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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Our Bhoys MAY not have a game against Livvy Tomorrow night…due to the Weather forecast of Snow etc ?
HH.
Like yesterday I have no concerns about what was said at the presser yesterday, loaded questions and he responded as only he could.
Is he the right man in charge, no not for one more second. I really don’t know why I’m looking forward to Thursday morning I suspect there’s little to no chance of Eddie Howe being given the reigns on Thursday I’m afraid we’ll have to stick with Neil for the foreseeable future, but it’s good to dream.
Our leadership sucks as does our PR, we should’ve called out a lot of things long before now, including the BBC, Police (who’d have thought they were lying), SMSM, SFA, and the MIB’s, too little too late.
TBB
It was an A321
On the lead article today. I’ll sum my feelings up this way: Aye, but Naw
Neil is right. Paul67 is right. The content is right. Aye.
But naw, the timing, the tone and probably the chosen messenger were wrong.
Control the narrative or it controls you.
The increased social distancing standards applied to us retrospectively – there’s the message. There’s the injustice and there’s the story and the beginning of kicking back. But deliver it as a rant and it is too easily dismissed by those who hold us to a different standard anyway.
If we lose the league by 4 points then we should be looking to the Jim Farry days but the bunnet didn’t get publicly angry he got legally even. Playing to the gallery is always questionable but playing to it when the gallery is annoyed with you too is just plain stupid.
DB @ 1.38
Stop wasting a good rant with facts.
This is all hubris. … Nothing to do with the mess of the football operations.
We were fecked before this bit of drama !
BGFC,
That is what I thought, I just wanted to see it written down……..
;-)
Big Judith looking magnificent today
BGFC,
Or I know a good HT near you who can help you with your counting!!!
lol
ANDY PATONS MULLET on 19TH JANUARY 2021 1:06 PM
BIG JIMMY on 19TH JANUARY 2021 12:52 PM
I hope we do have the evidence and blow the whole stinking lot of them out their office and have the league cancelled. After Lennys conference I think we are going to have to produce something our he will be hung out to dry by the club as well as meddia. If he is wrong why isnt it being plastered over media today?
Yes we have been mince and thats our doing however, the authorities have been shown to cheat Celtic in the past and the media have consistently sided with the right wing organisation (in whatever version) plays out of Ibrox.
……..
I Agree mate 100%.
One other Query……IF Celtic FAILED to abide by the PROPER Social Distancing ( According to the Scot Gov) on the Plane going to and returning from Dubai….WHY did the Airline Staff allow this to happen ?
the Pilot and his Crew could have been fully justified in refusing to Fly…IF PROPER Protocol was NOT being observed by Celtic FC Staff ?
Did the SCOT Gov make ALL Airlines aware of social distancing changes ? IF not…why not ?
How many Planes will the Huns need to get to and from Belgium next week ? Maybe someone should tell them that The Luftwaffe will NOT be available !
HH.
You have to think like they do.
How polished would NL been yesterday expressing his concerns if the club had spent £54K on comms advice / PR training?
Although in saying that — Not Jacinda and her shower of cronies spent that amount of money of comms training for the Holyrood Inquiry and still copuldn’t get their stories straight.
TBB
No amount of shouting the odds though can alter the very basic measure of 2 metres distance. If anyone can figure a way to get 60 folk seated in an A320 while maintaining 2 metres between them all, let me know and I’ll apologise without reservation
——-
1. As a total plane geek, I can only welcome compare and contrasts between Airbusses!
2. This would never have happened under Fergus McCann. The Bunnet would have the players in the hold!
HH jg
Just listened to Stan Petrov on the huddle podcast…
Here’s a guy I’d love as part of a new coaching role..
Talked sense from start to finish..
Was there in good times and bad..
BIG JIMMY on 19TH JANUARY 2021 1:35 PM
Our Bhoys MAY not have a game against Livvy Tomorrow night…due to the Weather forecast of Snow etc ?
HH.
—
When is an all-weather pitch not an all-weather pitch?
The A321 is the Dusty Bin of air travel.
What is more important? That the Scottish Government may have discriminated against Celtic or that Celtic has made a mess of its response?
This is more important than whether Neil Lennon thought it was a good idea to play Rogic up front.
80% of the squad don’t drink and at least six of them can’t drive.
The things you learn.
Dessybhoy
Ta, so if we assume it’s a standard layout, take my 150-180 seats and adapt for 170-210 seats.
