EARLIER today we exposed the completely false claims made by Alex Thomson, the Chief Correspondent at Channel 4 News on a hatchet-job broadcast on Thursday night. Thomson, backed by a evidence given by one of the victims of child sex abuse in Scottish football.
We will re-cap on this before continuing to reveal another huge error in Thomson’s fatally flawed report.
Thomson went to great lengths to claim that the building that was used to house Celtic Pools and the club’s ticket office was the base for Celtic Boys Club and claimed that the close proximity to Celtic’s stadium was proof that the two organisations were one and the same.
Niall J on The Celtic Star last night provided an overall review of Thomson’s output and the surrounding material and information that was available to him that he choose to ignore completely.
You really should read that before continuing this article.
Undermined, Biased and Agenda-Driven – Alex Thomson’s Flawed anti-Celtic Broadcast | The Celtic Star https://t.co/8WTYXqxw0n
— The Celtic Star Editor (@CelticStarMag) February 28, 2020
Celtic, despite the claims made by Thomson over his two night hatchet-job, have been very clear in explaining their position and they re-stated this again on Wednesday afternoon via a statement that was published on the club’s official website. Anyone who has not read that statement from Celtic can catch up HERE.
After Thomson’s Thursday night introduction, the first person to speak did so anonymously, which given the subject matter is something that is entirely understandable. That man started by saying this:
“What I hope to see is that people like me coming forward raising the issues send a beckon of hope to other victims to know that if they do come forward you’ll be believed…”
Now this man wants more than anything to be believed. He has come forward, albeit anonymously, unlike some of the others who spoke to Thomson, and he wants to believed. We’ll come back to this.
Thomson then moves on to discuss the location of Celtic Boys Club, in a building that was just yards from Celtic’s Stadium.
“This photo of Celtic’s stadium in the late sixties shows Celtic Boys Club in the ring yards from the stadium and physically part of the club complex.”
Here is a screenshot of Thomson’s photo with the ring around the building just outside Celtic Park.
Victim Gordon Woods then talks about the significance of this building to Thomson.
“Immediately outside the main Celtic ground there is a building which is painted in the same colours as Celtic Football Club, is part of Celtic football Clubs ground. That is where we trained, that’s where some of the abuse took place.”
Alex Thomson then goes on to claim, through simply showing the cover of a book, titled Playing for Celtic No5 which was edited by the journalist Rodger Baillie, that this was further proof that Celtic Boys Club were based in that circled building yards from the Celtic stadium. He doesn’t show anything from the book to back up his claim.
“A club history confirms that initial location of the Boys Club next to Celtic stadium, a strange location to house an entirely separate organisation. Today the building has been demolished. No sign of the place where child sex abuse took place almost on the doorstep of Celtic stadium.”
For the avoidance of doubt Thomson walks over the ground himself outside of Celtic Park while he is making these comments.
Thomson was busy on social media, drumming up interest for his report, ahead of it being broadcast on Thursday evening on Channel 4 News. Supporters immediately pointed out to him that he was completely wrong and the building he is referring to, was used to house both Celtic Pools and the Ticket Office.
We are currently running a series of photographs on The Celtic Star that have been supplied by the former Celtic Director Tom Grant and these include this one from 1994 of the building that Alex Thomson and Gordon Woods claim was used by Celtic Boys Club – it’s apparent proximity to Celtic Park as well as the colour of paint used – being used to disprove the any claim that Celtic FC and Celtic Boys Club were ‘separate entities’.
Thomson’s claim about the old Pools and Ticket Office building was obviously picked up by many Celtic Supporters in social media and they were quick to point this out to Channel 4’s Chief Correspondent. It didn’t make the slightest bit of difference and he carried on regardless.
But rather than just publish this article without double checking the facts ourselves – maybe Celtic Boys Club did use that building at some stage as Gordon Woods clearly stated in this Channel 4 News broadcast, we contacted Celtic and asked for official confirmation.
