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Sexual abuse in English soccer exposed as victims speak out


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Sexual abuse in English soccer exposed as victims speak out

ROB HARRIS, AP Global Soccer Writer

 

LONDON (AP) — Former English soccer players who were subjected to years of sexual abuse by youth team coaches entrusted with their care are breaking cover to expose the game's dark secrets.

 

Harrowing stories of assaults on young players by men they relied on to turn them into professionals are forcing authorities and clubs to finally address how child abusers were able to exploit their positions of power and why the behavior wasn't confronted earlier.

 

The abuses were first uncovered two decades ago with the conviction of English coach Barry Bennell in the United States and his homeland. Bennell worked in academies across northwest England including Manchester City, Stoke and Crewe Alexandra, which was renowned as a center for turning raw talent into the complete footballer.

 

The torment suffered by players is only now receiving more widespread attention along with a determination to discover how far reaching sexual exploitation of youngsters has been in English soccer.

 

Four police forces across England, including London, have opened investigations after being contacted about Bennell and other unnamed people.

Leading clubs Manchester City and Newcastle said they are assisting authorities and the players' union has been guiding the players who revealed their identities.

 

"They have been very courageous in coming forward after suffering in silence for years," Michael Bennett, head of player welfare at the Professional Footballers' Association, told The Associated Press on Friday.

 

"I think the dam has just been busted, the guys who have come forward have been a catalyst," Bennett said, disclosing that eight more players have contacted him in the last day about going public.

 

Andy Woodward, who went on to play for Sheffield United, testified in Bennell's 1998 court case and was the first player to go public recently a year after contacting Bennett.

 

Since then, other retired players have been emerging to tell their stories of abuse at the hands of other coaches. The prospect of boys being turned into well-paid soccer stars meant that parents often handed over control of their children to football clubs and their coaches.

 

"My life has been ruined until the age of 43, but how many others are there?" Woodward said. "I'm talking about hundreds of children who Barry Bennell cherry-picked for various football teams and who now, as adults, might still be living with that awful fear."

 

Woodward's story gave other victims of Bennell and unnamed coaches the courage to come forward and compel authorities to end the inertia that surrounded the 1990s revelations.

 

"We're victims of a horrible, horrendous thing that happened in the early 80s and 90s," Woodward said after leaving a meeting with the English Football Association on Thursday. "Ex-players are suffering so much and suffered in silence for so many years. We went through hell."

 

Manchester City launched an investigation after David White and Paul Stewart, who played for the club across the 1980s and 1990s and went on to feature for England, came forward with their stories.

 

"The club is aware of allegations that Barry Bennell had an association with Manchester City Football Club in the 1980s," City said in a statement. "As a result the club is undertaking a thorough investigation of any past links he might have had with the organization."

 

City's response came 21 years after Bennell was first convicted in the United States. In Jacksonville, Florida, the Englishman pleaded guilty to six counts of custodial sexual battery in exchange for four years in prison. He had been charged with raping a boy and repeatedly sexually assaulting a player from a youth team he had escorted to the U.S.

 

After serving his sentence in the U.S., Bennell was convicted again in Britain — receiving a six-year sentence for 23 offences. The case received little publicity at the time. But Bennell was jailed for a third time in 2015 when he pleaded guilty to abusing a boy at a football camp in northern England in 1980, prompting a fresh examination of his crimes and potential abuses by other coaches. Bennell is not currently in prison.

 

"I believe there was a conspiracy and pedophile ring," Jason Dunford, a youth team player with Manchester City, told the BBC on Friday. "There were people at those clubs who had a duty to look after boys coming through their system."

 

A police force based near Crewe and Manchester said 11 people had contacted them already this week and that the allegations were made against more than one person.

 

A children's charity has received a flood of calls since setting up a dedicated helpline for footballers in conjunction with the Football Association.

"These are heinous crimes and they need to be investigated by the police and they will get our support," FA chairman Greg Clarke said.

 

There are echoes of the child molestation scandal that erupted in U.S. college sports involving Jerry Sandusky, a former assistant football coach at Penn State University. He was convicted in 2012 of 45 counts of child sexual abuse and is serving 30 to 60 years in prison.

