Ah Chris Sutton. Back to doing what he does best. Representing common sense. Not showing off any pro-Celtic bias, but talking straight and getting right to the nuts of the issues that matter. For too many weeks there he seemed to be on the attack against our club and our manager, for reasons that I could not understand. Lately, he’s been back to “normal.”
The reason I highlighted Sutton before was that his behaviour seemed strange to me. There was no logic to it. At a time when the focus should have been on the board for their colossal failure to properly resource the manager, Sutton was blaming him. I couldn’t understand that and I still don’t. I couldn’t understand the vitriol – not the wrong word, I don’t think – that greeted the signing of Adam Idah. I was pretty surprised at all of it.
But the last couple of weeks he’s been his old self again, giving us a little poke when we’ve deserved it or failed to kill teams off properly, but essentially giving a straightforward view on events around our games. When it came to the Hearts match, he criticised us for not scoring the penalty, which would have changed the course of the game, but didn’t let Robertson, Beaton or the SFA off with their part in it. He was excellent on the Rodgers hearing.
Today, he’s back at his brilliant best and standing out from the crowd. Although he and McCoist have been professional colleagues he is the one who has taken the first major public stance against his comments of the other day. Graham Speirs has just released a podcast where he’s discussing the Hate Crime bill and I’ll listen to that later, but for now it is Sutton showing the way.
“Look, I know Ally well, I’ve worked with Ally a lot,” he said.
“I suspect that his comments may have well been tongue-in-cheek. But if they weren’t, then got to say they were pretty reckless, irresponsible comments. Daft. I think his choice of words was clumsy. He’s come out now and said that he’s not going to the game which may have not sort of got him out of it, but his way of getting out of the words which he used. He will have to address this one, I thought his comments were slightly odd in truth.”
Look, a lot of people will say that Sutton’s comments don’t do enough to condemn what McCoist has said, but I actually think Sutton has gotten pretty close to the bullseye.
He tried to be diplomatic and give McCoist some benefit of the doubt, but he has said the most important thing that had to be said here; “he will have to address this one.” Sutton has firmly closed the door on McCoist being able to put this behind him until he’s done that.
That’s what we needed most.
McCoist will have to address this. He’s accused – rightly so – of abetting bigotry. What Sutton has said here is all anyone in the media had to say; “McCoist has said some shady stuff and he has to explain himself here. He can’t just hope this goes away.”
See, nobody had to go hard here and call McCoist a bigot; I think that pretty much speaks for itself anyway, I think that one is pretty self-evident.
But he can’t hide in the herd either, he can’t just attempt to brass neck it. His life as a pundit should be made uncomfortable until he discusses this in a proper way.
No letting him play the victim card or pass it off as nothing … all the rest of the media had to do here was treat him as they would any other person.
Sutton has acted responsibly and well.
He has condemned and told McCoist that he’s got some explaining to do. He’s left him an out; that’s more than McCoist deserves. But Sutton has done it right.
He’s raised the issue; he’s said it’s impossible for McCoist to simply dismiss it. That he’s found this so easy to do shows just how easy it is to do.
Shame on the rest of the commentariat who have chosen to stay silent and in particular the likes of Tom English who is quick enough to condemn (Celtic) fans.
Sutton has shamed the lot of them.
I am a Roman Catholic, and if I worked in the media or anywhere near McCoist, I would be asking questions.
What he has said is absolutely disgusting.
Any media outlet who employs this man is promoting sectarianism and I will not subscribe to it.
I am disgusted that Talk Sport has not taken him to task.
He’s a disgusting wretch of a “man”
Remember Mccoist also put 3 people in an Independent panal at risk by wanting them named in public…folk say hes a cheeky chappie in my opinion he is nasty piece of work
Exactly Francis… that’s exactly what he is and always has been. Good on big Sutton for calling him out
Wee bigot” ally is just the rangers type of fan a bigot and a racist” really poor from the media not calling out this bigot if that have been a other pundit with Celtic leanings making that sort of remark the media would be all over it .
‘ he can’t just attempt to brass neck it.’
Well, James, brass necked it mighty fine when he demanded the public naming of the panel who sanctioned the OldCo transfer ban in yet another of his ‘Incitement To Hun Riot’ indictments back in April 2012.
Ally can brass neck anything and walk away Scot free as he’s well ‘in the club’ with all the hand shakers.
He’s so far in even his son can get away with all the shit he’s caused.
Well done Chris Sutton, The fake wee cheeky chappy has been caught out, there is no out for him. He said what he said and that’s all about it. There is no wriggle room for him to squirm out of it. He’s said what he said because he means it.
And 2 days later, McCoist still hasn’t even bothered to issue ‘an apology / non apology’
– in case ‘his words were misinterpreted’ ?!
