Guardian - lengthy article on Celtic Boys Club abuse

Anyone have today’s Guardian printed edition and confirm the article Is included ?

also I’m not seeing it linked to the Guardian news / sport / football pages which would help the story’s circulation as I would say Henry McDonald has done a good job of promoting the drive for Justice against the prevailing system
Yes, it's in the printed edition. Four full pages.

Half page photo of the inside of Celtic Park. Photo of Torbett. Photo of Torbett and boys in a home setting. Another adult seems to be in it ( face blurred). Photo of Michelle Gray and her brother, Andy.

No adverts to take up space.
 
I have still to meet a Celtic fan who will acknowledge that their club knowingly protected paedophiles.Maybe I move in small circles and only know a few but the only response I ever get is deflect and deny

Agreed though,I lost it a wee bit at reading Andrew Grays last words on his deathbed.I hope these victims finally get the justice they deserve and any institution that protects paedophiles needs to be shut down
Justice will never be enough for what they have been through. As children we are taught about the importance of being truthful with our actions and the consequences of those actions. They have absolutely zero morality, decorum and class.
 
Mention it to any Tim and they'll reply with Neely and Chalmers. Ask them if they want a full indepth inquiry into football abuse in Scotland, to include who knew and failed to act to protect the children and they go silent

The gentleman you mentioned, John Chalmers, is the last refuge that sums up the scum they truly are.

That man was never involved in such behaviour.
 
Any club can have a peadophile working for them but its what you do when you find out that is the disgusting part. To hide it is to accept it. Unfortunately Celtic are a club who like their church have decided that the good word of the club is more important than justice. I sincerely hope Celtic are punished massively for this but I have a feeling they will win
Absolutely and the fact that their cover up Enabled other boys to be abused.
 
Those poor boys, it's absolutely heartbreaking and to hear of the recent social media and real life abuse and blanking of people standing up for justice really exposes the Celtic family for what they really are.

My main thoughts are always with the victims, I don't really care so much what happens to them from a footballing perspective but when a large institution has actively covered up such awful crimes then that institution should cease to exist.

If the court determines the parent club as having known what was happening and did nothing for the express reason of protecting the club's reputation then every single trophy they have won since 1978 is fraudulent. Had the allegations come to light the club's reputation would have suffered and its entirely likely they'd have ended up like Third Lanark. They would absolutely have not survived the 90s.

My direct hope is for the club to accept their responsibility, admit to the world that they knew what was going on and provide huge compensation for the families whilst acknowledging it won't make it right. Following on from that, I hope their club is ground into the filthy dirt from whence it came.

I've politely challenged their fans in the past to acknowledge the club's responsibility and asked if they would consider boycotting the club in pursuit of justice (since they care so much about justice). Unfortunately they don't care one bit. They're a huge part of the problem.

This may be a bit far out of an opinion but I believe that every single person who puts on one of their tops or defends the club is completely culpable. You can't talk about the systematic oppression of the Palestinian people or take the knee (both things I support) and ignore possibly the biggest scandal in Scottish history. Not sporting history, but history full stop. No other institution in the country has had the decades long protection of a society despite being so overwhelmingly guilty. It's not just the club who should hang their heads, every journalist and politican who protected them should be ashamed and held to account.

You made some good points in that post HB.
 
Yes, it's in the printed edition. Four full pages.

Half page photo of the inside of Celtic Park. Photo of Torbett. Photo of Torbett and boys in a home setting. Another adult seems to be in it ( face blurred). Photo of Michelle Gray and her brother, Andy.

No adverts to take up space.

Thanks Flootbon.
 
I believe a newspaper made some sort of comment and they've latched onto it

He was my school teacher & he took our school team.

Absolutely inaccurate & scandalous slur on a good human being who is not now here to answer for himself.

Another poster on here ( Forget who, sorry ) said the exact same about his next school after mine.

These people are A DISGRACE doing this to the memory of an innocent man.

We don’t work like that. Integrity & credibility are paramount to every member in our team.
 
He was my school teacher & he took our school team.

Absolutely inaccurate & scandalous slur on a good human being who is not now here to answer for himself.

Another poster on here ( Forget who, sorry ) said the exact same about his next school after mine.

These people are A DISGRACE doing this to the memory of an innocent man.

We don’t work like that. Integrity & credibility are paramount to every member in our team.
If we are talking about the same person, as in JC, it is, as you say, a disgrace.
 
Did a lot more than hide it too. Brazen enablers.

If someone brought you a story of abuse and your " investigation" found "nothing" would you not keep an eye on the scene for further checks?
Wasn’t the scene they were trying to suppress...it was the increasing wave of parents knocking on their door.
 
There's a posting on Facebook. I can't remember the exact title but it's something like Spotlight Celtic Boys Club.

I sincerely hope this despicable blight on the human race that masquerades as a football club is on borrowed time.
 
I read it this morning and I found it really upsetting. The victims lawyers surely have paperwork, documentation to blow this separate entity push right out the water.
The part about the septic view saying the CBC was an important part of cfc is proof that they weren't a separate entity. This is not about Rangers fans wanting point scoring. It is all about these poor young boys being systematically raped and abused by peadophiles operating a ring inside c. park.
Their lives have been ruined for 50years. BJK. They all knew.
Despicable.
 
I always sing to these basterts
" and if ye know our history, its
enough to make YOU PHONE THE FUKCEN POLIS "
Followed by I would rather die with our history than live with yours.
 
Thats a tough, tough read. My heart goes out to everyone who went through this. I coach a team myself and cant believe that anyone could do this to someone elses child while in a position of trust. Absolutely appalls me and they should throw the book at them....6 years isnt enough, nowhere near for the lifetime of torture and pain these people have been through. I hope the club gets whats coming to them, they knew, they allowed it to happen, then reinvited him back to do it again....makes me sick to the stomach!
 
