Celtic face threat of multimillion pound compensation claim(The Times)

Stumbled across this article on twitter from 2016, it's behind a firewall so if anyone has a subscription to the times and would like to post the full article it'd be much appreciated.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sexual-abuse-inquiry-cannot-cover-football-xx5tz5jd8

The first paragraphs states that Dugdale backed calls for inquiry to be extended to include football clubs but Sturgeon refused, I didn't know there were calls for this at the time. It's disgraceful, and now more information is known it should be used to highlight how shocking a decision it was not to include football clubs in scope of inquiry.

I've asked this a few times and the consensus seems to be that it would make the inquiry too long and convoluted. I think i can understand that point, however if they are to be exempt then surely a separate, specific enquiry is required to cover football clubs, and one club in particular.

The whole 'sporting and religious institutions are exempt' line is absolutely sinister. They are the most likely places these sick beasts would operate. Reeks of cover-up beyond which i worry we will never fully unravel. Hope i'm wrong.
 
Stumbled across this article on twitter from 2016, it's behind a firewall so if anyone has a subscription to the times and would like to post the full article it'd be much appreciated.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sexual-abuse-inquiry-cannot-cover-football-xx5tz5jd8
Nicola Sturgeon said that she was “sickened” by the allegations of child sex abuse at football clubs but ruled out extending a government inquiry into historical cases into the sport.

The first minister was responding to a Labour plea to expand the remit of the Scottish child abuse inquiry in light of the growing scandal.

Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, said that her party backed a call by abuse survivors’ groups to extend the in-care abuse inquiry to “all situations where a duty of care existed”, such as sports clubs and youth clubs. She added that the “growing tide of revelations from footballers adds to that demand”.

However, Ms Sturgeon warned that extending the remit of the inquiry risked proceedings dragging on for several years. “The allegations of abuse that are surfacing now in relation to football are extremely serious and they sicken all of us,” she said.

“The inquiries that must now take place into these allegations of abuse are first and foremost police inquiries in order that anyone who has been the victim of abuse gets the justice they so rightly deserve.”

She added that the inquiry, which was set up last year, was already the most wide-ranging public inquiry ever held in Scotland and deliberately focused on in-care abuse — that which took place in institutions or other settings that had legal responsibility for the long-term care of children in place of their parents.

“To widen the remit of that inquiry would mean that it would take perhaps many, many years longer to conclude its investigations and would risk becoming completely unwieldy, and we would be at risk, I think, of breaking our word to the survivors of in-care abuse,” Ms Sturgeon said.

“My view is that we should allow that inquiry to get on with its job and we should allow the police to get on with their job of investigating allegations of abuse in football.

“As the police inquiries take their course, if it does emerge that there are wider systemic issues to be addressed then, of course, we would consider very seriously about how that should be taken forward.”

Meanwhile, a former youth coach and kitman at Celtic football club who was charged with a child sex offence has been remanded in prison for his own safety by a court in Belfast.

The defence solicitor of Jim McCafferty, 70, said that he had been instructed not to apply for bail and there was a safety issue if his client had been allowed to remain in the community.

Mr McCafferty was involved in football in Scotland and Ireland from the 1980s and was arrested on Tuesday by the Police Service of Northern Ireland after walking into a police station.

He was accused of sexually touching a boy aged under 16. He was charged with engaging in sexual activity with a child aged between 13 and 16 in Northern Ireland between December 2011 and December 2014.

He appeared before Judge Liam McNally at Laganside magistrates’ court in Belfast yesterday and spoke only to confirm that he understood the charge.

McCafferty, originally from Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, but more recently living in south Belfast, was formerly a kitman at Celtic, Hibernian and Falkirk.

He was remanded in custody to appear in court via video-link on January 5.
 