Arrogant and unapologetic: he’s even more dislikeable now.
fair play to him….after the general furore regarding “good girl” gate…it’s disgusting…
have ANY of the payers that signed for the huns whilst the sectarian signing policy was in place EVER been taken to task for signing for such an obviously bigoted and anti-irish racist club ? the llikes of mccoist, gordon smith, ian durrant, ian ferguson etc…even dalglish – i know he was only 16 when he signed for celtic…but in glasgow, at that time…he was old enough to know what the huns were about-i was 3 yrs younger than him, and i knew what they were about…he had their pics on his wall…
historical bigotry/sectarianism ???….
it was people like the above, who, “normalised” sectarianism and anti irish racism in the west of scotland…it was RIFE when i was growing up there…thanks in part, to these people, who, to my knowledge, were never brought to task….
Kenny Dalglish’s name should never be put in the same bracket as the loathesome names you mentioned here
A wee snake. Who creamed £800,000 out of sevco and put on gardening leave,trying to crawl to the dregs of society.Piece of shit.
It was indeed incredible his Souper Salary of £800,000 – Almost twice that of Wee Lenny at Parkhead as well…
Don’t get me wrong I’m glad that he more or less robbed The Huns and then The Sevco Huns with it but someone had to pay for that – well The Sevco Huns part of it anyway…
Probably Green and The Easdales at that point in time –
Ah The Fools The Fools The Fools indeed !
James, if The Tribute Act win on Sunday then Fat Sally will move back seamlessly into the limelight, nothing to see here, move on back to the ‘ back of the bus’. And group or individual contraventions by the DebtDome Choir, of the new ‘ Hate Crime’ will be ignored or mentioned briefly by the SMSM. The conflicted POILEAS ALBA will adopt their usual non response to the lawbreaking, and in some cases, will lustily join in with the singing.
Even if they enforce the law selectively on individuals on Sunday at the BigotDome any offenders will be treated lightly by our Legal System.” First offence M’Lud, OK, don’t get caught the next time. Off you go then”.
The first time one of our ‘numpties’ gets caught they will be crucified and their Celtic credentials will be on every Headlines in Print and Broadcasting. The national Broadcaster Radio and Tv Shortbread will have dozens of ‘Talking Heads, not discussing the new Law or it’s deficiencies, but talking about the Republican (IRA) threat to Protestant, peace loving, egalitarian Scotland.
Anyone prosecuted for breaking this Law will have their private and employment history investigated, and Social Media going back years looking for any minuscule traces of Irish or Celtic affinity. ‘ M’Lud for years the accused was known to brazenly wear a Green Shirt in Public and was once seen drinking a pint of Guinness. Case for the Prosecution rest’s M’Lud’. That’s not how bad it will be, that’s how bad it is in this ‘best wee bigoted Kuntry in the world’. ( witness the length of the Police investigation, tent and all, into the SNP’s Finances. Just so they can ‘throw a dead cat onto the table’ in an Election year. If it had be an Orange and/ or a Masonic Lodge then the investigation would have been wrapped up in a week with no case to answer).
This Law, well intentioned and necessary as it is, is going to be selectively used to, just as the discredited and repealed Offences at Football act was, to target us and OUR CULTURE.
Be afraid, very afraid.
Suttons a souptaker, does that suit your agenda James?
The next time you accuse me of having an “agenda” is the last time you’ll post on here, okay?
Settle James…the guy expresses a view that doesn’t appear to violate the responsibilities of freedom of speech parameters imo
A “good girl” comment by Brendan Rogers in an interview immediately after a match.
Front page headlines and spoke about for over a week.
Mr “cheeky chappy” advocates HE and 48000 WILL BREAK THE LAW OF THE LAND. The “cheeky chappy” has NOT specified what part of the LAW HE and 48000 WILL BREAK.
But I’ll go out on a limb here and say that the 48000 and HIM will sing (sectarian hate songs) .
Let’s be clear the turning a blind eye and a deaf ear has already started with police Scotland NOT asking the “cheeky chappy” which part of the LAW HE and the 48000 are vowing to BREAK.
As for the SMSM will they be embarrassed enough by Sutton’s comments to ask the “cheeky chappy Ally” what LAW he and 48000 “the rangers fans” intend to break.
I won’t hold my breath for any of them “police Scotland/SMSM” to do their job correctly.
Sutton was right in his criticism of Rodgers,If all these so called promises were made to him to come back he should demanding the board back him in the transfer market 100%,not making excuses as usual.We need a total clear out of this incompetent board if there is any hope of CELTIC progress.
McCoist has fooled broadcasters for years now with his cheeky chappie persona, like it or loathe it, he knows a bit about football too, his arrogance, bigotry ignorance and sense of entitlement aren’t highlighted outside Scotland and within Scotland his flaws are either ignored or celebrated, he’ll get away with this Scot free {excuse the pun} and will no doubt repeat the dose repeatedly.
Big Sutton is right on the money, anyone in the media who associate with him now should be tarred with the same brush.
This outburst should be addressed by the new hate crime law and the wee muppet be sin die from all of football.
There is no room for this bigoted bias in our game ??
The songs sung at the football does not violate the new hate law too many people think if ibrox was to sing stand up if you hate celtic that is not a crime as such,I hate Brussels sprouts but I am not in trouble, you don’t even get lifted or a fine instead you get (ironically) a PRW against you which is a police recorded warning ,singing at a football game is covered undered the breach of the peace act .
You ARE joking, right? That’s the WORST song you can think of 50,000 at Ibrox singing?