Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Sheldon’s report into institutional failures
Higgins, were aware boys were staying at his home and should have monitored his actions.
Manchester City, Newcastle and Southampton all issued public apologies in the wake of the report while admitting failings. City instigated their own inquiry led by Jane Mulcahy QC and say the club has operated within required levels of safeguarding since the early 2000s.
Sheldon raised particular concerns about Crewe where Bennell had two spells coaching, and interviewed ex-crewe boss Dario Gradi as part of his investigation.
The inquiry includes a letter from former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, with a newspaper clipping on Bennell’s case, and asking the FA whether it had any information given he had been convicted in the US in 1994 of raping a British boy while on a football tour.
But the FA failed to act and former director of coaching Charles Hughes responded by saying: “We really have no further information in relation to this matter.”
Sheldon said: “The FA acted far too slowly to introduce appropriate and sufficient child protection measures, and to ensure safeguarding was taken sufficiently seriously by those involved in the game.”
But former youth player Ian Ackley, who says he was raped hundreds of times by Bennell between 1979 and 1983, insisted the report was not strong enough. Ackley, who described the report as being as “dilute as Vimto for two-year-olds” said Sheldon, “Could have been far more punchy and far braver.”