By now I’m sure the readers of The Celtic Star are familiar with the name Malcolm Rodger and the recent article we have published relating to Malcom’s story and the recent Channel 4 Investigations into Child abuse in Scottish Football.
For those who aren’t as familiar, Malcolm Rodger is the brave chap who waved his anonymity to talk to Channel 4 in a two-part lazily researched, agenda driven and ultimately flawed investigation, into the issue of child abuse. He was also given a platform by The Celtic Star.
Malcolm is a survivor of the horrific child abuse that appears to have been on a large and sickeningly organised scale, endemic throughout Scottish football and many, many of our clubs through Junior and professional level. It is abuse that has blighted the lives of Malcolm and many young men who have grown into adulthood yet still carry the scars and have yet to receive justice for the crimes perpetrated against them.
For some, those perpetrators are behind bars but justice is more than seeing your abuser locked away. In this instance justice is seeing those – all of those – responsible for the care and protection of minors and found wanting to be brought to task.
That same justice involves care going forward for the survivors to access the help they need to find closure and rebuild their lives, as well as financial compensation for the deviation from a life that could have been lived to the so differently when their innocence was lost. Broken relationships and opportunities lost, due the weight that hung around their necks, unresolved and holding them back.
It is worth noting Malcolm is also a Rangers fan. Given his views on this subject it appears some introspection may be required amongst a vocal element of that support also. What Malcolm is doing now may give some a chance to re-assess their views and actions. We hope it does.
Malcolm has made it clear that tribal football lines are not the place for weaponising the abuse he and a great many others have suffered. This may make uncomfortable reading for supporters of other clubs as despite the media narrative and the bile sung in the direction of the Celtic support, this is not a Celtic issue alone. To make it so misses the point and denies opportunities for all who should be heard.
As Malcolm himself explained:
“I have been monitoring from the shadows the countless articles in the Scottish press over the last 2 years on non-recent sex abuse in Scottish Football,”
“Unfortunately for both sides of Glasgow and other clubs in Scotland the real story has been missed every time by the press.
“I am aware I am in the minority of football fans; that love the work-day banter between both sides of Glasgow but draw the line when idiots from both sides take to social media and try to redirect the issue of sex abuse into something else and hatred for the other side.
“These people are clowns and should be banned from any sport,” Malcolm stated.
“What happens on the terraces today and what happened in changing rooms 35 years ago are NOT connected.”
Malcolm has made it abundantly clear where he sees the fault surrounding the issue in Scottish football. Speaking to The Celtic Star Malcolm had this to say as to where he believes the responsibility lay:
“There has never been a situation at Celtic or Rangers where the abuse took place after the player signed a pro-contract.
“The abuse all took place when we were kids – this falls straight at the heart of the SFA responsibilities and always has done.”
Malcolm has been let down at every turn. By his abusers, by the SFA and now it appears by solicitors and the justice system. So let down in fact that Malcolm is trying to raise the money required to take his case to court himself and bring others together and help fund their costs also. What happened to the extravagant claims of the solicitors in the second part of Alex Thomson’s Channel 4 investigation? Words it appears come cheaply, actions when a little more costly, sees the can kicked down the road.
I’ll let him explain why he’s had to do that in his own words and why he feels let down:
“Every case is getting settled out of court because the insurance company of the team or association cannot afford for a president to be set in court or the flood gates will open. The only organisation that has done the right thing is Manchester City who despite being contracted to be represented by Keoghs (same defenders for SFA) have launched their own trust fund and instructed a company called Pinsent Mason to settle claims without the victims having to endure the hell of litigation.
“The SFA, Rangers, Celtic and every other organisation are all insured – the insurance companies know the that it is highly likely the victims won’t have a spare £20 -30k lying around the house to bring about private litigation all the way to court. The eyes of justice is blind but she has big pockets and its simply a case that all the insures from Celtic or SFA or Rangers as well as other clubs down south have to wait it out until less well off victims run out of money.
“There is a second irony – you can apply for a policy called After the event insurance. There are companies which will insure you against the cost of your case being heard in court but losing. The policy then pays for the other sides costs.
