His article is mostly about McLeish/Scotland, but there are sections about Collum and Torbett:
SECTION ON COLLUM:
Collum too keen to flash yellow and red cards
ike a lot of Scottish football fans, I do wonder about the referee Willie Collum. What exactly is his modus operandi on the pitch? Does he go by hard evidence? Does he blow his whistle sometimes on a whim?
I was at St Mirren v Rangers last weekend and remain mystified by the red card shown by Collum to Daniel Candeias. If anything, St Mirren’s Anton Ferdinand was the aggressor, not Candeias. At that final whistle, when Ferdinand appeared to have Candeias trapped in an arm-lock, it seemed to me Collum ambled up, wasn’t too sure what he had seen and showed a yellow card to both players to play safe. Already on a yellow, it meant that Candeias was sent off.
Thursday’s botched hearing with the SFA was neither here nor there. The case had nothing to do with “mistaken identity” and so the Candeias ban stands.
There is a recurring theme here with Collum, which is the awarding of dubious yellow and red cards. Have to say, I am not impressed.
SECTION ON TORBETT
Celtic need to reach out and offer help to victims of Torbett
It has been an atrocious and embarrassing week for Celtic FC. The horrors of the Jim Torbett case, and the cruelties he inflicted on young footballers at the Celtic Boys Club three decades ago, are scarcely worth repeating here. Suffice to say, with Torbett sent down for a second time, may further justice be delivered.
Celtic, I believe, need to show more compassion for the victims. It doesn’t seem appropriate to argue, as the club repeatedly has, that the boys club was a separate legal entity to Celtic FC. Clearly, in so many other ways — cultural, social, financial and more — there was an association between the two. Celtic, at the very least, should be reaching out to the victims and offering as much assistance as possible, including financial compensation.
Quite apart from the cruelty inflicted by Torbett on these boys — and they now number at least five, with the likelihood being far more — there remains this harrowing question: how was it that the Celtic board of the 1980s allowed this man back inside Celtic Park to work again, when many were aware of his previous crimes against youngsters in the period between 1966 and 1974?
Torbett was a friend and business associate of at least two Celtic directors at the time — Jack McGinn and Kevin Kelly — which makes this case even more uncomfortable for Celtic. How on earth was this man accommodated?
Celtic FC today are paying a heavy price for that terrible negligence of 30-plus years ago. It should never have been allowed to happen, and yet, as in most of these sex crimes against young people in football, they occurred because the monsters at the heart of it all were somehow tolerated. A despicable negligence around Celtic back then allowed Torbett to pursue his agenda.
There was one other highly unfortunate consequence of the Celtic Boys Club case this week: the transparent and disgusting antics on Twitter and elsewhere of certain supporters of Rangers and other clubs who were self-evidently gleeful at the Torbett case. Little wonder many chose not to go near social media while this case was being played out: it became a stomach-churning charade of point-scoring. I never thought I would ever see a child-abuse case causing such excitement.
It can assuredly be said once more: Twitter absolutely betrays the darker side of human nature.
• Everyone now knows the famous story of the football match played between British and German soldiers during the First World War. It was a very moving episode in that tragedy.
This weekend, 100 years on, I will proudly wear my poppy, in memory and gratitude. At football matches this weekend across Britain, some will wear poppies, and some won’t.
That is fine by me. But can we not just respect each other’s opinion without the aggression and abuse? Oh, the irony.
His article is mostly about McLeish/Scotland, but there are sections about Collum and Torbett:
SECTION ON COLLUM:
Collum too keen to flash yellow and red cards
ike a lot of Scottish football fans, I do wonder about the referee Willie Collum. What exactly is his modus operandi on the pitch? Does he go by hard evidence? Does he blow his whistle sometimes on a whim?
I was at St Mirren v Rangers last weekend and remain mystified by the red card shown by Collum to Daniel Candeias. If anything, St Mirren’s Anton Ferdinand was the aggressor, not Candeias. At that final whistle, when Ferdinand appeared to have Candeias trapped in an arm-lock, it seemed to me Collum ambled up, wasn’t too sure what he had seen and showed a yellow card to both players to play safe. Already on a yellow, it meant that Candeias was sent off.
