The founder of Celtic Boys' club Jim Torbett denied having an "ulterior motive" by taking players for group activities, a court heard.

He began giving evidence at his trial at the High Court in Glasgow, where he denies abusing three boys between August 1986 and August 1994.

The 71-year-old told the court he founded the club in 1966 when he was around 18 years old.

Torbett said they used Celtic's name and played in Celtic strips, but were not connected to the football club.

He told the court he took football kits home to wash and would have three or four volunteers from the team at his flat to help sort them.

Defence QC Tony Graham asked: "The three or four boys involved involving themselves in kit preparation, would you do anything together after the kit work had been done?"

Torbett said they would maybe go ten-pin bowling beforehand.

Asked why he would do that he said he was "a great believer in community" and said it was "good fun".

Mr Graham said the court heard from a psychologist who talked about grooming.

He asked Torbett: "Was there any ulterior motive on your part to do these things as a group?"

Torbett replied: "Absolutely not."

The jury heard Torbett does and has always lived alone and described himself as asexual.

Mr Graham asked: "What do you mean by that?" He replied: "I don't participate in it."

He said that in the 80s he "performed in some sex" with women.

In evidence Torbett said he did "everything he could" to help one man who claimed he was abused by him as a teenager.

Torbett said he respected the man - who alleged he had money put in his mouth while being abused - and thought he was respected back again.

Tony Graham QC asked if he had any reason to believe the man had anything bad to say about him and he said: "Absolutely no reason."

Mr Graham asked Torbett how he felt hearing the accusations against him, and he replied: "It's very hard to explain how it feels, again I use the word devastating.

"It's devastating, it's just not true."

He was then asked about the allegations made by another man, who claimed he was abused at the Trophy Centre he owned at Shawbridge Street in Glasgow.

Torbett said he "knew of" the boy, but did not know him.

The third man who alleged he had been abused by Torbett died last year in an accident.

In statements given to police, he said Torbett abused him at the Trophy Centre, in a car and at his home.

Mr Graham said: "This is the third person bringing information by different means, to suggest you are a man who seeks sexual gratification from little boys."

But Torbett said: "it didn't happen."

Torbett denies the charges and the trial continues.