Victims lawyer urges Celtic to set millions aside

https://stv.tv/news/west-central/14...M6ge_asbV579uQFT_3eroaKSJo0abor36ahuSODrJyLBs


Whistleblower accuses Celtic of failing sex abuse victims

STV 19 December 2018
Gerry McSherry first raised concerns about young players being targeted in the mid 90s.

By Russell Findlay
A whistleblower who exposed sexual abuse at Celtic Boys Club more than 20 years ago has accused Celtic FC of failing the victims.
Gerry McSherry first raised concerns about paedophiles targeting young footballers in the mid 1990s.

Now - following the convictions of three men - McSherry has called on Celtic chiefs to take responsibility.
The club maintains it was an "entirely separate organisation" from the boys club despite evidence of close connections between them.
McSherry, 66, said: "Celtic's position today is appalling. They should act in the moral sense.
"Forget the legal niceties - act morally and do justice for the weans that grew up and played for them.
"Celtic was founded on charity and they say 'oh it's nothing to do with us, two separate entities' ... my backside.
"They are avoiding their responsibilities here at the expense of the victims. It's the victims who matter."
Celtic fan McSherry first learned of the abuse from the club's official photographer Hugh Birt.
Birt quit as chairman of the boys' club in the mid 1980s and gave evidence in the first trial of its manager Jim Torbett in 1998. Torbett was jailed for 30 months.
Up until his death in 2013, Birt remained bitter at how the abuse was "covered up".

Last week, boys' club coach Frank Cairney, 82, was found guilty of ten abuse charges at Hamilton Sheriff Court - having been cleared of other charges in 1998.
It follows the second conviction of Torbett, 71, in November, resulting in a six-year prison sentence.
And former boys' club chairman and school teacher Gerald King, 65, will be sentenced in January after being found guilty of abusing boys and girls who he taught.
McSherry said: "Celtic Football Club should be ashamed of themselves for the way they treated the victims of Cairney, Torbett and King.
"But they should also be ashamed of the way they treated Hughie Birt. They isolated Hughie, ostracised him.
"He was treated terribly by Celtic."
A relative of Birt told STV News: "It is absolutely correct to say that Hugh felt let down and betrayed."
When McSherry learned of the boys' club abuse, he personally confronted Torbett, King and Cairney and passed information to the police and media.

He admits to throwing bricks through the windows of Torbett's former business premises.
And he was fined £100 in 1997 for making menacing phone calls to Cairney and turning up at his home.
He attempts to justify his law-breaking on the grounds that the criminal justice system failed in the 1990s.
McSherry, of Cathkin, Glasgow, said: "The police never took it seriously until I started papping bricks through windows.
"I can't arrest or charge them, put them on trial, get the verdict and jail them. I can't do that.
"All I can do is to get the attention of the police to take it up seriously so that they can nail and jail the beasts."
Police Scotland launched a full-scale investigation last year after the emergence of widespread historic sexual abuse of young footballers across the UK.
McSherry believes that Cairney and King should have been brought to justice years earlier - and warned that others have still not been caught.
He said: "I gave the police the names. 14 names, not two names.

"I gave them the names in 1995 and 1996. They only arrested Torbett and Cairney at the time.
"Clearly, serious questions need to be asked of the police."
He believes that both he and Birt were smeared for speaking out and admits that doing so took a huge toll on his personal life and "still does".
He added: "Hughie was totally discredited. So was I. I'm just a daft b******. 'Oh him, he's just a headcase'.
"That's what was going about. Does it bother me? Not in the slightest.
"It's not about me or Hughie being vindicated. It's about the weans, about them being vindicated.
"These beasts stole their childhood. And it takes them 20, 30 years before they say, 'wait a minute, it wasn't my fault'.
"But that's what they do, put the blame on the weans and they then live with that.
"Your football career is at an end if you talk about what happened. If you mention anything to do with this, your career is finished.
"Telling that to a ten-year-old, terrifies them into submission so they've got total control over that wean's childhood."
Police Scotland say their investigation identified 153 victims of child sexual abuse in Scottish football, resulting in 13 arrests.

Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Taylor said: "Most of the individuals arrested and charged for abuse as a result of that investigation, including Cairney, have now been convicted and sentenced.
"Cairney was a predator who carried out his abuse over decades, using his position of power to target his victims and to ensure that they kept quiet.
"Although reports were previously investigated by legacy forces, our proactive investigation revealed the extent of his abuse and gave a voice to his victims.
"He is now facing the consequences of his actions and I hope his victims will finally feel vindicated.
"We appreciate how difficult it can be to report abuse. We want to thank everyone who came forward and reported, we understand the courage it took and how difficult this must have been.
"Our assurance to anyone who has not felt able to report during this time, is that if they wish to report in the future - we will listen; we will investigate regardless of where or when the abuse occurred, and we will take prompt action to ensure that no-one else is at risk of harm.‎"
A spokesman for Celtic FC declined to comment.

How apt.
 
Sure McSherry went to police

Burt got sacked for complaining about Torbett

Go figure why Burt got kicked out of CBC and Torbett remained to continue abusing kids

It’s a disgrace if a public enquiry is not commissioned to investigate the full scale of the abuse

The facilitators need pursued too

Absolutely. McSherry’s comments in that STV article could be vital.
Basically suggests that Hugh was hounded out of their club for raising it.
Put another way, not only did Big Jock know, but isn’t that evidence that across the club it was known ?
 
So when do Celtic get punished? That’s what we do in this country isn’t it? We punish football clubs when staff commit crimes.
Had this all been in the public arena years ago, they certainly would not have attracted some of the players they had done, nor won the honours they did. They need stripped of all honours won during this period, amongst other punishments.
 
i think Celtics plan will be to ride out the next couple days until the trials are no longer main news. Then have out of court settlements with victims. Then in there eyes it will be over. And with the lack of enquiry/media attention they might be right
 
Sky have been got at

Nothing on news and we are now onto the business news

I defo think someone has got them to dump the article
 
One of the saddest and most upsetting aspects is that - joking aside - most of us do know some of them. Maybe not close friends but we know them. And not one has ever cared about this despite knowing...in fact they only care about getting caught. It is a weird, creepy, feeling to know that friends, colleagues etc knew and thought only of their club avoiding justice. Burt, McSherry etc were ostricised, and cast out in fact...there were no calls for justice, the truth or even an enquiry. People say "They're like us but with green scarves..." but I really doubt that.
 
Sky have been got at

Nothing on news and we are now onto the business news

I defo think someone has got them to dump the article
Clearly. No other explanation. Not being reported on SSN. Should be trending.

They have even been reporting on Robert Kraft’s alleged prostitution scandal.
 
I honestly see huge problems ahead in trying to get a judicial review. The ruling party are incompetent and hugely pro Celtic, as are the football authorities, and most journalists.

100% agree there’s no appetite from the govt or media to. Zilch. The victims will hopefully get compensation but as for any significant damage to Celtic I honestly don’t see how it happens
 
John Cullen

https://www.scotsman.com/news-2-15012/father-who-took-photos-of-nude-boys-walks-free-1-532404

A FORMER photographer who worked with Celtic FC has walked free from court after admitting taking pictures of naked young boys.
John Cullen, 49, of Pollokshaws, Glasgow, took children as young as ten back to his flat before persuading them to pose for the camera.


Cullen avoided a lengthy jail sentence and was placed on probation for three years at Glasgow Sheriff Court yesterday after he pled guilty to a charge of lewd and libidinous behaviour.


The sentence provoked outrage from one children’s charity after it emerged that none of the boys on the 250 images taken by Cullen had been traced.


A spokeswoman for Children First said: "Behind every indecent image of a child, there’s a real child. Children depend on adults to keep them safe.

"It is essential that the offending behaviour is addressed and that offenders are not released back on to the streets to repeat such crimes against children.

"We must show children that they can come forward to tell about their experiences."

Cullen’s crime was first uncovered in May 2002, when cleaners were sweeping out a room at Celtic Park where Cullen kept his equipment.



The workers discovered a black bin bag and opened it to check if it was rubbish. Instead, however, they found bundles of black and white photos of nude and semi-naked young boys.

Officials at the club immediately called the police, before quizzing the married father-of-two about the photos. He admitted to inviting children to a house in Glasgow in 1982, where he took a series of photographs.

