Celtic supporters wouldn’t stamp all over their own seats and destroy them. Why on earth do they think it’s okay to do it at someone else’s ground?
It was downright vandalism at our stadium on Sunday. An utter disgrace with sections of the away end wrecked for no reason. With a bit of luck CCTV footage will identify the culprits and expose them for being the morons they are.
As I said in my Instagram account, those so-called supporters like to call themselves the greatest fans in the world. But if that’s true then I weigh nine and a half stone when I step onto the scales!
Let’s get it right, it wasn’t everyone in the away end who acted like idiots at the weekend. But when you strip everything away, Celtic must be embarrassed by the conduct of a section of their fans who seem to think they’re above the law.
Let’s hope the authorities catch up with them. In the meantime Celtic are left to foot the bill for the damage done. There’s just no excuse for any of it. But there was just way too much that happened on Sunday that was totally and utterly unacceptable. On top of the seats that were left mangled, there were flares lit and chucked onto the pitch, sectarian songs chanted loud and clear, with a coin thrown at me. The abuse I got, I can take.
Being called a ‘fat orange b*****d’ doesn’t bother me — believe it or not, it’s water off a duck’s back having heard it throughout my career. That doesn’t make it acceptable, of course. In this day and age it shouldn’t be tolerated at all, but I don’t see the point in complaining too much about it.
I could play the victim like some do, but that’s not me. Plus, what’s the point? It’s probably the wrong attitude to have, but for me the bottom line is that it’s never going to change. What MUST be stamped out of the game, though, is this coin-throwing madness. There have been too many incidents recently with Neil Lennon struck at Tynecastle, Alfredo Morelos targeted when he played St Mirrenand a linesman hit at Livingston. Does someone need to get seriously hurt before the authorities do something about this? Because that’s what’s going to happen. Mark my words, a player or manager is going to lose his sight in one eye and then the SFA and SPFL will be quick to come out with statements condemning people. But they should be doing something now. One thing I will say is that I don’t have a problem with fans jumping over the perimeter wall when a goal is scored, like Scott Brown’s late winner against us.
When a goal like that goes in there is a real danger people at the front of the stand could be crushed, so I don’t blame anyone for stepping five yards onto the track. What is unacceptable is when teenagers are running all the way to the centre circle to goad players into a reaction. I mean, come on. On Sunday the 4pm kick-off didn’t help matters with too many people going into the ground steaming drunk. There were Buckfast bottles lying everywhere, so clearly they’d managed to smuggle their cheap booze in through the turnstiles too. What are clubs meant to do, turn down money on offer from Sky Sports because punters don’t know how to conduct themselves? I’ll add another point — for me all the recent controversy surrounding decisions made by the Compliance Officer has only heightened tensions. Fans of all clubs are coming away from games feeling aggrieved with certain refereeing decisions. Then a few days later they hear the SFA have cited one of their players. That leads to hearings and appeals with bans and suspension which often leaves everyone scratching their head. The system is just so outdated and needs to be reworked.
Every club in the country should sit around a table and come up with a clear and precise set of rules. There are too many inconsistencies with baffling decisions and for me that’s only adding to the anger in the stands at matches this season. I had a recent appeal against a red card and if the panel who sat in judgement were qualified to make a decision then I’ve just lost seven pounds and I’m nine stone dead! These people should be identified and highlighted. Our game is in a great place right now with much to be positive about. The national team looks like it could be on the verge of qualifying for a major tournament for the first time since 1998, with some cracking youngsters coming through. We shouldn’t allow the negative influences to wreck everything. But that takes strong leaders to stand up for the majority of good, honest supporters who go to matches every weekend. The ones who support their teams and behave. The ones who can’t do that should be pinpointed and shamed.
It was downright vandalism at our stadium on Sunday. An utter disgrace with sections of the away end wrecked for no reason. With a bit of luck CCTV footage will identify the culprits and expose them for being the morons they are.
As I said in my Instagram account, those so-called supporters like to call themselves the greatest fans in the world. But if that’s true then I weigh nine and a half stone when I step onto the scales!
Let’s get it right, it wasn’t everyone in the away end who acted like idiots at the weekend. But when you strip everything away, Celtic must be embarrassed by the conduct of a section of their fans who seem to think they’re above the law.
Let’s hope the authorities catch up with them. In the meantime Celtic are left to foot the bill for the damage done. There’s just no excuse for any of it. But there was just way too much that happened on Sunday that was totally and utterly unacceptable. On top of the seats that were left mangled, there were flares lit and chucked onto the pitch, sectarian songs chanted loud and clear, with a coin thrown at me. The abuse I got, I can take.
Being called a ‘fat orange b*****d’ doesn’t bother me — believe it or not, it’s water off a duck’s back having heard it throughout my career. That doesn’t make it acceptable, of course. In this day and age it shouldn’t be tolerated at all, but I don’t see the point in complaining too much about it.
I could play the victim like some do, but that’s not me. Plus, what’s the point? It’s probably the wrong attitude to have, but for me the bottom line is that it’s never going to change. What MUST be stamped out of the game, though, is this coin-throwing madness. There have been too many incidents recently with Neil Lennon struck at Tynecastle, Alfredo Morelos targeted when he played St Mirrenand a linesman hit at Livingston. Does someone need to get seriously hurt before the authorities do something about this? Because that’s what’s going to happen. Mark my words, a player or manager is going to lose his sight in one eye and then the SFA and SPFL will be quick to come out with statements condemning people. But they should be doing something now. One thing I will say is that I don’t have a problem with fans jumping over the perimeter wall when a goal is scored, like Scott Brown’s late winner against us.
When a goal like that goes in there is a real danger people at the front of the stand could be crushed, so I don’t blame anyone for stepping five yards onto the track. What is unacceptable is when teenagers are running all the way to the centre circle to goad players into a reaction. I mean, come on. On Sunday the 4pm kick-off didn’t help matters with too many people going into the ground steaming drunk. There were Buckfast bottles lying everywhere, so clearly they’d managed to smuggle their cheap booze in through the turnstiles too. What are clubs meant to do, turn down money on offer from Sky Sports because punters don’t know how to conduct themselves? I’ll add another point — for me all the recent controversy surrounding decisions made by the Compliance Officer has only heightened tensions. Fans of all clubs are coming away from games feeling aggrieved with certain refereeing decisions. Then a few days later they hear the SFA have cited one of their players. That leads to hearings and appeals with bans and suspension which often leaves everyone scratching their head. The system is just so outdated and needs to be reworked.
Every club in the country should sit around a table and come up with a clear and precise set of rules. There are too many inconsistencies with baffling decisions and for me that’s only adding to the anger in the stands at matches this season. I had a recent appeal against a red card and if the panel who sat in judgement were qualified to make a decision then I’ve just lost seven pounds and I’m nine stone dead! These people should be identified and highlighted. Our game is in a great place right now with much to be positive about. The national team looks like it could be on the verge of qualifying for a major tournament for the first time since 1998, with some cracking youngsters coming through. We shouldn’t allow the negative influences to wreck everything. But that takes strong leaders to stand up for the majority of good, honest supporters who go to matches every weekend. The ones who support their teams and behave. The ones who can’t do that should be pinpointed and shamed.