 

 
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-- © Associated Press 2016-11-26
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I don't understand this at all. The implication is that what happened to them - as odious as it was - was not as bad as simply quitting their position in the team. Why didn't they do that? Point is, there is clearly an element of choice here, beyond the element of coercion.

 

I would certainly not have let anyone get near enough to me to try anything like this in the first place - at any age - and if they had tried it I would get myself out of their way, even if that meant quitting my position. I wouldn't endure it for years, then start complaining about it later.

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Even bigger than the Jimmy Saville abuse scandal.


Watching the BBC news, and the interviewer asked "Could football have done more?" Of course the answer is yes, but oh the irony when you think of Saville and the others.

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44 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

Even bigger than the Jimmy Saville abuse scandal.

Jimmy wasnt alone, he was in a pedo ring.

The church was also not isolated pedos, it was a pedo ring who shared victims and protected each other.

Now we have another pedoring in England.exposed. 

It happens in other countries but seems to be more lone wolf attacks.

Ceratainly something is going on over there. I bet it comes outsoon that similar to the church and Jimmy rings, police and others knew about it for yeats but did nothing.

 

No wonder England is ranked fourth in the world for child abuse.

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22 minutes ago, getreal said:

Jimmy wasnt alone, he was in a pedo ring.

The church was also not isolated pedos, it was a pedo ring who shared victims and protected each other.

Now we have another pedoring in England.exposed. 

It happens in other countries but seems to be more lone wolf attacks.

Ceratainly something is going on over there. I bet it comes outsoon that similar to the church and Jimmy rings, police and others knew about it for yeats but did nothing.

 

No wonder England is ranked fourth in the world for child abuse.

 

I can remember as a child in the 70s, my mother warning my older sister not to go near the house of a local widower because he had wandering hands and liked young girls. At the time it seemed funny; now, it seems shocking that his behaviour, while not condoned by the community, was known about but not brought to the attention of the police. I wonder just how rife such behaviour was at the time.

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41 minutes ago, ddavidovsky said:

I don't understand this at all. The implication is that what happened to them - as odious as it was - was not as bad as simply quitting their position in the team. Why didn't they do that? Point is, there is clearly an element of choice here, beyond the element of coercion.

 

I would certainly not have let anyone get near enough to me to try anything like this in the first place - at any age - and if they had tried it I would get myself out of their way, even if that meant quitting my position. I wouldn't endure it for years, then start complaining about it later.

Because they were 11 years old, powerless, confused, guilty and ashamed and were unable to tell anybody.

 

You are talking as an empowered fully grown man. Strip away all of your power and your behaviour will change very quickly.

 

You comment shows no understanding of how people are abused by those in a position of authority, particularly children, and why the majority never tell anybody until years later.

 

This is something you might like to take the time to try and understand. Can you imagine yourself with no power or control at all?

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45 minutes ago, ddavidovsky said:

I don't understand this at all. The implication is that what happened to them - as odious as it was - was not as bad as simply quitting their position in the team. Why didn't they do that? Point is, there is clearly an element of choice here, beyond the element of coercion.

 

I would certainly not have let anyone get near enough to me to try anything like this in the first place - at any age - and if they had tried it I would get myself out of their way, even if that meant quitting my position. I wouldn't endure it for years, then start complaining about it later.

 

There is tremendous pressure to try and put up with it because football is so important. Quit the team or rat out the coach isn't possible for most of these young people. There needs to be oversight and obviously there isn't any. 

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In reply to ddavidovsky, in the days when I was brought up in the UK, 60;s/70's, there were certain groups of people who had 100% trust of your parents, mainly people in authority, including the catholic church. I imagine that many children reported such misdemeanors to their parents, only for it to be dismissed, as it was never thought possible that such people could commit such hideous crimes.  

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I can remember as a child in the 70s, my mother warning my older sister not to go near the house of a local widower because he had wandering hands and liked young girls. At the time it seemed funny; now, it seems shocking that his behaviour, while not condoned by the community, was known about but not brought to the attention of the police. I wonder just how rife such behaviour was at the time.

Growing up in the 60s/70s there was a bloke lived nearby. He liked boys, and had done time. You always knew when he was about, because the local kids would call it out in not very PC terms. Much later in more "enlightened" times, social services in collusion with Liverpool social services moved a paedo into the village. No one knew. He did a lot of damage before he was caught. That was before Sarah's law.

