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Kyle Lafferty has no shame and neither does the media which lets him play the victim.

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Image for Kyle Lafferty has no shame and neither does the media which lets him play the victim.

Last night, just as I was about to wrap up for the evening, someone sent me an article featuring an interview with Kyle Lafferty on BBC Northern Ireland. In it, he was asked about his ban for making a sectarian remark in a nightclub some years back.

Lafferty admitted that the words came out of his mouth—hardly something he could deny since the incident was caught on film—but then claimed he felt “thrown under the bus” in the aftermath.

At the time, I criticised Kilmarnock for their handling of the situation.

There was a brief flurry of media coverage, followed by radio silence. Lafferty attended one of those remedial courses aimed at teaching people how not to be bigots, but judging by his comments in this interview, it clearly didn’t work.

He didn’t learn a single thing from it—and, frankly, he never will. His remarks weren’t just tone-deaf; they exposed his entrenched prejudices and a shameless sense of self-pity.

To be honest, I’m more outraged by his comments in this interview than I was by the original incident. The gall of painting himself as the victim, as though the consequences of his own deplorable behaviour were inflicted on him by others, is astonishing. How do people like this even rationalise such nonsense?

And what’s the BBC doing letting him get away with it?

Now, I don’t know the political leanings of the journalist conducting the interview, so I’ll stop short of suggesting bias. But I do know that if Lafferty had spoken to BBC Scotland, he’d have received the same soft treatment.

This is why these people feel emboldened—they’re rarely held to proper account. No meaningful media scrutiny. No real condemnation. No pressure from governing bodies. If anything, they get a pat on the head and a free pass to continue.

Imagine if he’d made similar remarks about any other group—black people, Jews, Muslims. His career would have been over. The governing bodies would have handed out a record-breaking ban, and Kilmarnock would’ve terminated his contract without hesitation. Years later, no broadcaster would dare give him a platform to spout self-pity.

But when it comes to sectarianism in Scottish football, the reaction is always muted—never proportionate to the offence.

Lafferty thinks he was “thrown under the bus”?

He’s delusional. The leniency shown to him at the time was scandalous. Kilmarnock should have sacked him outright—not just because of the incident but because he was a liability on and off the pitch. That they continued to pay his wages was an embarrassment. The silence from much of the media and football authorities only added to the disgrace.

I don’t care what justifications he offers.

Was he provoked? Set up? Filmed without his knowledge? Irrelevant.

What came out of his mouth that night was not an accident; it was an honest expression of what’s in his head. He simply picked the wrong moment to say it out loud.

It’s like that scene in Ozark, where Marty Byrde answers Del’s question about what his father should do for catching the woman stealing from their shop; “Fire her. It’s not the first time she stole. It’s the first time you caught her.” Lafferty’s is a bigot and has been for the better part of his life; this time he was caught because someone was recording him.

His remarks in this BBC interview confirm what most of us already suspected: he hasn’t changed, and he won’t. He’s just as prejudiced as he was that night, only now he’s doubling down, using the media to frame himself as the wronged party.

It’s pathetic, and I’m sick to death of it.

I’m sick of sharing space with people like Lafferty. Sick of the faux outrage they feign whenever they’re called out. Sick of how they exploit the media to rehabilitate themselves. Most of all, I’m sick of how complicit outlets like the BBC are in letting them play the victim.

Kyle Lafferty is not the victim here. He’s the perpetrator of a vile, sectarian slur. Giving him a platform to whine about how unfairly he’s been treated is a disgrace to journalism and an insult to anyone who believes in accountability.

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5 comments

  • Kevcelt59 says:

    When I was younger and prob tae an extent these days as well, the word ‘fenian’, tae the ones that didn’t know any better, was used tae describe a Catholic. Ah think even now, it’s still used as a double barrelled meanin for ignorant bigots tae use. Irish republican – catholic kind of thing. Lafferty was an example of this wi that statement. If its a character reference theyre lookin for, instead of givin this balloon pity, they should maybe have an insight as tae why gerrard got shot of him. Remind us all of his social media ‘activities’ at the time.

  • TonyB says:

    Shite football player and even shittier human being.

    I knew someone who lived in Bearsden when Laughatme lived there, and he was the talk of the place as a real entitled big headed ignorant twat.

    The women in the local ASDA despised him, since he used to come in being rude to everyone and behaving like the moron he is.

    An Orange wanker of the first water.

  • Johnny Green says:

    He is just one of many thousands of bigots in Scotland where sectarianism is second nature to them, and regrettably they don’t even know that they are indeed doing anything wrong. The were brought up with those values, taught those values and voiced their bigotry unreservedly as part of their normal life. It has been going on all of my life and it actually made me the polar opposite of them as I gradually became just as bitter the other way round. I don’t regret it either, for they made me that way and I am happy to fight fire with fire at every opportunity. It does annoy me though that it is generally ignored throughout our fkd-up society and that it is still allowed to continue unabated in this day and age.

    Aye, Scotland is a great wee country righ enough.

  • Gerry says:

    Lafferty, like so many of his like minded & obtuse “peepul” are the worst kind of conceivable bigots.

    The anti Catholic vitriolic & venomous slurs roll from their mouths without a second thought. They know what they are saying , and not even the longest form of religious/moral re-education would make the slightest bit of difference.

    He is a reprehensible individual, and his antics, over the years, both on and off the field, have secured his ignominy amongst our fanbase.

    There are no real surprises amongst us, with regard to the leniency that these matters are considered by, and dealt with, through our fawning “unbiased” media.

    The historical racism towards Irish Catholic immigrants, as we know was dreadful. We are now in the year 2024, but has it ever been properly
    addressed?

    I have no doubt there will be many different answers and opinions on this.

    Regardless, when you allow morons like Lafferty et al, to speak with impunity on this matter, it confirms how serious this issue still persists!!!!

  • Clachnacuddin and the Hoops says:

    It’s very unlike BBC Ireland to soft soap any side and certainly in the political world they usually don’t miss neither Loyalist, Unionist, Republican or Nationalist politicians and very much hold them all to account (as they of course should do)…

    But then this an ex Sevco player and they seem to be Teflon when it comes to anything affecting them or their players…

    We all know that’s the mantra in Scotland – But it looks like it’s that way in The Six Occupied Counties as well !

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