainly has the feel of this being only the tip of the iceberg. I dread to think how many children were affected by these nihilistic monsters.

Goodness knows how they discovered that they were fellow paedophiles.

Yes, the sharing of boys among coaches who were fellow abusers seems as though it might have the potential to be the subject matter of some more very dark revelations. I've really no idea how they discover one another, but previous abuse scandals in areas away from football (children's homes, for instance) feature allegations of collusion in paedophile rings so they obviously can find ways. But I can't even begin to think what those ways may be.

 

[flb]

Just noticed this bit at the end of that piece:

Separately, a lawyer representing a new body supporting victims said "calls and emails are coming in all the time" from players claiming to have been forced to sign non-disclosure agreements with clubs in return for compensation.

"Certainly, the allegations have been made by victims that confidentiality clauses have been used in relation to other clubs but I'm not in a position to independently verify this," said Edward Smethurst, who also chairs the Madeleine McCann Fund.

"It's unfolding as we speak. It's a number. It's several (but) less than five."

The claims come after Chelsea FC apologised to former player Gary Johnson for the abuse he suffered as a trainee in the 1970s, having waived the confidentiality clause in a £50,000 agreement they made with him last year.

So clubs are alleged to have, & have, 'non disclosure agreements' in place.

That is truly awful if true & I hope we did't have any.

What is evident that it was rife and was reported heavily in Nov and Dec of 2016, plenty of clubs will be seeking there lawyers advice as we speak.

Shocking and the FA will have a lot to answer for that is a certainty.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_football_sexual_abuse_scandal

Only Wiki I know but it shows how far and wide this problem had spread.

Wow, this is bigger than the BBC. You’re talking in terms of ratios being on its way to the Catholic Church. It’s enough to turn you away from football for good. Absolutely disgusting!

 

[flb]

Just noticed this bit at the end of that piece:

Separately, a lawyer representing a new body supporting victims said "calls and emails are coming in all the time" from players claiming to have been forced to sign non-disclosure agreements with clubs in return for compensation.

"Certainly, the allegations have been made by victims that confidentiality clauses have been used in relation to other clubs but I'm not in a position to independently verify this," said Edward Smethurst, who also chairs the Madeleine McCann Fund.

"It's unfolding as we speak. It's a number. It's several (but) less than five."

The claims come after Chelsea FC apologised to former player Gary Johnson for the abuse he suffered as a trainee in the 1970s, having waived the confidentiality clause in a £50,000 agreement they made with him last year.

So clubs are alleged to have, & have, 'non disclosure agreements' in place.

That is truly awful if true & I hope we did't have any.

As horrible as it sounds you just couldn't imagine Swales agreeing for money to be paid out for peoples silence, you would have had him down for sweeping it under the carpet and hope nothing ever came of it in the future, Swales was an FA man and just perhaps he thought him and the club were safe in that respect from any future bullets being fired. It all sounds like a very bad can of worms being opened all this,the main thing is that all the victims get the support and answers they deserve from all this, and the compensation they deserve if City are proved to be in the wrong.

 

[hammocity]

As horrible as it sounds you just couldn't imagine Swales agreeing for money to be paid out for peoples silence, you would have had him down for sweeping it under the carpet and hope nothing ever came of it in the future, Swales was an FA man and just perhaps he thought him and the club were safe in that respect from any future bullets being fired. It all sounds like a very bad can of worms being opened all this,the main thing is that all the victims get the support and answers they deserve from all this, and the compensation they deserve if City are proved to be in the wrong.

Justice for the victims and prosecution for any perpetrators should be the prime motive, not compensation although these days that appears to be the number one objective.

 

[M18CTID]

As horrible as it sounds you just couldn't imagine Swales agreeing for money to be paid out for peoples silence, you would have had him down for sweeping it under the carpet and hope nothing ever came of it in the future, Swales was an FA man and just perhaps he thought him and the club were safe in that respect from any future bullets being fired. It all sounds like a very bad can of worms being opened all this,the main thing is that all the victims get the support and answers they deserve from all this, and the compensation they deserve if City are proved to be in the wrong.

You could be right about Swales if it turns out he's implicated in some way. Even if it is a case of him sweeping it under the carpet, it's still shocking nonetheless.

I'm not sure this has been touched on yet, but going back to the original Dispatches documentary over 20 years ago which I've only seen clips of during the latest documentary, it (the original one) was aired at a time when Swales had left the club and Francis Lee had taken over. Whilst Bennell's association with City was during Swales' tenure as chairman, there seems to be an implication that the people running the club - when the original Dispatches was shown - might not have been particularly co-operative. I'm wondering if perhaps anyone approached the club back then and made complaints of historical abuse. It's entirely possible that they did and if they did what was the response from the club? Was it swept under the carpet in the same way one might expect Swales to have done?