“The irony being that once the other side know you have after event insurance they always settle because they know they can’t win. You get granted after event insurance if you have an 80% chance or better chance of success however these odds are always worked out on previous cases heard in court (a previous precedent); of course there has not been one set in court yet against any club or the SFA hence you can’t get after event insurance.
“I got an email yesterday from my solicitor confirming that Thompsons Patrick McGuire despite boasting about how he is doing this and that against Celtic hasn’t actually done anything and is now wanting his victims to wait until a new law comes out hopefully in Autumn which reduces the cost of litigation against the big organisations with large budgets,”
It seems publicly calling Celtic out in some sort of PR war has seen Thompsons Patrick McGuire lose sight of the wishes of their client. Surely media exposure connected to the name of Celtic FC is far less important than getting justice for your client?
And so Malcolm and The Celtic Star is asking you, the Celtic support to help match Malcolm’s bravery and step in where his legal representation has let him down. To assist Malcolm and continue his fight with the financial assistance he now requires. Malcolm has decided to launch a crowd funding initiative with a view to funding a case against the Scottish FA and that is where we come in. We should support him.
Once again I’ll let Malcom explain in his own words:
“I decided that I have waited long enough and simply want to start putting my life back together.
“This crowd funding thing is simply so that the countless victims from both sides of Glasgow and around Scotland can have their day in Court and finally be able to rest with justice having been served.
“I would appreciate your help on this regards spreading the message on other forums or other websites and if you know of any guys from Celtic personally then by all means I don’t have a problem talking to them or meeting with them.
“This is a time to put our support for our clubs to one side and recognise that this horrible part of our game needs to be reconciled and put to rest.”
“I decided that I have waited long enough and simply want to start putting my life back together.
“This crowd funding thing is simply so that the countless victims from both sides of Glasgow and around Scotland can have their day in Court and finally be able to rest with justice having been served.
“I would appreciate your help on this regards spreading the message on other forums or other websites and if you know of any guys from Celtic personally then by all means I don’t have a problem talking to them or meeting with them.
“This is a time to put our support for our clubs to one side and recognise that this horrible part of our game needs to be reconciled and put to rest.”
As you can see from Malcolm’s story the time has come for justice. No more agendas, no more delays, no more point scoring and PR one-upmanship and no more chanting from the terraces like this subject matter is suitable for the settling of old scores.
The time has come for all survivors to have their case heard. Every day delayed, is another added to the pain and suffering of those abused and now left waiting for justice.
Perhaps now we can bring all clubs and all supporters together and show we fully back these brave survivors like Malcolm Rodger. All Malcolm is asking for is football fans to donate less than the cost of a half pint of beer. You can donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Justice-for-Victims-of-sex-abuse-in-Scottish-Football?utm_term=37z5rxn3x
This is a chance for Scottish football fans to unite and show the subject of child abuse is no place for team colours or songs of hate. If you can donate, whatever team you support, you will go a long way to finding closure for brave men like Malcom Rodger.
Niall J
FOLLOW FOLLOW RAGE AT THE CELTIC STAR…
Not everyone is happy with The Celtic Star for providing Malcolm with support. The natives on the Rangers forum Follow Follow are particularly enraged at the article published on The Celtic Star last night.
You can read, if you have the stomach for it, what they are saying about The Celtic Star support for Malcolm HERE. Perhaps that will do more that anything we have said or done to try and help the guy. For too long the vile morons in the Rangers support have weaponised child abuse for their own ends, even though their old club was just as implicated as Celtic or any other club.
Malcolm is right, the duty of care started at the Scottish FA and it was the game’s governing body that is the constant in failing each and every single one of the victims of these disgraceful and disgusting crimes. Let’s get Malcolm towards his £20k target so that they can be held to account.
And it it ends the weaponising of child abuse for warped ends then so be it. For too long the Celtic Support has remained silent on this issue. We are silent no longer.
Remember you can donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Justice-for-Victims-of-sex-abuse-in-Scottish-Football?utm_term=37z5rxn3x