Cullen had first appeared in court last October, but the case was continually adjourned to allow police to try to identify the victims.

Despite prosecutors calling in specialist help from Scotland Yard’s paedophile unit, they still remain nameless.



Procurator-fiscal Liz Ramsey did say, however, it was believed the boys were aged between ten and 13.


Jeremy Kyle guest death sparks mental health warnings
Cullen was sacked from Celtic in June 2002. Some of his former colleagues, including Celtic View editor Joe Sullivan and club security chief Ronnie Hawthorn, had been due to give evidence against him.

In court yesterday, Sharon Gardener, defending, said: "This man realises that he has problems in his life and needs the help to address them as soon as possible."

Sheriff Susan Raeburn QC told Cullen: "You will be placed on probation, but breach this order and you will be brought back to court, where a custodial sentence will be passed."

And for anyone reading that, yes, you read that correctly:

CELTC PARK HAS BEEN BEING USED AS A STORAGE FACILITY FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY.
 
The next week will be ridden out, confined to chip paper within the fortnight, never ever to be mentioned again. A damning indictment on modern day Scotland and what we have allowed this country to become.

Exactly. What are people expecting to happen

Enough claims to bankrupt them. Highly unlikely as they have plenty money in the bank from 8 years no competition and access to Europe

Govt to shut them down or a public enquiry - aye take away a large number of the snp vote- never gonna happen

The sfa to punish them - they have people on the sfa board and no media push for action. I honestly expect the sfa to ignore it. Complete opposite of title striping campaign
 
Exactly. What are people expecting to happen

Enough claims to bankrupt them. Highly unlikely as they have plenty money in the bank from 8 years no competition and access to Europe

Govt to shut them down or a public enquiry - aye take away a large number of the snp vote- never gonna happen

The sfa to punish them - they have people on the sfa board and no media push for action. I honestly expect the sfa to ignore it. Complete opposite of title striping campaign

There won’t be enough to wipe them out, but even 10m on top of the Co-op repayment of 6m this year puts a big dunt in them financially mate.
 
Suggest we get screen grabs of any reports on media sites,

If what is being said is true about Sky then it seems the filth are moving quickly to cover their bases and get threats out to media outlets to stop them reporting freely on this case.

They are working behind the scenes to control the narrative. They are masters of secrets and lies. How high this goes is the question - who is protecting them - the Scottish legal system? The Scottish Government? The catholic church?

I hope someone is friendly with Mark Daly so we can find out what Dornan was wanting to link him about.

Maybe Dornan was simply putting his name out there on Daly's twitter in the hope of a backlash then he could claim to be a victim of abuse and divert attention away from the story.

This whole thing still fxxking stinks of cover up and manipulation from the highest levels of power. As I said earlier - secrets and lies.
 
One of the saddest and most upsetting aspects is that - joking aside - most of us do know some of them. Maybe not close friends but we know them. And not one has ever cared about this despite knowing...in fact they only care about getting caught. It is a weird, creepy, feeling to know that friends, colleagues etc knew and thought only of their club avoiding justice. Burt, McSherry etc were ostricised, and cast out in fact...there were no calls for justice, the truth or even an enquiry. People say "They're like us but with green scarves..." but I really doubt that.

For a support that loves to moralise and attach themselves to every social justice initiative, it is shocking the silence on this particular issue.
 
Something strange that the story was on the BBC News website most read headlines at number 4 only 20mins ago, but is now no longer in that list?
I read that multiple times a day, every day, and I've never seen a story disappear off that list as quick as that before??
 
It's still on Sky as a written article even though its not on the televised bulletin as such.They go into quite a lot of detail even mentioning the unnamed ex footballer in his 50s who thought it strange that after a trip to Manchester McCafferty told the boys that he was taking them to Crewe to meet a friend of his(Bennell).This is far from being scrapped by Sky from what I can see.
 
Suggest we get screen grabs of any reports on media sites,

If what is being said is true about Sky then it seems the filth are moving quickly to cover their bases and get threats out to media outlets to stop them reporting freely on this case.

They are working behind the scenes to control the narrative. They are masters of secrets and lies. How high this goes is the question - who is protecting them - the Scottish legal system? The Scottish Government? The catholic church?

