Bennell was not an outstanding coach, having had few experiences, most notably with Crewe Alexandra, who currently play in the English second division, but his name went viral in the media because of the crimes associated with him, which shook public opinion in Britain.

Bennell was serving a 34-year sentence after being convicted of dozens of sex offences, and during his trial the judge once described him as the "devil incarnate".

Pennell was first jailed in Florida in 1994 for raping a British boy during a soccer tour in the United States, before facing prison sentences in Britain in 1998, 2015, 2018 and 2020.

In February 2018, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted of 50 sexual offences against 12 boys aged 11 to 14, whom he trained between 1979 and 1991.

During this trial, the coach's victims recounted how he "controlled" them when they dreamed of becoming professional footballers.