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1 hour ago, Briggsy said:

Because they were 11 years old, powerless, confused, guilty and ashamed and were unable to tell anybody.

 

You are talking as an empowered fully grown man. Strip away all of your power and your behaviour will change very quickly.

 

You comment shows no understanding of how people are abused by those in a position of authority, particularly children, and why the majority never tell anybody until years later.

 

This is something you might like to take the time to try and understand. Can you imagine yourself with no power or control at all?

 

I guess what I am being asked to understand here is that people are weak-minded, socially-embedded, brainwashable. Surely there are people like that. As I said, at any age, that would never have happened to me. At five years old I was able to fend off and stay clear of potential molesters (I can remember them). I suppose I just had that independence of spirit. I can't say I'm particularly sympathetic for those who don't. There's simply no excuse.

 

Fact is, these victims chose to put up with it because the alternative - quitting the team - was worse. On the scale of things, how bad for your life is quitting the team? If they are so life-destroyed by this, then however you look at it, they simply made the wrong decision - and yes, children are quite capable of making decisions.

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1 hour ago, Thaiwrath said:

In reply to ddavidovsky, in the days when I was brought up in the UK, 60;s/70's, there were certain groups of people who had 100% trust of your parents, mainly people in authority, including the catholic church. I imagine that many children reported such misdemeanors to their parents, only for it to be dismissed, as it was never thought possible that such people could commit such hideous crimes.  

 

All I can say is, I grew up in the 60s and I never trusted anybody. It had nothing to do with my parents. When I was 'victim' of molestation attempts, I got out of it that situation fast, shrugged it off and never mentioned it to anyone. I suppose that takes a modicum of independence, rational thinking and strength of mind. I just find it hard to understand how these kids, thrusting, dynamic, and competitive enough to get themselves into the team in the first place, were unable to prevent older guys fiddling with their willies (presumably), or simply get out of their way. The implication being that there was an element of compliance.

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2 hours ago, ddavidovsky said:

I don't understand this at all. The implication is that what happened to them - as odious as it was - was not as bad as simply quitting their position in the team. Why didn't they do that? Point is, there is clearly an element of choice here, beyond the element of coercion.

 

I would certainly not have let anyone get near enough to me to try anything like this in the first place - at any age - and if they had tried it I would get myself out of their way, even if that meant quitting my position. I wouldn't endure it for years, then start complaining about it later.

One of the victims was on tv saying that he thought he had to allow it to happen to make his dream of being a professional footballer to come true.

Perhaps you are too young to remember what society used to be like, and it wasn't nice, not nice at all.

I grew up in a culture of "the boss is always right" and bullying was an accepted part of life. Had such a thing happened to me when I was young I would probably have put up with it because I was so intimidated by "authority", even when "authority" was a cover for monsters. Happily I never was subject to the worst behavior, probably more due to good luck that anything else.

Society is a different beast now, from back then, so hopefully less likely to be covered up by those in power, as they have been in the past.

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16 minutes ago, ddavidovsky said:

 

All I can say is, I grew up in the 60s and I never trusted anybody. It had nothing to do with my parents. When I was 'victim' of molestation attempts, I got out of it that situation fast, shrugged it off and never mentioned it to anyone. I suppose that takes a modicum of independence, rational thinking and strength of mind. I just find it hard to understand how these kids, thrusting, dynamic, and competitive enough to get themselves into the team in the first place, were unable to prevent older guys fiddling with their willies (presumably), or simply get out of their way.

Good for you, but perhaps you were brought up able to do that. Many weren't. Many of us were indoctrinated from the start to be compliant to all in "authority", even if "authority" was very bad people.

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1 hour ago, Briggsy said:

Because they were 11 years old, powerless, confused, guilty and ashamed and were unable to tell anybody.

 

You are talking as an empowered fully grown man. Strip away all of your power and your behaviour will change very quickly.

 

You comment shows no understanding of how people are abused by those in a position of authority, particularly children, and why the majority never tell anybody until years later.

 

This is something you might like to take the time to try and understand. Can you imagine yourself with no power or control at all?

There are those that because of their fortunate situation as children growing up can't imagine what it was like to be in an unfortunate situation. They just don't have the tools to be able to put themselves in the shoes of the young and powerless subject to the will of bad people.