As much as Adam tomkins is applying pressure,his boss must call this out in open parliament,useless and sturgeon would then have to open there wired mouths.the dogs on the street have known for years what's been going on.I feel so sorry for the victims that the very people who took the oath to protect them,couldn't give a dam.There will be books on this one day and history wont be kind to them.
Makes you wonder why no one wants to make political capital from this situation, usually politicians from opposite sides would be In a bloodlust with something that could harm the opposition.
Something is rotten in UK politics when no one wants to call out sexual abuse of kids.
 
Nicola Sturgeon said that she was “sickened” by the allegations of child sex abuse at football clubs but ruled out extending a government inquiry into historical cases into the sport.

The first minister was responding to a Labour plea to expand the remit of the Scottish child abuse inquiry in light of the growing scandal.

Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, said that her party backed a call by abuse survivors’ groups to extend the in-care abuse inquiry to “all situations where a duty of care existed”, such as sports clubs and youth clubs. She added that the “growing tide of revelations from footballers adds to that demand”.

However, Ms Sturgeon warned that extending the remit of the inquiry risked proceedings dragging on for several years. “The allegations of abuse that are surfacing now in relation to football are extremely serious and they sicken all of us,” she said.

“The inquiries that must now take place into these allegations of abuse are first and foremost police inquiries in order that anyone who has been the victim of abuse gets the justice they so rightly deserve.”

She added that the inquiry, which was set up last year, was already the most wide-ranging public inquiry ever held in Scotland and deliberately focused on in-care abuse — that which took place in institutions or other settings that had legal responsibility for the long-term care of children in place of their parents.

“To widen the remit of that inquiry would mean that it would take perhaps many, many years longer to conclude its investigations and would risk becoming completely unwieldy, and we would be at risk, I think, of breaking our word to the survivors of in-care abuse,” Ms Sturgeon said.

“My view is that we should allow that inquiry to get on with its job and we should allow the police to get on with their job of investigating allegations of abuse in football.

“As the police inquiries take their course, if it does emerge that there are wider systemic issues to be addressed then, of course, we would consider very seriously about how that should be taken forward.”

Meanwhile, a former youth coach and kitman at Celtic football club who was charged with a child sex offence has been remanded in prison for his own safety by a court in Belfast.

The defence solicitor of Jim McCafferty, 70, said that he had been instructed not to apply for bail and there was a safety issue if his client had been allowed to remain in the community.

Mr McCafferty was involved in football in Scotland and Ireland from the 1980s and was arrested on Tuesday by the Police Service of Northern Ireland after walking into a police station.

He was accused of sexually touching a boy aged under 16. He was charged with engaging in sexual activity with a child aged between 13 and 16 in Northern Ireland between December 2011 and December 2014.

He appeared before Judge Liam McNally at Laganside magistrates’ court in Belfast yesterday and spoke only to confirm that he understood the charge.

McCafferty, originally from Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, but more recently living in south Belfast, was formerly a kitman at Celtic, Hibernian and Falkirk.

He was remanded in custody to appear in court via video-link on January 5.


There is the bat to beat her with. If it turns out there are wider systematic problems at hand then she would look into the matter further.

It has been proven there are wider systematic problems, there were 4 active peadaphiles at one club and they had regular visits from 2 further convicted peadaphiles. It is clear that this was covered up by many members of staff at the club to save embarrassment for the club with no care for the well being of those children abused or children who would be later abused by these beasts because certain individuals never acted appropriately when they realised what was happening.
 
Stumbled across this article on twitter from 2016, it's behind a firewall so if anyone has a subscription to the times and would like to post the full article it'd be much appreciated.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sexual-abuse-inquiry-cannot-cover-football-xx5tz5jd8

The first paragraphs states that Dugdale backed calls for inquiry to be extended to include football clubs but Sturgeon refused, I didn't know there were calls for this at the time. It's disgraceful, and now more information is known it should be used to highlight how shocking a decision it was not to include football clubs in scope of inquiry.

Sturgeon's response is all the more reprehensible, given that this story appeared in The Mirror just two days before ...

