All season long, one pitiful pattern has repeated itself over and over and over again; no matter who we play against, no matter how we win, the opposition and Ibrox’s media spin machine has found some mitigation, some excuse, some decision that went the way it shouldn’t, some reason other than us just being too good for why we won a critical game.
And in the aftermath of last night, I was sure that I knew what that something would be in this case and of course I was correct because it was the kind of excuse I knew people would cling to like a life raft on stormy seas. And you know what? It’s pathetic.
A few weeks back, when Callum McGregor was floored, the referee didn’t automatically stop the game, although the seriousness of it was obvious.
This website reamed him out for it, and it was right to because it was clear that the game should be halted and he let it go on.
Nobody, not one outlet, went after Don Robertson for that … the focus was all on the yellow card he gave for the challenge on Ideguchi, but more attention should have been paid to that decision.
The media whiners who were, and have been, utterly silent on that don’t get to climb onto the moral high horse here and start talking this absolute rot. Because that’s what it is, with the difference between last night and the Robertson incident clear.
These people are suggesting that the goal should have been chopped off.
But none of them has mounted a coherent argument as to why it should have been chopped off. As usual with some of these clowns, they are linking two separate things and getting themselves tied up and looking and sounding absolutely ridiculous in their attempts to do so.
There are two different issues here; the accident and the finish.
Once the referee lets the game continue after the collision, on what possible grounds can he decide not give Hatate the goal? The ball was in open play, and Hatate finished it beautifully.
If their argument is that the ref should have stopped the game, I agree with it.
But the moment the ball breaks to Hatate there is nothing whatsoever in the rulebook which would remotely justify chopping the goal off. So their argument is really a non-argument, it’s wailing and whinging for the sake of it.
It’s bitching and moaning to cover the scale of the defeat.
Ask these people what they would chop the goal off for.
There was no foul.
The players were onside.
The ball doesn’t come off the hand of a Celtic player on the way into the net.
So this idea that it shouldn’t have stood is either a fundamental misunderstanding of the rules which frankly should render the whole argument meaningless, or it’s hysterical pish.
What’s more, the referee responds to the head-knock the second plays stops and he realises what happened. I don’t think he has a clear view of it at first; you see him going over to the linesman to clarify what took place.
There are literally two seconds between the collision and the ball being in the net; this is not Robertson allowing McGregor to lie on the turf for over a minute here. This is wham-bam-goal, in less time than it took me to write this sentence.
The so-called experts should be putting anyone peddling this garbage on notice by reminding them of the rules. The rules.
And they’re quite simple.
If the ball is still in play Hatate is perfectly entitled to stick it in the back of the net. Two players from the same team bumping into one another isn’t a foul, no matter how much certain Peepul wished it was last night.
All this is, to me and most Celtic fans, is yet another effort on the part of a beaten opponent to cast some kind of shadow after we’ve won. Earlier in the season, it was Hearts moaning about a damned throw-in they should have got … this is up there with that as a convenient fig-leaf to cover up their own embarrassment, and it won’t wash.
They were outmuscled, outthought, outfought and outplayed.
We should have been six up at the break and they all know it, which makes this even more pathetic.
Boyd,Rae,McCann, Keevins,and all the rest of this mob are about as good as an ashtray on a motorbike,next they will be wanting the ball boys put in jail.
Well, if they’re looking for an overhaul of the Referee Appointments system…
Madyin was on the earpiece, probably with the 4th official, straight after the goal and between them they could find no reason or excuse for the goal to be disallowed. It wasn’t a clash of heads so nothing too obvious for him at first glance and the official (looking back at the tv footage no doubt) could find no excuse either, just one big daft lump bashing into another. It was addressed within seconds as you said so Clit Blob, McCann and his diatribe can cry all night, I hope so anyway. HH
Did the “play to the whistle” aspect of the game change and nobody told me. It’s a good goooaaaal and that’s it. As for the ball boys wasting time I remember teams/clubs. Have ball boys withdrawn after they score . A wee question: what is worse ,A/ A ball boy wasting time or B/ let a team train on your pitch and then reduce it. Answers to the SMSM please
Remember Big Hard Man (NAE LAFFIN) Erchie Knox gave it the Big Yin he’d paid the ball boys at Liebrox a Fiver tae take longer tae gie us the baw bak lol! Ach only a wee joke claimed Erchie but noo there’s a 14 page Dossier on its way tae the Blue Blazered Mob at HAMPDUMP LOL! Kno yir place ya Hun Bastards.. GET IT RIGHT FUKIN UP YI.. U GOAT PUMPED!!
McCann and Boyd. Boo hoo ya coupla hun wanks.
Wonderfully stated point regarding Brother Robertson no stopping the game for Calmac of the Opera.
Your blog is an oasis in a shit desert. Thank you.
A very popular Sevco blogger says it wasn’t even a head knock. And think of the consequences if it had been chalked off. Next time there’s a corner get two defenders to bump into each other and go down holding their head …
I’ve looked at the collision again and again. I still can’t see a clash of heads. All I can see is an arm catching the player on the neck or shoulder. Something you see time and again in every game with nothing against Bassey ( I think) but I think he stayed down because he didn’t know it was his own player that crashed into him. Just my opinion.
‘…and they’re quite simple’
Couldn’t agree more they’re very simple sevco fans…
They get beat then moan the face off anyone who’ll listen, like the school bully after his comeuppance…
Literally thought to myself as the game closed out, there’s nowhere to hide, no red cards, dubious decisions, nothing even close to it. Just one team outclassed another then going back to 3rd gear. Low and behold one was invented. Only thing dubious about the night was the conversation on the earpiece, playing var ?
If you actually look closely at the incident there wasn’t even a head knock it was a body to body collision. The fact the Rangers player grabbed his head and rolled about feigning injury doesn’t take away from the fact it wasn’t a head knock.
If – IF – there had been anything like a head collision (and I’ve seen the phrases “sparkled” and “out cold” in fan media and SMSM), why wasn’t Bassey subbed?
bobby madden should be acclaimed for his handling of the game. when he discovered that two “blue bags” had collided when positioning for a header he asked for the VAR to be used. there was no interference by any celtic player so the goal stood. it appears that he did not see one “blue bag” stay prone on the ground but this didn’t matter as the goal was scored within seconds of the collision.. i understand he spoke to the celtic ball-boys about their unsportsman-like-behaviour. i hope that this mischief will be attended to by the club. spare balls should be placed outside the side net well back from the by-line for the goalie to grab quickly when necessary.
i was not impressed by ben doak kicking the ball away from the opponent. this is not the celtic way, ben!
the scintillating play in the first half was equal to the best from brazil when they were world beaters. hope the team continues its good form against motherwell.