The former football coach Barry Bennell has denied 20 charges of sexual abuse against four boys in the 1980s.



Bennell, 63, appeared via videolink at Chester crown court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to all the charges during the 40-minute hearing.



All the offences, including assault with intent to commit buggery, are alleged to have happened between 1980 and 1987, when the boys were under the age of 16.



The offences allegedly took place in a Butlin’s holiday camp in north Wales and others allegedly took place in Cheshire and Derbyshire.



The former Crewe Alexandra coach was charged with 14 counts of indecent assault, five counts of buggery and one count of attempted buggery.



Bennell was remanded in custody until 3 July for a further hearing in Liverpool crown court. Judge Roger Dutton said a trial was likely to be listed for January.



Bennell had a seven-year association with Manchester City before moving to Crewe in 1985 and worked there for the same amount of time. He has also coached for Stoke City and other junior sides in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Manchester, as well as the US.