In 2019, the Offender Database confirmed that Frank Cairney, then 83, a former manager of Celtic Boys Club, was sentenced to four years in prison at Glasgow Sheriff Court. Frank Cairney was convicted of nine charges of sexually abusing young footballers, with the offences dating back to the 1970s and 1980s. Sheriff Daniel Kelly described Cairney as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” noting that he had exploited his high-standing position at the prestigious club to gain access to innocent children and subject them to “horrible” abuse.
The court heard moving testimony from victims who had carried the psychological weight of the abuse for decades. While Frank Cairney had been acquitted of similar charges 20 years prior, advances in reporting and the “courage” of the survivors ensured that justice finally caught up with him. Cairney was the third coach associated with the Celtic Boys Club to be convicted in a short span, following the jailings of founder Jim Torbett and teacher Gerald King, exposing a dark history of systemic grooming within the youth football environment in Glasgow, Lanarkshire.
Frank Cairney was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, a term that Sheriff Kelly emphasised was necessary despite the defendant’s advanced age due to the gravity and repetitive nature of his predatory actions. The sheriff praised the resilience of the men who came forward to testify against Markowski and others, stating that their evidence had finally unmasked a dangerous offender who had hidden behind a respected public persona for nearly forty years.
As a result of his convictions, Frank Cairney was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life. He is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), and his release is governed by a permanent Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). This order legally prohibits Cairney from participating in any youth sporting activities or having any unsupervised contact with minors. Official oversight by Police Scotland ensures that Frank Cairney remains under permanent scrutiny to prevent any further risk to the community in Glasgow and the wider Lanarkshire area.
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