Former Celtic Kit Man McCafferty Admits Sick Abuse On Young Football Players - 7 Dec 16
Daily Mirror
A former football coach has come clean about the years of abuse he inflicted on young players, saying there are so many he can’t remember them all. Former Celtic kit man Jim McCafferty, 71, confessed to a 20-year campaign of abuse during the 1980s and 90s in a bid to “unburden himself” and “cleanse his soul” after a whistleblower came forward about his behaviour.

The ailing pensioner, who now lives in South Belfast, named four players he assaulted in the 1980s and 90s while he coached at youth clubs in West Lothian and later Celtic after being approached by our sister paper the Irish Mirror. McCafferty said: “I understand it was wrong, I was wrong and I did wrong and I am sorry.

I have remorse. I know if I’m found guilty I will have to serve time and in my mind, I’ve said to myself that that’s what I’ll have to pay back for what I’ve done and I’m OK with that. I hope that will cleanse my soul. I’ll take what’s coming, there’s no getting away from it.”

He said sexual physical contact between himself and a number of the players was regular and included fondling and masturbation. He also told how he shared naked showers with youth players after home wins and was involved in what he describes as ‘teenage orgies’ in changing rooms after matches. During his confession he said he had sexual contact with one boy to “toughen him up”.

McCafferty said only one player he approached sexually ordered him to stop. Despite his wide-ranging abuse McCafferty claimed he had never had non-consensual sex with any of the players. He added: “I never raped a boy, no, nobody would ever get away with that. Most clubs, most players would have been involved. It was part of the game. Without a doubt there are stacks of managers who wouldn’t have but there’s something different in the genes in me.”

Asked to explain why he felt the need to confess, he said: “Now I can take a breath again. My concern is if someone hurts me when I’m walking down the street.” McCafferty has offered to hand himself to the Police Service of Northern Ireland for questioning. Police Scotland have already launched an investigation into claims he abused young footballers in Scotland.

McCafferty says he hopes other people who have been in authority in football will now come forward and face their demons. He explained: “I’m willing to face it. No one has accused me of raping them but I cannot lie. My mind is working overtime, it’s only natural. There are things I’ve done and I have to accept that.

I read the Daily Record last week and I thought nothing has happened yet. I don’t want to hide anything. I have been haunted by what I did. I was lonely and they made me feel good. I wanted their company without a doubt although the greatest interest was football.”

A Celtic spokesman said: “This is an extremely serious allegation which we have immediately passed on to Police Scotland. We suggest any information or evidence you have should also be forwarded to police immediately.”

A spokesman for Hibs said the club hadn’t been contacted by the police concerning any allegations regarding McCafferty.

A spokesman for Fauldhouse United confirmed that McCafferty had been a coach at the club’s under sixteens side, Fauldhouse Boys Club, during the early 1980s, but said the club was aware of no allegations made against him covering that period.

Nobody at Armadale Thistle or Falkirk was able to comment after being contacted by the yesterday.
 
Any sane person must wonder what it will take for a full & thorough enquiry to take place ?

Sureley enough has already been proved in the judicial system to indicate prolonged abuse has been committed & that those involved have been assisted by established institutions to attempt to cover it up ?

I for one, can only conclude the cover-ups are still in place - & / or this problem goes much further in government, police, media & national authorities than currently reported.

I'm left supposing that it's not in the governments interest to fully investigate the obvious links for fear of exposing other un-prosecuted culprits within their ranks

Of course if this isn't true then what else are they afraid of ? If they've nothing to hide & are innocent of any charges or of aiding any cover up - then why wouldn't they proceed with the full enquiry this deserves ?
 
Sturgeon should be the next one to be focused on. She specifically chose to exclude football clubs to protect celtc, everyone knew there were countless secrets they were trying to keep buried. We are now at the point where celtc are the worst case of a paedo ring in world sport, yet our "first minister" made sure they would be protected from a public enquiry???

She is vile, doesn't care about the victims, doesn't care about children, and doesn't care who's grubby perverted hands tick the SNP box at the polling station - that is ALL she is interested in.
 
