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  1. #11
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    Feb 2012
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    it would be better if a genuinely independent inquiry was commissioned by the Club. Yes, it is possible that the conclusions would be weighted against the Club, but it would surely be better that it accepted mea culpa than trying to circle the wagons tighter and maintain it had no knowledge of what Bennell was up to. Pleading ignorance is laughable. There must be one or more grown ups who had at least an inkling of what Bennell was like. Did no parent ever speak up? How does the allegation of **** at Dario's house fit into the picture? The latter may be untrue or a separate incident unrelated to Bennell's crimes. Just dismissing Hamilton's claims by saying we do not recall him raising them is unsatisfactory. The Club has a responsibility to be fully transparent about what happened and who knew.

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by AstonAlex View Post
    Mike is absolutely right and Preston is mainly wrong.

    There are holes in the club’s statements and they have been eloquently opened up and, if the Board think that’s the end of the matter they are sadly mistaken.

    The blame does not start and end with City, or any other club. They should shoulder their share of responsibility (and have an independent enquiry to hopefully find that out) but to say that they are responsible for Bennell’s heinous crimes at the Alex is just naive and smacks of washing our hands of the whole nasty business.
    I did write a lengthy response but basically asks why did the club think it was reasonable for Dario to have to write to the parents when they has absolutely no control over who was going to coach their children other than the club who employed Bennell and if he was not acting in the clubs interest in ANY way or indeed the kids themselves, why wasn't he sacked and shown the door? That is a niggly question that may have far reaching implications?

  3. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by MikeSB View Post
    I did write a lengthy response but basically asks why did the club think it was reasonable for Dario to have to write to the parents when they has absolutely no control over who was going to coach their children other than the club who employed Bennell and if he was not acting in the clubs interest in ANY way or indeed the kids themselves, why wasn't he sacked and shown the door? That is a niggly question that may have far reaching implications?
    Oh I forgot, didn't Graham McGarry try to ask a question about Hamilton Smith at the recent fans forum and was shut down by Mr Bowler? I may have read that incorrectly as wasn't there myself. I still think fans applauding seems a bit bizarre to say the least....Yes it was a fans forum and questions ON and OFF the field are always relevant to the only time fans get to question the Directors...

  4. #14
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    Jul 2009
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    641
    Quote Originally Posted by MikeSB View Post
    I was just going to add a very simple question and hope the police would have too..

    Surely it was not the parents responsibility to tell their child not to allow Bennell to coach them but the club's responsibility as his employer who and who not to coach and so did they tell him? Parents send their kids to school and have no power to tell their child they should not be taught by such and such teacher etc...

    Just an opinion but that is about the weakest argument I have seen in the whole statement.

    I'm not suggesting anything sinister and maybe the club operated more as a amateur outfit in these things than we give them credit for?

    You really don't need to be a QC to ask these questions that jump out on you..
    Sorry Mike,
    Am I missing something here. At the start of your summary (thanks for that by the way), it states that AFTER Bennell was dismissed Dario wrote to the parents. How does that fit in with your statement above. Surely the letter was asking the parents not to send their children to another club on Bennels advice?

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Teammoo View Post
    Sorry Mike,
    Am I missing something here. At the start of your summary (thanks for that by the way), it states that AFTER Bennell was dismissed Dario wrote to the parents. How does that fit in with your statement above. Surely the letter was asking the parents not to send their children to another club on Bennels advice?
    OK...my mistake, I thought he wrote that while he was still employed but leaves the same questions...

    Was Bennell 'dismissed' then? Or did he leave on his own accord? If he was dismissed, for what reason? How long was that after Hamilton Smith made his comments to the Board? If indeed he made them which the others say he didn't. What has HS to gain by saying what he did?

    How likely was it that parents would send their kids possibly hundreds of miles away to play in Bennell's team or have coaching sessions a couple of times a week? It just leaves more and more questions imo...So lets say ManU employed Bennell, BTW I don't know where he went afterwards but why would any parent not be interested in ManU or ManC or Liverpool even if Bennell was part of the coaching staff?

    More questions than answers as they say...

    What was the purpose of the board including that comment about Dario writing to parents if its not relevant? Did one or some parents ask the same questions at the time or since?
    Last edited by MikeSB; 13-03-2018 at 06:03 PM.

