Greenock MSP credits Sturgeon’s attack on Celtic for Newco action

In August, after Celtic suspended and fined Boli Bolingoli for breaking isolation rules, Nicola Sturgeon postponed two Celtic games and took the opportunity at her daily press briefing to grandstand on the issue, condemning “privileged football players…. incapable of living up to their responsibilities.”

Earlier this month, when Newco suspended and fined Jordan Jones and George Edmundson after police action, Sturgeon took a completely different course.  She made no comment instead allowing her Government spokesperson to support the club:  “We commend Rangers [sic.] for taking such swift and decisive action in this instance, to protect the rest of their squad and wider public.”

Until now, no one from the SNP has been prepared to answer questions on why their leader was prepared to stick the boot into Celtic, postpone their games and grab a microphone to declare it, then praise Newco for acting in the exact same way after a rule break.

Yesterday, Stuart McMillan MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, wrote to a CQN’er with this nonsense:

“What the First Minister is recognising, is that as a result of the Scottish Government’s response to the Celtic and Aberdeen players’ breaches, the SFA and Scottish football clubs have taken a more robust approach to ensuring their players follow the COVID-19 rules in place for them, and where a breach has occurred, clubs are prepared to take swift action.

“That is why Rangers were commended for their recent response.”

They are giving Nicola Sturgeon the credit for the reaction of Newco – which is a fantasy – and they are even claiming her banning of Celtic games was responsible.  He did not care enough, or seem to notice, that Celtic and Newco were treated differently.

Sturgeon screwed up.  Her gut reaction to the Bolingoli breach was to rush to the podium and vent, when Jones and Edmundson she drooled support at Newco’s same reaction to Celtic’s.  Celtic were an easy target but she should have said nothing if she was not prepared to treat other clubs (or just club) the same way.  This is your Government.