Is this the end?

[Tidegoingout]

There's not knowing and there's not wanting to know. I doubt whether the people at the top knew what was going on, but it's also possible they didn't try very hard to find out. That might have been because they couldn't or didn't want to believe the worst of a colleague. It might have been because they didn't want to undermine the club and/or their own careers. There probably also weren't the safeguarding procedures in place that I imagine are more prevalent today - though this is not a world I am familiar with, so I'm guessing.

The club's response so far is dismaying. To say some time is needed to conduct investigations when there was a conviction of a former member of staff 18 years ago seems complacent. One would have hoped that when Bennell's behaviour came to light, there was a thorough review of what had gone on and how the welfare of young players was looked after. Even if the players who are now coming forward were asked at the time but didn't feel able to say anything, the club should be able to rattle off a list of improvements in policy and procedure that have been made since then.

[samrnpage@hotmail.com]

Andy Woodward has come out and said that Crewe coaches were arguing about what kids to take home with them......This could be the start of the end of the club indeed. Regardless if anything or anyone else comes out about what has happened, the club have let kids get raped whilst they trained and played for Crewe Alexandra and that fact is sickening and tarnishes everything that this club holds proud. Even if Dario and JB knew nothing of it, which for me is hard to believe considering the other kids knew it was happening and others close to the club did as well, they have responsibility to the victims. JB's position is untenable. If this is the tip of the Iceburg like it seems to be, then the club will lose fans, sponsors, players even. The academy will go under as its reputation will now never be the same, it wont be "best academy in lower leagues of football" it will be "that academy were kids got raped". It could well be the start of the end. Might not happen for 5-6 seasons. It but the club might not recover from this. (hope I am wrong )

Also something else, could just be me, but to me something has been wrong with our club for a long time. I could never quite put my finger on it. From little things, to big things, like Dario not wanting to take his photo with the academy XI vs walsall to letting Davis stay with the worse record of any manager in the country and a relegation, from the silence of the board on any matter to the lies the board spouts (hassle, money etc). Maybe I have made all that up in my head, but Ive felt it for some time. Like the club itself was separate to the fans. Maybe the events of the child abuse has made this amplified more than it actually is. ?? ?

[itwasin]

Andy Woodward has come out and said that Crewe coaches were arguing about what kids to take home with them......This could be the start of the end of the club indeed. Regardless if anything or anyone else comes out about what has happened, the club have let kids get raped whilst they trained and played for Crewe Alexandra and that fact is sickening and tarnishes everything that this club holds proud. Even if Dario and JB knew nothing of it, which for me is hard to believe considering the other kids knew it was happening and others close to the club did as well, they have responsibility to the victims. JB's position is untenable. If this is the tip of the Iceburg like it seems to be, then the club will lose fans, sponsors, players even. The academy will go under as its reputation will now never be the same, it wont be "best academy in lower leagues of football" it will be "that academy were kids got raped". It could well be the start of the end. Might not happen for 5-6 seasons. It but the club might not recover from this. (hope I am wrong )

Also something else, could just be me, but to me something has been wrong with our club for a long time. I could never quite put my finger on it. From little things, to big things, like Dario not wanting to take his photo with the academy XI vs walsall to letting Davis stay with the worse record of any manager in the country and a relegation, from the silence of the board on any matter to the lies the board spouts (hassle, money etc). Maybe I have made all that up in my head, but Ive felt it for some time. Like the club itself was separate to the fans. Maybe the events of the child abuse has made this amplified more than it actually is. ?? ?

The Academy will not recover from this as far as Bowler goes he dont have a clue what goes on at Reaseheath he leaves that to his right hand man,and ALL the Coaches,hence the problem. Always known in the past that kids were staying with Coaches,is this the same situation today! The club has left itself wide open to this for years.

[Furberstreet]

I remain proud to be a supporter through thick and thin. However, I think that the Club was a little slow to react, but the facts needed to be considered fully. I cannot remember either how the Club responded in the 1990s, but it is true that, like the weak commercial skills, the Club is not great at PR at present.

[England_First]

The Academy will not recover from this as far as Bowler goes he dont have a clue what goes on at Reaseheath he leaves that to his right hand man,and ALL the Coaches,hence the problem. Always known in the past that kids were staying with Coaches,is this the same situation today! The club has left itself wide open to this for years.

Does Woodward say why the coaches were arguing about which kids should go home with them, it might be about which kids were going to be playing in which teams, or maybe who lived closer to where games were being played, I suggest until we know we should not make accusations or condemn the club.

I see Woodward's was on Sky last night, when asked what he has done since leaving football he said nothing as he has been a broken man for 14 years, he must have forgot about his 12 year police career that only ended due to him being sacked because of 12 counts of gross misconduct, after he was accused of rape by a woman who he was supposed to be the family liaison officer for, I'm sure its just a coincidence that his dismissal happened a few weeks before he went to the press regarding his own abuse. Guess what I am saying is, some balance is needed in all of this, Bennell did the crimes, Bennell should be re-tried, could the Alex have done more to stop him back in the 80's, I don't have the answer to that because if Jimmy Saville can hoodwink the Government, Royalty, The BBC and even the phuckin pope, then what chance would a small town football team have of checking out a premeditated *** offender, who happened to be good at the job he was doing as coach and who knew exactly what he was doing without and help from anybody else.

[jimmyboldon]

I see pound signs in his eyes following his loss of job/income. The timing was no coincidence. Why wait so long?

[samrnpage@hotmail.com]

I agree the timing is fishy from Woodward. But what he has done has got others to come forward. Dario's statement was fantastically rehearsed. Not one apology to the victims, it happened under his watch at the end of the day.

[gazan]

There hasn't been an apology but should the Alex be the one's making it? Bennell worked all over the north-west. The 2 recent outers have nothing to do with the Alex. If the Alex alone apologise then probably, in legal terms, they are accepting some culpability.
However, there should have been an instant response deploring the situation.They have to come out with something more positive and the press have to acknowledge that the situation was n't just restricted to the Alex. It's just that the first person to speak out (regardless of motivation) was at the Crewe Academy.
In the meantime, I wish some supporter weren't SO eager to think the worst. It's a terrible situation but look further than your own club.

[steelydon]

I think saying "someone must have known" is very unfair. At the time of the offences I was a primary school teacher,ages 7-9, and we took the children away for weekends on a regular basis. No-one ever raised the possibility that the kids might be unsafe. It was a different more trusting time. It must also be realised that *****philes are now known to be incredibly manipulative and devious. In these more questioning times one hopes these crimes would be exposed immediately.

[ojprice]

Does Woodward say why the coaches were arguing about which kids should go home with them, it might be about which kids were going to be playing in which teams, or maybe who lived closer to where games were being played, I suggest until we know we should not make accusations or condemn the club.

I see Woodward's was on Sky last night, when asked what he has done since leaving football he said nothing as he has been a broken man for 14 years, he must have forgot about his 12 year police career that only ended due to him being sacked because of 12 counts of gross misconduct, after he was accused of rape by a woman who he was supposed to be the family liaison officer for, I'm sure its just a coincidence that his dismissal happened a few weeks before he went to the press regarding his own abuse. Guess what I am saying is, some balance is needed in all of this, Bennell did the crimes, Bennell should be re-tried, could the Alex have done more to stop him back in the 80's, I don't have the answer to that because if Jimmy Saville can hoodwink the Government, Royalty, The BBC and even the phuckin pope, then what chance would a small town football team have of checking out a premeditated *** offender, who happened to be good at the job he was doing as coach and who knew exactly what he was doing without and help from anybody else.

behold probably the most retarded post you will ever read