Manchester City will face a High Court trial over damages claims from eight men who were sexually abused by paedophile football coach Barry Bennell.

Bennell's abuse took place while he is said to have been working for City as a scout and coach of their "feeder teams", which featured players too young to be signed as schoolboys.

The eight men, who are now in their late 40s or early 50s, are all claiming damages against the Premier League club for the "very serious psychiatric injuries" they suffered as a result of the abuse.

Bennell is currently serving a 30-year jail term for multiple offences against 12 boys he coached, some of whom are bringing the High Court action, between 1979 and 1991.

Bennell, who is thought not to have received an official salary from City, had two three-year spells within the club's youth network between 1976 and 1984.

He then went on to work as Crewe's youth team coach for seven years.

The claimants argue that, while Bennell was not officially on City's "books", the club is still vicariously liable for the abuse.

All but one of the eight are claiming damages for "the loss of a chance to pursue a career as a footballer".

Two of the men are also bringing claims against Crewe, where Bennell was employed as a youth coach after leaving City.

Both City and Crewe deny that they are vicariously liable for the abuse committed.

City and Crewe also argue that the claims have been brought too late to be heard by the court, and dispute the extent to which the abuse is said to have caused the claimants financial or other losses.

Mrs Justice Lambert ordered that all eight claims be heard together at an eight-week trial which is provisionally listed to start in October 2021.

Manchester City will face a High Court trial over damages claims from eight men who were sexually abused by paedophile football coach Barry Bennell. Bennell's abuse took place while he is said to have been working for City as a scout and coach of their "feeder teams", which featured players too young to be signed as schoolboys.

Manchester City will face a High Court trial over damages claims from eight men who were sexually abused by paedophile football coach Barry Bennell. Bennell's abuse took place while he is said to have been working for City as a scout and coach of their "feeder teams", which featured players too young to be signed as schoolboys. The eight men, who are now in their late 40s or early 50s, are all claiming damages against the Premier League club for the "very serious psychiatric injuries" they suffered as a result of the abuse. Bennell is currently serving a 30-year jail term for multiple offences against 12 boys he coached, some of whom are bringing the High Court action, between 1979 and 1991. Bennell, who is thought not to have received an official salary from City, had two three-year spells within the club's youth network between 1976 and 1984. He then went on to work as Crewe's youth team coach for seven years. The claimants argue that, while Bennell was not officially on City's "books", the club is still vicariously liable for the abuse. All but one of the eight are claiming damages for "the loss of a chance to pursue a career as a footballer". Two of the men are also bringing claims against Crewe, where Bennell was employed as a youth coach after leaving City. Both City and Crewe deny that they are vicariously liable for the abuse committed. City and Crewe also argue that the claims have been brought too late to be heard by the court, and dispute the extent to which the abuse is said to have caused the claimants financial or other losses. Mrs Justice Lambert ordered that all eight claims be heard together at an eight-week trial which is provisionally listed to start in October 2021.

Man City face damages claim in High Court over Bennell abuse

Disgraced former British youth coach Barry Bennell was on Thursday found guilty of 43 counts of sexual abuse against 11 boys aged between eight and 15 in a case that has rocked English football.

Bennell, 64, who coached at Manchester City and Crewe Alexandra, was found guilty of indecent assault, buggery and attempted buggery and police said 86 more complainants have come forward since the case started.

&quot;Barry Bennell is a predatory paedophile who groomed and abused young boys who dreamed of a career in professional football,&quot; prosecutor Jackie Lamb said after the trial concluded at Liverpool Crown Court.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Bennell was found guilty of sexually abusing 11 boys aged between eight and 15. Police said 86 more complainants have come forward since the case started</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Bennell was found guilty of sexually abusing 11 boys aged between eight and 15. Police said 86 more complainants have come forward since the case started" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

The case has sparked wider allegations of sexual and physical abuse of boys at football clubs in Britain in the 1970s and 1980s, some of whom went on to become heroes of the terraces and international stars.

Nearly 800 victims have come forward against more than 100 coaches, leading to accusations that some of the game&#39;s most famous and loved clubs covered up allegations of abuse of boys in their care.

&quot;My parents thought I was safe,&quot; victim Steven Walters said outside court. &quot;They trusted the club, the staff, the senior management.

&quot;For years, hundreds of us were groomed in plain view. How can it be that no one realised something was wrong?

&quot;We suffered because a culture of complacency and cover-up was allowed to take root.&quot;

&#39;All worthwhile&#39; 
The scandal broke in late 2016 when former Liverpool and Tottenham star Paul Stewart broke his 40-year silence and revealed how he was abused as a teenager, shortly after former Crewe player Andy Woodward went public with allegations against Bennell.

