Episodes
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Pat Mair works with survivors of abuse, including with victims of Celtic Boys Club. Through her charity, Talk Now, she's counselled many victims of the club, and also survivors of abuse in other settings.
We sat down with Pat to talk about the work she does and what she makes of the case against Celtic Boys Club.
In this episode you'll hear:
How Pat thinks the inaction of Celtic FC is traumatising the survivors, almost like they're being abused againHow she views the scale of the abuse at Celtic Boys Club compared to other settings she's worked inThe impact of a abuse on the children and their familiesWhat that means long term for the survivors as they grow upAnd the particularly cruel aspects of this kind of abuse in a football settingYou can find out more about the work which Pat does by visiting the Talk Now website: https://talknow.org.uk/
Again, thank you to all the brave individuals who have come forward to share their story.
This podcast is free, but you can become a Patreon to help support the small team who work hard to tell this story. You can sign up here: https://patreon.com/TheCaseAgainstCelticBoysClub
Warning: the episode discusses issues which some people may find distressing.
If you or a member of your family has been affected by the issues in this podcast, you can find help and support here: https://www.mygov.scot/childhood-abuse
Support the podcast by hitting the subscribe button on whatever podcast platform you're listening on. And share with someone who you think might want to listen.
Host: Peter Henderson
I am Peter Henderson, a former producer at the BBC and a press and media communications consultant. This podcast is the product of my personal research and is not attributable to any organisation I have or continue to work with with in my capacity as a communications consultant.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Bouns episode
Peter sits down with two of the survivors of abuse at Edinburgh schools to talk about their experiences and the parallels between their cases and Celtic Boys Club.
Neil and Giles are both survivors of abuse at Edinburgh Academy - they are part of the group EA Survivors and have attending the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.
What it means to take on powerful institutions and hold them to accountTheir experience of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, and whether cases like Celtic Boys Club should be includedTheir message of solitary to the survivors of Celtic Boys ClubAgain, thank you to all the brave individuals who have come forward to share their story.
This podcast is free, but you can become a Patreon to help support the small team who work hard to tell this story. You can sign up here: https://patreon.com/TheCaseAgainstCelticBoysClub
Warning: the episode discusses issues which some people may find distressing.
If you or a member of your family has been affected by the issues in this podcast, you can find help and support here: https://www.mygov.scot/childhood-abuse
Support the podcast by hitting the subscribe button on whatever podcast platform you're listening on. And share with someone who you think might want to listen.
Host: Peter Henderson
I am Peter Henderson, a former producer at the BBC and a press and media communications consultant. This podcast is the product of my personal research and is not attributable to any organisation I have or continue to work with with in my capacity as a communications consultant.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Missing episodes?
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This is Part 2 of Tom's story.
Tom has never spoken publicly about what happened to him before.
In this episode you'll hear about the impact his abuse at the hands of Kenneth Divers had on Tom's life, but also the emotional story of how he finally saw justice done.
Divers was convicted of abuse and sentenced to five years in prison for his crimes in June 2023.
Tom is a survivor of that abuse, it's not his real name.
In this episode Tom tells us:
How he struggled to cope with his abuser's continued presence in his lifeHow Tom finally managed to acknowledge what happened to himThe connections between Divers and other abusers we've heard about on the podcast who formed part of the Celtic Boys Club networkHow friends helped him get the treatment he needed to deal with the impact of what he lived throughHow a chance encounter in an airport departure lounge finally led to a police hunt for his abuserThe work of Police Scotland to finally bring Divers back to face justice from abroadWhat Tom thinks about the current position of Celtic regarding their role in the Celtic Boys Club scandalAgain, thank you to all the brave individuals who have come forward to share their story.
This podcast is free, but you can become a Patreon to help support the small team who work hard to tell this story. You can sign up here: https://patreon.com/TheCaseAgainstCelticBoysClub
Warning: the episode discusses issues which some people may find distressing.
If you or a member of your family has been affected by the issues in this podcast, you can find help and support here: https://www.mygov.scot/childhood-abuse
Support the podcast by hitting the subscribe button on whatever podcast platform you're listening on. And share with someone who you think might want to listen.
Host: Peter Henderson
I am Peter Henderson, a former producer at the BBC and a press and media communications consultant. This podcast is the product of my personal research and is not attributable to any organisation I have or continue to work with with in my capacity as a communications consultant.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This is Part 1 of Tom's story.
Tom has never spoken publicly about what happened to him before.
In this episode we learn of another name in the list of abusers connected to Celtic Boys Club - Kenneth Divers. He worked as a scout for Celtic Football Club and carried out abuse for almost 25 years before being brought to justice.
Divers was convicted of abuse and sentenced to five years in prison for his crimes in June 2023.
Tom is a survivor of that abuse, it's not his real name.
