Source: TheGuardian
Revealed: the evidence Crewe supplied on Barry Bennell scandal
• Dario Gradi did not do detailed check before hiring Bennell• Overnight stays for boys encouraged as part of club cultureEvidence supplied by Dario Gradi related to the Barry Bennell scandal can be revealed by the Guardian today and includes an admission that he encouraged the culture at Crewe Alexandra for coaches to invite boys to stay overnight, or even take them on holidays abroad, and that he did not make detailed background checks on the man who has been described as one of the most prolific paedophiles in British criminal history.Gradi, suspended by the Football Association since December 2016, states that he never had any suspicions about his youth-team coach during seven years as colleagues and indicates that one of the reasons why Crewe did not seek a reference from Manchester City, Bennell’s previous club, was because they were trying to poach him on the quiet. Related: Barry Bennell: the predatory Pied Piper who made stars and shattered lives I gleaned that Barry Bennell was a well-respected coach in the Manchester area and that was good enough for me Continue reading......read full article
