Police Scotland confirm received report into historic child abuse within football

[eejay the dj 31,964]

1 minute ago, Bears r us said:

Was this on the Nine that I have never watched mate ? You think it was not very good or strong enough ?

It was weak for me mate . I think it was all done rather protocol . Like they had to be seen to covering it .

Overall I do not think there is an appetite to bring the bheast fc to justice

Not one calling for an investigation into the clubs affairs , although one guy did say 4 people had been convicted from one club

[heathen fish boy 8,579]

1 minute ago, eejay the dj said:

It was weak for me mate . I think it was all done rather protocol . Like they had to be seen to covering it .

Overall I do not think there is an appetite to bring the bheast fc to justice

Not one calling for an investigation into the clubs affairs , although one guy did say 4 people had been convicted from one club

He also mentioned they were there at the same time,slipped it in well

[eejay the dj 31,964]

Just now, heathen fish boy said:

He also mentioned they were there at the same time,slipped it in well

wishy washy for me . Could me more to come but I have my doubts

maybe the Mp got to them today after all

[Paisley Blue Loyal 11,178]

1 minute ago, eejay the dj said:

It was weak for me mate . I think it was all done rather protocol . Like they had to be seen to covering it .

Overall I do not think there is an appetite to bring the bheast fc to justice

Not one calling for an investigation into the clubs affairs , although one guy did say 4 people had been convicted from one club

Hopefully The Americans have more of an appetite for justice, Pretty sure they would not be slow going after compensation if they thought they had a cast iron case.

[Sparkle 53,587]

I didnt see the 9 as I refuse to watch the channel, but the written report explicitly names cellic, with photos in the link.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-48253520

Jim McCafferty: The abuser who preyed on dreams of football stardom

By Mark Daly & Chris Clements

Over four decades, Jim McCafferty coached and had unfettered access to hundreds of children who dreamed of being football stars.

In his wake, he left a trail of misery and destruction.

He chose his victims, all boys, from the various youth football teams he managed in North Lanarkshire, from celtic Boys Club and from celtic FC's pro youth set up, where he coached and was kitman.

They were then groomed, abused and manipulated into silence.

But it was a silence that would not hold forever.

On Tuesday, at the High Court in Edinburgh, McCafferty, 73, cut a shambling figure, as he pleaded guilty to 10 charges of indecent assault, one charge of lewd and libidinous behaviour, and a breach of the peace.

He wore a grey cardigan and trousers, and sat with his head down for the majority of the hearing. As the charges were read in detail by the advocate depute, he did not react. 

Some of McCafferty's nine surviving victims were at court to see the man they'd once feared jailed for six years and nine months. He was already serving a jail term for abuse.

Groomed and abused

One of his victims, now in his late 50s, was abused by McCafferty in the 1970s. 

He told the BBC how McCafferty had groomed him, from age 13, and abused him more than a dozen times during the 1970s.

Craig (not his real name) said: "It was a period of three years where the attacks increased in intensity and frequency.

"One particular attack… he was on top of me, pressing me against the wall… physically abusing me.

"I was shaking, it's almost like freezing, a numbness comes over you that the sense of, is this real? Is this happening to me? What do you do here? It's like a bad dream where you don't have the power of your own muscles."

Craig said he arrived home from school a few days later and McCafferty was sitting in his living room, speaking to his parents.

He told them Craig was on celtic's radar, but had been missing training.

"My father was proud and puffed up by that, and was telling me that I had to get over myself and get back... so I did."

Craig says he was taken to celtic Park by McCafferty and introduced to the management team as a potential new recruit for celtic.

"[But]…. in growing up I often reflected on not really having the ability to make it professionally, never mind with celtic. It was stupidity on my part."

On another occasion, Craig says he was introduced to Jim Torbett, the celtic Boys Club founder, who was jailed for a second time last year after a BBC Scotland investigation revealed fresh evidence against him.

McCafferty was also a coach for celtic Boys Club, and four of his victims played for the club and the celtic youth team.

