Crewe chairman John Bowler has resigned following the publication of the Sheldon report into historical sexual abuse in football.

The League One club apologised and said they acknowledge “more could have been done to monitor” Bennell.

In a statement, Bowler apologised again to the survivors and said he always intended to resign after the review.

“As the only person left with an association to that era, I truly believe it was important for me to see it through to conclusion,” he said.

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

Bowler, 84, had been chairman since 1987, having first joined the board in 1980.

Crewe previously said they were not aware of any sexual abuse by Bennell until 1994 when he was first convicted of sexual assault, and did not receive a single complaint about sexual abuse by him.

“I am satisfied with the findings of the review that found that the club did not have any knowledge of Barry Bennell’s heinous crimes,” he said.

“I will always be deeply appalled and sorry that those young players and their families suffered at the hands of this evil predator.

“I personally and sincerely apologise to them all for their suffering.

“Crewe Alexandra is a community based club with good people. I apologise to all our supporters that the name of the club has been tarnished.”

More to follow