Barry Bennell: Years of abuse left footballer disenchanted, court told

A young footballer who was abused by paedophile coach Barry Bennell was left "emotionally stunted" and "disenchanted with football", a court has heard.

James Counsell QC told the High Court Ian Ackley, 53, had been a promising player with interest from professional sides, but three years of abuse "took a huge toll" and he left the game.

Mr Ackley is one of eight men who claim Manchester City employed Bennell and so were vicariously liable for the abuse.

The club disputes the claim.

Mr Justice Johnson had initially ruled that none of the men could be identified, but relaxed that order after it was argued Mr Ackley had previously discussed the abuse he suffered on television and had been named.

The court has previously heard Mr Ackley first met Bennell in the early 1980s.

Mr Ackley said Bennell had approached his father and had carried a blue card, which described him as Manchester City's "North West Representative".

Mr Counsell said Mr Ackley, who was born in Glossop in Derbyshire, had played for junior side White Knowl, which Bennell coached, in the early 1980s.

Mr Ackley told the judge that Bennell took him to Manchester City's Platt Lane training ground on a "regular basis" for training with the "junior set-up" and that White Knowl trophies were displayed in the office of Ken Barnes, then chief scout, at the club's Maine Road stadium.

Mr Counsell said the then-schoolboy had attracted the interest of Sheffield United "as early as the age of eight", had "an offer" from Aston Villa, and had played for Cheadle Town, Manchester United's youth team and Rochdale, before walking "out and away" from football.

"The three years of abuse from Bennell took a huge toll on him psychologically and, not surprisingly, he became disenchanted with football," he said.

Bennell, who worked as a coach at Crewe Alexandra, is serving a 34-year prison sentence after being convicted of sexual offences against boys.

Mr Justice Johnson has heard the men were sexually and emotionally abused by Bennell between 1979 and 1985 and suffered psychiatric injuries.

The men claim Bennell was operating as a Manchester City scout and want damages from the club.

Lawyers representing the club have said Bennell was a "local scout" in the mid-1970s, but did not have a role in the 1980s, and that Bennell was not an employee or in a relationship "akin to employment" at "the material times".

The trial continues.

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