‘ABSOLUTELY BAFFLED’: SUTTON’S REACTION TO IBROX COVID COMMENDATION

CHRIS SUTTON admits he is “absolutely baffled” over the Scottish Government’s reaction to the two Ibrox players who broke strict coronavirus guidelines.

Jordan Jones and George Edmundson were suspended by Steven Gerrard’s outfit on Monday after being fined by police for attending a house party at the weekend.

The Holyrood rulers “commended” the Govan club for their swift response with the dopey double-act being ordered to self-isolate for 14 days.

Former Celtic striker Sutton is left mystified at the somersault in protocol thinking by the government after their actions against the Hoops and Aberdeen for similar cases at the start of the season.

The champions were hammered and criticised heavily after blundering Boli Bolingoli’s secret trip to high-risk Spain without the knowledge of Neil Lennon or the Parkhead hierarchy. The Belgian defender ignored quarantine regulations when he returned, trained with his team-mates at Lennoxtown and even played a few minutes of the 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on August 9.

As soon as his inexplicable breach came to light, the club suspended him, ordered him to self-isolate, fined and reprimanded him. He is now in Turkey on loan for the rest of the season.

Celtic’s scheduled fixtures against St Mirren in Paisley and Aberdeen in Glasgow were postponed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

A week earlier, eight Dons players went for a night-out in the city centre after their 1-0 loss to Gerrard’s side at Pittodrie. They, too, were on the receiving end of a government backlash.

Ms Sturgeon had warned football was on a “yellow card” after the crazy indiscretions.

However, the reaction of Scotland’s rulers has puzzled Sutton who told the Daily Record Podcast: “First of all, the players, what a couple of clowns they are.

“Steven Gerrard and the Rangers hierarchy must be absolutely furious with the whole thing. It seems like Rangers have handled the situation really well.

“What has baffled me, absolutely baffled me, is the Scottish Government commending Rangers on that yet with Celtic and Aberdeen, the Scottish Government rounded on them. All this yellow card stuff and what have you. It’s remarkable how they’ve changed their tune.

“Most people across Scotland will find that as a real head scratcher, but a lot of things that have happened up there have been like that.”

In August, Ms Sturgeon commented: “We can’t have privileged football players just deciding that they are not going to bother. This can’t go on.”

Sutton added: “It’s a complete U-turn. Does that not apply right across the board? That’s what people will say. I have massive sympathy for managers across the country. We did a column a while back where we said this will happen again, but this seems to be a change of language from the Scottish Government.

“Maybe they forgot what they said about Celtic and Aberdeen, I don’t know. It’s a strange one, anyway.”

TWO FACES OF STURGEON FOR CELTIC/ABERDEEN AND NEWCO