Some documents deserve to be read in their entirety because of the importance of their contents.
That is what I have been doing today.
The 192-page Report of the Independent Review of Sexual Abuse in Scottish Football makes for very depressing reading indeed.
However, you can read it here, and I would commend it to you, dear reader.
I wrote about the Celtic Boy’s Club scandal back in 2019, and it is here.
The Parkhead club put out this statement in response to the published report.
Included in it was the report was this section :
2.45. Celtic FC were, in 2013, the first club in Scotland to create a salaried dedicated post of Safeguarding Officer with wider duties and responsibilities and recruit to this (part time) post.
This came about in part because, following the allegations in the 1990’s concerning Celtic Boys Club, Celtic FC carried out a review which produced a code of ethics and good practice and vetting procedures for staff and volunteers working with children and young people at Celtic FC.
The Club continued to develop its policies and procedures and in 2012 the Club commissioned an external child protection review of its child protection policy, procedures and practices. The internal review highlighted a number of positive elements in place to protect children and identified a number of areas for development. All of the recommendations were implemented, one of which was that the Club appoint a child protection officer.
Of course, the foregoing is an inconvenient fact for those who have been salivating over the issue for at least a decade.
They saw the Celtic Boy’s Club scandal as a PR weapon to be wielded against the Parkhead Club.
There was also the tantalising prospect for the Ibrox klanbase that it could land Celtic with an unpayable bill.
At no time did the feelings or the welfare of the victims figure in their frenzied speculation.
It is undeniable that the entire issue of historic sex abuse in Scottish football was weaponised a long time ago by section of the Ibrox klanbase.
They rather remind me of the British fascists who often claim that they have an issue with Islam because of the oppression of women and the LGBT community.
Of course, every right-thinking person sees it for what it is.
The self-appointed child protection vigilantes of Ibrox are similarly transparent in their motives, and the victims of Gordon Neely, Jim Torbett et al. deserve better.
I think that this report gives the victims their truth and shows the way forward.
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I agree that the huns fans only know how to hate. As far as the celtic boys club scandal goes Celtic should be looking after the victims of the abuse, and not be held responsible for the rest of scottish footballs other clubs. These clubs should be cleaning up their own homes and not be looking for celtic and their supporters to pick up the tab for their own indiscretions. Once celtic have sorted out this affair the should then turn their attention to the SFA who were supposed to be taking care of the welfare of all of these young players and failed miserably in their fiduciary duties. Lets clear out the augean stables and bring in proper governance and procedures to ensure that the mistakes of the past are never repeated.
Nothing to do with sevco, all responsibility rests with the liquidators.
I think most people are united in what they think of this.
Most…. But not all perhaps
alex thomson
@alextomo
·
Feb 11
Report notes how one victim of a Rangers paedophile complained to the club and was told the club would not act because it had happened before the club was liquidated
Its fantastic that review should help ensure that it will never be allowed again for those evil paedo bastards to infiltrate football at any level, at the time of writing this i think we are still waiting on a public apology from sevco, but I’m sure that will come soon
I remember photographs of Rangers fans carrying banners showing just the letters “BJK” in their match in Barcelona in 2007. This would have meant nothing to the Catalonians nor to the football world in general. However, it did demonstrate that Rangers fans are defined not by what they love but by what they hate.