Stumbled across this article on twitter from 2016, it's behind a firewall so if anyone has a subscription to the times and would like to post the full article it'd be much appreciated.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sexual-abuse-inquiry-cannot-cover-football-xx5tz5jd8

The first paragraphs states that Dugdale backed calls for inquiry to be extended to include football clubs but Sturgeon refused, I didn't know there were calls for this at the time. It's disgraceful, and now more information is known it should be used to highlight how shocking a decision it was not to include football clubs in scope of inquiry.
Absolutely mental that anyone or any group should be excluded from investigating.
Do the SNP now have the power to say who can and who can't be raped .
The SNP need investigating also.
 
Sturgeon should be the next one to be focused on. She specifically chose to exclude football clubs to protect celtc, everyone knew there were countless secrets they were trying to keep buried. We are now at the point where celtc are the worst case of a paedo ring in world sport, yet our "first minister" made sure they would be protected from a public enquiry???

She is vile, doesn't care about the victims, doesn't care about children, and doesn't care who's grubby perverted hands tick the SNP box at the polling station - that is ALL she is interested in.
She only cares about children if it means indoctrination via the classroom into loving the snp, hating the tories and rewriting history.
 
Krankie is a horrible creature.

She and the cretin Useless have ignored the CSA convictions and should be voted out. They are a cancer within Scotland

This active paedo ring was in place at Parkpaed for decades and demands a proper independent investigation and I’d go as far to say that it should be done by a police force and a QC or Senior Judge out with Scotland

Also the SFA and SPFL and old SFL officials will be investigated at the same time as they cannot be trusted or deemed impartial
 
Part of an email recieved from Scottish Conservative Deputy Leader Jackson Carlaw.

"It is vital that we in Parliament play our part in holding the SFA and other bodies to account on this. It is clear that victims of child abuse in football have been let down, and I very much hope Police Scotland and the SFA will give them the closure they need and the justice they deserve.

Please be assured the Scottish Conservatives will closely monitor developments on this matter over the coming weeks and months."
 
Part of an email recieved from Scottish Conservative Deputy Leader Jackson Carlaw.

"It is vital that we in Parliament play our part in holding the SFA and other bodies to account on this. It is clear that victims of child abuse in football have been let down, and I very much hope Police Scotland and the SFA will give them the closure they need and the justice they deserve.

Please be assured the Scottish Conservatives will closely monitor developments on this matter over the coming weeks and months."

Time the Conservative party called out the SNP for putting votes before children.

We all know why the SNP are reluctant to undertake a proper inquiry. SNP values its Celtic vote more than it does truth, justice and safeguarding children.

Mahatma Ghandi who said , "A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members."

Young boys have been sexually abused and a group of people looked away at the time, allowing it to happen. Now those who have been elected to safeguard and ensure justice are looking away. Those who could have and prevented the abuse at the time should be punished. Let's hope at the ballot box those who are elected and are failing in their duties are voted out.
 
Nicola Sturgeon said that she was “sickened” by the allegations of child sex abuse at football clubs but ruled out extending a government inquiry into historical cases into the sport.

The first minister was responding to a Labour plea to expand the remit of the Scottish child abuse inquiry in light of the growing scandal.

Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, said that her party backed a call by abuse survivors’ groups to extend the in-care abuse inquiry to “all situations where a duty of care existed”, such as sports clubs and youth clubs. She added that the “growing tide of revelations from footballers adds to that demand”.

However, Ms Sturgeon warned that extending the remit of the inquiry risked proceedings dragging on for several years. “The allegations of abuse that are surfacing now in relation to football are extremely serious and they sicken all of us,” she said.

“The inquiries that must now take place into these allegations of abuse are first and foremost police inquiries in order that anyone who has been the victim of abuse gets the justice they so rightly deserve.”

She added that the inquiry, which was set up last year, was already the most wide-ranging public inquiry ever held in Scotland and deliberately focused on in-care abuse — that which took place in institutions or other settings that had legal responsibility for the long-term care of children in place of their parents.

