Celtic today released a statement  (detailed below) after yesterday’s publication of the Independent Review of Sexual Abuse in Scottish Football. This report makes for harrowing reading. This is a shameful chapter in the story of Scottish football and as we have sought to explain previously on The Celtic Star has affected lives of too many people across so many clubs in the game in Scotland at all levels.

Indulging in petty point-scoring is shameful in itself particularly when the supporters of their own clubs cannot bring themselves to accept that one of their assortment of clubs had itself let young players down by failing to protect them from these sick and evil scumbags.

The other point that should be made on this is that the report published yesterday pretty much outlines the situation but other that being of some PR value to the no-win no fee solicitors who have been threatening legal action against Celtic FC for several years now, it offers them little encouragement in their chances of succeeding in a court of law. They probably know that, so the PR offensive has been their best strategy since agreeing to take the case forward. Shame Celtic into settling out of court is probably a fair summary of their plan.

They are not you will note trying to do the same against Rangers because legally they understand that the liquidation of the Ibrox club is the end of the road, as indeed the current Ibrox club has confirmed to victims of child abuse at Rangers.

So these lawyers could take Celtic FC to court but would struggle to win but cannot take Rangers FC to court due to the liquidation .

Here is Channel 4’s Alex Thomson writing about this yesterday:

Now here is what Celtic have said today via their Statement on the official Celtic website. Before reading this please remember that Celtic have already issued previous statements including one a year ago when Thomson was in Glasgow to make a series of reports on this matter, mostly focusing on Celtic.  We covered all of this extensively on The Celtic Star last February and you can read back via our Archives function on the site. Today Celtic had this to say:

Celtic Football Club Statement

Celtic welcomes the publication of the Final Report following the Independent Review of Sexual Abuse in Scottish Football. The Club recognises the courage of all those who came forward and contributed to this review.  
 
The abuse of young people is an abhorrent crime, which has unfortunately affected many organisations within Scottish football, indeed Scottish society as a whole.
 
The Club has publicly expressed its sincere sympathy, regret and sorrow to all those affected across Scottish football including at Celtic Football Club and Celtic Boys’ Club, something which the Independent Review acknowledged and welcomed. Today we reiterate this apology. 
 
Since the publication of the Interim Report, Celtic has been working with the Scottish FA and Scottish football as a whole to review those recommendations and to strive to make Scottish football a safer place for our young people. The Club remains fully committed to continuing to prioritise welfare and safeguarding protections for our young people, including working with the Scottish FA in respect of the Recommendations in this Report.

Yesterday Partick Thistle released a statement on this awful situation. Hopefully others will follow. Celtic’s ‘Apology’ is welcome as is the news that they are working with the Scottish FA in respect to recommendations made in the report.

Surely via the Scottish FA it would not be too much to expect that – regardless of whether Celtic Boys Club is a different entity or not (it is) or whether Rangers are a new club or not ( and not even the Ibrox clubs can have their cake and eat it) the two Glasgow sides could lead the way by contributing to a compensation fund for the SFA to administer?

Other clubs could contribute much lower sums and the SFA could also make a substantial payment too, as the overall custodians of the game. That perhaps is the only way to bring some sort of closure for the victims.

One victim, Malcolm Rodger (who is a Rangers supporter) spoke extensively to The Celtic Star last year. He also appeared on Thomson’s Channel 4 report into this issue and I noticed that he was on STV news yesterday too. He had this to say last year, as reported on The Celtic Star:

“Whatever is said this week in the press and on TV please don’t forget that the SFA are the true problem here.

“For the last 2 years they have sat back and let the red top media attack Celtic, Celtic boys club (affiliated or not) and Rangers as well as other clubs. It has been easy press for the hack journalists with a quote here and there and a huge headline with a photo of the abuser.

“There has never been a situation at Celtic or Rangers where the abuse took place after the player signed a pro-contract,” Malcolm pointed out.

“The abuse all took place when we were kids – this falls straight at the heart of the SFA responsibilities and always has done.”

Partick Thistle statement on historic abuse report in Scottish football

Click below to read full statement: 👇

— Partick Thistle FC (@PartickThistle) February 11, 2021