Sevco has released a statement tonight on the arrest of a 12 year for racially abusing Morelos at Celtic Park in December which is as gloating, gleeful, cynical and desperate as anything they ever have. It is a point scoring disaster piece, one of the most deranged and unhinged communiques ever put out by a football club in this country.
I know who wrote it. Read it and you cannot be in the slightest doubt.
I said in my earlier article on this that some are going to use this arrest to demonise the Celtic support as a whole; this lunatic statement does not do that, but it does swing the hammer at every section of the press that has written a bad word about Morelos these past few months.
It takes it shot at exactly the journalists and outlets which this blog has praised in the last few weeks, specifically Leckie, Waddell, Stewart and others. It renews the clubs attacks on the BBC and will put even more pressure on the broadcaster to sack Michael Stewart.
Let’s be clear; not one of those outlets excused for one second any of the abuse that Morelos gets from the stands.
Not one of them.
Not one website or blog has done that either, but the rabid individual who penned tonight’s dire screed – who, in my opinion, used Morelos and the furore which surrounds him to do nothing more than settle some personal scores – accuses them of doing exactly that.
The statement also repeats the ridiculous allegation – one without an iota of truth to it or credibility at all – that Morelos is being hounded of Scotland by an orchestrated campaign.
It is off-the-charts nuts.
At the risk of being accused of the same, I have to note that at the time of writing this the BBC – who are amongst the targets – have not yet put up an article covering this particular press release. Perhaps they will issue another apology.
What I don’t expect them to do – and nor should they – is ignore it completely as they did with those from Celtic last week.
Because this is newsworthy.
There are people at that club who are dangerous lunatics, and we should have no problem whatsoever with that being publicised to the whole world.
When allegations of racism are being thrown around it is the responsibility of people in the media to question those allegations rather than accept them at face value.
There is nothing wrong with people demanding to see proof that something has happened before it is condemned.
When proof presents itself then we can have a balanced and rational discussion.
Sevco’s media and PR team is not interested in balance or rationality.
It is not remotely interested in discussion.
This statement tonight is another example of their institutional culture; one of intimidation and snark. Read the Celtic statements again; they are balanced, and reasonable, written by people who understand their responsibilities and put the reputation of the club first.
What we’ve seen out of Sevco tonight is yet another vindictive attempt at point scoring.
They accuse people of trivialising these matters; what do you call it when a fat eejit gets up on a chair and crows like this, with insults and invective, foaming at the mouth all while?
It is Sevco’s public relations arm which has turned this matter into a means of settling personal and political vendettas.
If that’s not trivialising it, I don’t know what is.
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