&quot;I can&#39;t put it into words how difficult these last 15 months have been for me and my family,&quot; Woodward said outside court.

&quot;I feel such gratitude and I&#39;m proud of what I&#39;ve achieved, it was all worthwhile,&quot; he added.

The former youth player demanded that authorities and clubs reveal what they knew.

The clubs &quot;could have stopped this,&quot; he said.

&quot;I would personally like... an apology from Crewe Alexandra. The FA has been very quiet. I hope now they will speak out.&quot;

Crewe Alexandra put out a statement expressing its &quot;deepest sympathies&quot; to Bennell&#39;s victims.

The club said it was not aware of any sexual abuse by Bennell and only became aware of any offences committed by him when he was arrested in the United States in 1994.

During the trial, another victim revealed how four players coached by Bennell had gone on to commit suicide, including Newcastle and Wales star Gary Speed, who hanged himself in November 2011, at the age of 42.

England&#39;s Football Association (FA) opened an inquiry into the scandal in 2016, headed by lawyer Clive Sheldon.

He was due to report back in the New Year, but the sheer weight of accusations has put back its publication.

Any new information unearthed is being handed to Operation Hydrant, a wider police investigation into child abuse.

Premier League giants Chelsea were forced to apologise in 2016 after admitting to paying former player Gary Johnson &pound;50,000 ($70,000, 56,000 euros) to keep quiet about the abuse he suffered while in the club&#39;s youth team in the 1970s.

Meanwhile, Premier League leaders Manchester City are conducting their own review into Bennell&#39;s activities while at the club.

The club said it was examining &quot;a number of reports of historic anomalous behaviours.. over a period spanning more than 50 years&quot;.

The abuse of young sportspeople by those supposed to be in charge of their welfare was thrown into focus in the United States with the conviction earlier this year of Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctor who sexually abused girls and young women for decades.

Nassar faces a lifetime behind bars after being accused by some 265 women -- including Olympians and collegiate athletes -- of sexually abusing them over more than two decades.

Bennell will be sentenced at a later date.

Barry Bennell coached at Manchester City and Crewe Alexandra

Disgraced former British youth coach Barry Bennell was on Thursday found guilty of 43 counts of sexual abuse against 11 boys aged between eight and 15 in a case that has rocked English football. Bennell, 64, who coached at Manchester City and Crewe Alexandra, was found guilty of indecent assault, buggery and attempted buggery and police said 86 more complainants have come forward since the case started. "Barry Bennell is a predatory paedophile who groomed and abused young boys who dreamed of a career in professional football," prosecutor Jackie Lamb said after the trial concluded at Liverpool Crown Court. Bennell was found guilty of sexually abusing 11 boys aged between eight and 15. Police said 86 more complainants have come forward since the case started × The case has sparked wider allegations of sexual and physical abuse of boys at football clubs in Britain in the 1970s and 1980s, some of whom went on to become heroes of the terraces and international stars. Nearly 800 victims have come forward against more than 100 coaches, leading to accusations that some of the game's most famous and loved clubs covered up allegations of abuse of boys in their care. "My parents thought I was safe," victim Steven Walters said outside court. "They trusted the club, the staff, the senior management. "For years, hundreds of us were groomed in plain view. How can it be that no one realised something was wrong? "We suffered because a culture of complacency and cover-up was allowed to take root." 'All worthwhile' The scandal broke in late 2016 when former Liverpool and Tottenham star Paul Stewart broke his 40-year silence and revealed how he was abused as a teenager, shortly after former Crewe player Andy Woodward went public with allegations against Bennell. "I can't put it into words how difficult these last 15 months have been for me and my family," Woodward said outside court. "I feel such gratitude and I'm proud of what I've achieved, it was all worthwhile," he added. The former youth player demanded that authorities and clubs reveal what they knew. The clubs "could have stopped this," he said. "I would personally like... an apology from Crewe Alexandra. The FA has been very quiet. I hope now they will speak out." Crewe Alexandra put out a statement expressing its "deepest sympathies" to Bennell's victims. The club said it was not aware of any sexual abuse by Bennell and only became aware of any offences committed by him when he was arrested in the United States in 1994. During the trial, another victim revealed how four players coached by Bennell had gone on to commit suicide, including Newcastle and Wales star Gary Speed, who hanged himself in November 2011, at the age of 42. England's Football Association (FA) opened an inquiry into the scandal in 2016, headed by lawyer Clive Sheldon. He was due to report back in the New Year, but the sheer weight of accusations has put back its publication. Any new information unearthed is being handed to Operation Hydrant, a wider police investigation into child abuse. Premier League giants Chelsea were forced to apologise in 2016 after admitting to paying former player Gary Johnson £50,000 ($70,000, 56,000 euros) to keep quiet about the abuse he suffered while in the club's youth team in the 1970s. Meanwhile, Premier League leaders Manchester City are conducting their own review into Bennell's activities while at the club. The club said it was examining "a number of reports of historic anomalous behaviours.. over a period spanning more than 50 years". The abuse of young sportspeople by those supposed to be in charge of their welfare was thrown into focus in the United States with the conviction earlier this year of Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctor who sexually abused girls and young women for decades. Nassar faces a lifetime behind bars after being accused by some 265 women -- including Olympians and collegiate athletes -- of sexually abusing them over more than two decades. Bennell will be sentenced at a later date.

