Celtic Boys Club: Allegations of Abuse

Dear Glenda

You have lifted my post from a different thread in order to prove an unsubstantiated opinion.

Aquila

aquila wrote:Dear Glenda

You have lifted my post from a different thread in order to prove an unsubstantiated opinion.

Aquila

It was not my opinion it was food for thought based on known facts.

14 names of abusers were given to the police over 20 years ago.

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There are any number off venues on the internet that focus on the childabuse scandal at Celtic Boys Club.  I'm at a loss to understand why the originator of this thread decided upon a forum that is primarily concerned with the mysterious disappearance of little Madeleine McCann - as the forum name reflects.

Memebers are of course at liberty to introduce other subject matter for discussion but it appears to me that this thread was only introduced with the intention of trying to connect Professor Gerald McCann with the Celtic boy's club historic abuse allegations.  The direct links to the origin of this salacious inference have been taken down - makes you wonder why doesn't it? 

It is a serious offence to link a specific name to a case of child abuse without proof or evidence of the crime.  Here, there is no proof or even evidence to suggest Gerald McCann was or is in any way connected.  It's not even established fact that he worked as Celtic club doctor at any stage of his career.

Feel free to continue discussing the scandal in general but please restrict naming unless there is evidence or a particular individual has been prosecuted..

Thank you.

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"Madeleine, from Rothley, Leicestershire, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve. Her father, Gerry, had worked for Celtic before moving to England."





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Ex-Celtic physio Brian Scott worked with Maddie's dad at the club in the mid 90s - and told how he took time out from duties at Glasgow's Western Infirmary to carry out medicals on new signings."

It seems as though"Person's"are going to a strange sort of formula with regard to Madeleine McCann,as facts of having worked for a football club,seemingly now Not applicable,which were claimed by the Family members of One of her Parents did work their?

People fully understand the necessity to confirm as to whether or Not a person may have worked within the club,but it seems strange to suddenly become disconnected to something previously stated as"Working" within the structure of the club!

As person's have stated and published facts of their involvement in Child abuse belonging to this club,showing them as a fact?

Note the Now "Deaf Silence" of being associated to the Club,PR Clarence Mitchell pinky nose will be all over this,to quell any association,just like Cambridge Analtyca,he may be too late,to save erm?

glenda wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

"Madeleine, from Rothley, Leicestershire, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve. Her father, Gerry, had worked for Celtic before moving to England."





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"
Ex-Celtic physio Brian Scott worked with Maddie's dad at the club in the mid 90s - and told how he took time out from duties at Glasgow's Western Infirmary to carry out medicals on new signings."

We've been down this road before on this very thread, press reports do not qualify as evidence.  Nor do the press reports you use suggest in any way shape or form that Gerry McCann was involved in sex abuse of boys from the Celtic junior club.

I previous posted a link that describes the function of a football team doctor but it's disappeared from my post.  The appointment of a team doctor/s is permanent and doesn't only involve medical checks on new signings. In the interest of clarity I will post the link again, this time in full in the hope it doesn't go missing..

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It's serious business being a football club doctor, not a case of a mate doing a favour.

Now, again I ask, please keep the thread on topic and within forum guidelines or comments will be deleted.

[size=30]PREDATORS [/size]
[size=30]Celtic Boys Club at centre of paedophile ring cover-up claims after FOURTH footie perv nailed[/size]

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ETA:

This video by 'The Armchair Detective' is a balanced, fair look at the general issue of Gerry McCann and Celtic Football Club:

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- Moderator

Hi Verdi, I understand the position you have taken on a Scottish Football Club and Family ties to a missing Three yr old Girl.

Over the past Twenty years or more a number of clubs from within the "Football Association" that had staff who were convicted on Child Sexual Abuse of young boys under their control.

The Times (Scotland)
Survivors of Celtic Boys Club sex abuse will sue Celtic FC ‘within weeks’
Celtic FC will face legal action “within weeks” over systemic sexual abuse at its feeder club, The Times can disclose.
Lawyers representing more than 100 abuse survivors confirmed that they had informed the Parkhead club that court action would begin imminently after an independent review into sexual abuse within football, commissioned by the Scottish Football Association, said it was satisfied that Celtic FC and its feeder club were “inextricably” linked at the time when the abuse took place.
The review said: “If the relationship and history between the youth football club and the senior club was so shared, so closed and so inextricable on positive achievements then when alleged sexual abuse of young players formed part of the history of one then it too formed part of the history of the other.
“A shared heritage is not confined to trophies, victories and celebration. It also extends to defeats, failures and deficiencies.”
Four senior figures at Celtic Boys Club have been convicted of molesting dozens of young players over three decades. While expressing “regret and sorrow” for the victims, Celtic FC refused to accept responsibility for the abuse, insisting that Celtic Boys Club was an entirely separate organisation.
Patrick McGuire, a partner with Thompsons Solicitors, said: “We are at the end of the road now. Celtic are on notice that the first raft of court summonses will be served on them in the weeks ahead.” Mr McGuire claimed that Celtic’s intransigence had left him with no other option but to sue for compensation.
He said: “I have been attempting to engage in meaningful discussions and correspondence but this has not been met in time by Celtic’s lawyers.”
Mr McGuire described the review commissioned by the SFA as the final compelling evidence. “This review commissioned by Scottish football’s governing body, which has a complete panoramic view of how the sporting set-up exists, says that Celtic FC and Celtic Boys Club were linked and were part of the same family,” he said.
“We have further evidence that backs that up from public pronouncements, articles in [the official magazine] the Celtic View and the investigations that the Celtic FC board undertook into the boys’ club.” Celtic have “nowhere to hide and we will see them in court”.
Last month a former youth player was awarded compensation from Celtic FC for the abuse suffered from Jim McCafferty, 73, a former Celtic FC youth team kit man who worked for Celtic Boys Club. The abuse took place when both were employees of Celtic FC.
Last month Celtic FC, which has started an internal investigation into the scandal, criticised Mr McGuire: “The cases should be pursued through the legal process and not the media, yet Mr McGuire appears to be more interested in writing press releases than in corresponding with our insurers or their lawyers. We have said clearly and publicly that we have enormous sympathy for all victims of historic abuse.”
Celtic FC did not respond to a request for comment yesterday.