Craig, who was then playing for a youth team called Motherwell Boys Club (not connected to the professional side), says he was taken to play a six-a-side tournament in Glasgow where celtic Boys Club was also taking part.

He said: "I was called over, and McCafferty was introducing me [to Torbett] and saying odds were, that at some point I would be joining celtic.

"celtic was always the carrot he dangled in front of me."

'I didn't know what grooming meant'

Jim Tobett is not the only known football paedophile McCafferty was linked to. 

Another of McCafferty's victims told the BBC he was taken to meet Barry Bennell, the former Crewe Alexandria coach now serving 30 years in prison for what has been described as "industrial scale" child abuse.

David (not his real name) is in his early 50s, and played for Netherdale Boys Club in the 1980s. 

He was abused by McCafferty, who coached the team, and has struggled with alcohol and gambling problems ever since.

I didn't know what grooming meant back then, but I do now.

"I had a paper round, then one day he turned up and got me a job in a charity he worked at called the Drake Fellowship."

This charity would later become Fairbridge. In 1992, Jim Torbett was listed in company accounts as managing director. 

David said McCafferty had a Drake Fellowship van, and would take to him to and from training and matches.

"He used to make up excuses to take the back roads, like he'd had a couple of pints and wanted to avoid the police. And then the abuse would happen in a lay-by."

David said that in around 1984, McCafferty organised a trip to Manchester City's former ground at Maine Road.

"As you can imagine it was great for us to see these famous grounds. We were awestruck," he said.

"But then, McCafferty took us to Crewe Alexandria's ground. We'd never even heard of Crewe Alexandria. And there he introduced us to a man called Barry Bennell.

"It was only years later when the penny finally dropped. McCafferty clearly knew him, and dropped in on him for reasons we didn't understand. Now I do."

'What he did has never left me'

David only went to the police about McCafferty in 2016 after the Bennell allegations exploded, and was the first to speak out about him, leading to McCafferty's confession to the Daily Record newspaper.

He said: "I've struggled my whole life because of McCafferty, ruined relationships and gambled away my life savings. What he did to me has never left me."

Other boys have spoken about being sent by McCafferty to have trials with Bennell at Crewe.

The links between McCafferty and Bennell, and McCafferty and Torbett, now look clearly established. 

All were predatory paedophiles who used their positions of trust within football to identify and prey on vulnerable children.

To some, it seems almost inconceivable that their relationships with each other were based simply around football.

Craig said: "I believe that these people knew each other, they operated in a network environment. Otherwise how can they work with such impunity?"

'This was about the abuse of young men'

Patrick McGuire of Thompsons Solicitors, who is representing some of McCafferty's victims in civil cases, said it was known that the three men interacted at different points.

"McCafferty introduced boys to Torbett, to Bennell, and to my mind, therefore, it begs one question. 

"There's certainly no doubt whatsoever that this was more than related to football, that they were working in some sort of concert and that this was about the abuse of young men," he said.

McCafferty is now the fourth former football coach associated with celtic or celtic Boys Club to be convicted of child sex abuse charges, following Jim Torbett, Gerald King and Frank Cairney. 

Cairney was convicted last year of abusing young celtic Boys Club players, with some of the abuse taking place in the dressing room at celtic Park. 

King, a former celtic Boys Club chairman, was convicted of abusing children at a primary school. He had previously worked with Torbett at his Trophy Centre business. 

McCafferty joined celtic in around 1990 as a scout. In around 1994 he became kitman to the youth team, where he remained until 1996, when he resigned amidst allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

Two of the men on the charge sheet against McCafferty were abused at celtic Park or their training ground, Barrowfield. One went on to play professionally.

'Utterly unforgivable'

Mr McGuire said: "McCafferty's connection with celtic is now utterly undeniable.

"We now know that some of the abuse took place in celtic premises. What he did was groom the boys but at the same time groom the parents, always with celtic dangling on the end of a stick as a golden carrot.

"It's just utterly unforgivable."

He said there had never been any "financial justice" for those abused at celtic Park.

"That's why now all eyes are on the board of celtic Football Club to do the right thing," he added.

