Football's child sex abuse scandal: Crewe Alex want to 'engage with survivors' - acting chairman

Barry Bennell has been convicted five times and is serving a 34-year sentence

Crewe want to "engage with survivors" to learn from the "very painful lessons" of the football abuse scandal, says acting chairman Charles Grant.

A report into historical sexual abuse in football criticised Crewe for not doing more to prevent the crimes of their former coach Barry Bennell.

Crewe's response to the Sheldon report was criticised by survivors, and their chairman has since resigned.

"We've learned some very, very painful lessons," Grant told BBC Radio Stoke.

"Since Sheldon produced his report, we've already started to engage with survivors and I hope we will continue to do that a lot more as we go forward.

"That's not for the club's benefit, I have to say. I think it's important for the survivors.

"I would like to learn, from the football club's point of view, what it is we can do with survivor groups, with individuals, to try and make reparations, in some small part."

Bennell is serving a 34-year jail term for abusing boys between 1979 and 1991 while at Crewe and Manchester City.

Survivors spoke about their experiences in the BBC documentary Football's Darkest Secret, which aired earlier last week.

The club apologised and stressed it was unaware of the abuse until Bennell received a conviction in 1994.

But survivors criticised the apology. Chris Unsworth - an ex-Manchester City youth player who was abused by Bennell from the age of nine - called it "a kick in the teeth".

John Bowler, Crewe's chairman since 1980, resigned last week but, again, the move was criticised for not coming sooner.

Grant said he believed it was a mistake the club did not apologise earlier.

"If you're a father or grandfather as I am, you can only be appalled by what's happened and try and help in whatever way possible."