Thursday’s botched hearing with the SFA was neither here nor there. The case had nothing to do with “mistaken identity” and so the Candeias ban stands.
There is a recurring theme here with Collum, which is the awarding of dubious yellow and red cards. Have to say, I am not impressed.
SECTION ON TORBETT
Celtic need to reach out and offer help to victims of Torbett
It has been an atrocious and embarrassing week for Celtic FC. The horrors of the Jim Torbett case, and the cruelties he inflicted on young footballers at the Celtic Boys Club three decades ago, are scarcely worth repeating here. Suffice to say, with Torbett sent down for a second time, may further justice be delivered.
Celtic, I believe, need to show more compassion for the victims. It doesn’t seem appropriate to argue, as the club repeatedly has, that the boys club was a separate legal entity to Celtic FC. Clearly, in so many other ways — cultural, social, financial and more — there was an association between the two. Celtic, at the very least, should be reaching out to the victims and offering as much assistance as possible, including financial compensation.
Quite apart from the cruelty inflicted by Torbett on these boys — and they now number at least five, with the likelihood being far more — there remains this harrowing question: how was it that the Celtic board of the 1980s allowed this man back inside Celtic Park to work again, when many were aware of his previous crimes against youngsters in the period between 1966 and 1974?
Torbett was a friend and business associate of at least two Celtic directors at the time — Jack McGinn and Kevin Kelly — which makes this case even more uncomfortable for Celtic. How on earth was this man accommodated?
Celtic FC today are paying a heavy price for that terrible negligence of 30-plus years ago. It should never have been allowed to happen, and yet, as in most of these sex crimes against young people in football, they occurred because the monsters at the heart of it all were somehow tolerated. A despicable negligence around Celtic back then allowed Torbett to pursue his agenda.
There was one other highly unfortunate consequence of the Celtic Boys Club case this week: the transparent and disgusting antics on Twitter and elsewhere of certain supporters of Rangers and other clubs who were self-evidently gleeful at the Torbett case. Little wonder many chose not to go near social media while this case was being played out: it became a stomach-churning charade of point-scoring. I never thought I would ever see a child-abuse case causing such excitement.
It can assuredly be said once more: Twitter absolutely betrays the darker side of human nature.
• Everyone now knows the famous story of the football match played between British and German soldiers during the First World War. It was a very moving episode in that tragedy.
This weekend, 100 years on, I will proudly wear my poppy, in memory and gratitude. At football matches this weekend across Britain, some will wear poppies, and some won’t.
That is fine by me. But can we not just respect each other’s opinion without the aggression and abuse? Oh, the irony.
Celtic knew......They're obsessed by the ones that worked for Rangers at some point. Everything I see posted on Twitter has replies from them about Neeley and Dunn.
Totally missing the point that they fucking knew what Torbett was doing and turned a blind eye.
He's actually far tougher on the Yahoos than I imagined he would be. Predictably, he chimes in with a dig about point scoring. Are we really to believe that Scottish football fans were genuinely aggrieved that Rangers had underpaid on tax or was this simply point scoring? Also, whilst 'point scoring' may be inappropriate, abusing children and covering it up is about as bad as it gets. The fact they are still, to this day, trying to cover it up is shameful.
To atone for transgressing against the one, true club Graham will eagerly tighten his cilice and further mortify his flesh. Banish those wicked thoughts, Graham. Drive them out. Begone I say.
They're obsessed by the ones that worked for Rangers at some point. Everything I see posted on Twitter has replies from them about Neeley and Dunn.
Totally missing the point that they fucking knew what Torbett was doing and turned a blind eye.
A more violent scenario springs to mind but I'm sure all of us would't condone such actions.
I am only highlighting what he said, I still think he is a fud.
but I found this interesting reading that he had chosen to answer this question knowing the reply’s he would get from that lot.
You should work for a tabloid mate, he didn’t say they were the same all.
You should work for a tabloid mate, he didn’t say they were the same all.
He agreed that they were related.
