Celtic Boys Club

Celtic B.C
Founded 1966

The Celtic Boys Club is a youth football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club operates teams in age groups from under-9 to under-19 and has helped develop many future professional footballers.

History

The Celtic Boys Club was founded in 1966.[1] First based in Maryhill, the club was initially independent from the professional Celtic Football Club, but links started to strengthen as the Boys Club was allowed to use the training facilities at Barrowfield training complex on London Road.[1] John Higgins, a Celtic scout, recognised the benefits of the club and a semi-formal agreement was made where the Under-16 side would act as a nursery for Celtic scouts to find players with potential to play for Celtic FC, although players from the Boys club are under no obligation to sign for Celtic FC.[1]

The various Boys Club teams have won numerous honours over the years.[1] Their most notable win to date is their win at under-16 level in the 1974 European Youth Cup, defeating Manchester United 1–0 in the final, courtesy of a goal by George McCluskey.[2][3]

Sexual abuse

In 1996, former Celtic Boys Club player Alan Brazil stated that when he was 13 years old he had been sexually abused by the club manager, Jim Torbett. The allegations were heard at the Glasgow Sheriff Court in 1998, where Torbett was found guilty of shameless and indecent conduct with three juvenile players between October 1967 and March 1974.[4] Torbett was given a prison sentence of 30 months.[5] There have since been further allegations about Torbett; in May 2017 he appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court having been charged with six offences;[6] in April 2018, Torbett appeared at the High Court in Glasgow where he faced 12 historical sexual abuse charges dating from January 1970 to August 1994; a June 2018 trial date was set.[7]

Also in April 2017, Gerald King, a former chairman of Celtic Boys Club, was charged by police with non-recent sexual offences,[8] and Frank Cairney, 82, a former coach and manager at the club was charged in connection with six alleged historical sexual offences.[9]

Professional players developed

Celtic Boys Club has helped develop many future professional players, some of whom have gone on to play for Celtic F.C..

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Club;s history in brief". The Celtic Boys Club. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  2. ↑ "Major honours". The Celtic Boys Club. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  3. ↑ Reynolds, Jim (16 April 1974). "12,000 cheers as Celtic Boys land a double". The Glasgow Herald. p. 4. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  4. ↑ "Former Celtic manager guilty of abuse". BBC News. 12 November 1998. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  5. ↑ Bentham, Martin (18 September 2005). "Child abusers who shame British football". The Observer. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  6. ↑ "Ex-Celtic Boys Club coach charged over sex offences". STV. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  7. ↑ McLaren, Andy (5 April 2018). "Ex-Celtic Boys Club coach to stand trial on abuse charges". STV News. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  8. ↑ "Former chairman of Celtic Boys Club suspended from job as primary school teacher after historical sex abuse allegations". Glasgow Live. 14 April 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  9. ↑ "Ex Celtic Boys Club official faces sex abuse charge". BBC Scotland. BBC. 25 April 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 "CELTIC : 1946/47 - 2009/10". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  11. ↑ McGhee, Forde (17 April 2013). "Tom Boyd". Youth Football Scotland. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  12. ↑ "Jimmy Boyle". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  13. ↑ Bradley, Joseph. "Burns, Thomas [Tommy] (1956–2008), footballer and football manager". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 30 January 2015. (Subscription required (help)).
  14. ↑ "Gary Caldwell". footballtop.com.
  15. 1 2 "The Celtic Boys Club Past Players". The Celtic Boys Club. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  16. ↑ "Stephen McManus makes £1.5m switch from Celtic to Boro". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  17. 1 2 3 "On the Spot: David Moyes". The Telegraph. 23 November 2002. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  18. ↑ Clark, Graham (30 July 1987). "One that got away". Evening Times. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  19. ↑ "If You Know The History – 17th August 1991 Gillespie and O'Neill debuts". Jim Craig Celtic Supporter's Club. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
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