And still the FA does not seem to understand why so many of its players fear and despise homosexuals and their acts.
They label it as homophobia - which is a convenient twisting of words, but for someone abused as a child or youth that 'Phobia" - the fear and loathing are very real and based on personal experience.
It is not a prejudice, a pre-judgment, based on a stereotype.

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That name again....Fergus McCann a Scot living in Canada used to own CELTIC..

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Channel 4 News tonight at 7pm .
Child sex abuse and Celtic F.C.

Celtic FC seeking to settle Boys Club sex abuse cases

Published

58 minutes ago

By Mark Daly & Calum McKay
BBC Scotland Investigations

Celtic is seeking to settle legal claims of historical abuse at Celtic Boys Club.

Lawyers acting for more than 20 former players have been told the club intends to enter settlement negotiations.

In recent years several former coaches and officials at the club have been convicted of sexual offences against teenage players spanning decades.

Celtic previously said it was not responsible because the boys' club was an "entirely separate" organisation.

The club has not admitted liability and is yet to comment.

Ex-Celtic Boys Club coach assaulted three players
Celtic Boys Club founder guilty of abusing boy
Celtic to face 'class action' over Boys Club abuse

Earlier this year a judge gave the go-ahead for a US style "class action" group litigation to proceed against Celtic for alleged abuses at Celtic Boys Club.

The boys' club was established as a feeder team to the senior Celtic side in 1966 and the two clubs had close ties, sharing players, officials and premises.

Lawyers acting for the former players argue the boys club and Celtic were "intimately connected" and the senior club was "vicariously liable" for assaults carried out in the youth set up.

The litigation, run by Thompsons Solicitors, relates to historical claims of sexual assault by convicted paedophiles Jim Torbett - the founder of the Boys Club - and Frank Cairney, a former coach.

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Frank Cairney was jailed after his abuse came to light

A statement from Thompsons said it was "pleased to confirm" that Celtic had indicated its intention to enter settlement negotiations within the group litigation.

It said: "Celtic Plc have not formally admitted liability or made any other formal concessions but their desire to now enter negotiations to explore the possibility of a settlement of this action has been made clear.

"This means that parties will ask the court to adjourn the forthcoming proof [hearing] to allow work to be undertaken to value individual cases."

The firm said it would not be commenting further.

Group proceedings were brought in to Scots law in 2020. They allow groups of two or more people with the same, or similar, claims to raise a single action in the Court of Session.

A hearing for the group litigation had been scheduled for October at the Court of Session before Lord Arthurson.

Now, that hearing will not go ahead, and Celtic and Thompsons will attempt to agree terms and compensation for each claimant out of court.

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Jim Torbett had been given permission by renowned Celtic manager Jock Stein to create the boys club in 1966, as an affiliated feeder team to the senior side.

A steady stream of talent flowed from the boys' club into the Celtic first team throughout the 70s and 80s.

But it would later become clear Torbett's motives were not confined to providing the stars of the future for the Parkhead club.

Torbett was convicted in 1998 of abusing three players in the 1970s, and served a short prison sentence.

But in 2016, as claims of decades-long sexual abuse rocked football, BBC Scotland started investigating Celtic Boys Club once more.

Fresh allegations were made in a 2017 BBC Scotland documentary, in which the BBC tracked Torbett down to the US and confronted him.

The documentary sparked a new police inquiry and led to Torbett being convicted in 2018 of abusing three boys in the 1980s.

A series of further convictions soon followed, with Frank Cairney and Jim McCafferty imprisoned after their decades of abuse at the boys' club and other teams came to light.

McCafferty died in prison last year.

As many as six men with coaching or other positions at the Celtic Boys Club have been convicted for sexual offences against children.

After the convictions, survivors of the alleged abuse took their case to the civil courts. They brought their case against the senior Celtic side arguing it bore ultimate responsibility for the abuse they suffered.

The two clubs - they said - were so intertwined as to be the same thing, with players frequently being signed to the senior club on schoolboy contracts, but being farmed out to the boys' club to continue their footballing development.

Several figures, including Jock Stein, held positions at both the boys' club and Celtic.

Many survivors say that there was no distinction between one club and the other, in their minds or in practice.

Since the beginning of the legal action against them, Celtic has expressed sorrow and regret at the abuse which took place but had stated publicly and argued in court that it was not responsible because the two clubs were entirely separate entities.

Now there seems to be a shift in Celtic's position, with the club signalling to lawyers representing survivors that it is prepared to enter into negotiations to settle their cases.

It is understood discussions will take place between the two legal teams over the coming months on the exact terms of any settlements.

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