BT Sport Should Follow Through On Their Celtic Park Broadcasting Threat.

Last night, the press started briefing that BT Sport is considering broadcasting from Celtic Park on every Europa League night, regardless of whether ourselves or the Ibrox club are the team with the home game.

This is in response to the decision to refuse Chris Sutton and Neil Lennon permission to cover the game there in midweek.

BT Sport has used Ibrox’s own excuse against them.

They feel that a ground where their staff’s safety cannot be assured is not a ground they wish to visit; I would have to say that when you consider the vicious war being waged by their fans on the press corps that this is a legitimate concern.

Numerous journalists are obviously now targets for their worst elements.

The reason that this has become so prevalent is that the media, as a whole, allows it. Alone only of the BBC, no organisation has taken a stand against Ibrox up until now and actually followed through on it. It is pretty clear that it’s the only thing they will respect.

BT Sports’ threat is not merely symbolic. It has real word consequences. It sends a message around Europe that a major media organisation believes that Ibrox has a poisonous and perhaps even dangerous atmosphere.

It also suggests that instead of dealing with that, the club panders to the lunatics. On practical terms, it may mean that there are no after-match interviews with the manager and the players, which the sponsors won’t like one bit.

It may seem like a very minor thing in the grand scheme, but it is the first step towards making the Ibrox operation a pariah club until it starts coming back into line.

On top of that, the decision to host every Europa League night at Parkhead is a great idea and sends the exact contrasting message about Celtic Park. That it is a safe space. That the fans are capable of accepting dissenting opinions.

That we are a professional organisation which does not pander to those who scream and stamp their feet.

Eventually, some outlet or another is going to have follow the BBC and simply refuse to play these games.

BT Sport will still be able to show games from Ibrox, but without the pre-match show and the interviews with players it will be a lesser experience for their club and for its supporters, and an enhanced one for Celtic fans as a consequence.

It is to be hoped that this is not an idle threat. BT Sport should set an example for others to follow here, by doing exactly what they say they are prepared to do. Perhaps if they do, others will be inspired to do likewise.