Former Celtic chairman Kevin Kelly has claimed ignorance of his business links with Celtic Boys’ Club beast Jim Torbett.

And Kelly, who was vice-chairman of the club when it investigated and then cleared boys’ club “leaders” of any wrongdoing – and was also president of the boys’ club – has told the Daily Record he has “no knowledge of the past”.

Speaking for the first time since the abuse scandal emerged, he said he had no idea that beasts Torbett and Frank Cairney were preying on children over decades on his watch.

The Daily Record revealed last month details of a 1986 probe by the Celtic FC board into allegations of boys being taken to weekend tournaments that did not exist, boys being taken out socially and boys being late home from training.

It appeared to be at odds with Celtic’s claim that the boys’ club was “entirely separate” from Celtic FC and that the club had first learned of allegations against boys’ club predators in the 1990s.

Four paedophiles linked to the boys’ club have been convicted of preying on children in recent months.

At the time of the 1986 probe Kelly, now 81, was vice-chairman of Celtic FC, president of Celtic Boys’ Club and worked for Torbett at his Trophy Centre business.

(Image: Daily Record)

When we visited Kelly at his home, he was reluctant to discuss the abuse scandal. Asked about the 1986 probe, he said: “I’ve nothing to say about that.

“The club are looking into all these things, so I’m quite happy about that.

“No, sorry about that. As I say I’m quite happy with what’s gone to the police and everything.”

We put it to Kelly the 1986 probe by Celtic FC had cleared Torbett and Cairney of any wrongdoing and that Celtic FC had then endorsed the pair by branding the claims as “scurrilous” and saying they should be “buried once and for all”.

Many of Torbett’s victims were abused after he had been cleared by Celtic FC. Kelly said: “I’m quite happy for the club to do whatever they have to do. Those who committed crimes are in jail and that’s where they should be. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

When we asked about his directorship of the Trophy Centre – Torbett’s company – he said: “I wasn’t a director.”

We put it to him that he has a legal listing as a director of the company.

(Image: Daily Record/Alan Lewis)

Kevin Kelly's Celtic connections Kevin Kelly’s family connection to Celtic saw him join the Celtic FC board in 1971 following the death of Sir Robert Kelly. He served as vice-chairman under Jack McGinn in the mid-80s before taking over as chairman in 1991. Kelly was vice-chairman in 1986 when Celtic FC’s board probed boys’ club “leaders”. He would effectively have been investigating his own boss – Jim Torbett – because of his employment at the Trophy Centre. Kelly heralded a plan to move Celtic to a site at Cambuslang in the early 90s. But the club were toiling with a £9million debt and had no new investors willing to plough cash in under the then board. In 1994, Kelly and cousin Michael Kelly were forced out by rebel Celtic shareholders, paving the way for Fergus McCann to rescue the club.

He said: “Look, I’ve no knowledge of the past, I’m sorry about that.”

Asked if he had knowledge at the time of what was going on, Kelly said: “Not at all, I’d never have joined it if I knew that.

“A lot of it is conjecture and it’s taken the police a long time, and I’ve been told by the police to stick by my statement and not to talk to anyone else until it is all resolved.”

Records show Kelly became a director of the Trophy Centre in October 1989. Torbett was first convicted of sexually abusing three boys in 1998 and jailed for two years.

But Kelly remained a director of the Trophy Centre until 2005.

Boys’ club founder Torbett was jailed in November for six years, former general manager Cairney was jailed in January for four years, fellow boys’ club coach and Celtic FC man Jim McCafferty, 73, was jailed for six years and nine months, while former chairman Gerald King was convicted of preying on children at a Glasgow school, but avoided jail.

Records also show that Kelly and Torbett were the sole directors of a now dissolved company – Panrole Ltd – set up in April 1991.

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Helene Gray, 71, who’s son Andrew was a victim of Torbett at Celtic Boys’ Club, said: “There are many who held authority who continue to deny and deflect from what my son and many other young boys suffered whilst in their care at Celtic Boys Club. Their silence and denial is sickening.”

Andrew died after an accident on holiday aged 41. His testimony helped convict Torbett.