Ex-Celtic Boys Club manager Frank Cairney's abuse appeal date set

Frank Cairney was convicted of nine charges of abusing young footballers

A senior judge has set a date for a jailed former Celtic Boys Club manager to appeal against his conviction for sexual abuse.

Lord Menzies told lawyers acting for Frank Cairney, 84, that the Court of Criminal Appeal will consider the case on 14 November.

Cairney, of Viewpark, Lanarkshire, was jailed for four years at Hamilton Sheriff Court last February.

He was convicted of nine charges of abusing young footballers in the 1980s.

It is the third time that Cairney's legal team have appeared before appeal judges.

Poor health

His lawyers have tried on two separate occasions to have Cairney released from prison ahead of the appeal because of his apparent poor health.

However, judges have refused to grant the requests. Both Lord Turnbull and Lord Drummond Young concluded that there was not enough evidence to justify Cairney being granted interim liberation.

During proceedings at Hamilton Sheriff Court last December, jurors heard how Cairney's victims suffered badly from the abuse.

Sheriff Daniel Kelly described Cairney as being a "wolf in sheep's clothing".

Cairney is among four former Celtic Boys Club coaches to be convicted of child sex abuse in recent months.

'Key evidence'

Last November, Celtic Boys Club founder Jim Torbett was jailed for six years, while former teacher Gerard King was also convicted of abusing boys at a school.

Earlier this year, Jim McCafferty, 73, was jailed after pleading guilty to child sex abuse charges.

He was sentenced to six years and nine months for abusing 10 teenage boys between 1972 and 1996.

Cairney plans to appeal against his conviction on the basis that prosecutors allegedly failed to disclose a key piece of evidence to him ahead of his trial.

He also believes he did not receive a fair trial due to prejudicial press reporting.