I hope someone is friendly with Mark Daly so we can find out what Dornan was wanting to link him about.

Maybe Dornan was simply putting his name out there on Daly's twitter in the hope of a backlash then he could claim to be a victim of abuse and divert attention away from the story.

This whole thing still fxxking stinks of cover up and manipulation from the highest levels of power. As I said earlier - secrets and lies.

Your Daly theory mate , was also my first thoughts , put more of a target on him .
 
It's still on Sky as a written article even though its not on the televised bulletin as such.They go into quite a lot of detail even mentioning the unnamed ex footballer in his 50s who thought it strange that after a trip to Manchester McCafferty told the boys that he was taking them to Crewe to meet a friend of his(Bennell).This is far from being scrapped by Sky from what I can see.

Why not on main news loop mate , also original tweet was took down minutes after it appeared .
 
https://news.sky.com/story/jim-mcca...s-sexually-abusing-young-footballers-11719674



A former Celtic youth coach has been jailed for nearly seven years after pleading guilty to 12 charges of sexually abusing young footballers.
Jim McCafferty, 72, admitted a series of sexual offences between the 1970s and 1990s at the High Court in Edinburgh and was sentenced to six years and nine months.

The convicted paedophile's links with Celtic were more than 20 years ago. He also worked at Hibernian and was well known as a youth coach with boys' clubs in Scotland.
One former player, who was abused by McCafferty when he was just 14, told Sky News: "I was devastated, frightened and scared.
"I started drinking, even at that age, and I dreamed of being a footballer.

"I was drinking just to get to sleep at night. I used to always remember buying a quarter bottle of vodka and a bottle of Irn Bru.
"I would be up to the bedroom drinking that, just to get to sleep at night, to try and blur out what I had been through."
The man, whose identity is protected under the law, described how McCafferty had used his reputation as a successful coach and the promise of a career in the game to groom him.
The abuse took place on quiet country roads on the way back from matches.
"I would always fight him off, I would always try and fight him off, but bearing in mind at that time he must have been 19 or 20 stone, and a huge frame of a man, it was difficult."
The man, who is now in his 50s, said he hopes that McCafferty never sees the outside of a prison cell again, but a lot more needs to happen.
McCafferty is the fourth former coach associated with Celtic Football Club or Celtic Boys Club to be convicted of child sex abuse in recent months.
Last November, Celtic Boys Club founder Jim Torbett was jailed for six months. Another coach, teacher Gerald King, was convicted of abusing boys at a school.
In February, a former manager of Celtic Boys Club, Frank Cairney, was jailed for four years after being convicted of nine charges of sexually abusing young players.
After the earlier convictions, Celtic Football Club expressed "deep regret" for the victims, but said Celtic Boys Club was a separate entity.
"Although Celtic Football Club is an entirely separate organisation to Celtic Boys Club, we wish to express our deep regret that these incidents took place, as well as our sympathy for the victims who suffered abuse."
Lawyers for the victims are pursuing both Celtic and the SFA for compensation.
Patrick McGuire, a partner at Thompsons Solicitors, said, "With McCafferty today pleading guilty and being convicted of abuse it shows and puts beyond any doubt that the level of abuse that took place in a general Celtic football setting was absolutely prolific, it was horrific."
Police have also investigated the relationship between McCafferty and former Crewe Alexandra coach Barry Bennell, who repeatedly abused young boys in his care.

The former player who spoke to Sky News described how the ex-coach used to run an under-12s team.
He told of how McCafferty asked him to help train the kids which included a weekend trip to Manchester.
"Afterwards the strangest thing happened. We all got back in the mini bus and McCafferty said, 'I am going to take you to see a friend of mine.' We drove from Manchester to Crewe and I thought, 'Why are we going to Crewe?'
"It was Barry Bennell who we met, he introduced us to him."
Mr McGuire added: "Two prolific paedophiles working together is beyond any form of coincidence. To my mind this has to represent some form of footballing paedophile ring.
"What we don't know yet is the level of abuse that Scottish survivors suffered at the hands of Barry Bennell, but I wouldn't be surprised if more people come forward in the weeks and months ahead."
The victims' lawyers want to see a judge-led inquiry into what they regard as the biggest abuse scandal in British sport.
 
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