He can see which way the wind is blowing. He's sleekit enough to manoeuvre himself into a position of being right no matter what happens.Would be interesting to know how many other articles he has written over the years which touched on this subject, as you get the impression that social media pressure has rather forced his hand on this occasion.
Totally mate. Even now, with the name change to St Pat's and the separate entity argument, they are trying to distance themselves from it. It is a huge stain on their history and they should acknowledge it, take responsibility and apologise/compensate.I know you know this already, but the stick Celtic get is not about the fact it happened, these types can worm their way into any organisation, and its certainly not poking fun at victims. They get it because they covered it up, then allowed a predator a 2nd chance to abuse again and are now denying they’re even linked to their own feucking boys club!
Spiers is probably upset they changed the name to St. PatsySpiers knew, the Celtc Boardroom knew, like Big Jock knew, like Bully MacNeill knew. They all knew, and done nothing. They have no shame, whatsoever, none.
By Rangers and other clubs,but I will just mention Rangers by name .....His article is mostly about McLeish/Scotland, but there are sections about Collum and Torbett:
SECTION ON COLLUM:
Collum too keen to flash yellow and red cards
ike a lot of Scottish football fans, I do wonder about the referee Willie Collum. What exactly is his modus operandi on the pitch? Does he go by hard evidence? Does he blow his whistle sometimes on a whim?
I was at St Mirren v Rangers last weekend and remain mystified by the red card shown by Collum to Daniel Candeias. If anything, St Mirren’s Anton Ferdinand was the aggressor, not Candeias. At that final whistle, when Ferdinand appeared to have Candeias trapped in an arm-lock, it seemed to me Collum ambled up, wasn’t too sure what he had seen and showed a yellow card to both players to play safe. Already on a yellow, it meant that Candeias was sent off.
Thursday’s botched hearing with the SFA was neither here nor there. The case had nothing to do with “mistaken identity” and so the Candeias ban stands.
There is a recurring theme here with Collum, which is the awarding of dubious yellow and red cards. Have to say, I am not impressed.
SECTION ON TORBETT
Celtic need to reach out and offer help to victims of Torbett
It has been an atrocious and embarrassing week for Celtic FC. The horrors of the Jim Torbett case, and the cruelties he inflicted on young footballers at the Celtic Boys Club three decades ago, are scarcely worth repeating here. Suffice to say, with Torbett sent down for a second time, may further justice be delivered.
Celtic, I believe, need to show more compassion for the victims. It doesn’t seem appropriate to argue, as the club repeatedly has, that the boys club was a separate legal entity to Celtic FC. Clearly, in so many other ways — cultural, social, financial and more — there was an association between the two. Celtic, at the very least, should be reaching out to the victims and offering as much assistance as possible, including financial compensation.
Quite apart from the cruelty inflicted by Torbett on these boys — and they now number at least five, with the likelihood being far more — there remains this harrowing question: how was it that the Celtic board of the 1980s allowed this man back inside Celtic Park to work again, when many were aware of his previous crimes against youngsters in the period between 1966 and 1974?
Torbett was a friend and business associate of at least two Celtic directors at the time — Jack McGinn and Kevin Kelly — which makes this case even more uncomfortable for Celtic. How on earth was this man accommodated?
Celtic FC today are paying a heavy price for that terrible negligence of 30-plus years ago. It should never have been allowed to happen, and yet, as in most of these sex crimes against young people in football, they occurred because the monsters at the heart of it all were somehow tolerated. A despicable negligence around Celtic back then allowed Torbett to pursue his agenda.
There was one other highly unfortunate consequence of the Celtic Boys Club case this week: the transparent and disgusting antics on Twitter and elsewhere of certain supporters of Rangers and other clubs who were self-evidently gleeful at the Torbett case. Little wonder many chose not to go near social media while this case was being played out: it became a stomach-churning charade of point-scoring. I never thought I would ever see a child-abuse case causing such excitement.
It can assuredly be said once more: Twitter absolutely betrays the darker side of human nature.
• Everyone now knows the famous story of the football match played between British and German soldiers during the First World War. It was a very moving episode in that tragedy.
This weekend, 100 years on, I will proudly wear my poppy, in memory and gratitude. At football matches this weekend across Britain, some will wear poppies, and some won’t.
