Barry Bennell in hospital after being found unconscious
'Never told a soul'
Fifa monitoring
situation
The
convicted sex offender was found at an address in Knebworth Park, Stevenage on
Friday, Thames Valley Police said.
The
force said it was called to a "fear for welfare" incident and the
62-year-old was still in hospital.
Bennell
was named last week by several former footballers who alleged they were abused
as children.
Five
police forces are now investigating claims of historical abuse.
Former
Crewe player Andy Woodward was the first to speak out about the abuse he said
he suffered at the hands of Bennell.
Former youth team players Chris Unsworth, Steve Walters and
Jason Dunford later told BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme they had also been abused by the
former Crewe Alexandra coach.
David
White and Paul Stewart have also waived their anonymity to speak publicly about
suffering abuse as youth players.
Bennell,
who also worked for Manchester City, Stoke and junior teams in north-west
England and the Midlands, was given a four-year sentence for raping a British
boy on a football tour of Florida in 1994 and a nine-year sentence in 1998 for
23 offences against six boys in England.
He
was jailed for a third time in 2015 after admitting abusing a boy at a 1980 football camp in Macclesfield.
Bennell was said to
have moved out of his home in Milton Keynes when the new allegations came to
light.
East
of England Ambulance Service said it had received a report of an unconscious
man in the Knebworth Park area and a crew attended at 22:50 GMT on Friday.
'Never told a soul'
In an emotional
interview on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme, four ex-footballers
appeared together to tell of their torment at the hands of Barry Bennell.
Andy
Woodward, wept as Steve Walters, Chris Unsworth and Jason Dunford recounted
their abuse.
Mr Woodward, 43 - the first player to go public - said it happened while he was aged
between 11 and 15 and at Crewe Alexandra's youth team but had been kept
"locked away in the back of my head".
Mr
Unsworth, 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. He said he had stayed
at Bennell's house several times and had "never told a soul" he had
been raped.
He
said he "thought he had to come forward... and help everybody", after
seeing Mr Woodward had spoken out.
Fifa monitoring
situation
Greater Manchester Police has launched an investigation into historical sexual abuse in the
youth football system in the area. The force said it had received more than 10
calls connected to a number of clubs.
The
Hampshire, Cheshire, Northumbria and Metropolitan police forces have all also
opened investigations.
A
dedicated NSPCC hotline - 0800 023 2642 - was set up after the abuse claims
came to light.
The Football Association has
confirmed it is investigating claims of sexual abuse in the sport. The FA
said its internal review would look at what officials and clubs knew and when.
Professional
Footballers' Association (PFA) chief executive Gordon Taylor says more than 20
former footballers have come forward regarding allegations of sexual abuse.
Taylor
said at least "six or seven clubs" including Crewe, Manchester City,
Blackpool, Leeds, Stoke and Newcastle were connected with "particular
individuals".
Crewe
Alexandra have begun their own independent review into the claims,
Blackpool
released a statement saying the club was "yet to receive any information
from the PFA or relevant authorities in relation to the ongoing investigations
of historical abuse".
Leeds
also said it had not been made aware of any allegations, but would "take
any such complaints seriously and will cooperate fully with the PFA and the FA
with any investigations".
Football's
world governing body Fifa said in a statement: "We are aware of the
allegations. Fifa considers the protection of children and young people as
fundamental in football and we will monitor the situation closely."
Meanwhile,
Conservative MP Damian Collins, the culture, media and sport committee chairman
told the BBC the FA r
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