There are times when every single person in the blogosphere over-exaggerates a little bit in trying to score points.
There are times when our condemnation of how our rivals and enemies conduct themselves is a little bit contrived and a little bit fake. I like to think I don’t do it often, but I would be lying if I said that it wasn’t all part of the game.
I don’t have to exaggerate here. I don’t have to gild the lily at all.
Kris Boyd, writing in a national newspaper column, suggested today that Ibrox’s players should have sought to inflict a serious injury on our captain during the game on Wednesday night.
He laments that nobody “(tested) his face mask” and if Celtic allows that I will be astounded. If they don’t demand an apology from the newspaper which published it and make it clear that Boyd is not welcome inside Parkhead then I would have to ask why.
Writing his column in The Sun, this is what he said;
“Look at Celtic. Callum McGregor played with a fractured cheekbone. The fact he managed to get through the 90 minutes without anyone testing out that face mask is another story, but his commitment to the team was tremendous.”
We are all genuinely entitled to be furious by that paragraph.
We are all entitled to be disgusted that a national title published those words.
It is scandalous. It is beyond the pale.
Even if it was written in jest – which I don’t believe and I will not allow him to use it as an excuse – it is a deplorable thing for a pundit to write. That action needs to have consequences.
That comment, however he thinks it was intended, reeks of bitterness and hatred.
The idea that Boyd would have wanted to see that, or urged it, or perhaps even volunteered for the job himself if he had been out on that pitch, is what marks him out as an aberrant individual even within our hyper-partisan media sphere.
I cannot imagine that Keith Jackson or Chris Jack or any of the other writers out there who wear their disdain for our club on their sleeves would ever have written such a thing or expressed such a sentiment.
You would not have heard or read it from Ally McCoist or Neil McCann or Kenny Miller or Barry Ferguson either, all ex-professionals, all of whom have more respect for others in the game.
They would all have known where to draw the line, even if you think that the thought ever entered their heads in the first place, which I don’t believe it would have.
That could only have come from Kris Boyd and it goes beyond a lack of professionalism and ventures into the sphere of delinquent character. By publishing that, The Sun has crossed its own line, which shouldn’t really surprise us when we consider the sordid history of that paper and its prior coverage of high profile incidents within football such as Hillsborough and the way they cover certain players.
They may not have any issues employing this football version of Kate Hopkins, but Celtic should not allow their representatives into our stadium whilst they do.
I am due to take part in a number of media interviews with Ange Postecoglou in the next couple of weeks, but I’ll be making it clear to the club that I won’t participate in any event at which persons associated with The Sun are also taking part; I would never ask the club to take a stand I wasn’t prepared to take myself.
Because that is too far, and this is too much, and if we’re going to allow pundits to say such things we’re going to find our game – the whole of Scottish football – in a very bad place indeed.
We can either put a stop to this kind of commentary or watch as it poisons everything.
Must admit, can’t get excited about what feeble pundits, [or rather their ghostwriters], churn out to gain attention.
Maybe he’s after Keevin’s gig?!
Best ignored.
Remember that Callum got the injury in the first place because of a “get in thur faces” call to arms by the Alloa manager, an ex rangers player also.
This must be challenged in the strongest possible terms and on this occasion cannot be ignored. Celtic has a duty of care to its employees and if the club don’t do something about this latest egregious attack, it will be open season on all of them.
Boyd is not fit to comment on football, sport of any kind or indeed anything at all.
He is an imbecile but that should not absolve him from the consequences of his behaviour.
It would doing everyone a favour if he were removed from public life.
Quite right
James, Skeleton Rae made the same comments on Clyde even demonstrating what needed to be done to Mark Wilson in the studio
Maybe their £30m+ midfielder we were all sh*ttin ourselves about because he flying back for the game could’ve had a try , or was he still over at the Afcon cup ?
We can be pretty sure he didn’t actually write it.