This is a very moving article, it's hard to read without being angry at CFC but what makes it a powerful piece is its focus on the victims. I hope the lads and their families get justice likewise I believe the entire executive board currently running CFC should be removed and a new leadership team brought in who can atone for what has happened. I never use these horrendous events as banter with celtic fans it's too serious, if the subject comes up I try to diplomatically persuade them that their club has a duty to do the right thing. To date I have had zero success.
I just think the whole rancid club should be sued into oblivion and shut down.
 
Genuinely astounded to read that in the media. Should he shared far and wide in the hope it pressures the powers that be into ensuring justice is served
 
I have still to meet a Celtic fan who will acknowledge that their club knowingly protected paedophiles.Maybe I move in small circles and only know a few but the only response I ever get is deflect and deny

Agreed though,I lost it a wee bit at reading Andrew Grays last words on his deathbed.I hope these victims finally get the justice they deserve and any institution that protects paedophiles needs to be shut down

Thats because those who do acknowledge it are no longer celtic fans.
 
It is really quite incredible that Celtic Boys Club at the time were regarded as "the elite youth football side in Scotland" while under the control of a powerful paedophile ring.
It is horrific that the club, Celtic FC, were content to take the credit for that reputation having full knowledge of what was going on and opting to allow that ring to continue on with their repulsive deeds.
It is quite tragic that today that same club, Celtic FC, are backing away from it by insisting it had nothing to do with them, it really is a blight on Scottish society, a terrible stance to take.
The Scottish government and the Scottish media are dragging our country into the gutter more as each day passes when not pushing for an enquiry into the historical abuse that went on there, not even for the sake of the innocent victims who had to endure it in the name of one club and one club only.
It is a scandal.
 
Tough and harrowing to read.
Justice and an acknowledgment of wrong doing by the vermin is first and foremost for all of the victims.
And hopefully a punishment befitting that rancid club for the biggest coverup in British sporting history.
 
Guaranteed that you will still hear nothing from the Scottish media until it goes to court, and can no longer be ignored.
Spot on there mate bought the times last night watched the evening news and not a peep about it , what is it with the journalists here are the scared to share the truth personally find it disgusting .
 
What an absolutely damning indictment of that horible club.
Hopefully they are sued into financial oblivion and permanently expelled from Scottish football.
Every single person associated with that club, from the boardroom and players to the fans, must now know clearly the behaviour that took place there over decades.
Unbelievably not one of them care.
Still those buffoons Doncaster and Maxwell sit on their hands and say and do nothing.
That's because they are placemen
 
I read every word of that report.
It physically moved me close to tears.

Something must be done.
 
A tough read, will be interesting to see who else runs this.
Mike Graham..talksport??
Maybe Spotlight/ A Goldberg could " run things " by him.
If he kept mentioning bits/bobs on his show...keeps the scum in " public eye "???
Just a wee thought
 
A harrowing read. No surprise to see Kelly and McGinn's names in there either.

McGinn's denial is disgusting given his role at The Celtic View in 1986.

I hope those responsible for the failure to protect children have action taken against them before they die as they're getting very old now.

I firmly believe a now deceased ex-Celtic manager and defender of at least one of the abusers has escaped already from answering questions.

I have wondered why McGinn's grand children commenced their football journey with St Mirren. His advice was probably A B C.

Anywhere but Celtic.
 
Mike Graham..talksport??
Maybe Spotlight/ A Goldberg could " run things " by him.
If he kept mentioning bits/bobs on his show...keeps the scum in " public eye "???
Just a wee thought
Mike Graham absolutely buried them!

Screen-Shot-2020-04-27-at-12.08.35.png


Mike Graham has sparked fury after branding Celtic 'the paedo's club'


Celtic were allegedly 'taking legal advice' which we all know is utter pish.

Graham put them right in their place once again with...

" I said nothing slanderous. I know the law.

" Read the reality and stop denying the truth."


In Follow Follow parlance, that's a Headshot right there!
 
I genuinely wonder how some of the hacks in the red tops sleep at night.

They guy's who have been covering the game for decades, knowing full well what was going on and the lengths the bastards were going to in order to keep it all hushed up.

I still need to be convinced that Separate Entity FC will actually have to face the music, the slippery, oily bastards wriggle out of it every time with a willing media and sympathetic justice system giving a helping hand.
 
That club and child abuse are intrinsically linked, especially in Scotland. The news spreading to different parts of the country and indeed the world will tell others that this is the reality of this club, no matter how many Hollywood style slogans it wants to put on its stadium and no matter how glossy it wants to make everything look, it’s all predicated on a lie and deceit. In the end, the reality is that the club were aware of what was going on. The journalists in this country are terrified to report it fairly and accurately, they would rather indulge in a point scoring game with their twitter pals.

They foam at the prospect of their club being found guilty of hiding the truth and hiding the facts and, worst of all, denying victims of abuse any form of justice.

the precedent has been set for people being found guilty, that will continue on until all are convicted in some way, but the club are culpable and should be held responsible and punished in the right manner.
 
A campaign has been run for decades now by those in charge at the piggery on many fronts to ensure that justice is made incredibly difficult to access by the victims of the many criminals who have operated while representing Celtic Boys Club. One of the most sordid prongs of this campaign is that anyone daring to mention the abuse, even that abuse which has resulted in convictions in a court of law, is branded as a "point scorer". This, undoubtedly, creates an atmosphere where any further victims feel very uncomfortable and unable to come forward.

I personally cannot begin to comprehend the additional trauma that the attitude of officials of this vile, criminal organisation has inflicted on the survivors of the abuse. I sincerely hope that justice is done for those who were abused and for the families of those who went to the grave without justice being done.
 
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