Who is Andy Woodward? Former Crewe player at heart of child sex abuse scandal
ANDY Woodward was scouted by a top coach at the age of 11 and thought he would be on the road to football success.
But instead he claims to have suffered sexual abuse as a boy at Crewe in the 1980s.
Who is Andy Woodward?
He is a former professional footballer who played for six clubs between 1992 and 2002.
The 43-year-old favoured the position of defender and made his debut for Crew Alexandra before moving on to play more than 100 matches for Bury.
He left football and joined the Lancashire police force.
What does Andy Woodward claim?
Mr Woodward rocked football when he went public with claims he was sexually abused as a boy in the 1980s.
His disclosure - in which the 43-year-old waived the right to anonymity given to alleged victims of sexual offences - prompted a tide of similar complaints.
In February 2018 coach Barry Bennell was found guilty of 43 of indecent and serious sexual assault offences against boys.
The disgraced former footy coach was convicted of 36 charges on Tuesday, February 13, and then a further seven offences two days later.
Speaking outside Liverpool Crown Court after the verdict, Mr Woodward said: "Justice has been served today and people will be able to move on with their lives including myself."
A jury heard how Bennell had a “power hold” over youth players and abused them on an "industrial scale".
Now known as Richard Jones, Bennell appeared via video link during the five-week trial because of illness.
During the trial, prosecutor Nicholas Johnson QC reminded the jury that Bennell had married the sister of Mr Woodward, reports The BBC.
Mr Johnson said: "Just imagine. What does that tell you about his attitude to other people and their expendability to him?"
Are there other victims?
New figures from Operation Hydrant, the UK-wide police investigation into historical child sex abuse, revealed the growing scale of the scandal engulfing the world of football.
Some 429 victims - aged between four and 20 - have been identified by police along with 155 potential suspects, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said on Wednesday.
Operation Hydrant has received 819 referrals from police forces and the NSPCC and a total of 148 football clubs spanning all tiers of the game have been "impacted", the NPCC said.
The latest figures mark a significant rise from the last update on December 9, when there were 98 clubs impacted, 83 potential suspects and 639 referrals to the investigation.
It has also emerged that the NSPCC's hotline for those affected by historical sex abuse in football received more than 1,700 calls in three weeks.
Chief Constable Simon Bailey said in a statement on the NPCC website: "Allegations received by police forces across the country are being swiftly acted upon.
"We continue to urge anyone who may have been a victim of child sexual abuse to report it by dialling 101, or contacting the dedicated NSPCC helpline, regardless of how long ago the abuse may have taken place.
"We will listen and treat all reports sensitively and seriously. Anyone with any information regarding child sexual abuse is also urged to come forward."
However, Mr Bailey acknowledged that the "higher than usual" number of calls was causing delays.
The NSPCC’s helpline is 0808 800 5000 or Child Line for children and young people can be contacted on 0800 1111.
In the UK, The Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14.