Coverage of Neil Lennon’s press conference was curated to show the manager angry and apparently confused about the health of his squad. The reason for his anger was omitted from the snippets available online yesterday afternoon, then mocked by those who should know better.
Neil clearly explained what upset him (full transcript from GlasgowLive). The country is following medical advice to maintain a 2m social distance. Football has followed this rule and it was the determining factor in isolating Ryan Christie and Kieran Tierney when they were within 2m of infected Stuart Armstrong with Scotland in October. Only Christie and Tierney had to isolate as the rest of the squad were not within 2m of Armstrong for any period of time.
Clubs across the UK have made travel arrangements accordingly, keeping a 2m distance between players where possible, or accepting the risk if packing them in any tighter. The 2m rule has been absolute and continues to feature in public health adverts.
What happened politically after Celtic left for Dubai is why you saw an angry Celtic manager yesterday.
On 5 January, Nicola Sturgeon used her daily PR conference to reference photographs of Celtic players in Dubai poolside, and while admitting she had no actual information to backup what she was saying, questioned if Celtic were following her rules. Celtic were following the rules, but that is irrelevant to the Show Trial the First Minister launched.
As Neil Lennon explained, the Scottish Government turned on Celtic, creating a brand new 3m rule for them, while every other club in Scotland with a positive case has been asked to observe a 2m rule.
This is the reason our number of excluded players was as high for the Hibs and Livi games. It is the reason we were subsequently forced to keep players 3m apart when travelling, or 3 players to a 52 seater bus. The rule change was not announced by the First Minister at her PR conferences and has not been forced on any other club, it was delivered below the radar on a vulnerable club with a baying mob (including former players who care nothing for us) ready to lap it up.
Despite the acres of gorging media coverage, no one has solicited a comment on Neil’s claim from the Scottish Government. The Celtic manager appears in front of the country’s media to explain how the Government apply one rule to Celtic and another to the rest of the country, and the headlines are all about his anger! Do you want Tony ‘Take it on the chin’ instead?
The First Minister is on the hook for this. She promised action on Celtic despite knowing they followed her rules, and she followed through with this 3m punishment. It keeps eyes away from her day job. But Neil did the inverted commas sign and he’s having a nightmare season, so some would rather mock, speculate about his mental health or drinking habits. I hope it’s worth the clicks.
Maybe my views were forged when the SFA’s Jim Farry had one rule for Celtic and another for everyone else, but I think the only acceptable reaction to this from a Celtic manager or supporter is seething anger. This is no different in execution or consequence.
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Pog
Julian – Taking a six and a half foot lad with a jiggered knee on 2 long haul flights within a matter of days says it all.
All the pash that’s since been spouted about club physios and rehab in situ in Dubai shows a real lack of understanding of how such an injury would/should be treated at that point in time.
HH jg
Awe_ naw_no_a_nae_all_weather_pitch_anaw_noo
looks like they are pretty confident of the game going ahead
With Ntcham, Eddie and Jullien underperforming this season I think it’s about time we gave the French stick 🥖
Given the governments record on this virus and his own individual record with back tracking on exam results John Swinney should keep his mouth shit as he is lucky to still be in a job
Its ironic that the Scottish and UK governements are so tight with new airport and airline restrictions just now but the fact is that they were so lax with flying restrictions from March till June last year this allowed nearly 20 million tourists into the UK who were unchecked, untested, no temperaures taken etc.
Plus the 2m or 3m social distancing rules how can that be achieved on any commercial flight with most airlines flying with all seats still being occupied and some like British Airways still giving out a drink and snack to all passengers who then need to remove masks to consume.
Economy first with this government lives second
I dont agree with a lot of Neil Lennons decisions or tactics over the years especially in Europe but at least he is trying to stand up for Celtic while no one on our board gives a toss about our fans
On the bread thing; this lockdown is backfiring on me big style
Pre Lockdown diet:- coffee breakfast, sandwich, fruit in afternoon, 3 pints and 2 bags of nuts, dinner, crisps/sweeties. Maybe 2 lunchtime runs a week
First lockdown diet:- 2 slices of toast, sandwich, fruit, dinner. 4 evening runs a week. Lost weight
Back in office: coffee/sandwich/fruit as before, no pints or nuts, dinner, sweeties. Cycle to work 2 days (40km total a day), 2 lunch runs , 1 day in car). Visible loss of inches on waist in 2 weeks
Lockdown again: 3 slices of toast, sweeties, fruit, sandwich, crisps, more sweeties, dinner, more crisps, can of beer. 1 run every 2 weeks. Belly is back, fat face back
Gutted in both senses
Celticforever – Great point I have been banging on about this as probably most of us have since March 2020.
Who are these 20 Odd million….only kidding Gerry.
D :)
Snowing in Livingstone good chance the game will be off , maybe we should have played the game in Dubai ?
Think Livvy are saying there is a cover under that snow.
They will want the game on and go for our throat.
I hope it is on cause we will pump them…..well win anyway.
COYBIG
D:)
Coney – don’t be too hard on yersel Bhoy!
Just make a fresh start the morra.
Get rid o’ the sweeties / sugar and save treats for weekend only……….
BinTheBread CSC
Livi is a small tight pitch, wont be much space to run in behind their defence, we need to try to play at pace and take chances for a change, throw ins near our box will cause us problems as they have a thrower who launches it they scored from one of these last year in the 2 2 game, at the weekend the same throw bounced across our 6 yrd box, O Dea said someone needs to win headers, no kidding.
new article posted.
Celtic4ever
I’m right under the Heathrow flight path. And I’m a plane geek. So I watch them all come in on my wee app!
There was a fortnight hiatus, right at start. Very soon afterwards, the no of flights got back to normal and haven’t let up at all.
I can’t comment on how many passengers have been carried. But reading accounts of the lack of sanitation and control measures people have witnessed at Heathrow – and the lack of track/trace rules and infrastructure – was concerning.
Add to that the zoomers travelling with no go reason within the uk and meeting up for picnics, and spike 2 was totally predictable.
Then came Christmas and the ensuing spike3.
HH jg
David 66 @ 11.42
That made me 🤣
:-)
HH
Dermott Desmond and the Board need to be very careful. In the past when fans became frustrated and then downright angry with a Celtic manager we saw change. Gordon Strachan, Tony Mowbray, Ronny Deila. We didn’t really have to wait all that long for it to happen. I was told earlier tonight that when Tony Mowbray was sacked after the St. Mirren defeat we were only 10 points behind.
This situation has gone on for far too long. There were a lot of calls for change after Ferencvaros. It has now become a tidal wave of discontent with the manager. Many fans are very angry, some are past angry and the first stages of apathy are beginning to manifest themselves. The biggest danger to any business is apathy. ‘I don’t care any longer, it doesn’t matter what you do or say, nothing changes.’
Many fans have already made up their minds and will not renew season tickets. COVID apart, all things being equal there will be many who will find other things to do when Celtic are playing next season. Desmond wants to show us who is boss. He better watch out or he’ll be king of an empty kingdom.