When I was in school, many of the older boys were just as bad as the bad adults. It is a learned experience, and some are amenable to becoming the monsters that terrorise those that don't.

Remember that US female soldier (  Lynndie England ) that terrorised the prisoners in Abu Graib? She didn't get born wanting to be a monster.

Whatever, such things are usually known about long before being exposed to the public, but always covered up by those in power.

Bet no one that covered up the football abuse gets prosecuted though.

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2 hours ago, ddavidovsky said:

I don't understand this at all. The implication is that what happened to them - as odious as it was - was not as bad as simply quitting their position in the team. Why didn't they do that? Point is, there is clearly an element of choice here, beyond the element of coercion.

 

I would certainly not have let anyone get near enough to me to try anything like this in the first place - at any age - and if they had tried it I would get myself out of their way, even if that meant quitting my position. I wouldn't endure it for years, then start complaining about it later.

then start complaining about it later.

They were so broken by the experience that they grew up thinking that it was their fault and they must have been responsible somehow. It isn't till one person talks about it in public that they realise they were abused by bad people and feel able to come forward.

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About 7 years old when The Moors Murders started, and a terrible time for parents in the North of England who lived near The Pennines. Constantly drummed into us Do not talk to strangers, etc...

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Still not convinced by the arguments so far, which seems to defend a position of passive victimisation and social compliance. Seems that society is getting too effete, people are beginning to cherish their own vulnerability and use it lay claim to social approbation later.

 

If quitting the team was worse than the molestation, if they wanted so much to get on in the game, then that that was their choice. Tough, but still a choice.

 

I was good at football but quit the school team simply because the sports master insisted on playing me in the wrong position. I would certainly have quite the team if he'd tried to fiddle in my shorts. Can't help feeling that these new-found 'victims' (as usual, there are no details as to actually what happened) are mainly sympathy-seekers.

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5 hours ago, ddavidovsky said:

- as odious as it was - was not as bad as simply quitting their position in the team. Why didn't they do that? Point is, there is clearly an element of choice here, beyond the element of coercion.

Think back laddie to when you were that vulnerable age impressionable, role model seeking seeking direction and guidance afraid to tell anyone of this type of behavior lest you be singled out for ridicule. Fast forward to today when you finally realize what happened and the anger wells up inside of you. Truth finally conquers shame. 

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12 minutes ago, elgordo38 said:

Think back laddie to when you were that vulnerable age impressionable, role model seeking seeking direction and guidance afraid to tell anyone of this type of behavior lest you be singled out for ridicule. Fast forward to today when you finally realize what happened and the anger wells up inside of you. Truth finally conquers shame. 

 

Haven't been called laddie since 1978. That's made my day.

 

Anyway, have a look back at my earlier posts in this thread - I've covered all that. I was never that vulnerable, nor impressionable, and took guidance and direction from my own intuition rather than blindly following pillars of the establishment, especially if  they proved upright only in a certain biological sense, and were routinely sexually abusing me. Consider what kind of behaviour you are inviting by promoting that kind of 'empathy'.

 

The  main issue, again is this:  the molestation obviously wasn't as aversive as quitting the team, therefore can't have been that bad. Even a child has a moral responsibility to object to objectionable behaviour, or else the person doing it may well assume that they don't mind - possibly that they even like it - and will continue to do it. I don't believe the victims are entirely blameless in being so passive. Everyone has to take responsibility for their choices, and it's just as well if children learn that the hard way at an early age.

 

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7 hours ago, ddavidovsky said:

I don't understand this at all. The implication is that what happened to them - as odious as it was - was not as bad as simply quitting their position in the team. Why didn't they do that? Point is, there is clearly an element of choice here, beyond the element of coercion.

 

I would certainly not have let anyone get near enough to me to try anything like this in the first place - at any age - and if they had tried it I would get myself out of their way, even if that meant quitting my position. I wouldn't endure it for years, then start complaining about it later.

 

You can't speak for everyone and obviously don't understand how predatory pedophiles work.  Maybe you can educate youngsters going forward.

