If, like me, you realised that it was a matter of time before a decision happened that was so ridiculous that it tested the patience even of Ange Postecoglou, then today was the day it arrived. The big guy handled it with a lot of class.
I would have preferred him to lose the nut, but I’ll talk later on in the piece about why I have a lot of respect for how he did it.
But today, we saw what ridiculous was. A Celtic player was booked for getting kicked on the deck, the ref allowing it and our player getting slightly angry about that.
Whilst waiting for justice from the ref, he gets man-handled again, this time by a player on a booking, and our Grade One (no laughing) official responded by booking Carter Vickers and yellow carding the thug who had a boot at him whilst he was on the turf.
This, by the way, is the same ref who sent off Porteous in his last game for winning the ball against the club across the city. His future rise at the SFA is virtually assured; they know they can rely on him when the chips are down. He was awful today.
Two things emerge from the game; the first is that they were disputing, on Clyde, whether it was a penalty to Celtic and Davidson wanted to have a debate about it; this is such nonsense. This is their way of deflecting attention from the otherwise reeking performance of the whistler, not to mention doing their usual of attacking any decision that we do manage to get.
Walsh did not want to give us anything today. He gave the penalty only after ignoring three blatant lunges in the run-up to it.
He allowed so much before finally stopping play I felt it was a matter of time before a St Johnstone player drew a samurai sword to test the limits of the ref’s tolerance for their rough-housing. If it was outside the box there’s a little justice in the world tonight, but from where I was sitting this is simply more media whingeing and another manager attempting deflection because his team failed to lay a globe on us.
For the second time in quick succession we got a decision – one, and a correct one, in a game where there could have been many more in our favour and should have been – and that single moment of contention is being used to deflect from other moments which were way more controversial. For the second weekend, a manager has said we get decisions we shouldn’t; my answer is the same as it was last week.
If they saying refs are biased we agree; let’s have it out there, let’s open the discussion for real instead of continuing to dance round it.
St Johnstone’s manager thought Walsh was terrible.
They did on the radio as well. But we also thought his performance reeked and some of his decision making was highly suspect; we’d like to see something done about it. It’s just not clear anyone else does.
For the first time this season, Ange was moved to comment on the ref, as he expressed his surprise at the Carter Vickers booking. He didn’t elaborate. He didn’t lose his cool. He didn’t want to make a big deal about any of it. He was unflappable.
Ange thinks we have to beat the ref as well. He wants the players to focus on doing the job, nothing else. He wants the players to go out there and handle everything that is thrown at them, and that includes whatever shockers the officials dish out.
I understand it, but I don’t agree with it. There are things which our team shouldn’t have to tolerate and must not tolerate. I am loathe, myself, to blame refs when our management team makes mistakes or players don’t give everything they have, but we all know that there are days and decisions which aren’t like that, when the officials do decide the event.
When those days come around, I doubt our manager will be as calm as he was today.
For him to mention it at all it took something pretty extraordinary.
Today it got truly ridiculous.
watch how many times he was in the way for a inside pass deliberate cheating and check the first nine games in the SPFL I counted 8 times flamboyant corruption and tomorrow how many times will ST mirren be cheated
What do you get when fouled,pushed to the ground and booted a few times ?
Well in a civilised society the offender if caught would get a heavy fine or 6 months
The offender was caught and amazingly he was dealt with as though HE was the victim in some bizarre twist of justice .
Sound familiar ? It been happening since 1888
These people are too stupid to realise these games are shown world-wide. No wonder none of them ever get picked to officiate at major tournaments. Cheating every week, does more to hinder scottish clubs in Europe than any bad coaching. Teams like aberdeen, st.johnstone, hearts, sevco and Hibs continue to get pumped in Europe, because they have to play on a level playing field there. That is why Celts will be the only from this country EVER to be Champions of the Continent. HH
Finbar you obviously don’t read the daily retard’s Keith Jackass. He clearly said that Rangers have won it three times and were the first club in Britain to win it so its a fact. HH
I thought the ref was OK yesterday other than the Kane incident. In the lead up to the penalty Celtic players were being fouled as St Johnstone were losing their discipline (they were getting frustrated at being rode rotten by a very good Celtic team on the day). However the ref played the advantage and it worked out well for us. The penalty incident was a close call as it was on the line but it was worthy of debate.