[Bydo 3,215]

State of this cunt

[eejay the dj 31,964]

7 minutes ago, Paisley Blue Loyal said:

Hopefully The Americans have more of an appetite for justice, Pretty sure they would not be slow going after compensation if they thought they had a cast iron case.

Maybe mate as long as is not in Boston , Seriously not confident after seeing the lawyer acting against the bheasts

 

[soulboy 2,518]

On vanguard bears twitter that Dornans son played for celtic boys club scored a goal on his debut but barely played again in a tourney abroad

[eejay the dj 31,964]

21 minutes ago, Blue Nosed Babe said:

They only had a small slot. Maybe we will get a new documentary cause it seems they are still investigating.

I still cant get my head round why

In England . An abuser gets 30 years for  his crimes

And in Scotland . They get pitiful little sentences which will have them out in under 3 years for the lot of them

[1690tamRFC 5,001]

3 minutes ago, eejay the dj said:

I still cant get my head round why

In England . An abuser gets 30 years for  his crimes

And in Scotland . They get pitiful little sentences which will have them out in under 3 years for the lot of them

That in itself is a fucking scandal mate. 

[eejay the dj 31,964]

3 minutes ago, 1690tamRFC said:

That in itself is a fucking scandal mate. 

It's like they all agreed deals of some kind . It's just frighteningly lenient in all of the cases

The guy on the programme tonight saying McCafferty admitted on tape of his guilt . And he could not believe how easy it was for his admission .

These guys could have been got at, a long time ago from the bheasts or reps assuming this was going to happen .

 

Listen the PF are as corrupt as fuck in my eyes .That is no surprise . There had to be punishments but these sentences smack of something sinister

 

[1690tamRFC 5,001]

3 minutes ago, eejay the dj said:

It's like they all agreed deals of some kind . It's just frighteningly lenient in all of the cases

The guy on the programme tonight saying McCafferty admitted on tape of his guilt . And he could not believe how easy it was for his admission .

These guys could have been got at, a long time ago from the bheasts or reps assuming this was going to happen .

 

Listen the PF are as corrupt as fuck in my eyes .That is no surprise . There had to be punishments but these sentences smack of something sinister

 

Even outwith this shite, you only have to look back at the wee beast that got a slap on the wrist and no sentence at all because it would harm his future employment chances. That was when you know the games up. 

[Laudrup1984 25,100]

 

[eejay the dj 31,964]

1 minute ago, Laudrup1984 said:

 

Good on Peter . Hope he has double glazing on standby

Or the family locked up at his parents

[mrmojorisin 13,619]

Still no comment from Seperate Entity FC 

 

what a heartless shower of shite they are 

[Bears r us 30,796]

57 minutes ago, eejay the dj said:

It was weak for me mate . I think it was all done rather protocol . Like they had to be seen to covering it .

Overall I do not think there is an appetite to bring the bheast fc to justice

Not one calling for an investigation into the clubs affairs , although one guy did say 4 people had been convicted from one club

Thanks for that update, we need to hope it will not just be a couple of days and then forgot about. 

[Bears r us 30,796]

48 minutes ago, Sparkle said:

I didnt see the 9 as I refuse to watch the channel, but the written report explicitly names cellic, with photos in the link.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-48253520

Jim McCafferty: The abuser who preyed on dreams of football stardom

By Mark Daly & Chris Clements

Over four decades, Jim McCafferty coached and had unfettered access to hundreds of children who dreamed of being football stars.

In his wake, he left a trail of misery and destruction.

He chose his victims, all boys, from the various youth football teams he managed in North Lanarkshire, from celtic Boys Club and from celtic FC's pro youth set up, where he coached and was kitman.

They were then groomed, abused and manipulated into silence.

But it was a silence that would not hold forever.

On Tuesday, at the High Court in Edinburgh, McCafferty, 73, cut a shambling figure, as he pleaded guilty to 10 charges of indecent assault, one charge of lewd and libidinous behaviour, and a breach of the peace.

He wore a grey cardigan and trousers, and sat with his head down for the majority of the hearing. As the charges were read in detail by the advocate depute, he did not react. 

