Celtic Boys Club, established as a feeder team to the senior Celtic team in 1966, is facing legal claims of historical abuse. More than 20 former players are seeking damages, amounting to millions of pounds. In March 2023, a judge allowed 22 former Celtic Boys Club players to launch a group claim for damages against Celtic for alleged abuses. Group proceedings are similar to US class action lawsuits and were brought into law in Scotland in 2020. They allow groups of two or more people with the same, or similar claims, to raise a single action in the Court of Session.
The valuation of all cases has progressed in the last six months, with a court granting a further four months for the negotiations to continue. Solicitors say “significant progress” has been made as Celtic look to settle legal claims relating to historical abuse at its feeder club. A Thompsons Solicitors Scotland spokesperson said that the process of valuing all individual cases has made significant progress in the last six months. However, they do not yet have all necessary evidence to commence settlement negotiations, and so the Court has granted a further shortlist of four months to allow opportunity to do so given the complexities of this task.
Celtic have not admitted liability or made any formal concessions, having previously said the Boys Club was an “entirely separate” organization. The club has not commented on the ongoing process. A number of senior figures at Celtic Boys Club have been jailed for sexual abuse over recent years, with the club previously saying it is “appalled by any form of historical abuse.”
In September last year, it was revealed that Celtic would seek to settle the claims outside of court. However, the club has not made any formal concessions yet.