‘Wolf ’ who coached Celtic Boys Club jailed over child sex attacks

A former youth football manager described by a sheriff as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” has been jailed for four years for abusing boys.

Frank Cairney, 83, was found guilty of historical sex offences from his time running a church youth team and later the Celtic Boys Club.

Cairney, from Uddingston in South Lanarkshire, committed the offences against boys as young as 12 between 1965 and 1986.

Sentencing him at Hamilton Sheriff Court yesterday, Sheriff Daniel Kelly QC said: “What the boys most wanted was to play football, it being their dream to play for Celtic, and you organised a church youth team and went on to manage a team at the Celtic Boys Club.

“This proved to be the sinister cover for you to use your powerful position to prey upon boys. You were trusted in the church community.

“At Celtic Boys Club you had a great say in which of the young men would progress to being taken on by Celtic Football Club. A wolf in sheep’s clothing, little did the parents suspect that the revered football manager was in fact an active paedophile.”

The sheriff said the crimes occurred at a time when there was little adult supervision and the boys had been left to protect each other.

When they spoke up, Cairney was allowed no further involvement with the church football team, but was free to move on to Celtic Boys Club.

Sheriff Kelly said: “You have shown no remorse or empathy, continuing to peddle your version of events and to maintain the facade which you have presented for all of these years.

“A consequence of these matters only now coming to court is that for decades you have not been held to account for your offending. You have had the opportunity to enjoy many years of productive life.

“Your victims have not all have been so lucky. The impact on them is still being felt.”

Cairney abused the boys at various locations including his car, a church hall and Barrowfield training ground in Glasgow.

The trial heard he locked one of his victims in a room and made him sit in a chair before assaulting him.

He was convicted of seven charges of indecent assault and two charges of lewd behaviour.

Fraser Gibson, Procurator Fiscal for South Strathclyde and Dumfries & Galloway, commended those who had come forward to report what had been done to them by Cairney.