Some of McCafferty's nine surviving victims were at court to see the man they'd once feared jailed for six years and nine months. He was already serving a jail term for abuse.

Groomed and abused

One of his victims, now in his late 50s, was abused by McCafferty in the 1970s. 

He told the BBC how McCafferty had groomed him, from age 13, and abused him more than a dozen times during the 1970s.

Craig (not his real name) said: "It was a period of three years where the attacks increased in intensity and frequency.

"One particular attack… he was on top of me, pressing me against the wall… physically abusing me.

"I was shaking, it's almost like freezing, a numbness comes over you that the sense of, is this real? Is this happening to me? What do you do here? It's like a bad dream where you don't have the power of your own muscles."

Craig said he arrived home from school a few days later and McCafferty was sitting in his living room, speaking to his parents.

He told them Craig was on celtic's radar, but had been missing training.

"My father was proud and puffed up by that, and was telling me that I had to get over myself and get back... so I did."

Craig says he was taken to celtic Park by McCafferty and introduced to the management team as a potential new recruit for celtic.

"[But]…. in growing up I often reflected on not really having the ability to make it professionally, never mind with celtic. It was stupidity on my part."

On another occasion, Craig says he was introduced to Jim Torbett, the celtic Boys Club founder, who was jailed for a second time last year after a BBC Scotland investigation revealed fresh evidence against him.

McCafferty was also a coach for celtic Boys Club, and four of his victims played for the club and the celtic youth team.

Craig, who was then playing for a youth team called Motherwell Boys Club (not connected to the professional side), says he was taken to play a six-a-side tournament in Glasgow where celtic Boys Club was also taking part.

He said: "I was called over, and McCafferty was introducing me [to Torbett] and saying odds were, that at some point I would be joining celtic.

"celtic was always the carrot he dangled in front of me."

'I didn't know what grooming meant'

Jim Tobett is not the only known football paedophile McCafferty was linked to. 

Another of McCafferty's victims told the BBC he was taken to meet Barry Bennell, the former Crewe Alexandria coach now serving 30 years in prison for what has been described as "industrial scale" child abuse.

David (not his real name) is in his early 50s, and played for Netherdale Boys Club in the 1980s. 

He was abused by McCafferty, who coached the team, and has struggled with alcohol and gambling problems ever since.

I didn't know what grooming meant back then, but I do now.

"I had a paper round, then one day he turned up and got me a job in a charity he worked at called the Drake Fellowship."

This charity would later become Fairbridge. In 1992, Jim Torbett was listed in company accounts as managing director. 

David said McCafferty had a Drake Fellowship van, and would take to him to and from training and matches.

"He used to make up excuses to take the back roads, like he'd had a couple of pints and wanted to avoid the police. And then the abuse would happen in a lay-by."

David said that in around 1984, McCafferty organised a trip to Manchester City's former ground at Maine Road.

"As you can imagine it was great for us to see these famous grounds. We were awestruck," he said.

"But then, McCafferty took us to Crewe Alexandria's ground. We'd never even heard of Crewe Alexandria. And there he introduced us to a man called Barry Bennell.

"It was only years later when the penny finally dropped. McCafferty clearly knew him, and dropped in on him for reasons we didn't understand. Now I do."

'What he did has never left me'

David only went to the police about McCafferty in 2016 after the Bennell allegations exploded, and was the first to speak out about him, leading to McCafferty's confession to the Daily Record newspaper.

He said: "I've struggled my whole life because of McCafferty, ruined relationships and gambled away my life savings. What he did to me has never left me."

Other boys have spoken about being sent by McCafferty to have trials with Bennell at Crewe.

The links between McCafferty and Bennell, and McCafferty and Torbett, now look clearly established. 

All were predatory paedophiles who used their positions of trust within football to identify and prey on vulnerable children.

To some, it seems almost inconceivable that their relationships with each other were based simply around football.

Craig said: "I believe that these people knew each other, they operated in a network environment. Otherwise how can they work with such impunity?"

'This was about the abuse of young men'

Patrick McGuire of Thompsons Solicitors, who is representing some of McCafferty's victims in civil cases, said it was known that the three men interacted at different points.

