Barry Bennell abuse: Crewe Alexandra payout to player

Crewe Alexandra has agreed to pay a settlement to a former player after he was abused by coach Barry Bennell.

Bennell was jailed for 31 years in 2018 for assaulting 12 former players during his time at the League Two club and Manchester City.

The solicitor representing the player said "it has been a long time coming".

Crewe Alexandra said it did not "consider it appropriate to comment on individual cases that are being dealt with by its insurers".

The club reiterated it "sincerely regrets the abuse committed by Barry Bennell and expresses its deepest sympathies to the victims and survivors".

The amount of the settlement was not disclosed, although some reports suggest it runs into tens of thousands of pounds.

Solicitor Dino Nocivelli said the payment followed court proceedings and he hoped it meant other survivors would get a chance at justice.

He said: "Hopefully they [Crewe Alexandra] have seen sense now; they know what needs to be done, they know the right thing to do by survivors and hopefully they will do that.

"The question is, 'will that happen?', and the sooner the better, really."

But Mr Nocivelli said the club had not apologised to the victim, adding: "It is not just about the money. It is about someone accepting responsibility and apologising for their failings."

Last month it emerged Crewe had admitted to a Football Association-commissioned inquiry it did no background checks on Bennell before hiring him and encouraged him and other coaches to invite boys to stay overnight at their houses and take them on holidays.

Manchester City has set up a multi-million pound compensation scheme for victims of historical child sexual abuse carried out by former coaches at the club.

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