I don’t agree that only Boyd would think this James, I’d say Ferguson is nasty enough to think it and would likely say it in the “right” company, but also McCoist, who I think after years of forging a cheeky chappie persona has let the mask slip several times since the death of his favourite klub. I think that he is a fairly loathsome individual that would have lots of thoughts like that….but he’s media-savvy enough to know not to voice them.
Surely we could pull a thems and say Boyd/The Sun’s safety cannot be guaranteed?
I kid. We should never take their lead…unless it’s at the top of the league!
HH
I believe legal action should considered now from this statement in the notoriuosly pathetic newspaper. Violence by word, action or mentioned by print is abhorrent. There is no protection or safeguarding of Celtic players whatsoever by the referees and this in turn leads to gutless people who should know better writing in national newspapers about about potential attacks on Celtic players. Why is the Celtic legal team not considering legal action against the refereeing body permiting attacks on Celtic players. If these attacks were committed on the streets the thugs would be charged with grieving bodily harm. Come on Celtic stand up for your players, if you don’t you’ll not have a man standing to play a game.
Agree really that the Blob would not be alone in this kind of remark given the illustrious company he keeps. Whether the likes of Ferguson, McCoist, etc would put it in print is another thing, maybe they’ve grown up a bit, press savvy, and are not so mentally immature as the Blob. But I haven’t forgot that middle finger from Ferguson and McGreggs to all the Scotland fans so maybe…
Talking about McGreggor, does anybody genuinely believe that the shots he stopped were sensational saves or is it not the case that any half decent goalie should have saved them. Bit bitter about how this man is portrayed and hero worshipped when in truth he has let his mask slip several times in his career too. Nevertheless we’re all winners. HH
Spot on mate. Anybody who watches football can see those saves were the perfect height for him. He would have been slaughtered if he never saved them.
Good article James as always and agree totally about KB. However, I would like to digress if I may. You mention that you are planning to attend a presser at Celtic soon. I know you will be limited to the questions you can ask in terms of interest/priority etc. but I for one am interested in the objectives Celtic have as a club. I have a simple question I’d like asked and it’s this …. Can Celtic ever be champions of Europe again? is that a realistic objective, or is it considered impossible in the modern game?
Why are Celtic even letting this Moron and the Rag that he writes for inside our stadium.The vast majority of our fans do not purchase this Rag and boycott it in our thousands .It is way beyond time that our club took a stand against this Clown and this Rag and banned them from our ground .
Kris Boyd cannot except the fact that his beloved team got well and truly battered by better team his hatred for Celtic is evident in every Celtic match he comments on time he was stopped from covering them
Don’t think Celtic will ban him as they will try to take the higher ground although if Callum McGregor has a word with Ange then they will have no choice
The comments from this eejit need to be referred to the authorities. He is basically inciting violent acts against another person. An absolute moron of the highest order
Sumwan shd kick this Fat Wank up & doon Celtic Way!! Fukin Bitter Hun Bastard that adds FUKIN NUTHIN tae ANY GAME!! Cunt canny string a coherent sentence ragetha, A FUKIN IMBECILE!!
The guy is just a pure arsehole
This is a great opportunity for all supporters to mobilise with a petition to significantly reduce his appearances on the media. Only a organised protest will work. He does not realise what he was advocating to take place. The peepul will say its only him “winding us up” or “playing to the audiences”. He has repeatedly got away with his distorted views of incidents and his views of a match offers no meaningful input with his totally bias words.
Kris Boyd is a poisonous individual.
Emailed the club, JP, to bring it to the clubs attention
Maybe get more folks doing likewise would help that along…
The more the merrier n all that.
Here’s JP’s email address after all it is his job to save folk looking it up…
jptaylor@celticfc.co.uk
HH
Great work, James TYVM
Chris Boyd has actually suggested that actual physical harm should have taken place to test the face mask of a captain to me that is threatening behaviour that is inciting threatening behaviour and should be reported to the police