THIS IS SENSITIVE CONTENT AND MAY TRIGGER
I've been doing my job for decades and I don't say this lightly: this, without a doubt, is one of the hardest public conversations I've had as a journalist & broadcaster.
In fact, I cried several times during this interview with
@GordonW09225415 and his tremendous daughter, Brianna.
No shame here because this is a highly emotive story involving a man in end-of-life care and his young carer daughter.
This is also a story of courage and hope and the power of our collective humanity in overcoming darkness.
It's the story of what happens when a young abused lad became a grown man and, with the backing of his daughter, went and grabbed back the power that was taken from him.
As a teenager, Gordon Woods was sexually abused by Jim Torbett, a prolific child abuser who had founded Celtic Boy's Club with the backing of Celtic Football Club.
CBC was a youth training ground for Celtic (the Club insisted they were a 'separate entity' when people started to realise WTF had happened with all these kids) and it was also a pick up ground for Torbett's paedophile associates.
Gordon's experience was part of the sexual abuse of young boys on an industrial scale at this Scottish club.
There are many survivors and legal actions. Some of the paedophiles have been jailed, some escaped. There are still people walking around with questions to answer.
I first interviewed Gordon around 2020. His legal struggle was beginning. He has come a long way in highlighting what he and others suffered at the hands of Torbett and co.
Celtic have been forced to compensate him and others (although they fought brutally hard not to) and, aware of his health issues, there were unnecessary delays created. It was as if they wanted Gordon to die off first, he says.
Gordon said I was the first person to interview him -before his story became an international one - and also the last person.
I hope not but, yes, I think I cried at that, too.
His book, 'Being Put Through Hoops' is here
amazon.co.uk/Being-Put-Throu…