BRENDAN RODGERS has broken his silence regarding the backlash from some of the Celtic support at his hasty and untimely exit this week. It makes for uncomfortable reading.
Clearly aware of the banner and of the moronic actions of a tiny minority wishing his death at the hands of a long defunct IRA he was quoted across the mainstream press this morning.
“Someone showed me the banner when I was at the Leicester Under-18 game,” he said. “Of course, it takes you aback a wee bit. But the supporters are hurting and I understand that.
“It’s a shame, of course, because from the moment I walked into Celtic I gave my life to the club. I put everything into the training and preparation of the team. A lot of the people wouldn’t know that.
“I haven’t seen the video, but I had heard there was something. I don’t want that to be my final feeling of being at Celtic, especially when it’s your own.
“I don’t want that to be the final measure of my work there. I gave much more than that.
“So from the banner and the song? To be fair, like I said, I haven’t seen the stuff. That’s sad really. I can only put it down to hurt.
“I tend to focus more on the good side. Like I said, supporters will hurt and I get that. I understand that. That’s why I’ll never come out and kill them.”
Asked what he would say to the supporters who have pilloried him, Rodgers said: “What the f*** are you doing? Bloody hell, I’m one of you. Okay, I made a career decision. It doesn’t make me any less of a Celt.
“I’m someone who turned up at half seven every morning of his life, was in there until all hours of the night, took over 60 games a season, preparing a team, changing a culture and a standard at a club, filling the support again.
“I tend to focus more on the good side. Like I said, supporters will hurt and I get that. I understand that. That’s why I’ll never come out and kill them.”
Looks like it’s hit home. I wrote an article this week on The Celtic Star in which I took a fair bit of abuse for myself saying the banner was unbecoming of a Celtic support and more what I’d expect from across the City where a sense of entitlement is usually far more prevalent. I stand by every word.
However It’s time to draw a line and move on. He’s hurt a lot of Celtic fans with his actions and those not necessarily hurt were either angry or at the very least disappointed but there comes a time where a line has to be drawn.
Celtic go to Hibs today and it would be the perfect time for banners to laud Neil Lennon and the players. Positivity as we move forward and consign the bloodletting and hatred to the past.
The difficulty with having a career in football and supporting a side is that the two don’t always marry. Brendan himself has said he had to remove emotion when making his decision, probably a skill most of us wouldn’t have had and possibly why we watch, comment and pass judgement on Celtic rather than have the sport as a career. He’s admitted he’s left members of his own family hurt and distraught at leaving the job. I’m certain that eats him up the him the most.
He’s moved on and made a career decision devoid of sentiment. While Celtic fans can’t always remove sentiment when following our Club we can be adult enough to to shake hands at the end of a dispute and move on. Who threw the first punch or who landed the second is immaterial, it has to stop at some point. Today is that opportunity. Consign the past to the past.
Let’s call it a draw.
Niall J
