Frank Cairney, the 91-year-old former Celtic Boys Club manager convicted of indecently assaulting youth players, was removed from his home in Motherwell on Tuesday, August 18, following a protest by a vigilante group on the street.
At around 7.30pm, uniformed officers led Cairney from a property on Loganlea Drive, Lanarkshire, as he brandished his walking stick at protesters. In a clip shared by the 'Awareness Protection Group,' an angry crowd could be heard yelling "beast," "we will get you every time," "you destroy lives," and "horrible piece of s***" as Cairney was placed in the back of a police car.
One organiser could be heard shouting: "Shame on you," while others fumed "everybody hates you," "dirty, horrible b******," and "paedo". In another clip, Cairney is told to "burn in hell" as he uses his walking stick to exit the property while clinging to a female police officer's arm, who carries a blue Co-op bag. He wields his stick at the crowd and appears to shout back. In a further clip, a defiant Cairney appears to challenge the group before being placed in a waiting police vehicle.
Fourth Protest in Six Months
This is the fourth time in six months that vigilantes have targeted Cairney. In late May, he was removed from his then-address in Newarthill, Lanarkshire, by a number of uniformed officers shortly before midnight. In April, the front windows of his property in Viewpark, Lanarkshire, were smashed during an anonymous attack. At the time, a source said: "Cairney is a marked man round here. People still don't want him in the area. Hopefully he doesn't come back as trouble is following him. He's been chased out by the Facebook vigilantes and they'll no doubt arrive back if he doesn't move permanently."
A month earlier, Cairney had to be removed from his house by police after paedophile hunters staged a protest outside. He was led to a van by officers and driven away in an incident which was filmed and live-streamed on social media. The crowd could be heard shouting 'beast' and 'dirty monster' towards Cairney as he was taken away.
Criminal Convictions and Civil Settlement
Cairney was jailed in 2019 for three years at Hamilton Sheriff Court after he was convicted of nine charges of sexually abusing boys. He dodged another trial in 2023 after lawyers told of his failing health. After an examination of facts at Glasgow Sheriff Court, Sheriff Tom Hughes ruled he had indecently assaulted three boys from 1978-1989. Cairney was one of nine predators who targeted starlets from the 1960s to the 1990s.
Last April, Hoops chiefs agreed to pay more than £1million to 24 former boys club players. It followed a group claim brought by 28 victims abused by Cairney and Jim Torbett, 78. Both have been convicted of child sex offences.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 7.25pm on Tuesday, 18 August, 2026, we were made aware of people gathering outside a property in Motherwell. Officers attended and engaged with the group which later dispersed. There were no arrests."
