Football coach jailed for abusing players

A football coach preyed on a young player – after stating Celtic and Manchester United wanted to sign him.

James Kinnen abused the boy who played for his club based in North Lanarkshire.

The attacks occurred in the 1970s – but it was only in 2016 that Kinnen finally faced justice.

The now 74-year-old excoach was caught during the large scale Operation Veritat police probe.

This has been described by prosecutors as a “major investigation” into “historical child sexual abuse within Scottish football”.

Officers discovered he had sexually assaulted another young player.

Kinnen has now been jailed for eight years after he pleaded guilty at the High Court in Glasgow to abusing both victims.

A judge told him he had “dashed the dreams” of the young players by what he did.

Kinnen, who lived in Craigneuk, Lanarkshire at the time, coached a local youth football team.

The crimes occurred between 1972 and 1977.

Lord Matthews said the jail-term would have been 12 years, but for the guilty pleas.

The judge said: “You have pled guilty to horrific offences with catastrophic consequences for the young boys who you abused.”