Shortly after Leigh Griffiths was charged by police over kicking a pyrotechnic into the stand earlier in the week against St Johnstone, the SFA announced that they would open proceedings against him.
The Record breathlessly suggested that he might face a ban of as many as 12 games.
That would be a little OTT, and I think most people recognise that.
Most people also recognise that he has to be punished. But as usual, the SFA’s ridiculous rules have left the player a way through this crisis. He will be eligible to play tomorrow against the club across the city; Griffiths can yet do Celtic a major favour.
Their fans will wail and moan and whine and bitch to the heavens if he pops up and scores to take points off them, but that’s what will make it all the more delicious. They have benefited from these kinds of rules before; it would be sweet to see them suffer on the end of it for once and especially at the boots of Griffiths, who despises them and the feeling is mutual.
I have to say, I think the chances of it are pretty slim.
I’ve watched his games and Griffiths is nowhere near form at the moment and he doesn’t even look particularly fit. But these are times when he seems to find that extra bit of himself. It would be amazing if tomorrow was one of those days.
Griffiths is playing for his future.
He won’t get a 12 match ban, that’s just nuts, but it’s likely to be a long one nonetheless, so he might well be out for a while. He really is a player with something to prove right now, to all of Scottish football … and maybe even himself.
Can you imagine how good he would feel if he went into a lengthy ban on the back of a goal which showed up his critics and made fools of the boo-boys?
These are the moments he used to live for.
One more time, then, Leigh … one more time.
I’d love Leigh to do that tomorrow,one other thing how come we’ve never heard anything about the moron that threw the flare onto the pitch ,what if it had slipped out of his hand as he was throwing it and landed on the people in front of him.does this thug get of Scot free, because if he hadn’t thrown the thing Leigh wouldn’t have got himself in hot water again,I think he kicked it in frustration I don’t think for a minute he thought it would go that far,I kind of have a bit sympathy for him though,I’m sure those people chanting that disgusting word at him ,they would have been first to complain if anyone had actually been hurt .
I too have sympathy for Griffiths in this case and I think you’re right, he didn’t imagine the flare would end up in amongst spectators.
We should note however, that our society is now awash with main stream media-influenced, virtue signalling extremists, shrieking hysterically for the death penalty at the slightest hint of non-conformist thought or action.
Whilst a twelve match ban would be incogitable for the few of us who are still in possession of our faculties, I wouldn’t be astonished if that’s exactly what he’ll receive.