“To widen the remit of that inquiry would mean that it would take perhaps many, many years longer to conclude its investigations and would risk becoming completely unwieldy, and we would be at risk, I think, of breaking our word to the survivors of in-care abuse,” Ms Sturgeon said.

“My view is that we should allow that inquiry to get on with its job and we should allow the police to get on with their job of investigating allegations of abuse in football.

“As the police inquiries take their course, if it does emerge that there are wider systemic issues to be addressed then, of course, we would consider very seriously about how that should be taken forward.”

Meanwhile, a former youth coach and kitman at Celtic football club who was charged with a child sex offence has been remanded in prison for his own safety by a court in Belfast.

The defence solicitor of Jim McCafferty, 70, said that he had been instructed not to apply for bail and there was a safety issue if his client had been allowed to remain in the community.

Mr McCafferty was involved in football in Scotland and Ireland from the 1980s and was arrested on Tuesday by the Police Service of Northern Ireland after walking into a police station.

He was accused of sexually touching a boy aged under 16. He was charged with engaging in sexual activity with a child aged between 13 and 16 in Northern Ireland between December 2011 and December 2014.

He appeared before Judge Liam McNally at Laganside magistrates’ court in Belfast yesterday and spoke only to confirm that he understood the charge.

McCafferty, originally from Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, but more recently living in south Belfast, was formerly a kitman at Celtic, Hibernian and Falkirk.

He was remanded in custody to appear in court via video-link on January 5.

Shameless b@stards Hooring themselves to get the Papist votes before the safety of our children and children over the last 5 decades.

As complicent as the Crash Barriers themselves.

Utterly shameful.
 
Regarding Sturgeon and the matter of sports being omitted from the abuse enquiry, I think we have to be patient and remember that two enquiries specifically into abuse in Scottish foootball are ongoing: one by the police, the other the independent enquiry commisioned by the SFA.

Of course these are not specific to the CFC cover-up but they are a fairly rational get-out for Sturgeon at the moment should she be put on the spot, and I think we at least have to wait out the conclusions to these.
 
I'm assuming this has been posted along with the picture of the programme from a couple of pages back?

Seems it's from the same issue.

Nothing that's hasn't been suggested but it's the first time I've seem it in print

 
I'm assuming this has been posted along with the picture of the programme from a couple of pages back?

Seems it's from the same issue.

Nothing that's hasn't been suggested but it's the first time I've seem it in print


Peter Financial Controller, linked with in the know directors McGinn, Kelleys Farrell and White.

Peter must have known.

Police should question the likes of Brian Scott. Not for a second saying he has been involved in abuse, but what did he hear during his time there. Who knew what ?
Brian is the son of a Freemason from Innerleithen and has not been brought up in Catholic church.
It needs to be proved that Peter knew what was going on.
I strongly suspect Kelly,McGinn etc will be shortly diagnosed with dementia.
But if Peter can be established to have known way back and did nothing the head of the serpent is exposed.
 
Saw the accusation online that the money paid to Trophy Centre 4 YEARS AFTER Torbett was convicted was a potential Tax Avoidance scheme by Celtc.

Not sure what evidence, but know that some on here were asking "Why was TC still being paid... was it hush money?"
 
Saw the accusation online that the money paid to Trophy Centre 4 YEARS AFTER Torbett was convicted was a potential Tax Avoidance scheme by Celtc.

Not sure what evidence, but know that some on here were asking "Why was TC still being paid... was it hush money?"

Now wait a minute - they're accused of tax avoidance ?
Now that really is a heinous crime with drastic consequences
 
Peter Financial Controller, linked with in the know directors McGinn, Kelleys Farrell and White.

Peter must have known.