 

[flb]

You could be right about Swales if it turns out he's implicated in some way. Even if it is a case of him sweeping it under the carpet, it's still shocking nonetheless.

I'm not sure this has been touched on yet, but going back to the original Dispatches documentary over 20 years ago which I've only seen clips of during the latest documentary, it (the original one) was aired at a time when Swales had left the club and Francis Lee had taken over. Whilst Bennell's association with City was during Swales' tenure as chairman, there seems to be an implication that the people running the club - when the original Dispatches was shown - might not have been particularly co-operative. I'm wondering if perhaps anyone approached the club back then and made complaints of historical abuse. It's entirely possible that they did and if they did what was the response from the club? Was it swept under the carpet in the same way one might expect Swales to have done?

Could well be right fella, its terrible it really is.

 

[Neville Kneville]

As horrible as it sounds you just couldn't imagine Swales agreeing for money to be paid out for peoples silence, you would have had him down for sweeping it under the carpet and hope nothing ever came of it in the future, Swales was an FA man and just perhaps he thought him and the club were safe in that respect from any future bullets being fired. It all sounds like a very bad can of worms being opened all this,the main thing is that all the victims get the support and answers they deserve from all this, and the compensation they deserve if City are proved to be in the wrong.

If City were guilty of any wrongdoing at the time, then hopefully the club now, will make sure it's completely out in the open & shame others into doing the same.

But if this guy was known to be dodgy & City were at fault, letting him be involved with the club in any capacity, then there are also plenty of others, some much more at fault, who knew about it before then & afterwards & also therefore surely someone at the FA must have known.

It's also pretty obvious there is a great big, famous youth developer, elephant in the room, who was involved in every stage of this bloke's career, & people must be able to put him away, if they give evidence. And they need to do so.

 

[flb]

If City were guilty of any wrongdoing at the time, then hopefully the club now, will make sure it's completely out in the open & shame others into doing the same.

But if this guy was known to be dodgy & City were at fault, letting him be involved with the club in any capacity, then there are also plenty of others, some much more at fault, who knew about it before then & afterwards & also therefore surely someone at the FA must have known.

It's also pretty obvious there is a great big, famous youth developer, elephant in the room, who was involved in every stage of this bloke's career, & people must be able to put him away, if they give evidence. And they need to do so.

Frightening.

 

[Danny Hoekman]

About to be sentenced now.

 

[kippaxwarrior]

About to be sentenced now.

Live blog on sky news now. Judge is just finishing his final statement

 

[kippaxwarrior]

Sentencing at 2.15. Judge has warned there must be absolute silence during sentencing and any behaviour not fitting in court will not be tolerated

 

[paulchapo]

Sentencing at 2.15. Judge has warned there must be absolute silence during sentencing and any behaviour not fitting in court will not be tolerated

Behaviour not fitting in court. If courts banged these bastards up and threw away the key when they first offended so many kids wouldn't be abused and damaged. Are such people possible of being rehabilitated? Until they can operate or chemically change their brain I seriously doubt it. Courts and the justice system are a joke, unless you commit a crime against the system then you will.get hammered.

 

[Manc in London]

Whatever the sentence, in the eyes of many, it will not be enough.

At the very least, i just hope the process has enabled the victims to feel a sense of justice. Not as if I could comprehend what they went through and are having to deal with for the rest of their lives.

The next step has to be to put in place child protection measures to reduce the risk of similar incidents in the future.

Over 20 years ago at college, i once had a tutor who referred to the sexual abuse of children as the 'national sport'. He wasn't being flippant as he said it to me when he was suspended following him chinning a colleague he said he knew had done something to one of his children at a kids party. It seems that he wasn't wrong.

 

[bumbleblue]

Yes, the sharing of boys among coaches who were fellow abusers seems as though it might have the potential to be the subject matter of some more very dark revelations. I've really no idea how they discover one another, but previous abuse scandals in areas away from football (children's homes, for instance) feature allegations of collusion in paedophile rings so they obviously can find ways. But I can't even begin to think what those ways may be.

I have professional experience of working with Paedophiles and the most “successful” are very adept at picking up victims of others. Often by presenting a “stop this monster” presence in the community. They are also very skilled at making themselves indispensable to victims and/or their families and communities.

 

[asahartford1]

I would prefer he got a one month sentence. But to be served in a general prison block.

 

[petrusha]