We asked Celtic…
“Thomson’s claim re the building that was the old Pools and ticket office being used for Celtic Boys Club was incorrect right?
And Celtic FC’s answer…
“Completely incorrect, no-one ever trained in that building.”
Where it began. @Channel4News reveals tonight how Celtic Boys’ Club was originally sited in the stadium’s complex (ringed).A victim talks of routine sexual abuse happening there, yards from stadium.Odd place to house an « entirely separate organisation » as Celtic FC now claims. pic.twitter.com/nSYhD6ZFHV
— alex thomson (@alextomo) February 27, 2020
Gordon Woods goes on to tell the story about cadging a lift to a game with Jock Stein, after making the very specific claims about the building circled by Alex Thomson that was situated just yards from Celtic’s Stadium.
Thomson was WRONG and that and so was Gordon Woods. Reliability, sadly has to be an issue with the latter. For Thomson it’s more a matter of professional credibility. And since he’s opted for a two part format with his sensational content coming in Part 2, we’ll do the same and blow a hole completely in Thomson’s report, that Niall J described as Undermined, Biased and Agenda-Driven – Alex Thomson’s Flawed anti-Celtic Broadcast.
Part 2 – Exposing Channel 4 News
If Thomson’s hatchet-job on Celtic has started off with more holes in it than the Celtic defence against Copenhagen, then unfortunately for the credibility of the Channel 4 Chief Correspondent, things are about to go from bad to worse.
The story told by Thomson’s Anonymous witness with his words spoken by an actor, The Celtic Star can reveal this evening, has been contradicted by another person who was on that trip to England in 1973. Remember it was claimed by Channel 4 News that Celtic’s name was used to unlock doors across the English game.
Here’s what Thomson had to say about this:
“Other witnessed the power of Celtic Paedophiles to unlock doors across the English game at the highest level.”
Note Thomson’s words here, “Celtic Paedophiles”. And Thomson’s words were linked in seamlessly to Mr Anonymous who said this:
“This was power. The way we went to St Mary’s Bay in Kent back in 73, and during that trip we were given a guided tour of Highbury and Wembley. As many as 40 people on that trip. “
“The man unlocking those doors, convicted Paedophile and former Celtic employee Jim McCafferty.”
This trip happened according to Thomson’s Anonymous witness in 1973, decades before McCafferty had anything to do with Celtic. So how then did Celtic’s name open doors in English football for those organising the trip to England? Thomson doesn’t explain just implies that somehow Celtic were involved. He calls this journalism?
Maybe he should have spoken to John McKeown to corroborate the Anonymous chap’s story or indeed the bells and whistles that Thomson himself has added to this. Here’s what John told The Celtic Star about that trip. John wanted to ” point out the inaccuracy of part of Alex Thomson’s report on ‘Celtic a Club like no other’ so we are happy to give him the opportunity to do so on The Celtic Star this evening.
“In the article he points out that Celtic paedophiles opened doors at the highest level in England. He then introduces a disguised voice claiming that Celtic took young players to St Mary’s Bay in Kent in 1973 and had visits to Highbury and Wembley. Total nonsense.
“This trip did take place and I was a member of the party and remember it very well. However it was not Celtic BC. It was in fact a Boys Club football team from Wishaw called Wishawhill United.
“It was run partly at the time by Jim McCafferty who at that moment had no connection with Celtic BC. (We went to St Mary’s Bay 3 years in a row 72, 73, 74).
“I believe McCafferty had involvement with Torbett at that time via work (Drakebridge or something similar) but his involvement with Celtic to my knowledge did not happen until the 1990s.”
ALSO ON THIS SUBECT ON THE CELTIC STAR…
The Victim – “The SFA is ultimately responsible”. Alex Thomson – “Celtic’s current stance and silence is repugnant”…see HERE.
Questions for Alex Thomson as his Channel 4 Report on Child Abuse is about to be broadcast…see HERE.
