You can hold whatever view you like on the Celtic FC abuse scandal but, whatever that may be, there is one question which should be universal – how can that club not be punished over this?
Anyone on twitter should be following the @spotlight_CFC66 account – this provides a melt-water of information from the glaciers of abuse that span decades. Much of the content comes as a revelation as the subject has been given relatively scant exposure in the Scottish press. Overall, it draws a vivid picture of the streams and tributaries of the very singular Celtic entity that enabled and facilitated the abuse, with the 70s and 80s appearing particularly depraved. And within that picture there is a trend that is equally clear – the Celtic top brass at the time were very heavily involved with both the boy’s clubs and the abusers. There was little or no separation of entities in any practical sense. A fact that was very much used and exploited by the undesirables.
I’ve written on this a few times and attracted a bit of ire, particularly with accusations of point-scoring or tribal spite. I can see now that the aspersions are designed to curb any discussion and exposure of the subject where Celtic are involved. The point-scoring may be true and may even have been the original driver, but over time I have been made aware of the views of the victims and as I learned more then so my sense of both empathy and real injustice have grown exponentially. It is clear that the victims voice has not been given any oxygen at all and for many long years and no-one has listened to them, simply because there’s been no exposure to listen to. One can only imagine the frustration and hurt endured as door after door has been closed on them – for this alone we should listen and support them. From what I can tell, it has only been in recent years that have podcasts and interviews have started to appear, but even then, that has been on the fringes and far from the mainstream.
For me one recent tweet from the Spotlight account really stood out and it related to an internal investigating at Celtic FC in 1987.
A few points. Why are Celtic investigating what they now claim is a completely separate entity?
The internal investigation was bad enough in its own right because it was so obviously a paper-thin deception. Ultimately, a cover-up – which conveniently managed to overlook and avert attention from so many cases of abuse that have since been proven in court. And arguably worse still, it provided cover for further abuse to continue. How can the club not be punished for this?
Sadly, this is far from an isolated incidence of cover-up from Celtic FC, fast-forward 30 years and we have Celtic FC playing the same tired worn cards. Without exaggeration they currently have three or four internal investigations ongoing – all throw out to deflect and deceive. We never hear or see the results of these investigations and it’s all merely pretence – a fiction that it’s been dealt with in-house which is too easily accepted by a servile press. None of the current stable of Celtic investigations is more serious than their latest investigation into the mountain of child abuse and their handling of child abuse. Let’s be honest, this is an investigation which was only dreamt up in 2017 when some heat reappeared. Once again the victims and wider public are fobbed off with a fantasy investigation which will achieve nothing but to deflect and put time and distance between Celtic and any tricky questions. Celtic FC have no desire to find truth or right wrongs (we know this because the victims have told us – how thorough can an investigation be that fails to consult the victims?). Celtic FCs only desire is to protect the club, their friends at the club and ultimately avoid the heavy punishments that they know are due.
This is crux for me. We can see what they are up to, it is really that transparent. Celtic FC have worked tirelessly for decades to cover this up. It’s just another layer of immoral, criminal activity on top of the horrific crimes of abuse that ruined so many lives, and it’s one that football surely has to act on clear the air?
It should be devastating for them. But part of the web they’ve woven over the years also provides their multiple safety nets. People exist on the Celtic FC board who put Celtic before everything and so the same applies outside. The SFA, an organisation distinguished by its lack of real comment and action, has seen a stream of Celtic people who have a vested interested in dampening any justice where it looks like breaking out – with hindsight it’s fairly logical to see this as just an extension of the cover up. The same goes for Holyrood as it goes for the press. Any talk is curtailed and played down, and the obvious, rational progression to the question of punishment never materialises.
Similar to the doubtful intent of the internal investigations, concerns also apply to those of any external investigations where they appear. Certain characters and certain remits don’t ring remotely true or trustworthy. Once you start looking then conflicts of interest start to appear regularly around this subject. Are the stance of silence of BBC Scotland or Clyde FM by accident or design? Once you’ve made that first big deceit it’s then a small step to carry that out elsewhere and it’s naive to think it won’t occur. This is the discussion that Scotland really needs to have about Celtic.
Of course, with no trace of irony this is the very cultural omertà that enabled the original abuse. The club always comes first and shall be protected with any dissenters pushed out and rejected. Yet another layer of injustice that needs exposed, shamed, eradicated and redressed.
Upping the output 