A former senior figure at Celtic FC’s feeder club has been charged with carrying out sexual abuse at Parkhead and a training ground used by first-team players, The Times can reveal. Frank Cairney, 85, served as general manager of Celtic Boys’ Club from 1974 until 1991 and is due to appear in...
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A former senior figure at Celtic FC’s feeder club has been charged with carrying out sexual abuse at Parkhead and a training ground used by first-team players, The Times can reveal.
Frank Cairney, 85, served as general manager of Celtic Boys’ Club from 1974 until 1991 and is due to appear in court later this month.
Mr Cairney, of Uddingston, South Lanarkshire, has been charged with sexually and physically abusing three teenagers over an 11-year period.
It is claimed that he attacked the youths on a number of occasions between 1978 and 1989 within “Celtic Park football ground, Parkhead”, Barrowfield training ground, Glasgow, a hotel room in Aviemore in the Highlands and in a car.
An indictment, seen by The Times, alleges that on various occasions between February 1, 1986 and December 31, 1988, Mr Cairney indecently assaulted a youth, then aged between 15 and 18, at Celtic Park and Barrowfield.
Mr Cairney is also alleged to have indecently assaulted another youth, aged between 15 and 16, “within a car in Paisley and within a car and the dressing rooms at Barrowfield training ground, Glasgow”, between July 1, 1978 and June 30, 1979.
Between the same dates he is also said to have repeatedly punched and slapped the boy on the head and body in a dressing room at Barrowfield.
Mr Cairney is also alleged to have indecently assaulted a third youth, aged between 15 and 16, “at a hotel room in Aviemore and within a car in Cumbernauld” on a number of occasions between August 1, 1988 and June 30, 1989. He denies all the charges.
Celtic Boys’ Club took part in a series of tournaments held in Aviemore over a number of years.
Barrowfield, which is next to Parkhead, was used as a training ground by both Celtic FC and the boys’ club at the time of the alleged incidents. It is still owned by the club.
Mr Cairney took over as manager of Celtic Boys’ Club in 1974, replacing Jim Torbett, the founder of the feeder club.
Mr Cairney resigned from the club in 1991 after leading 20 teenagers and five adults on a summer tour to New Jersey.
On July 29, 1994, the Celtic View, the club magazine, lauded Mr Cairney as “one of the great unsung heroes of the Celtic story”.
He is scheduled to appear at Glasgow sheriff court on October 30.