Judicial inquiry definition - A formal legal investigation conducted into a matter of public concern by a judge, appointed by the Government. 

Back in the mid 90’s, when Billy McNeill stated under oath in a court of law that “It was an open secret at Parkhead”, it was also fast becoming an open secret on the football terraces around Scotland.  For over 20 years now, ordinary fans of our beautiful game the length and breadth of the country have been demanding that the relevant authorities take action with regards to the sexual abuse of children in the care of Celtic FC.  Shamefully, and until this day, requests to the Scottish Football Association to carry out the proper investigation required against one of their member clubs has been completely ignored.  In the name of ‘sporting integrity’, this lack of action from the SFA is inexcusable.

Latterly, similar requests to Police Scotland and their predecessor (Strathclyde Police) were also met with reluctance to get involved. When Jim Torbett was first tried in 1998, Hugh Birt (former Celtic Boys Club Chairman) revealed in court that he had attempted to block Torbett’s return to the club in 1980 by reminding the then Celtic FC board of Directors of the sexual abuse previously carried out by Torbett (between 1967-74), behaviour which led him to being kicked out of the Boys Club by the then Celtic FC board of Directors and club Manager Jock Stein.  Torbett’s criminal activity, which occurred between 1967-74 was never disclosed to the police by those in charge at Celtic. 

In 1995, a Celtic fan by the name of Gerry McSherry was given a list of 14 active paedophiles at Celtic FC and Celtic Boys Club by Hugh Birt who was by then so sickened by the continued cover up at Celtic FC.  Mr McSherry presented this information to Strathclyde Police who in turn only arrested 2 individuals, Jim Torbett & Frank Cairney.  It took the bravery of several professional football players in England speaking out in November 2016 on the sexual abuse that they had suffered in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s to finally spur Police Scotland and the SFA to start taking complaints seriously.  This, largely being down to the fact that it was fast becoming clear that there were many links between Celtic FC and paedophile activity in English football.

To date, the following 6 paedophiles connected to Celtic FC have been convicted of sexual abuse of children in their care:

Jim Torbett - (Celtic Boys Club)

John Cullen - (Celtic FC)

Neil Strachan - (Celtic East Boys Club – Edinburgh)

Jim McCafferty - (Celtic FC)

Gerald King - (Celtic Boys Club)

Frank Cairney - (Celtic Boys Club)

It is no surprise to those that have been calling on action for decades that the sexual abuse of children at Celtic FC and Celtic Boys Club, which included sexual assault on Celtic FC’s premises by Celtic FC employees and others, is now being classed as a ‘paedophile ring’ and further investigations are ongoing into cross-border sex trafficking crimes between those paedophiles connected with Celtic FC and Barry Bennell at Crewe and Bob Higgins at Southampton.

What is equally frightening and disgusting is the growing list of people in positions of power at Celtic FC who knew of the ongoing sexual abuse of children at the club yet refused to take the correct and moral action of reporting these crimes to the police.

Robert Kelly - Chairman

Desmond White - Chairman

Jack McGinn - Chairman

Kevin Kelly - Chairman

Jock Stein - Manager

Billy McNeill - Manager

Liam Brady - Manager

Lou Macari - Manager

Tommy Burns - Manager

All of the above people knew what was going on.  Billy McNeill admitted it was an ‘open secret’ and Jock Stein instructed others to ‘keep the name of the club clean’.  Why have the police at the very least never investigated these people?  Every one of them still living should currently be facing charges of failing to report the systematic sexual abuse of children to the authorities.  They have knowingly aided and abetted the continued sexual abuse of children.

The Scottish mainstream media have also failed to act responsibly in this whole sorry mess.  There has been a distinct reluctance in the media to firstly investigate the issue to the degree required and secondly, rather than do the job they are paid to do, some journalists(?) like Neil Cameron find the bizarre need to make crass comments accusing victim’s families of “exploiting the situation for financial gain”.  The utterly repulsive Graham Spiers further suggests that football fans speaking out against the sexual abuse of children are only doing so in an attempt at “point scoring against Celtic”.  Such is Spiers’ media history of defending paedophiles, he may well soon be receiving a knock on the door from East Ayrshire Social Services department given the increasing concern he generates over the wellbeing of his children.  If the media in Scotland had been doing their job properly your average member of the public wouldn’t have needed to campaign for over 2 decades for action to be taken.  The media inaction has also facilitated the ongoing needless continued abuse of children in what is now widely regarded as the greatest sporting scandal in European (if not world) history.

The Scottish Government have fared no better.  The SNP, who have long coveted the Catholic/Republican vote in Scotland in an effort to boost their failing drive for independence at all costs have absolutely no desire to get involved in the Celtic FC scandal as it is not in their best interests.  That they would rather strive for independence than investigate a decades long known paedophile ring in Scottish football with links to sex trafficking across the UK tells you all you need to know of that party and their lack of scruples.

The only way to reach full closure on the sordid history of Celtic FC is for a full judicial inquiry into the paedophile ring that has been operating in and around Celtic FC for the last 40 years.   The truth needs to come out on the scale of the operation and who at Celtic FC knew about it yet decided to cover it up.  All individuals (still living) identified as covering up these abhorrent crimes should face criminal prosecution for their inaction.   On completion of such an inquiry, the SFA, in the interests of sporting integrity, should impose suitable punitive measures against Celtic FC.  If the SFA are unwilling to do so then UEFA must step in and impose the required punishments on both Celtic FC and the SFA.

Nothing less will do.