It has been a week since Alfredo Morelos made a murderous gesture while leaving the field at Celtic Park. In that time, Newco and their media acolytes have done what they could to mitigate his actions. The SFA have yet to decide what action is appropriate.
The matter is straightforward: throat-slitting gestures by players towards opposition fans are at the serious end of the scale. It falls short of Eric Cantona’s kick at an opposing fan 25 years ago, but not by much. Intimations of serious physical violence towards opposition fans is the type of action that can lead to serious crowd safety issues, as well as violence away from the ground.
Police officers warn players about their behaviour in front of opposition fans prior to games. If a fan was caught on TV making this gesture at a player, he would have been arrested by now and would be facing a lengthy ban from football.
How this issue is dealt with has sporting ramifications. Morelos is Newco’s top scorer and prized asset (not against Celtic). If he is banned for 6 – 10 games it will have an impact on Newco’s title bid, there is no point in any of us pretending otherwise. This is why commentators, who would otherwise be appalled at murderous gestures in our game, have spent a week downplaying the matter. They cannot pretend otherwise.
Similarly, Celtic fans calling for a ban that reflects the severity of the issue, do so knowing the sporting consequences. I believe the SFA’s actions are likely to be decided in the next few days. Whatever they decide – to impose a 10 game, ban or acquiesce to pressure from Newco and issue a rap on the knuckles – will have sporting consequences.
My hope is that fantasy statements on your website are more likely to gain engagement with your own support than the SFA, who like you and me, know fine well that public comments are designed to gain a sporting advantage, not to encourage the acceptance of the throat-slit gesture in our game. But this is the SFA, so nothing would surprise.
We all know he should be banned and that the ban should be significant. He was sent off last month for a gesture to Motherwell fans, which resulted in a single game ban and taught him nothing. His club are prepared to support his behaviour. There is no learning, no acceptance of what is an acceptable way to conduct yourself. These are all reasons why the SFA must act appropriately.
The Road to Milan
In April, a group of cyclists will set off from Celtic Park heading for Milan, where they will arrive 50 years on from our ‘other’ European Cup Final. The route takes in the Southern Uplands, a ferry to the Netherlands, Rotterdam, Brussels, the Champagne region of France, across the Alps and into Milan.
Our own Mouldy67 has organised the event after the incredible success of The Road to Lisbon in 2017. If you are a cyclist and could be interested in taking part in this incredible event, see here for more details.
157 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
It would seem obvious now that any chance of a transfer for Morelos is ‘out the window’, in this window.
It will be interesting then to watch the machinations in and around Ibrox, during January. £10m plus is needed to see out the season, the quantum of the Ashley settlement to be revealed, and possibly the reasons for King’s hasty departure made public.
Who will be leading the Ibrox narrative to these important announcements? Is it to be Alistair James Johnston, and is his recent “Rangers never died, and Celtic fans are deluded”, his opening gambit?
Notwithstanding, during what could look like the dinner scene in ‘Carry On Up The Kyber’ at Ibrox, rest assured that there will be moves made to bolster the squad.
What will be Celtic’s response be to all this, in fact what will Celtic’s response be to anything? To the possibility of losing the title, to the events during and after the game on the 29th, to the SFA’s prevarication and procrastination on Res12?
Surely the Glenn Murray & Billy Sharp stories are just paper talk.
By the end of January we will surely know who is the most serious in their desire to win the title – actions will speak much louder than words.
HOT SMOKED @ 11:41
Great minds….etc. I’m sure many of us are thinking this way. HH
new article posted.
When Alofabi signed we were told he was not a “Project”.What happened there?.Not even a token appearance.Some strange goings on at our club.
Does Lenny trust any players outside his starting 11?.Some players having a bad run of 3 or 4 games,Forrest,Christie,Boli,first picks.Not picking on these guys,just the way the team is picked.Schved,not a word??????.Taylor must be thinking,”What did I do wrong”.
Last from me till the first signing is made.Scunnered.
Unfortunately i cannot cycle, due to an unfortunate incident involving a buxom Belgian girl, a fire grate, a half empty fire extinguisher and a feral dog in a town house in an upmarket area of the Dordogne region of South West France in the late 1950’s.
Driving cars is also not an option, the Dutch police were not impressed when the came to the realisation that i was using a walking stick to depress the clutch whilst attempting to change gear, i spent fantastical amounts of money on clutch cabling that is was financially crippling to take but the most pressing of journey’s using this method, the bishop of Angers wrote a very strongly worded letter with regard to this extravagance. Perhaps it was for the better the day the Dutch police finally put an end to it.
So, alas my cycling and driving days are over.