SENTINELCELTS

Morning,all. 

Saturday saw us subjected to an unofficially sanctioned bout of kick boxing. I’ve only once in my life came up against a kick boxer,about thirty years ago in Stafford. Fortunately I was boxed in against a fruit machine and a wall,so I covered up and waited for him to miss. That put him off balance,and my left foot right hand came in handy. 

Not a tale of heroism and valour,more an explanation of how you need to be lucky,everything in your favour,when you are up against someone who only has the intention to seriously hurt you.

Alloa did that to us on Saturday. They had no intention of going out to win,they knew the chances were minimal. Their idea of making their mark was obvious from the start. In Don Robertson,the “referee”,they had a more than willing accomplice. Three of our players were lost to injury,including our captain. 

He might have a broken jaw,and I suspect he has a depressed fracture of the cheekbone. Ask Kenny Dalglish about that,it was the only injury he ever got,and put him out of the game for about four months. 

A similar timeframe sees us without our captain,our most consistent player in the last half dozen or so years,for the rest of the season. I continually refer to the comment from Willie Wallace,who said that while he was at Hearts,everyone knew that you could get away with that bit more against Celtic,and that it wasn’t until he became a Celtic player,subjected to that thuggery,that he realised just how much more the opposition could get away with. 

That was then,this is now. Scotland is no longer a backwater,subject to its own parochial ways. The laws of the game govern the game worldwide,and almost every game is available on TV and the internet,one way or another. The likes of Robertson should not be allowed to accommodate and encourage the assaults we saw on Saturday-yet it happens all too often. Who can forget,for instance,Kieran Tierney having his jaw broken,blood everywhere,in the cup final in 2017? 

Remind me of the sanction for that player? Oh,that’s right. None. Not even a free kick. Despite the linesman being five yards from it,and the referee only a little further. No wonder the lad demanded a move,before he was put in a wheelchair. 

So what am I saying here? Well,anyone who remembers me from my decade or so on CQN may recall my arguments about health and safety,particularly the duty of care owed to an employee by his/her employer. CANAMALAR was also vociferous about this,as was KITALBA. I’m bad enough,but you really don’t want either of them on your case,never mind both!

Yet Celtic Plc and the SFA just carried on regardless,shrugged their shoulders. Nothing to see here,Timmy. I could ask the obvious question-do we need a career ending injury for something to be done? But we have seen plenty,Brian McLaughlin from Willie McVie of Clyde and Stevie Murray from Jamie Dornan of Motherwell spring immediately to mind. And nothing was done then or since. 

Football is really the only global sport. But as such,that shrinks it into a village,one where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Word gets about. Would you be surprised to hear that some of our signing targets have politely declined the offer to join up with a famous club like our own? 

Well,based on that village gossip,I certainly wouldn’t be. So,effectively we are double penalised. Our players are kicked the bejaysus out of,nothing done. And because everyone knows about it,our scouting is thwarted by the knowledge of it. 

And Celtic Plc sit quietly by,supine,soup-taking,saying the square root of sod all. 

Of course,the players could take the matter to their union,which is another matter altogether. If I was in a union which saw my mistreatment on live TV twice a week,and they still did eff aw,suggested I was asking for it or brought it on myself,I’d bloody sue them. 

When CalMac was on loan at Notts County,he would have had to join the PFA,or whatever its called. Costs peanuts. Covers everything. Had he kept up his membership-as he is entitled to do-he could use them instead of the Scottish version. I recommend every Celtic player to go on loan to England as a kid,even for a month,and get that protection for the rest of their career. Cos they won’t get it here. 

In fact,that everyone would know that they have that protection might lead to the change we have all wanted all of our lives. Not to be treated as better than everyone,just treated the same. Who knows-it might just be that long awaited game changer. 

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Above article by BMCUWP