Scott Brown Is Innocent - Aye Right!!

SINCE NOBODY ELSE in the media, mainstream or new wave has so-far been bothered, I will step-up to the plate and say it:

NEIL LENNON – YOU ARE TALKING SHITE

I refer, in making this accusation, to his spirited defence of Scott Brown, after the Celtic captain was informed he would be dragged up before the Hampden beaks for his part in the shenanigans at Celtic Park on Sunday.

But, in what alternative.parallel universe has Broonie “Got nothing to defend himself for,” to quote Neil's widely-reported comments following the news of Brown being reported. You will surely not find too-many people outside the Celtic Family who will back wee Neil's assertion that Broonie is facing: “trumped-up charges.”

Neil Lennon

To bring “The Donald” into it is hardly surprising. Some elements of the Celtic Family, and, in the interests of fairness, the Capulets to their Montgues across the city - “Fake News” has been a staple of coverage of the Bigot Brothers for the past century and more.

I know managers tend to suffer from selective vision and recall when the handbags come out and their players are being accused of nefarious behaviour. Neil, in trying to defend Broonie, is sticking to the established protocol.

But, come-on, where is it acceptable to – as Brown did – click a notoriously easy-to-wind-up opponent's heels, thereby causing said opponent to whack him and get himself sent-off? Broonie's dying swan, clutching his face, after Alfredo Morelos' arm caught him under the chin was also, almost, but not quite in the legendary Rivaldo class, from the 2002 World Cup. Then, he had no need to get involved with Ryan Kent, later in the game.

He was certainly in the vicinity in the post-match flare-up. Now, Broonie might emerge from the whole disciplinary system cleared of all wrong-doing, but, he is certainly an accessory after the fact in terms of the bad behaviour, and he should at the very least be called-in for questioning, to help the SFA “police” with their enquiries.

Rangers didn't emerge from this latest shame game with much credit, however, it is clear, while the Ibrox club has accepted the sentences imposed on Morelos, Kent, Andy Halliday and manager Steven Gerrard and got on with things. There is wee Neil, doing him and his clubs no favours with his childish: “It wisnae us,” arguments.

What's that they say about Celtic: “Always cheated, never defeated since 1888.”

That club, and its temporary manager, really do need to grow-up. I would suggest, if Broonie had acted as he consistently has over the years, under Sir Robert Kelly's chairmanship of the club, or Jock Stein's term as manager, at the very least, he would not be Celtic captain. In fact, I suspect, he would have been moved-on, lang syne.

Of course, Neil Lennon's comments were aired in an interview with Celtic TV, a media outlet where he is never going to be exposed to the normal level of scrutiny and incisive interrogation – even in the goldfish bowl of Glasgow football coverage, where the first rule for journalists is still: “don't upset the Old Firm.”

Just a wee thought for referees and he guys running Scottish fitba:

When a player goes down clutching his face, as Broonie did following the Morelos clash, referees must insist the player goes off to undergo a rugby-style HIA (head injury assessment) examination. I reckon, that would quickly eliminate play-acting such as some observers believe Broonie indulged-in on Sunday.

IN A similar vein, big Craig Levein has been mouthing-off about Scottish Football “losing its competitive edge,” before adding: “We have to be very careful that we don't sanitise the football so much in Scotland that it becomes what the fans don't want to see.”

Of course, “get tore-in, rummel 'em up and GERRINTAERUM,” are familiar appeals from the terraces in Scotland. We like our fitba with a generous side dish of blood and snotters; we relish the hard men, and the wind-up merchants.

Craig Levein

Maybe if past National Coaches and SFA High Heid Yins, such as Craig Levein, had insisted on a bit less, sleeves-up, physical football; avoided 4-6-0 and asked for a bit more technical prowess, we would not be 21-years away from our last visit to the Big Show.

As I have been saying for years, “soccer” is the most free-form of the various brands of football: American, Australian Rules, Canadian, Gaelic, Rugby League and Rugby Union – to name the six most-popular. It demands the highest skills level of these six common forms of “football”, and is indeed, at its best: “The Beautiful Game.”

Well, in that case, naebody's braw with blood streaming from a wound. We ought to be demanding higher standards of on-field behaviour than we currently do. We ought to be doing more to protect the ball players. We can surely do that, without taking the competitive edge out of the game.

I HAVE in past blogs, sang the praises of the sports films which are available with a BT Sport subscription. The ESPN 30 for 30 series give a wonderful insight into American collegiate and professional sport.

Well, BT Sport is now beginning to assemble a good catalogue of sports films from this side of the pond, and with nothing worth watching elsewhere the other evening, I watched a fine BT production: Two Tribes, which looked at the Everton v Liverpool rivalry of the 1980s.

What a cast – Alan Hansen, Stevie Nicol, Graeme Souness, Kenny Dalglish, Graham Sharp, Andy Gray and Pat Nevin from Scotland. Neville Southall and Ian Rush from Wales, Gary Lineker, Peter Reid, Trevor Stevens from England, just some of the names featured.

But the real stars were the fans – from the well-known such as Derek Hatton, to the ordinary Kopites and Goodison Parkers, they were just what you expect from Scousers, funny, knowledgeable, and committed to their club and their city. If you get the chance, watch it, it's a terrific view.