Why is it no1 in media ever mentions the fact that celtic offerred a youth player a pro contract so he wouldnt report sexual abuse to police.
Shameful airport pact haunts us after 5 years; EXCLUSIVE: Truth behind the cover-up.
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The secret deal which protected a sex pervert for five years was struck in an American airport cafe.
Hours before Celtic Boys' Club were due to fly home, five men sat around a table at bustling Boston airport.
There they sealed the shameful pact that has haunted them since.
Frank Cairney - the man who WAS Celtic Boys' Club - agreed to resign and a dingy chapter in Celtic's history was born.
A young player had claimed he had been touched sexually by Cairney while in bed.
Now the other four men who were part of that airport deal, former chairman Jim McNally and officials Bill Gilfillan, John Gallacher and Willie Hampson, have decided to speak about it for the first time.
They talked to the Daily Record which last week lifted the lid off the sex abuse scandal at the boys club.
Jim McNally, speaking for all four, said: "Apart from sworn statements to Celtic and the police, none of us has ever spoken about what happened.
"It has been painful and has taken a great toll on all of our lives."
Players had been staying in the homes of ex-pat Celtic fans in Kearney, New Jersey, in 1991 for a showpiece tournament. Two were living with exiled Scot, Pat Brannigan.
Jim said: "Pat Brannigan told me that a boy had made a serious allegation against Frank Cairney. I interviewed the boy after Pat Brannigan came for me very early in the morning.
"Pat and his wife Diane were there. I asked a second boy who was also staying at Pat's house to leave the room.
"The first lad was very distraught. He repeated the allegation of a sexual nature against Frank Cairney.
"He said it happened in Pat Brannigan's basement where the boys were sleeping.
"Frank had been staying at a hotel nearby. But it wouldn't have been unusual for him to be in the house because he always went around to where the boys were staying, to make sure they were all right.
"Initially I found the whole thing hard to believe. I had never experienced anything like that before in my life.
"I honestly thought and hoped it was horseplay that had got out of hand a wee bit. Immediately I talked to the other three officials.
"I told them what had happened. We were visiting a theme park that day and I got the senior players together and told them what had happened. They already knew.
"I asked them if they would keep their eye on this lad until we got things sorted out."
He continued: "We decided that we would talk to Frank Cairney and we did. He very forcibly, strenuously denied the allegation. He was very angry. He said nothing happened.
"While we were talking about it, Pat Brannigan arrived and said he had spoken to his lawyer and the police.
"I also spoke to Pat's lawyer about the procedure and what we would do.
"I asked him what would happen if the boy made a formal complaint. And what he told me was the real shocker of the whole thing.
"He said that Frank Cairney would be charged and that the boy, and the other boy who was staying in the house, would be put in protective custody."
Distraught Jim and the officials were terrified to bring in police in case the boys were taken away from them.
He said:"I was absolutely shattered about that. There was no way I could have landed at Glasgow Airport and told two sets of parents that their boys weren't there.
"After that meeting I immediately contacted Celtic, but it was the Glasgow Fair and I had a terrible job trying to get a hold of people.
"I tried Jack McGinn, Jimmy Farrell (Celtic directors), but could not get them. I then phoned Sean McMullen and Bobby Creilly, two other boys' club officials.
"I told them what had happened and I told them of my fear that the boys would be taken into protective custody and that this wasn't for me or even the boy to decide what they should do. I felt his parents should make that decision.
"This was the Thursday and we were due home on the Sunday.
"We also booked three tickets to be held just in case the boy wanted home early.
"I spoke to the lad at regular intervals and he opted to stay at Brannigan's. He seemed to be coping.
"He continued to play in the tournament. I've always admired the boy and how he coped with all of this.
"He was only 16 at the time. He actually started officially playing for Celtic on the Monday after he returned home."
Jim McNally didn't call in the police, but Pat Brannigan may have brought them in. Jim said: "If the police interviewed the boy I wasn't aware of it. I think Pat Brannigan felt we weren't handling it correctly. But the reason we handled it the way we did was because I didn't believe it was up to me to decide what to do.
"Eventually there was a meeting with the boy's parents which Creilly and McMullen had been trying to arrange .
"We left Kennedy airport, New York, on Sunday, but still there was no word. We stopped over at Boston and this is where it all happened.
"There was a message at Boston for me to phone home.
"I was told the meeting had concluded and the outcome was that the boy's parents were quite happy to leave the matter in Celtic's hands, provided Frank Cairney resigned from the boys' club on returning.
"Myself, Willie Hampson, Bill Gilfillan and John Gallacher, the four officials, met in the cafe at Boston airport and we told Frank Cairney what we had been advised.
"He agreed to resign when he went home. We arrived at Glasgow and went straight to the park.
"Jack McGinn organised a meeting at 11am with Frank Cairney and a meeting with me at 2pm.
"At that meeting, he gave me a copy of Frank Cairney's resignation which said he had resigned because he had got promotion in his company and the pressure of work.
"We were still concerned that we weren't quite covered, so we individually consulted lawyers and collectively spoke to a QC for advice.
"He asked if we could produce any more boys who could quote incidents from anywhere at any time. But we knew we couldn't do that."
The deal they had to be part of has left them sad, jaundiced men. All have since left Celtic Boys' Club.
Jim added: "The boy told me what happened. I cannot say what happened.
"But the parents wanted the boy to get on with his career and get on with his life, once they had been given assurances he was coping."
He added: "We were never sworn to secrecy. The boy asked us not to talk about it and we respected his wishes."
Club hotline for victims
Celtic last night set up a counselling service to provide support for families struggling to cope with the trauma of the Boys' Club revelations.
Announcing the hotline, chairman Fergus McCann said: "Celtic Football Club has been receiving many calls from people and families in distress over the alleged incidents.
"In addition to asking people to report allegations to the police, it is obvious many need advice of trained specialists."
The support and advice Hotline opens today and will run for a week between noon and midnight. It is costing Celtic pounds 5000.
McCann also offered his support to current officials of the Boys Club. He added: "It is a great pity their good work should be tarnished by these alleged incidents."
Boys' Club chairman Tony McGuinness said: "The hotline is a very welcome gesture."
Lorraine Rochford of Network Scotland, who have selected the specialists, added: "Celtic Football Club have to be commended for providing this service."
HOW WE EXPOSED SCANDAL
The Daily Record exclusively revealed the Celtic Boys' Club sex abuse scandal a week ago.
In a series of exclusive stories, Scotland's No 1 newspaper unmasked Jim Torbett and Frank Cairney.
We exposed how frightened young players were fondled by the club bosses they trusted.
We revealed how Cairney lied to a local newspaper with claims he didn't know one of his victims.
And we told how pervert Torbett was booted out of the club - only to be allowed to return years later.
After the Record's sensational reports, Torbett was again kicked out by the boys' club.
And detectives have confirmed that they plan to quiz the wealthy businessman.
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No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 1996 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
