CREWE CRITICISED FOR A ‘BEGRUDGING’ STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO REVIEW
THE Offside Trust has criticised Crewe Alexandra for the nature of their statement in response to the Sheldon Review.
The Trust – a charity set up by survivors of sexual abuse in sport – responded after the club apologised for not doing more to act on any warning signs to stop Barry Bennell.
The major independent review into sexual abuse in sport, by Clive Sheldon QC, has said Crewe should have done more to safeguard young players during Bennell’s time there - between January 1985 and September 1989, and from August 1990 to January 1992 - which might have led to his sexual abuse of youngsters there being uncovered.
Bennell was convicted in the United States in 1995 of sexually abusing a 13-year-old British boy on a tour.
In February 2018, Bennell was sentenced to 31 years in prison for 50 counts of child abuse against 12 boys aged eight to 15 between 1979 and 1991. Judge Clement Goldstone QC described Bennell as “the devil incarnate”. He was sentenced to a further four years last year. The Offside Trust responded on Twitter to Crewe’s statement, saying: “Crewe’s belated statement is welcomed, ‘if’ it is indeed sincere. “We are pleased to see the club finally say ‘sorry’, shame it has been delivered in such cold, mealy-mouthed, legalistic fashion.
“The emphasis on their lack of culpability makes it sound almost begrudging.
“The Sheldon Report recommends that safeguarding training is undertaken by club directors.
“The FA might want to do the first one of these at Gresty Road.”
Crewe said in their statement: “The club acknowledges the findings of Mr Sheldon QC that, notwithstanding the club may still not have got to the truth of any matters at that time, more could have been done to monitor the situation concerning Mr Bennell.
“The club is truly sorry if there were in fact any warning signs that ought to have led the club to do more. Had the club had any suspicion or belief that Mr Bennell was committing acts of abuse, either before, during or after he left the club’s employment, the club would have informed the police immediately.”
Former Crewe manager Dario Gradi has issued a statement after he was criticised in the Sheldon review over his handling of a complaint about youth coach Eddie Heath during his time at Chelsea, and for failing to act on rumours and concerns expressed about Bennell at Crewe. Gradi said: “I wish to express my deepest sympathy for the survivors and their families. I sincerely and personally regret that the harm being caused to these young people was not discovered at the time. I apologise for not recognising any signs of abuse at the time.
“I am of course satisfied with the findings of the Review in which it is acknowledged by Clive Sheldon QC that I did not act improperly towards children at any time and that I was unaware of the unlawful activities of Barry Bennell.”