Celtic FC investigated and cleared Celtic Boys’ Club “leaders” of wrongdoing after complaints in the 80s, the Record can reveal.

Concerns were voiced in the 80s about boys being taken out socially when no matches were scheduled, arriving home late, and being taken away to tournaments that did not exist.

But the club’s probe described abuse claims as “scurrilous” and said that those who had been “placed under a cloud” would go to court if necessary to make sure the stories “are buried once and for all”.

The Record can reveal Celtic FC were aware of claims surrounding the boys’ club as far back as 1986.

On Tuesday, a former kitman for Celtic, Hibs and Falkirk was jailed for six years and nine months for sexually abusing young footballers over two decades.

Youth coach Jim McCafferty was revealed as a serial abuser more than two years ago following a confession when confronted by the Record.

McCafferty’s imprisonment comes in the wake of Celtic Boys’ Club predatory paedophiles Jim Torbett and Frank Cairney being jailed for sexual offences on boys spanning more than 20 years.

Torbett, 71, was jailed for six years in November for the systematic sexual abuse of boys from 1986 to 1994.

A third CBC official, Gerald King, 66, was convicted of a string of sexual offences against children at a school in Glasgow.

Earlier this year he was given a three-year probation order.

The revelation of the club’s 80s investigation appears to be at odds with Celtic FC’s present stance that the boys’ club is a totally separate organisation, and that it was first made aware of allegations of improper behaviour in the mid-90s.

Helene Gray, 70, the mum of Torbett victim Andrew Gray, said of the development: “This is horrendous and shocking.”

Convicted paedophile Jim Torbett at a Celtic Boys' Club event

Andrew bravely gave a statement before his tragic death aged 41 in an accident in Australia. The information helped convict the pervert in November.

Patrick McGuire, a partner with Thompsons Solicitors, who are representing the victims, said: “These new revelations uncovered by the Record go further than ever before in disproving the ridiculous assertion that the boys’ club and Celtic were separate organisations.

“The former directors of Celtic have got to be clear about what they thought they were investigating back in the mid-80s.

“The survivors my team represent deserve answers from the club about these investigations and they continue to be shocked and insulted that the board maintain that the boys’ club and Celtic FC are separate organisations.

“The survivors must receive an official apology from the club and be properly compensated for the terrible things that happened to them when, as children, they were under Celtic’s care.

“This is the morally right and decent thing to do but if Celtic continue to ignore us, as I have said before, we will see them in court.”

Kenny Campbell, another of Torbett’s victims – who waived his right to anonymity – said of our probe: “This makes me sick to the pit my stomach. It is a stunning development.”

Boys’ club general manager Frank Cairney, 83, was convicted in December last year and jailed for four years after sexually abusing eight boys.

He wrote in the Celtic View in December 1986 of his gratitude for the “tremendous support” he received from Celtic Park during the “recent difficult times”.

(Image: SUNDAY MIRROR)

At the time of the 1986 investigation by the Celtic FC board, their then vice-chairman Kevin Kelly was also president of Celtic Boys’ Club.

He was also an employee of Torbett at his trophy business in Glasgow’s Shawlands.

At the boys’ club AGM in 1987 – just months after the allegations came to light – Kelly said that because of the way “true friends” had rallied round, the “criticism” of the boys’ club had made it stronger.

Torbett was previously jailed for two years in 1998 for abusing three former Celtic Boys’ Club players, including former Scotland international Alan Brazil, between 1967 and 1974.

At that trial, former Celtic photographer and boys’ club chairman Hugh Birt claimed Torbett was fired in 1974 after child abuse allegations arose.

But Torbett returned to the fold in the 80s.

Celtic FC’s investigation into the conduct of Celtic Boys’ Club “leaders” came after parents raised their fears.

The then boys’ club chairman Birt, who passed away five years ago, resigned because he believed the issue was not being dealt with properly.

The statement Celtic FC issued in Celtic View Here is the statement Celtic FC issued in its own newspaper, the Celtic View, in December 1986, in response to claims in our sister paper the Sunday Mail. The statement was reproduced the following month in the Celtic Boys’ Club magazine. “A Sunday newspaper recently carried a story which cast a shadow over the Celtic Boys’ Club in general, and some of the leaders in particular. “It also included a clear inference that the Celtic Football Club had not taken appropriate action with regard to the allegations contained in the article. “In actual fact, the Celtic Board investigated the rumours and interviewed the men concerned in depth and could find nothing to substantiate the stories that were being circulated. “During the course of the last 10 days, Celtic Football Club and the boys’ club have been in receipt of hundreds of letters and phone calls from boys and their parents, past and present, stating their complete support and backing of all involved with the boys’ club. “It must be clearly emphasised that apart from this newspaper article, inspired by the former chairman of the boys’ club, not one single complaint has been received by any other person with a Celtic connection. “The boys’ club leaders who have been placed under a cloud as a result of these rumours have instructed their lawyers to take the appropriate course of action and, if necessary, to go to a court of law to make sure these scurrilous stories are buried once and for all.”

In 1986, he said: “It appears the Celtic board want to look in the other direction in the hope the troubles will go away.”

But in an article published in the club magazine, the Celtic View, in December of that year, Celtic FC rubbished a story in the Record’s sister paper, the Sunday Mail, about the abuse.

It had listed complaints from parents about boys being kept out late, taken out socially when there was no game, and going to non-existent tournaments.

But the Celtic View stated: “In actual fact, the Celtic Board investigated the rumours and interviewed the men concerned in depth and could find nothing to substantiate the stories that were being circulated.

(Image: Daily Record)

“The boys’ club leaders who have been placed under a cloud as a result of these rumours have instructed their lawyers to take the appropriate course of action, and if necessary to go to a court of law to make sure these scurrilous stories are buried once and for all.”

On the Celtic board at the time were chairman Jack McGinn, vice-chairman Kelly, Chris White, Tom Grant and Jimmy Farrell.

Helene revealed yesterday that the complaints in the 80s matched Torbett’s pattern of abuse when he preyed on Andrew.

She said : “This was exactly what Torbett did to Andrew. It is the first we have heard of Celtic holding an investigation as far back as that. To think it made Torbett’s position stronger is sickening.”

Kenny added: “I love Celtic. But people need to know the truth. For Celtic FC to claim they are separate from the boys’ club is total nonsense and this information uncovered by the Record shows that.”

(Image: Daily Record)

Last night, Celtic FC made no comment on our revelations.

Following Torbett’s conviction last November, the club again claimed the boys’ club was not part of Celtic FC and did not refer to the investigation in the 80s.

It said: “Allegations regarding abuse at Celtic Boys’ Club first emerged in the 1990s. Although Celtic Football Club is an entirely separate organisation, we have always taken these allegations extremely seriously because of our historic contacts with Celtic Boys’ Club.”

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A club source said yesterday: “It is not true to say that the investigation in 1986 is at odds with our statement released in November.

“That statement referred to the specific allegations against Torbett which led to his conviction in court. These allegations first emerged in the 1990s.”