In this episode Tom tells us:
How Divers used his connections to Celtic to gain the trust of his victimsHow he groomed both Tom and his family - gaining their trustThe terrifying lengths Tom would go to to escape what was happening to himHow at his lowest point he was comforted by a legendary World Cup winnerThe abuse that happened at Hampden - Scotland's national football stadiumAnd Divers used his role as a Scout for Celtic Football Club to impress young players, including using the name of legendary manager Jock SteinIn future episodes we'll explore the links between this story and the wider network of abusers around Celtic Boys Club.
Again, thank you to all the brave individuals who have come forward to share their story.
This podcast is free, but you can become a Patreon to help support the small team who work hard to tell this story. You can sign up here: https://patreon.com/TheCaseAgainstCelticBoysClub
Warning: the episode discusses issues which some people may find distressing.
If you or a member of your family has been affected by the issues in this podcast, you can find help and support here: https://www.mygov.scot/childhood-abuse
Support the podcast by hitting the subscribe button on whatever podcast platform you're listening on. And share with someone who you think might want to listen.
Host: Peter Henderson
I am Peter Henderson, a former producer at the BBC and a press and media communications consultant. This podcast is the product of my personal research and is not attributable to any organisation I have or continue to work with with in my capacity as a communications consultant.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This is part 2 of Gordon's story
If you want to hear the first part, where he tells his story of abuse at the hands of Celtic Boys Club founder Jim Torbett, listen back to Episode 3.
In this episode Gordon talks about how he sat face to face with the man who had tormented him for 50 years, and finally saw justice done.
He talks about
The police investigation and what is was like to sit in the courtroomWhy he asked to see his abuser face to faceHow he reacted to the verdictWhat it was like to go through the Scottish legal systemHow he thinks Torbett's legal team tried every trick in the book to trip him up on the witness standHis gratitude to the ordinary people on the juryHis views on how Celtic have conducted themselves over the yearsAgain, thank you to all the brave individuals who have come forward to share their story.
This podcast is free, but you can become a Patreon to help support the small team who work hard to tell this story. You can sign up here: https://patreon.com/TheCaseAgainstCelticBoysClub
You can order a copy of Gordon's book on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Being-Put-Through-Hoops-Scandal/dp/B0C9SK1PJZ
Warning: the episode discusses issues which some people may find distressing.
If you or a member of your family has been affected by the issues in this podcast, you can find help and support here: https://www.mygov.scot/childhood-abuse
Support the podcast by hitting the subscribe button on whatever podcast platform you're listening on. And share with someone who you think might want to listen.
Host: Peter Henderson
I am Peter Henderson, a former producer at the BBC and a press and media communications consultant. This podcast is the product of my personal research and is not attributable to any organisation I have or continue to work with with in my capacity as a communications consultant.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How do you track down abusers 40 years on?
Peter talks to Marc Horne from the Times about the work they've both done to identify abusers on behalf of the victims of Celtic Boys Club. They talk about uncovering the abuse of Lyness Malley and Bill Kelly for the first time. Malley was also a coach at Celtic Boys Club, Kelly was a coach in West Lothian at a club which acted as a "prolific feeder club" for Celtic.
They also talk about the links between the abusers - including Jim McCafferty. And how those links spread beyond Scotland to one of the most notorious paedophiles in sporting history, Barry Bennell - the man a judge said abused "on an industrial scale".
In this episode:
Marc talks about the challenges of telling stories like this in a national newspaperHow Mark worked to track down abusers on behalf of the survivorsWorking with lawyers to cover stories like this even without a criminal convictionWhat it was like to knock on the door of a suspected paedophileWhat it meant to the victims to have the story finally covered by the mediaYou can read some of Marc's work with the Times here:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/profile/marc-horne?page=1
Again, thank you to all the brave individuals who have come forward to share their story.
This podcast is free, but you can become a Patreon to help support the small team who work hard to tell this story. You can sign up here: https://patreon.com/TheCaseAgainstCelticBoysClub
Warning: the episode discusses issues which some people may find distressing.
If you or a member of your family has been affected by the issues in this podcast, you can find help and support here: https://www.mygov.scot/childhood-abuse
Support the podcast by hitting the subscribe button on whatever podcast platform you're listening on. And share with someone who you think might want to listen.
Host: Peter Henderson
I am Peter Henderson, a former producer at the BBC and a press and media communications consultant. This podcast is the product of my personal research and is not attributable to any organisation I have or continue to work with with in my capacity as a communications consultant.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode Peter sits down with Gordon Woods.
Gordon is a survivor of abuse at Celtic Boys Club carried out by Jim Torbett.
He has bravely waived his anonymity to talk about his experiences and the impact it's had on his life. In April 2023 Gordon saw Torbett convicted of abuse against him at a trial in Inverness. It's the third child abuse conviction Torbett has been given for offences against young players at Celtic Boys Club, which he founded in 1967 with the blessing of legendary Celtic manager Jock Stein.
In this epsiode Gordon talks about:
How Torbett personally intervened to keep him at Celtic Boys Club, even though he didn't perform well as a playerHis unease at his very first meeting with TorbettHow he was abused in a car yards from his homeHow he was tricked into going on overnight trips under the pretence of playing games which didn't happenGordon's parents' view on whether Celtic Boys Club and Celtic FC were different organisationsThe final confrontation between Torbett and Gordon's parentsYou'll hear more from Gordon's story in a future episode of the podcast, so make sure you're subscribed.