I don’t think it makes any discernible difference. We’re still about 1000 seats short of social distances.
BB @ 1.51
Aye right — would you have preferred the team to fly out on a 737 Max.
Where the pilot needs two falls or one submission to get the thing to land?
If 60 went I thought it was 30 players plus medics etc.
ERNIE
The six that cant drive are because they are from the 20% who were pissed….
We are all guessing here, Celtic either have had the goalposts moved regarding socially distancing or they havent.
If we say nothing people will assume it was a deflection tactic by NL , which I dont think he would do in this instance.
JAMESGANG on 19TH JANUARY 2021 1:29 PM
BIG GEORGES FAN CLUB – HAIL, HAIL, WEE OSCAR on 19TH JANUARY 2021 1:20 PM
JIMBOB71 & LITTLE MISS JIMBOB on 19TH JANUARY 2021 12:53 PM
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I love it when you talk p1sh. It’s done with such effortless authority that you carrr it off every time! 🤷🏼♂️😉🙃
Stay safe my friend.
HH jg
———————————————-
Cheers Jamesgang,
BGFC isn’t too bad either!!! ;-)
Or they were from the under 18s 21s
NOTTHEBUS on 19TH JANUARY 2021 1:58 PM
ERNIE
The six that cant drive are because they are from the 20% who were pissed….
###
I did wonder if the ‘can’t drive’ included any ‘can’t drive because I’m currently banned’, but didn’t like to mention it.
Robert Tressell at 1:40
Very good post. You detail a lot in relatively few lines.
Lots of important points in there
As this new social distancing rule is now in place, where the proper guidelines followed by all the away teams at the weekend
BIG JIMMY on 19TH JANUARY 2021 1:35 PM
Our Bhoys MAY not have a game against Livvy Tomorrow night…due to the Weather forecast of Snow etc ?
HH
—————–
Bloody weather has been against us all year too.
#dontexcuseexcuses
BIG WAVY on 19TH JANUARY 2021 1:51 PM
BIG JIMMY on 19TH JANUARY 2021 1:35 PM
Our Bhoys MAY not have a game against Livvy Tomorrow night…due to the Weather forecast of Snow etc ?
HH.
—
When is an all-weather pitch not an all-weather pitch?
……………..
The Roads could be so bad, so Celtic/both teams not allowed to travel ?
AND/OR…A possible Snow Blizzard DURING the game with visibility down to almost zero ?
I always remember Celtic and wee Henrik that night at Swinecastle when he scored a fabulous Hat Trick in a Snow Blizzard.
HH.
So now, not content with the ubiquitous mince we have had to suffer watching those on the pitch this season, we now have the unedifying spectacle of our manager being allowed to go out on a limb and ranting to the very succulent lambers that will be lapping it up and using it against us.
This pantomime has surely gone on long enough?
The powers that be continue to display breathtaking levels of incompetence in all aspects of running the club we love and need to shape up or ship out.
It is now beyond parody.
OLDTIM67…
Great to see you Posting mate.
Stay safe.
HH
What I want to know is, who worked out the seating tessellation for the flights, and whether they prefer a man to man or a zonal marking system.
RAY SINGH-CARR on 19TH JANUARY 2021 2:19 PM
…………….
What IF Celtic FC have the ” Evidence” to support Neils so called rant ?
He answered questions that were thrown at him.
HH.
https://news.stv.tv/politics/scottish-government-u-turn-over-1500-taxi-driver-grant
BIG JIMMY on 19TH JANUARY 2021 2:22 PM
What IF Celtic FC have the ” Evidence” to support Neils so called rant ?
——
Jimmy
I really hope they do.
If they do, I really hope they use it is as public a manner as possible.
But I think this is one almighty squirrel and even if I’m wrong and they DO have such information,
I do not think they would use it.
They have only ever protected their idea of the best interests of the club by defending the O** F*** model. They do not see the situation from the same perspective as supporters.
Lockdown maintained until middle of February
Once we stop kneeling for George Floyd can we start to kneel for Sheku Bayoh?
No wonder Not-Jacinda wants to go after football.
The record of her government is shameful.
Stuff happens in broad daylight and nobody seems to care.
This is not the Deep South of the US.
It is the Deep Fife of modern Scotland.
Surely if we were instructed by the government to isolate 13 players even though we followed the rules applied to every other club, we can demand the last two games are replayed