That is fine by me. But can we not just respect each other’s opinion without the aggression and abuse? Oh, the irony.
They're obsessed by the ones that worked for Rangers at some point. Everything I see posted on Twitter has replies from them about Neeley and Dunn.
Totally missing the point that they fucking knew what Torbett was doing and turned a blind eye.
That’s the point they cannot escape they re-employed him after he’d been done for child abuse. No escaping that and proof Celtic are scum of the earth.
He did push that in his last article by saying the boys club was a separate entity.I think a “Despicable neglicence around Celtic back then that allowed Torbett to pursue his agenda” doesn’t really miss the point to be honest, the best we can expect from him but hardly said Celtic not guilty
Employed as a known Paedophile, if it was today his background checks would bar him from being employed anywhere but celtic.Nope. He left Celtic in 1974. He came back in the late 80's after Stein died. He was convicted in 1998.
He was probably re-employed as a suspected paedophile.
4 pages waiting on reading something we know will anger us written by a dickhead who hates us.
Only one thing wrong with your article mate,He mentions points scoring. This from a man who IGNORED AND REMAINED SILENT and played his part in enabling the crimes to continue unabated
I would rather people be screaming about this on social media than remaining SILENT, like graham did for decades. I do agree we have a small minority revelling init... Tough graham as distasteful as it maybe to you i hope ur squirming.
Because as distasteful point scoring is to you. YOUR SILENCE and YOUR REJECTION of these crimes when brought up to you in the past is more DISTASTEFUL than any point scoring ever will be.
99% of our support are normal, decent, human beings and been calling for the investigation of CHILD RAPE and ABUSE at celtic, well before peadophilla hunting was all the rage.
So graham spare me your tripe, regarding point scoring. You do a disservice to the victims of this sordid crime and you also dilute your article.
Most decent human beings want see PEADOPHILES jailed and punished it has nothing to do with FOOTBALL. Are you so entrenched in your own self importance, you cant see that ?
GRAHAM YOU HAD A VOICE ..YOU HAD AN AUDIENCE.. YOU HAD A PLATFORM..YOU AND MANY MANY OTHERS COULD HAVE SPOKE OUT!!! YOU CHOSE NOT TOO... JUST LIKE MANY OTHERS LIKE HUGH KHEEVINS, ALAN DAVIDSON, HUGH MCDONALD , TRAYNOR, MCPHERSON!
I could go on and on then you have the editiors of these news rags, that enabled it as well, they are all guilty for their silence, every last one of them and politicians as well. I despair at the collective silcence at these crimes.
Hugh Keevins What say you? in all this vile depravity, what part have you played in your silence over the decades? What have you kept to yourself in the preservation of "The good name of Celtic"
Just like the BBC, Just like Saillve EVERYONE knew about it but NO-ONE done anything about it.
This story is not just about Torbett, it is not just about Jock Stein either. When Cairney and McCafferty and the other one who's name escapes me, are jailed, the numbers will be frightening.
This is about systemic abuse carried out my multiples of men not just JUAN GHUY over decades, at a club, where many people from the very top, to the very bottom knew about and allowed it to continue.
Something the media and goverenemt simply cant ignore or try and play down. A full and transparent enquiry is required to get to the very bottom of it and to get the true number of victims.
Becasue this is what this is all about, the victims who's lives have been wrecked or ended by these bastards. They deserve financal recompence, they deserve REAL justice and hopefully some sort of closure. For themselves and their families who have been through hell.
They want those responsible for robbing them of their lives punished and held accountable. This is the truly sickeing thing, in all this, the SILENCE, the LOOKING the OTHER WAY.
ALL to protect the good name of a fucking football club..MORALLY REPREHENSIBLE. I hope all involved are punished severely.
What kind of society was it like in the 60's and 70's and 80's in the UK? because child abuse and rape seemed to be all the rage back then and normal! by the amount of people who simple turned a blind eye to it and remained silent... Saville, Torbett, Bennell, McCafferty,Cairney, Glitter, Harris ............
This is before i start on the Catholic Church and their proclavities for child rape and abuse and any other sordid religious cult, where they think, raping kids is ok or our political class, aristocracy it is rife.