Police should question the likes of Brian Scott. Not for a second saying he has been involved in abuse, but what did he hear during his time there. Who knew what ?
Brian is the son of a Freemason from Innerleithen and has not been brought up in Catholic church.
It needs to be proved that Peter knew what was going on.
I strongly suspect Kelly,McGinn etc will be shortly diagnosed with dementia.
But if Peter can be established to have known way back and did nothing the head of the serpent is exposed.
Been thinking about Brian Scott recently. Did he not get the sack for coming to work smelling of drink? I'm sure that was the case and tried to take them to court.
 
I've asked this a few times and the consensus seems to be that it would make the inquiry too long and convoluted. I think i can understand that point, however if they are to be exempt then surely a separate, specific enquiry is required to cover football clubs, and one club in particular.

The whole 'sporting and religious institutions are exempt' line is absolutely sinister. They are the most likely places these sick beasts would operate. Reeks of cover-up beyond which i worry we will never fully unravel. Hope i'm wrong.
I think initially we have to wait on the SFA report. I suspect they are frantically rewriting it on the back of recent developments. There is ample evidence to call them out if and when they try to whitewash the past. It's at this point our club must call them out. I can't see any reason why the report can't be published.
 
Stumbled across this article on twitter from 2016, it's behind a firewall so if anyone has a subscription to the times and would like to post the full article it'd be much appreciated.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sexual-abuse-inquiry-cannot-cover-football-xx5tz5jd8

The first paragraphs states that Dugdale backed calls for inquiry to be extended to include football clubs but Sturgeon refused, I didn't know there were calls for this at the time. It's disgraceful, and now more information is known it should be used to highlight how shocking a decision it was not to include football clubs in scope of inquiry.


Nicola Sturgeon said that she was “sickened” by the allegations of child sex abuse at football clubs but ruled out extending a government inquiry into historical cases into the sport.

The first minister was responding to a Labour plea to expand the remit of the Scottish child abuse inquiry in light of the growing scandal.

Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, said that her party backed a call by abuse survivors’ groups to extend the in-care abuse inquiry to “all situations where a duty of care existed”, such as sports clubs and youth clubs. She added that the “growing tide of revelations from footballers adds to that demand”.

However, Ms Sturgeon warned that extending the remit of the inquiry risked proceedings dragging on for several years. “The allegations of abuse that are surfacing now in relation to football are extremely serious and they sicken all of us,” she said.

“The inquiries that must now take place into these allegations of abuse are first and foremost police inquiries in order that anyone who has been the victim of abuse gets the justice they so rightly deserve.”

She added that the inquiry, which was set up last year, was already the most wide-ranging public inquiry ever held in Scotland and deliberately focused on in-care abuse — that which took place in institutions or other settings that had legal responsibility for the long-term care of children in place of their parents.
“To widen the remit of that inquiry would mean that it would take perhaps many, many years longer to conclude its investigations and would risk becoming completely unwieldy, and we would be at risk, I think, of breaking our word to the survivors of in-care abuse,”

Ms Sturgeon said.
“My view is that we should allow that inquiry to get on with its job and we should allow the police to get on with their job of investigating allegations of abuse in football.
“As the police inquiries take their course, if it does emerge that there are wider systemic issues to be addressed then, of course, we would consider very seriously about how that should be taken forward.”

Meanwhile, a former youth coach and kitman at Celtic football club who was charged with a child sex offence has been remanded in prison for his own safety by a court in Belfast.
The defence solicitor of Jim McCafferty, 70, said that he had been instructed not to apply for bail and there was a safety issue if his client had been allowed to remain in the community.

Mr McCafferty was involved in football in Scotland and Ireland from the 1980s and was arrested on Tuesday by the Police Service of Northern Ireland after walking into a police station.
He was accused of sexually touching a boy aged under 16. He was charged with engaging in sexual activity with a child aged between 13 and 16 in Northern Ireland between December 2011 and December 2014.

He appeared before Judge Liam McNally at Laganside magistrates’ court in Belfast yesterday and spoke only to confirm that he understood the charge.

McCafferty, originally from Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, but more recently living in south Belfast, was formerly a kitman at Celtic, Hibernian and Falkirk.
He was remanded in custody to appear in court via video-link on January 5.