Let’s not got upset by things that can be all to easily countered. Let’s focus on the glaringly obvious. Celtic players are not being protected on the field of play. This has been highlighted in at least one incident in our last 4 matches that I can recall. This is going back to the 1-1 draw at home to Dundee Utd when there were 2 clear red car incidents that went unpunished (Fuchs on McCarthy and the keeper on Ajeti). It is also clear that the MSM would rather focus on decisions that go Celtic’s way. Apparently United were “robbed” of a penalty that day. Same applies to the Motherwell game. Turnbull gets clugged badly, no foul but apparently Motherwell were denied a clear penalty (when it was 2-0 to Celtic and in total control) and that’s what the MSM wanted to focus on.
As James has pointed out, if people want to use the incidents that go Celtic’s way to justify a call for VAR then bring it on.
What I would say to James, however, is let’s keep the argument balanced. There was one really bad decision that went against Celtic yesterday. It had no impact on the outcome of the match but it did serve to highlight a running theme of Celtic players not being afforded protection on the field that players from a certain other team most definitely are.
If the argument is kept to that area with evidence to back it up, there is no room for the “always cheated never defeated” counter from the chimps from Ibrox.
Here’s the ref’s decision making – he did not sent off a player for kicking CVV in the stomach and swinging a punch at CVV. CVV deserved to be booked.
Now for the balance – If that was a rankers player, not CVV, it would have been St Johnstone down to 10 men and cries from sportscene, journos, etc, for a 4/6 match ban.
You need to be balanced James and the ref had a good game. Help ma Boab.
It all makes sense now, having read about the unwritten rule. Apparently, having committed a red card offence, all you have to do is start a “rammy” then the ref. Steps in and books a player from each team. Simples!
This is the referee,who is a Gymn teacher at the school .where Rangers send their up and coming superstars to.
This Celtic board need to speak up.
James I’ve been watching Celtic since 1965 and this argument has been going on since way before then. We’ve got the SFA and SPFL who aren’t fit for purpose and they’re holding the game back in this country pandering to the blue pound. The only way to affect real change is to gut both organisations from top to bottom.
The club’s are always saying the Glasgow giants and sevco get decisions they don’t, well stand up and be counted. There seems to be an appetite for change so ballot every club on how they want things to progress, it’s no good mumping and moaning if you don’t have the courage to change the perceived bias against your club.
Every single club seems to want reform but won’t initiate that reform. The job’s for the boys days need to come to an end in the corporate governance of our game. All referees must be made to cite which team their allegiance lies with, they must also be able to be interviewed after games and be held accountable for any controversial decisions or at least give a valid explanation. They must declare if they’re a member of any secretive society that could unduly influence their decision making. Scotland’s reputation as a once proud international side who no one wanted to draw is a thing of the past. Our standing in European football is minimising year on year with one of the two Glasgow clubs maybe having a wee run every now and then, they carry the coefficient hopes of our nation and the other sides need to pull their weight more there.
Financial fair play must be enforced and all clubs should have to publish their year on year accounts on the same day every year without fail, with the threat of an audit on anyone who fails to do so. The fit and proper persons financial check must be stringent and unequivocal so that shysters like Dave King and Craig Whyte are vetted properly and anyone who’s deemed as improper should receive a lifetime ban from being an owner or director of any club. Any club who goes into receivership and/or is liquefied has to pay any outstanding debt before being allowed entry into our leagues no matter what level they aspire too.
There’s a lot more I could go into but I think I might have laboured my point already considering this was about perceived bias in favour of the Glasgow clubs.