Yet sadly, the SILENCE remains.
Employed as a known Paedophile, if it was today his background checks would bar him from being employed anywhere but celtic.
Unequivocally he had assistance in his depraved acts, there was unarguably a Paedophile Ring operating for thirty years at celtic.Probably a known paedophile. Another worrying aspect is did Torbett operate alone ? At least five victims so far. Perhaps a degree of assistance and co-operation from some people.
Nope. He left Celtic in 1974. He came back in the late 80's after Stein died. He was convicted in 1998.
He was probably re-employed as a suspected paedophile.
This is good stuff from the idiot - and mentioning things we know but which haven't picked up elsewhere. He has rightly mentioned the Kelly connection and also questioned Torbett being invitied back in to the club. Not many have picked up on this.
Good Spiersy:
Quite apart from the cruelty inflicted by Torbett on these boys — and they now number at least five, with the likelihood being far more — there remains this harrowing question: how was it that the Celtic board of the 1980s allowed this man back inside Celtic Park to work again, when many were aware of his previous crimes against youngsters in the period between 1966 and 1974?
Torbett was a friend and business associate of at least two Celtic directors at the time — Jack McGinn and Kevin Kelly — which makes this case even more uncomfortable for Celtic. How on earth was this man accommodated?
Celtic FC today are paying a heavy price for that terrible negligence of 30-plus years ago. It should never have been allowed to happen, and yet, as in most of these sex crimes against young people in football, they occurred because the monsters at the heart of it all were somehow tolerated. A despicable negligence around Celtic back then allowed Torbett to pursue his agenda.
Yes, some of the reactions from our fans both on here and on twitter have been OTT and tasteless.
Bad Spiersy:
There was one other highly unfortunate consequence of the Celtic Boys Club case this week: the transparent and disgusting antics on Twitter and elsewhere of certain supporters of Rangers and other clubs who were self-evidently gleeful at the Torbett case. Little wonder many chose not to go near social media while this case was being played out: it became a stomach-churning charade of point-scoring. I never thought I would ever see a child-abuse case causing such excitement.
It can assuredly be said once more: Twitter absolutely betrays the darker side of human nature.
Nope. Seems this was a myth. It is now reported that he came back in 1978, which was also Stein's last year there.
Yes, some of the reactions from our fans both on here and on twitter have been OTT and tasteless.
Part of the problem, though, is the muted response from journalists such as Spiers.
When the rags fill their pages with an almost non-story about a bloke being hit with a coin - and the First Minister feels the need to comment on it in Parliament - yet remain near-silent on an atrocious paedophile scandal then something is utterly awry in Scottish journalism. Probably even in Scottish life.
Oh ! Wasn't aware of that. I haven't seen it anywhere. I've seen the late 80's as a point of return. So he had even more time to abuse. Sickening.
Nope. Seems this was a myth. It is now reported that he came back in 1978, which was also Stein's last year there.
Set up by who mate?This isnt going away.
And from what Im hearing there is a separate independent enquiry being considered to investigate the ongoings surrounding their club.
I am only highlighting what he said, I still think he is a fud.
but I found this interesting reading that he had chosen to answer this question knowing the reply’s he would get from that lot.
I honestly don’t read anything from this attention seeking any Rangers cxnt.
I would hope that we all from now on just ignore the bastard.
This isnt going away.
And from what Im hearing there is a separate independent enquiry being considered to investigate the ongoings surrounding their club.
Well said, LBBB. I expect we'll see an attempted warping of what 'related' means.I can't see where he said they were the same. I see "related".
I'm not trying to be difficult but we all know smelly has previous for trying to wrangle out of things he has said.
Interesting,care to elaborate on your source?and who is setting up this independent enquiry?
Not dismissing your claims mate as this would be very good news indeed if genuine.
Nope. Seems this was a myth. It is now reported that he came back in 1978, which was also Stein's last year there.
I've seen that now on the BBC News website.
The story I first heard was Stein kicked him. Then he came back after Stein had died.
I'm beginning to wonder if there was an attempt to keep Stein's name clean, and that this has muddied the water.