"McCafferty introduced boys to Torbett, to Bennell, and to my mind, therefore, it begs one question. 

"There's certainly no doubt whatsoever that this was more than related to football, that they were working in some sort of concert and that this was about the abuse of young men," he said.

McCafferty is now the fourth former football coach associated with celtic or celtic Boys Club to be convicted of child sex abuse charges, following Jim Torbett, Gerald King and Frank Cairney. 

Cairney was convicted last year of abusing young celtic Boys Club players, with some of the abuse taking place in the dressing room at celtic Park. 

King, a former celtic Boys Club chairman, was convicted of abusing children at a primary school. He had previously worked with Torbett at his Trophy Centre business. 

McCafferty joined celtic in around 1990 as a scout. In around 1994 he became kitman to the youth team, where he remained until 1996, when he resigned amidst allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

Two of the men on the charge sheet against McCafferty were abused at celtic Park or their training ground, Barrowfield. One went on to play professionally.

'Utterly unforgivable'

Mr McGuire said: "McCafferty's connection with celtic is now utterly undeniable.

"We now know that some of the abuse took place in celtic premises. What he did was groom the boys but at the same time groom the parents, always with celtic dangling on the end of a stick as a golden carrot.

"It's just utterly unforgivable."

He said there had never been any "financial justice" for those abused at celtic Park.

"That's why now all eyes are on the board of celtic Football Club to do the right thing," he added.

That seems like the report I watched on Reporting Scotland S, not sure if it was different on the Nine that Eejay watched. 

[eejay the dj 31,964]

15 minutes ago, Bears r us said:

Thanks for that update, we need to hope it will not just be a couple of days and then forgot about. 

Sure is the Glasgow papers and media have anything to do with it . It will vanish like snow off a dyke sadly

[Malvern 11,329]

5 hours ago, Sparkle said:

I thought the same.  years of his work and he’s expected to listen to the views of a second rate politician (who just happens to be on record discrediting the families of abused boys)

Good news is he can add that to his program, should tie the bow nicely.

[IpswichGer 3,773]

The latest BBC Article....quite funny how they clearly state the non association of Motherwell Boys Club to the professional club yet don't make the distinction with the Paedos:

"McCafferty was also a coach for celtic Boys Club, and four of his victims played for the club and the celtic youth team.

Craig, who was then playing for a youth team called Motherwell Boys Club (not connected to the professional side), says he was taken to play a six-a-side tournament in Glasgow where celtic Boys Club was also taking part."

[BlueKnight87 17,286]

From a sun report saying they are facing multi million compensation claims. 

A legal insider close to the case said: “A combined claim could amount to more than £5million — which is a conservative estimate. If more victims come forward that figure could reach into tens of millions.

Also seen ITV report on it tonight. Finally getting some national exposure. https://youtu.be/JR3t1wjce_w

The bastards might finally be getting what's coming to them. 

[Bears r us 30,796]

3 minutes ago, BlueKnight87 said:

From a sun report saying they are facing multi million compensation claims. 

A legal insider close to the case said: “A combined claim could amount to more than £5million — which is a conservative estimate. If more victims come forward that figure could reach into tens of millions.

Also seen ITV report on it tonight. Finally getting some national exposure.

The bastards might finally be getting what's coming to them. 

Good to see, but it will need to be much more than £5M to really hurt them financially I would think.  

[STEPPS BOY 73,911]

1 minute ago, Bears r us said:

Good to see, but it will need to be much more than £5M to really hurt them financially I would think.  

Would make them a toxic brand though.

[STEPPS BOY 73,911]

Tbf, The Sun haven’t missed them in their two articles.

One victim saying it was a paedo ring!

[BlueKnight87 17,286]

1 minute ago, Bears r us said:

Good to see, but it will need to be much more than £5M to really hurt them financially I would think.  

It's the damage as well it will do to their brand. I can't imagine their sponsors will want anything to do with them. 

National exposure from ITV as well might finally Force/Shame the SFA and SNP into action. Something that should have happened a long time ago.