Last night’s events at Ibrox are, as expected, dominating the headlines.
The Scottish media has picked the side they are going to take; this is hardly surprising. I’d like to think in similar circumstances that we would get the same support. I think we would.
Celtic has already released a statement condemning racism in all of its forms. All of them. “All racism and bigotry” it says, and so say all of us. We are the quintessential “club open to all.”
Racism has no place anywhere in our game. It should go without saying, but it keeps on having to be said. Those responsible for it should be ripped out of the sport and cast on the nearest rubbish pile. When I saw that incident last night I was sure of what the allegation was going to be. Clearly there was something highly untoward said.
But at the moment, an allegation is all that it really is.
That’s not to play down the seriousness of it, it’s just stating a fact. We don’t know what was said. There will need to be an investigation and although Ibrox has prejudged what the result should be – their ridiculous suggestion that UEFA might not see it through is frankly barmy – the rest of us should hold our fire.
Easier said than done, and the media has no intention of doing so.
On top of that, there are two sets of allegations here; one by the Ibrox club and the other by Slavia themselves. Ibrox has refuted the Slavia statement. Goldson has branded it disgusting.
The same might be said in Prague though, where their media will stand by their player and their club will not back off from its allegations, and they are serious allegations too.
I don’t know what kind of club Slavia Prague are, or what their history with this kind of thing is.
I do know what the history of the club at Ibrox is, and how they have behaved down through the years.
Their statement today was foaming at the mouth. Their glib description of the assault on Prague’s keeper as “an accidental collision” is typical of the lengths they will go to in making excuses for even the worst excesses of their players and fans.
That head-high kick belonged in an octagon, not out on a football pitch.
Prague allege that there was a serious incident in the tunnel.
They allege that their players were prevented from using their dressing room.
They allege – perhaps most seriously of all – that there were “fans” inside the ground, allowed to enter during the melee.
We are forced by dint of how serious the allegation of racism is to treat it in an appropriate fashion … these allegations are just as bad and they, too, need to be investigated properly.
And if these allegations are found to be factual, then the Ibrox club is in for some pretty serious sanctions, and I can’t help but think the hyper-aggressive nature of their response to this has as much to do with muddying the waters as fighting for “justice” for their player.
If Prague players were assaulted in the tunnel, if their dressing room was blocked off by people who shouldn’t have been in the ground, or even just by Ibrox players or officials, then that’s also serious stuff and if the press is willing to take things on hearsay they have to do the same here.
Goldson said at his press conference today that he “just wanted to hurt someone.”
An understandable sentiment, but not one that the laws of the game or, more to the point, the laws of the land allow.
We don’t let people act as lynch mobs.
If the Ibrox players wanted payback, that’s one thing.
If they took revenge that’s another.
Because that’s not permitted.
I don’t think it is appropriate for our media to be pretending that one set of allegations is less serious than the other, or should carry less weight. Either side could be simply covering its own flank here, and that’s a hard fact that is impossible to deny.
If you put me on the spot I’d have to say that I believe Kamara, if for no other reason than his reaction was so visceral and so were those around him. I wholly understand why.
I get the anger they all must have felt, and Kamara has my full sympathy.
But I also believe that he and his team-mates decided not to let this be settled by the ref or the officials and decided to dish out a little payback, and that’s wrong too.
The Scottish media would rather not explore that, and the Ibrox club certainly doesn’t want anyone thinking about it, even UEFA, who have a responsibility to do so just as they need to investigate the racism claim.
To pretend there’s only one story here is to deny that there are two sides to this, and two separate investigations which need to be held.
UEFA, thankfully, don’t have to deal with the lunacy of this place, and they will come to the right conclusions.