  6. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by MikeSB View Post
    I did write a lengthy response but basically asks why did the club think it was reasonable for Dario to have to write to the parents when they has absolutely no control over who was going to coach their children other than the club who employed Bennell and if he was not acting in the clubs interest in ANY way or indeed the kids themselves, why wasn't he sacked and shown the door? That is a niggly question that may have far reaching implications?
    If you read the statement again you'll see Dario wrote that to parents *after* Bennell had left Crewe; it says because they didn't want him poaching our kids after leaving Crewe employment.

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by MikeSB View Post
    Thanks for that and wonder if that was made available to the wider media and press?
    Well it was widely discussed in the national and local press - Radio Joke interviewed a woman solicitor from Slater Gordon saying they should have re-run the Police investigation in house at the club's expense.

    Quote Originally Posted by MikeSB View Post
    That report said this..

    Following Mr Bennell’s dismissal, the club acknowledges that Mr Gradi wrote to parents advising that he did not want any of the boys to attend other coaching sessions or games organised by Mr Bennell. The reason for this letter being written was simply because the club and Mr Gradi did not want to potentially lose any promising young players to a team coached by Mr Bennell. This letter was not written in the context of either the club or Mr Gradi having any knowledge of complaints for ***ual assault being made against Mr Bennell.

    Sherlock Holmes would possibly say that didn't make sense as why not just sack the bloke? The parents were surely not in any position to know who was coaching at any particular session and how would they know in advance, when they arrived at RH? That really does not make sense at all at least to me...IF the club wanted to do that, they should have suspended Bennell full stop. Why didn't they my dear Watson?
    As you have acknowledged elsewhere, your own quote says "Following .. Bennell's dismissal".

    .............................


    Quote Originally Posted by MikeSB View Post
    The question remains that if they have nothing to hide, they could have made that police investigation report PUBLIC and not just give it to the FA...Will the FA make ALL their investigations public when completed or just an abridged version?
    Might need Police agreement to publish *their* report publicly, rather than simply supply it for another investigation (the FA's)?

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by ShropshireAlex View Post
    Well it was widely discussed in the national and local press - Radio Joke interviewed a woman solicitor from Slater Gordon saying they should have re-run the Police investigation in house at the club's expense.

    As you have acknowledged elsewhere, your own quote says "Following .. Bennell's dismissal".

    Might need Police agreement to publish *their* report publicly, rather than simply supply it for another investigation (the FA's)?
    It makes no sense whatever..

    Why would parents have to be written to to tell them not to allow Bennell to have coaching 'sessions' or play for any of his teams? Bennell could well have a legal case for employment discrimination and loss of potential earnings etc imo.What right has the club or ANY club to do that anyway?

    WHY is always the best question as where was Bennell going when he was 'dismissed' but we still don't know why he was dismissed? Did the police ask why? How would parents KNOW where he was going? It could have been abroad. Why would parents not allow their kids to attend coaching sessions if he just happened to be self employed and still lived in the area? He may have been considered superior to what the Alex could offer? ie like a private Tutor? Did the parents know why Bennell was dismissed? Why would Bennell be in any position to have a 'team' anywhere at any club if he wasn't the manager and just a coach...Why would parents take their kids away from the world famous Alex Academy and possibly have to take them hundreds of miles away? As it turned out he went and coached for Stoke Dominoes a non league club...some threat hey?

    Nah, it makes no sense other than the club may have some other motive and your guess is as good as anyone?...Sherlock Holmes would deduce some clues!

    Re the police report. Unless that is made public, some people could claim it was very thorough or a whitewash ie if it remains secret and the FA will make a report but will they just say nothing as Hamilton Smith said before. Or just a small extract for Crewe as they are looking at dozens of clubs and hundreds of abuse cases. It won't go away until the club have what they promised and that was an 'independent' enquiry that would extend its remit beyond what the police's remit was and who knows what that was anyway.

    I suppose the next stage will be the compensation claims and whether those are made public including the amount paid?

  9. #19
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    May 2015
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    Falefaninpeace outed as a troll, then MikeSB takes over.......

  10. #20
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    Apr 2010
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    406
    Quote Originally Posted by Doctor_Death View Post
    Falefaninpeace outed as a troll, then MikeSB takes over.......
    Jesus, some of yo just keep embarrassing yourself with this topic. What does ‘outed as a troll’ even mean? Caught having an opinion? For saying you should have an independent inquiry? Do you know what the word troll actually means? Who ‘outed’ me anyway?
    I suppose you must thing that the media, ex professionals, legal professionals, politicians, the victims themselves are also trolls too for wanting an I depended inquiry? Why be so afraid of it?

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