Some of us watched the Old Firm game on TV last night. It was a decent game of football, with Celtic the deserved winners of a crucial tie in the run up to the end of the Championship. The songs were loud and clear, despite television's efforts to mute most of them, and a missile was thrown at the Rangers' doctor as he treated an injured player. The big problem occured after Celtic scored a winner in injury time. The fisticuffs, pushing and shoving amongst the players themselves at the final whistle did nothing to help the feelings and emotions of a 60,000 crowd who witnessed it. Players, supposedly professionals, lighting the blue touch paper then retiring to their dressing rooms. Men who are paid sums like £30,000 a week, scrapping it out in front of the bigoted hordes, and then we wonder why there is trouble in the streets and bars post-match. Barry Ferguson, as ever, in the middle of it, with McManus, Weir, D'Archeville and the rest, not far behind. Will the footballing authoritioes react? Aye, with a one match ban, maybe and a wee slap on the wrists.
These guys are supposedly role-models for our kids in the housing schemes of Glasgow. Their violent conduct gives blessing to similar stuff that will go on today in the streets with our young ones, and the divisions within the West of Scotland are continued and ratified by the professional footballers they adore and look up to.
They should have the book thrown at them. The lot of them.
