VICTIMS OF EVIL

most horrendous nightmare. For decades that nightmare has haunted us. For decades we held our silence just like our abuser told us to.

“We are no longer afraid of you, Barry Bennell. Today justice was done and you no longer have any power over us. You are nothing to us.”

Steve Walters also played for Crewe – and he laid part of the blame for the catalogue of abuse at football authorities. He said: “For years, hundreds of us were groomed in plain view.

“Lavished with gifts and designer sports kit and taken on trips all around the world.

“How can it be that no one realised something was wrong? How is it that no one protected us then?

“We suffered because of a disgusting predator but also sometimes because the sport we loved decided that the reputation of a coach, club or a sport was put above the protection of children. We suffered because of a culture of complacency and cover-up.”

Former Sheffield United and Crewe star Andy Woodward waived his anonymity in 2016 to speak about 64-year-old Bennell’s abuse, sparking a wave of fresh complaints to police.

The 44-year-old said outside Liverpool crown court after the pervert was convicted of sexual assaults on 11 boys aged eight to 15: “I do believe that the football clubs were accountable for this, that they could have stopped this for so many years and so many of us, and some aren’t even still with us now, and that could have been stopped.

“The FA have been very quiet and I hope now they will do something that they have been promising to do for 15 months.”

Another victim, Ian Ackley, 49, added: “He abused me more than 1,000 times. He raped me more than 500 times from the age of 10 to 14.

“I would say he was worse than Jimmy Savile.” Ex-manchester City

BENNELL once got a hiding from the father of ex-england star Paul Stewart.

Bert Stewart was watching his son play for Manchester-based Nova in the 1970s against a team run by Bennell.

Bennell was rude to Paul’s mum Joyce when she berated him for swearing at one of his players. Joyce, 78, said: “I just said to him ‘leave him