So according to Nippy, it is a straight forward police matter?
 
Peter Financial Controller, linked with in the know directors McGinn, Kelleys Farrell and White.

Peter must have known.

Police should question the likes of Brian Scott. Not for a second saying he has been involved in abuse, but what did he hear during his time there. Who knew what ?
Brian is the son of a Freemason from Innerleithen and has not been brought up in Catholic church.
It needs to be proved that Peter knew what was going on.
I strongly suspect Kelly,McGinn etc will be shortly diagnosed with dementia.
But if Peter can be established to have known way back and did nothing the head of the serpent is exposed.

I think he was previously there 1990-1991 mate as FC.
 
The very least I would expect from opposition party's in the Shortbread Assembly is to keep up the pressure on the SNP in this regard.We were promised an Independent Enquiry by Martin Henry so let's see it, preferably in it's original form.While there are some rumblings from the likes of Adam Tomkins(thank goodness) the sheer complacency from the others is truly lamentable.
 
Nicola Sturgeon said that she was “sickened” by the allegations of child sex abuse at football clubs but ruled out extending a government inquiry into historical cases into the sport.

The first minister was responding to a Labour plea to expand the remit of the Scottish child abuse inquiry in light of the growing scandal.

Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, said that her party backed a call by abuse survivors’ groups to extend the in-care abuse inquiry to “all situations where a duty of care existed”, such as sports clubs and youth clubs. She added that the “growing tide of revelations from footballers adds to that demand”.

However, Ms Sturgeon warned that extending the remit of the inquiry risked proceedings dragging on for several years. “The allegations of abuse that are surfacing now in relation to football are extremely serious and they sicken all of us,” she said.

“The inquiries that must now take place into these allegations of abuse are first and foremost police inquiries in order that anyone who has been the victim of abuse gets the justice they so rightly deserve.”

She added that the inquiry, which was set up last year, was already the most wide-ranging public inquiry ever held in Scotland and deliberately focused on in-care abuse — that which took place in institutions or other settings that had legal responsibility for the long-term care of children in place of their parents.

“To widen the remit of that inquiry would mean that it would take perhaps many, many years longer to conclude its investigations and would risk becoming completely unwieldy, and we would be at risk, I think, of breaking our word to the survivors of in-care abuse,” Ms Sturgeon said.

“My view is that we should allow that inquiry to get on with its job and we should allow the police to get on with their job of investigating allegations of abuse in football.

“As the police inquiries take their course, if it does emerge that there are wider systemic issues to be addressed then, of course, we would consider very seriously about how that should be taken forward.”

Meanwhile, a former youth coach and kitman at Celtic football club who was charged with a child sex offence has been remanded in prison for his own safety by a court in Belfast.

The defence solicitor of Jim McCafferty, 70, said that he had been instructed not to apply for bail and there was a safety issue if his client had been allowed to remain in the community.

Mr McCafferty was involved in football in Scotland and Ireland from the 1980s and was arrested on Tuesday by the Police Service of Northern Ireland after walking into a police station.

He was accused of sexually touching a boy aged under 16. He was charged with engaging in sexual activity with a child aged between 13 and 16 in Northern Ireland between December 2011 and December 2014.

He appeared before Judge Liam McNally at Laganside magistrates’ court in Belfast yesterday and spoke only to confirm that he understood the charge.

McCafferty, originally from Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, but more recently living in south Belfast, was formerly a kitman at Celtic, Hibernian and Falkirk.

He was remanded in custody to appear in court via video-link on January 5.
Stalin should hang her head in shame. Justice is what is important, even it takes a little longer.
 
Saw the accusation online that the money paid to Trophy Centre 4 YEARS AFTER Torbett was convicted was a potential Tax Avoidance scheme by Celtc.

Not sure what evidence, but know that some on here were asking "Why was TC still being paid... was it hush money?"
Shhh money indeed
 
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