Again, thank you to all the brave individuals who have come forward to share their story.
This podcast is free, but you can become a Patreon to help support the small team who work hard to tell this story. You can sign up here: https://patreon.com/TheCaseAgainstCelticBoysClub
Warning: the episode discusses issues which some people may find distressing.
If you or a member of your family has been affected by the issues in this podcast, you can find help and support here: https://www.mygov.scot/childhood-abuse
Support the podcast by hitting the subscribe button on whatever podcast platform you're listening on. And share with someone who you think might want to listen.
Host: Peter Henderson
I am Peter Henderson, a former producer at the BBC and a press and media communications consultant. This podcast is the product of my personal research and is not attributable to any organisation I have or continue to work with with in my capacity as a communications consultant.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Peter sits down with Patrick McGuire of Thompsons solicitors. They're the law firm taking the class action or "group action" in the Scottish courts against Celtic Football Club on behalf of some of the many victims of Celtic Boys Club. Patrick is leading the case on their behalf.
In this episode you'll learn:
What is the legal case currently being pursued against Celtic by Thompsons?What is the change in the law which has allowed this to be brought?How confident is Patrick that there are legal links between Celtic and Celtic Boys Club?What is it like to deal with Celtic during the case?Patrick's view on how big a scandal this is legally, and culturallyWhat it's like to work with the many survivors of abuse at Celtic Boys ClubThe reaction to the stories of the survivors has been incredible - the podcast was in the Top 5 UK True Crime podcasts on Spotify, and in the Top 100 UK podcasts for all categories. Your support means a lot.
Subscribe to or follow this podcast to ensure you get every episode when it drops - and share it with your friends.
This podcast will be free but you can become a Patreon subscriber to help support the small team who work hard to tell this story. You can sign up here: https://patreon.com/TheCaseAgainstCelticBoysClub
Again, thank you to all the brave individuals who have come forward to share their story.
Warning: the episode discusses issues which some people may find distressing.
If you or a member of your family has been affected by the issues in this podcast, you can find help and support here: https://www.mygov.scot/childhood-abuse
Support the podcast by hitting the subscribe button on whatever podcast platform you're listening on. And share with someone who you think might want to listen.
Host: Peter Henderson
I am Peter Henderson, a former producer at the BBC and a press and media communications consultant. This podcast is the product of my personal research and is not attributable to any organisation I have or continue to work with with in my capacity as a communications consultant.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In Episode 1 of the Case Against Celtic Boys Club we hear from "Andy", which is not his real name. He's a survivor of abuse at Celtic Boys Club.
He tells Peter details which have never been heard before about Celtic Boys Club trips outside of Scotland where abuse took placeThe impact the abuse has had on his life 40 years onAnd his hopes that the whole truth about what happened will be knownFrank Cairney was the general manager of Celtic Boys Club and was jailed after being convicted of nine charges of abusing children.
Again, thank you to all the brave individuals who have come forward to share their story.
Subscribe to or follow this podcast to ensure you get every episode when it drops - and share it with your friends.
This podcast is free, but you can become a Patreon to help support the small team who work hard to tell this story. You can sign up here: https://patreon.com/TheCaseAgainstCelticBoysClub
Warning: the episode discusses issues which some people may find distressing.
If you or a member of your family has been affected by the issues in this podcast, you can find help and support here: https://www.mygov.scot/childhood-abuse
Support the podcast by hitting the subscribe button on whatever podcast platform you're listening on. And share with someone who you think might want to listen.
Host: Peter Henderson
I am Peter Henderson, a former producer at the BBC and a press and media communications consultant. This podcast is the product of my personal research and is not attributable to any organisation I have or continue to work with with in my capacity as a communications consultant.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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It's one of the biggest child abuse scandals in world sport.
The systematic abuse of children by coaches and scouts working for Celtic Boys Club.
How did one of the most famous names in world sport, with fans all over the world, become consumed by this scandal? Why was it not stopped earlier? And follow the incredible story of how a change in the law means victims are fighting for justice and an apology.
Again, thank you to all the brave individuals who have come forward to share their story.
Subscribe to or follow this podcast to ensure you get every episode when it drops - and share it with your friends.
This podcast will be free but you can become a Patreon subscriber to help support the small team who work hard to tell this story. You can sign up here: https://patreon.com/TheCaseAgainstCelticBoysClub
Warning: the episode discusses issues which some people may find distressing.
If you or a member of your family has been affected by the issues in this podcast, you can find help and support here: https://www.mygov.scot/childhood-abuse
Support the podcast by hitting the subscribe button on whatever podcast platform you're listening on. And share with someone who you think might want to listen.
Host: Peter Henderson
I am Peter Henderson, a former producer at the BBC and a press and media communications consultant. This podcast is the product of my personal research and is not attributable to any organisation I have or continue to work with with in my capacity as a communications consultant.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
