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The Ref At Last Night’s Sevco Game Gave Us Another Look At “Operation: Stop Celtic.”

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Remember after the St Johnstone game I wrote an article on how a good ref is one who follows the rules and makes sure that both teams are on a level playing field? I was specifically enraged by the way the ref in the St Johnstone game allowed the game to “flow” by refusing to penalise numerous challenges against Celtic players.

I said this was one facet of “Operation: Stop Celtic.”

Last night, at Perth, we saw another one. A referee against the same club – but not, of course – the same opposition, who penalised with yellow cards three of the first five St Johnstone players who committed fouls. That is as blatant as it comes.

Refs will allow clubs to rough-house us as much as they want. Sevco will get the kid gloves and the tender heart and the understanding. Their players will get the protection. The protection of not being tackled at all. It could not be more clear.

Our players will get kicked all over the park as has become the norm. Team know they can treat us like that with impunity. The complete absence of media scrutiny of the Kristofer Ajer clash of heads at the weekend tells you that even the prospect of serious injury will not deter refs from taking blatantly one-sided decisions, and the press won’t care.

We got to Ibrox a wee on Saturday with a six point lead. That’s not a prospect that even remotely scares me; win it and everyone knows all this “title talk” bollocks will stop at once. And I expect us to win it. But it’s clear now where the real danger lies.

Certainly not in their long-ball team of assembled rejects and diddies.

No, it’s the man in black. It was ever thus.

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