Ex-UK football coach found guilty on 43 charges of child sex abuse

Lifting the lid off what could be the worst pedophile scandals Britain has ever seen, the British police have&nbsp;revealed that about 350 people came forward to report on sexual abuse within the UK football community,&nbsp;

The figures, including referrals to a specially set up helpline by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) charity, were released on Thursday, reported BBC.&nbsp;

NSPCC said that it received staggering 860 calls in its first week. &quot;We&#39;ve had a staggering surge in calls to our football helpline which reveals the worrying extent of abuse that had been going on within the sport,&quot; said Peter Wanless, NSPCC chief executive.

&nbsp;

Shocking&nbsp;Revelations

Andy Woodward, a player of the lower divisions in English soccer, said he was molested by a youth team coach when he was boy. The revelations he made in an interview to the Guardian two weeks ago prompted 20 other former professionals coming forward alleging abuse in their youth.&nbsp;

&quot;My life has been ruined until the age of 43,&quot; Woodward, a former Crewe player, said. &quot;We&#39;ve seen with the Jimmy Savile case how people have had the courage, yet I&#39;d say within the football world it&#39;s even harder to speak out.&quot;

This massive&nbsp;soccer pedophilia scandal is being compared to the one perpetrated by&nbsp;Sir Jimmy Savile, a high-profile BBC television personality who&nbsp;abused hundreds of youths over six decades, including disabled children. The shocking revelations come two days after former Manchester city coach, Barry Bennell, was charged with eight counts of sexual abuse against a 14-year-old.&nbsp;

Among the former players who waived a legal right to anonymity to tell their stories are former Manchester City player David White, who won an England cap, and another ex-England striker Paul Stewart, who had a successful career at Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

&quot;My belief is that there&#39;s hundreds,&quot; a tearful Stewart told BBC TV last week, saying he believed the scandal would prove to be worse than the Savile revelations. &quot;The access to the children at sport level is very easy and it&#39;s perfect ground for (child abusers) to prey.&quot;

&nbsp;

&#39;Cover-up&#39;

Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn said they have launched an internal review into what he called could be one of the sport&#39;s &ldquo;biggest crises&rdquo;, but also said that he thought it was unlikely that there had been any attempt to &ldquo;cover-up&rdquo; child sexual abuse in the game.&nbsp;

&quot;If the FA have made errors, we will own up to them as must the rest of football if avoidable errors have been made,&quot; Martin Glenn, the FA Chief Executive told reporters on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the NSPCC has not ruled out suggestions the abuse is still ongoing. &quot;It would be naive to assume that all of the concerns that are being disclosed and being talked about are in the past,&quot; said Jon Brown, the NSPCC lead on tackling sexual abuse.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Police describe a 'staggering surge' in calls to a helpline in this growing case that may be Britain's worst-ever pedophile scandal

