Four ex-footballers have appeared together in an emotional interview to tell of their torment after being abused as children by a coach.<\/p>\n
Andy Woodward, who was the first to go public last week, wept as Steve Walters, Chris Unsworth and Jason Dunford spoke of being abused by ex-Crewe Alexandra coach Barry Bennell.<\/p>\n
Mr Unsworth said he “never told a soul” that he was raped up to 100 times.<\/p>\n
Three police forces are investigating claims against more than one person.<\/p>\n
Barry Bennell, 62, has served three jail sentences for child sex offences.<\/p>\n
Since Mr Woodward’s story emerged, several ex-players have made allegations about being sexually abused by coaches as children – a number of them by Bennell, who is currently living in Milton Keynes.<\/p>\n
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A dedicated NSPCC hotline – 0800 023 2642<\/strong> – was set up after the abuse claims came to light and has received more than 100 calls.<\/p>\n Cheshire Police said it had received a “growing number of disclosures” which included referrals from the children’s charity and allegations have been made “against more than one individual”. Hampshire and Northumbria police forces have also opened investigations.<\/p>\n The prime minister’s spokesman commended the former footballers for their bravery in speaking out and said the allegations deserved to be treated with “full seriousness”.<\/p>\n MP Damian Collins, the chairman of the culture, media and sport committee, said he wants to hear from the Football Association.<\/p>\n He told the BBC: “The FA need to look back to see were mistakes made in the past. Were clues overlooked? Was not enough done to investigate a problem that they may have been perceived?”<\/p>\n ‘Never spoke about it’<\/strong><\/p>\n Mr Unsworth and Mr Dunford waived their anonymity to speak out for the first time on Friday.<\/p>\n Mr Unsworth, 44, said he “thought he had to come forward… and help everybody”, after his girlfriend showed him an interview on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme with ex-Crewe player Mr Woodward, 43.<\/p>\n He had been a youth player at Manchester City with Bennell before moving to Crewe with him when he was about 12 in the mid-1980s.<\/p>\n Mr Unsworth said he had stayed at Bennell’s house several times and Bennell sometimes had two or three boys in the bed at once, where he would abuse them.<\/p>\n “We never spoke to each other about it,” Mr Unsworth said. “I was raped between 50 and 100 times.”<\/p>\n He said he had been nine years old when the abuse started.<\/p>\n