Paedophilia within the game/City launch redress scheme

[jay_mcfc]

The guy I'm talking about already has a conviction from the 80's I believe.

 

[BlueRockape]

The fa are going to deal seriously with any clubs found to be part of a cover up.

Who will deal with the fa ?

Dont see how the FA can take any action against clubs... different owners different staff ?

 

[M18CTID]

I gather that the Dispatches programme was made late in 1996 and aired on 23 January 1997. At that point, MCIVTA had 1,200 subscribers and I recall from my involvement with it that we used to reckon about half were in the UK. Anyway, out of probably something like 600 UK subscribers, not a single one was moved to write in and mention that documentary at the end of January or in February. Likewise, there were no comments after Bennell's committal hearing in February 1998. Nor was there a mention about his conviction in any of the issues sent out in June or July 1998, when the number of subscribers was over 2,000. So it seems very much as though the issue really attracted very little attention at that time.

As for Speed, there are some very odd quotes by Bennell out there. He said something along the lines that he never abused Speed but would hardly be likely to admit it if he had. And he also said something about having a death on his conscience before clarifying that he meant abuse kills a person because they're never the same afterwards. Of course, a despicable, manipulative bastard like that could just be saying odd things about Gary Speed to get a rise out of people rather than because there's anything to it, but I'm not sure how the police and Speed's family can be sure there definitely isn't any substance, even though that's what they claim.

As for the scale of this, the NSPCC's helpline has received 860 calls in its first week and "about 350 victims have reported child sexual abuse within UK football clubs": http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38172940...ng&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=news_central

Horrific to contemplate the scale of it.

I have to agree about the police and his family - with all due respect, there is absolutely no way of knowing for sure that it wasn't the reason why he took his own life. Many abuse victims are so badly scarred that they can't even confide in their closest family members. Put it this way - I highly doubt the row he had with his wife was the trigger.

 

[M18CTID]

The press don't know who the ten names are yet, excluding of course if they include any of the names already mentioned.

There is some bad news for us though. As my mate understands, only City in the GM area are involved. I'm dreading this next bit and who these ten might be. I have an opinion about one person which really would send shockwaves throughout football but that is just me putting 2 and 2 together and making 298, there is no evidence at all to backup my thoughts.

Personally, I just want the whole truth to be unveiled no matter how close to home some of it is. If it involves our club in some way in a cover-up, for example, then so be it. As uncomfortable and unpalatable as that may be for us fans to digest, what's far more important is that this finally gets exposed.

 

[jay_mcfc]

Personally, I just want the whole truth to be unveiled no matter how close to home some of it is. If it involves our club in some way in a cover-up, for example, then so be it. As uncomfortable and unpalatable as that may be for us fans to digest, what's far more important is that this finally gets exposed.

I can categorically tell you that our club, or at least one or two former members of it, definitely did cover it up. I don't have names but I'm sure I will.

But even with all of this coming out now I doubt we'all hear everything.

 

[Bozo]

I can categorically tell you that our club, or at least one or two former members of it, definitely did cover it up. I don't have names but I'm sure I will.

But even with all of this coming out now I doubt we'all hear everything.

How can you be so sure if you don't have any numbers or names?

 

[M18CTID]

How can you be so sure if you don't have any numbers or names?

He's obviously getting some pretty accurate information from somewhere going off his previous posts on this thread so I wouldn't go around dismissing what he's saying.

 

[Pablo ZZZ Peroni]

Personally, I just want the whole truth to be unveiled no matter how close to home some of it is. If it involves our club in some way in a cover-up, for example, then so be it. As uncomfortable and unpalatable as that may be for us fans to digest, what's far more important is that this finally gets exposed.

Totally agree with you there mate.

 

[petrusha]

I have to agree about the police and his family - with all due respect, there is absolutely no way of knowing for sure that it wasn't the reason why he took his own life. Many abuse victims are so badly scarred that they can't even confide in their closest family members. Put it this way - I highly doubt the row he had with his wife was the trigger.

Yes. I can understand them saying that there's no real evidence that abuse caused his suicide but the denials have been categorical to a degree I don't think can be justified. If he never told anyone about it and given that Bennell has never admitted it, then how would anyone know for sure?

Personally, I just want the whole truth to be unveiled no matter how close to home some of it is. If it involves our club in some way in a cover-up, for example, then so be it. As uncomfortable and unpalatable as that may be for us fans to digest, what's far more important is that this finally gets exposed.

Agree 100%.

I can categorically tell you that our club, or at least one or two former members of it, definitely did cover it up. I don't have names but I'm sure I will.

But even with all of this coming out now I doubt we'all hear everything.

A lot of the people who were around at our club at the relevant time are now dead, so you're probably right that we'll never find anything out. If there's been a cover up, though, the question is when it occurred. Chelsea paid off a victim who came forward three years ago, which is unpalatable but the man named as the abuser is dead so at least they didn't allow an abuser to carry on abusing. But, of course, it's recent and most of the people within Chelsea who were involved with this matter are probably still there. What they stand accused of is basically putting the reputation of the club ahead of a chance for an abuse victim to obtain justice. Bad enough, but not complicit in anyone else actually suffering abuse.

I won't comment about our specifically club because I don't know what happened, but I'm a lawyer with experience of football club clients. Speaking generally, I can very well imagine that, in a situation where a football club found out that the coach/scout of an affiliated boys' club was or might be an abuser, the primary reaction at very many clubs in the past would have been to get him out of the club but hush everything up. That means not going to the authorities, so the abuser stayed free to abuse - and presumably free to find work coaching or scouting young boys, a ready supply of more potential victims. This is pretty fucking sick because they're complicit in the later abuse, but I'm not sure what actions should be taken against clubs where this has happened in the distant past and now none or hardly any of the same people are at the club. Of course, throw the book at any individuals who've done this and are still in the game.

 

[cheekybids]

On the radio this morning they played a track by Michael Jackson & the DJ commented how much he loved him & went to school with a white glove. It made me think of how blatant he was taking boys away with the blessing of the parent & nobody suspecting a thing in front of the whole world, when suspicions were raised the accusations were the boys families were gold diggers & fans & celebs supported him.

I think we need to admit how innocent & unsuspecting we were. When my brother warned me of the bloke who watched us naked in the changing room my dad was laughing along with us.

We really did think people were harmlessly weird & these twats took full advantage.