Lifting the lid off what could be the worst pedophile scandals Britain has ever seen, the British police have revealed that about 350 people came forward to report on sexual abuse within the UK football community, The figures, including referrals to a specially set up helpline by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) charity, were released on Thursday, reported BBC. NSPCC said that it received staggering 860 calls in its first week. "We've had a staggering surge in calls to our football helpline which reveals the worrying extent of abuse that had been going on within the sport," said Peter Wanless, NSPCC chief executive. Shocking Revelations Andy Woodward, a player of the lower divisions in English soccer, said he was molested by a youth team coach when he was boy. The revelations he made in an interview to the Guardian two weeks ago prompted 20 other former professionals coming forward alleging abuse in their youth. "My life has been ruined until the age of 43," Woodward, a former Crewe player, said. "We've seen with the Jimmy Savile case how people have had the courage, yet I'd say within the football world it's even harder to speak out." This massive soccer pedophilia scandal is being compared to the one perpetrated by Sir Jimmy Savile, a high-profile BBC television personality who abused hundreds of youths over six decades, including disabled children. The shocking revelations come two days after former Manchester city coach, Barry Bennell, was charged with eight counts of sexual abuse against a 14-year-old. Among the former players who waived a legal right to anonymity to tell their stories are former Manchester City player David White, who won an England cap, and another ex-England striker Paul Stewart, who had a successful career at Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool. "My belief is that there's hundreds," a tearful Stewart told BBC TV last week, saying he believed the scandal would prove to be worse than the Savile revelations. "The access to the children at sport level is very easy and it's perfect ground for (child abusers) to prey." 'Cover-up' Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn said they have launched an internal review into what he called could be one of the sport's “biggest crises”, but also said that he thought it was unlikely that there had been any attempt to “cover-up” child sexual abuse in the game. "If the FA have made errors, we will own up to them as must the rest of football if avoidable errors have been made," Martin Glenn, the FA Chief Executive told reporters on Thursday. Meanwhile, the NSPCC has not ruled out suggestions the abuse is still ongoing. "It would be naive to assume that all of the concerns that are being disclosed and being talked about are in the past," said Jon Brown, the NSPCC lead on tackling sexual abuse. (WION with inputs from agencies)

About 350 victims report child sexual abuse within UK soccer clubs

Former coach Barry Bennell, who is at the centre of a scandal rocking English football, was on Tuesday charged with eight counts of child abuse, prosecutors said.

Bennell, who has already served three jail terms for previous child sex offences, has faced a slew of new allegations by at least 20 former footballers spanning three decades beginning in the 1970s when he was working for Crewe Alexandra, Manchester City and Stoke City.

&quot;Following a review of the evidence, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, Mr Bennell, 62, has today been charged with eight offences of sexual assault against a boy under the age of 14,&quot; said a statement from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Bennell, who it was revealed on Monday had to be hospitalised when he was found unconscious in a hotel near London, will appear in court on December 14. &nbsp;

The latest charges stem from Cheshire Police but six other police forces are investigating accusations made against Bennell in a scandal Football Association Chairman Greg Clarke has called &quot;the greatest crisis&quot; in English football he could recall.&nbsp;

Former Newcastle player Derek Bell, who waived his anonymity to the Guardian, claimed he was subjected to &quot;horrendous&quot; sexual abuse at his local boys football club in the 1970s.

&quot;It was pure, unbelievable heartache. Thinking my mam and dad were next door and he was performing these sexual acts. He had groomed us for a couple of years and he thought it was normal,&quot; Bell said.

&quot;Deep down in my mind I knew it wasn&#39;t normal, but I was so scared to speak and come out and say it wasn&#39;t right.&quot;

Former Northern Ireland international Mark Williams spoke out, with Sky News revealing he had waived his anonymity to describe his torment.

&quot;My life has been affected irreversibly both personally and professionally and it has been soul-destroying to carry this burden for 30 years,&quot; he said.

Police Scotland have also confirmed they have launched a probe following abuse allegations north of the border.

The FA has also launched its own internal review appointing leading lawyer Kate Gallafent, an expert in child protection, to head it up.

The British Government announced on Tuesday they will bring the police and the FA together for a meeting on the developing scandal.

Clarke took over as FA chairman in August and has already had to deal with the removal of Sam Allardyce as England coach over comments he made in a newspaper sting and the &#39;poppygate&#39; row with FIFA.

Unacceptable

He told Sky News it was time to finally deal with the issues after they had been ignored.

&quot;It&#39;s certainly the biggest (crisis) I can remember,&quot; said Clarke.

&quot;I think the moral consequences of failing to deal with some of these issues in the past we must get to the bottom of.&quot;

Clarke doesn&#39;t know if the FA at the time deliberately turned a blind eye to the goings on although a reporter who made a documentary about sex abuse in football for Channel Four in 1997 has claimed there is a FA report from 2005 detailing 250 victims and spread over a number of clubs.

&quot;I don&#39;t know if there was a cover-up or not, I really don&#39;t know,&quot; said Clarke.

&quot;I suspect like many big problems, people aren&#39;t drawn towards them. My methodology is, if there&#39;s a problem, run towards it, embrace it, fix it, disclose everything that happened.

&quot;I think institutionally, all organisations in the old days used to protect themselves by keeping quiet and closing ranks.

&quot;That&#39;s completely inappropriate and unacceptable today.&quot;

Clarke told the BBC the FA review would not seek to speak to alleged victims nor would he confer with his predecessors as chairman.

