Ex-celtic youth coach charged with child abuse

A FORMER Celtic youth coach appeared in court in Belfast on Thursday after being charged with sexually abusing a child and was remanded in custody due to fears for his safety. Last week, police said about 350 victims had come forward to report sexual abuse within soccer clubs across the United Kingdom from the 1970s onwards and indicated the number was likely to rise.

Jim Mccafferty, 70, originally from Scotland but currently living in Belfast, was remanded in custody until January 5, charged with sexual activity with a boy under 16 in Belfast some time between 2011 and 2014. He was arrested and charged on Thursday after presenting himself to a police station accompanied by a solicitor immediately after giving an interview to the Mirror newspaper. Mccafferty was a kit man and youth coach with Glasgow Celtic more than 20 years ago and was involvedwithotherscottishclubs including Falkirk and Hibernian. Mccafferty, who arrived in court using a walking frame, had not been named by police before Thursday's court appearance. He spoke only to confirm he understood the charge against him.

Zero tolerance

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called for "zero tolerance" of child abuse in football and promised to look into ways the global governing body can do more to prevent it in the wake of the scandal sweeping the game in England. The English Football Association (FA) have launched a review into allegations of children being sexually abused at professional clubs, while British police are also investigating mounting accusations of paedophile activity.

"It has to be taken seriously. There must be zero tolerance from that point of view, from a football perspective, but also from a criminal perspective as well," Infantino told reporters in Singapore on Thursday. "Those who have been guilty of abusing on children need to punished veryseriously.theyhavetobeout of football, that is without question, but also on the criminal side they need to be punished. here are not many worse things in life, not in football life but in life generally, than child abuse."