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6 hours ago, ddavidovsky said:

 

I guess what I am being asked to understand here is that people are weak-minded, socially-embedded, brainwashable. Surely there are people like that. As I said, at any age, that would never have happened to me. At five years old I was able to fend off and stay clear of potential molesters (I can remember them). I suppose I just had that independence of spirit. I can't say I'm particularly sympathetic for those who don't. There's simply no excuse.

 

Fact is, these victims chose to put up with it because the alternative - quitting the team - was worse. On the scale of things, how bad for your life is quitting the team? If they are so life-destroyed by this, then however you look at it, they simply made the wrong decision - and yes, children are quite capable of making decisions.

Well, aren't you special. 

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4 hours ago, ddavidovsky said:

 

Haven't been called laddie since 1978. That's made my day.

 

Anyway, have a look back at my earlier posts in this thread - I've covered all that. I was never that vulnerable, nor impressionable, and took guidance and direction from my own intuition rather than blindly following pillars of the establishment, especially if  they proved upright only in a certain biological sense, and were routinely sexually abusing me. Consider what kind of behaviour you are inviting by promoting that kind of 'empathy'.

 

The  main issue, again is this:  the molestation obviously wasn't as aversive as quitting the team, therefore can't have been that bad. Even a child has a moral responsibility to object to objectionable behaviour, or else the person doing it may well assume that they don't mind - possibly that they even like it - and will continue to do it. I don't believe the victims are entirely blameless in being so passive. Everyone has to take responsibility for their choices, and it's just as well if children learn that the hard way at an early age.

 

It is an apparently impressive sense of self  you possessed at age  5 or thereabouts in that you  could recognize  sexual abuse attempts. But accepting that  you  did  have such  insight you ignore some factors. Many of these naive children were placed in the  full care/control  of the  abusers and therefore  more likely to  be  denied  any chance to  object or repel. Not so much different to many children  who are  made victim at early age even in what might outwardly  appear to be a normal and healthy  family  situation.

But in  either  case threats of or  actual beatings are likely to be  enough to  cause children to  suffer the indignity  rather than the  violence. Further to....adults in situations in varieties of long term abuse also have difficulty  in seeking help often for similar reasons.

 

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I'm surprised the moderators have put up with ddavidovsky for so long.  Quite a serious subject and something ddavidovsky dismisses with such ease.

 

These are children that we are talking about, but according to ddavidovsky the kids should just say no at such a vulnerable age and that should be enough to deter any predatory pedophile according to him.  Highly disturbing.

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7 hours ago, ddavidovsky said:

Even a child has a moral responsibility to object to objectionable behaviour, or else the person doing it may well assume that they don't mind - possibly that they even like it - and will continue to do it. I don't believe the victims are entirely blameless in being so passive. Everyone has to take responsibility for their choices, and it's just as well if children learn that the hard way at an early age.

Your talking 2016 language laddie in a gung ho world of media enlightenment where the truth flashes across the planet like lightening. Your overall morality responsibility comment is correct to a degree but we were not all born and raised equal. You cannot put a one size shoe on everybody and expect it to fit. You seem to be looking at this from a Vicars viewpoint. Dilute it a bit with human understanding and you will achieve Nirvana. 

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Let's face it ,  it happens everywhere , in all societies , the good thing is that more and more cases are being discovered today because we are more open to talk about the "bad stuff" .  

 

Kids should not be ashamed of talking about any abuse , even if it's hard. 

 

 

 

 

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8 hours ago, ddavidovsky said:

Even a child has a moral responsibility to object to objectionable behaviour, or else the person doing it may well assume that they don't mind - possibly that they even like it...

 

This is possibly the most disgusting thing I have ever read on Thaivisa.

 

In any relationship between an adult and a child it is the adult who is solely responsible for setting the 'moral' standard. Only a paedophile could assume that a child 'likes' being sexually abused.

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Obviously the whole situation is totally wrong. I am concerned though that this is a deflection from the biggest pedophile ring that has been  and still and inquiry has got nowhere and that is the politicians and Westminster. Bigger than Saville, I doubt it. Part of the same ring, quite possibly. I just hope people are not fooled into thinking that this is bigger than the 'establishment's backing'. How convenient that the 'workings mans sport' has been infiltrated by such a sick group of people. I am not saying it hasn't happened and my utmost sympathies go with all of the victims and families, just lets not forget how all these things came to the publics interest.

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