&quot;We&#39;ve agreed with the police that we won&#39;t talk to any of the victims formally, because they have to talk to them, they have to take statements and we&#39;re not allowed to interfere in that process,&quot; said Clarke.

Meanwhile, Chelsea announced they have retained an external law firm to carry out an investigation concerning an individual employed by the club in the 1970s, who is now dead.

&quot;The club has contacted the FA to ensure that all possible assistance is provided as part of their wider investigation,&quot; a Chelsea statement read.

&quot;This will include providing the FA with any relevant information arising out of the club&#39;s investigation.&quot;

(AFP)

The FA chairman has called it the 'greatest crisis' in English football

Former coach Barry Bennell, who is at the centre of a scandal rocking English football, was on Tuesday charged with eight counts of child abuse, prosecutors said. Bennell, who has already served three jail terms for previous child sex offences, has faced a slew of new allegations by at least 20 former footballers spanning three decades beginning in the 1970s when he was working for Crewe Alexandra, Manchester City and Stoke City. "Following a review of the evidence, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, Mr Bennell, 62, has today been charged with eight offences of sexual assault against a boy under the age of 14," said a statement from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Bennell, who it was revealed on Monday had to be hospitalised when he was found unconscious in a hotel near London, will appear in court on December 14. The latest charges stem from Cheshire Police but six other police forces are investigating accusations made against Bennell in a scandal Football Association Chairman Greg Clarke has called "the greatest crisis" in English football he could recall. Former Newcastle player Derek Bell, who waived his anonymity to the Guardian, claimed he was subjected to "horrendous" sexual abuse at his local boys football club in the 1970s. "It was pure, unbelievable heartache. Thinking my mam and dad were next door and he was performing these sexual acts. He had groomed us for a couple of years and he thought it was normal," Bell said. "Deep down in my mind I knew it wasn't normal, but I was so scared to speak and come out and say it wasn't right." Former Northern Ireland international Mark Williams spoke out, with Sky News revealing he had waived his anonymity to describe his torment. "My life has been affected irreversibly both personally and professionally and it has been soul-destroying to carry this burden for 30 years," he said. Police Scotland have also confirmed they have launched a probe following abuse allegations north of the border. The FA has also launched its own internal review appointing leading lawyer Kate Gallafent, an expert in child protection, to head it up. The British Government announced on Tuesday they will bring the police and the FA together for a meeting on the developing scandal. Clarke took over as FA chairman in August and has already had to deal with the removal of Sam Allardyce as England coach over comments he made in a newspaper sting and the 'poppygate' row with FIFA. Unacceptable He told Sky News it was time to finally deal with the issues after they had been ignored. "It's certainly the biggest (crisis) I can remember," said Clarke. "I think the moral consequences of failing to deal with some of these issues in the past we must get to the bottom of." Clarke doesn't know if the FA at the time deliberately turned a blind eye to the goings on although a reporter who made a documentary about sex abuse in football for Channel Four in 1997 has claimed there is a FA report from 2005 detailing 250 victims and spread over a number of clubs. "I don't know if there was a cover-up or not, I really don't know," said Clarke. "I suspect like many big problems, people aren't drawn towards them. My methodology is, if there's a problem, run towards it, embrace it, fix it, disclose everything that happened. "I think institutionally, all organisations in the old days used to protect themselves by keeping quiet and closing ranks. "That's completely inappropriate and unacceptable today." Clarke told the BBC the FA review would not seek to speak to alleged victims nor would he confer with his predecessors as chairman. "We've agreed with the police that we won't talk to any of the victims formally, because they have to talk to them, they have to take statements and we're not allowed to interfere in that process," said Clarke. Meanwhile, Chelsea announced they have retained an external law firm to carry out an investigation concerning an individual employed by the club in the 1970s, who is now dead. "The club has contacted the FA to ensure that all possible assistance is provided as part of their wider investigation," a Chelsea statement read. "This will include providing the FA with any relevant information arising out of the club's investigation." (AFP)

Football: Ex Man City coach Bennell charged with eight counts of child abuse

barry-bennell

Barry Bennell, News on Barry Bennell, stories on Barry Bennell, articles on Barry Bennell, Barry Bennell stories at Wion, Barry Bennell news, Barry Bennell latest news

barry bennell

Man City face damages claim in High Court over Bennell abuse

Ex-UK football coach found guilty on 43 charges of child sex abuse

About 350 victims report child sexual abuse within UK soccer clubs

Football: Ex Man City coach Bennell charged with eight counts of child abuse