SCOTT BROWN spoke to the media ahead of the Sunday lunchtime trip to Hamilton. Celtic will play after second placed Aberdeen who face Hearts so the arithmetic on when – not if – celtic can wrap up the Magnificent 7 in a row, could change a few times over the weekend.
Winning the league, the skipper confirmed, has always been the top priority from the very start of the campaign.
“From the start of the season that was our aim. We’ve got a hard game on Sunday, astroturf at Hamilton, it’s always hard for everyone and never the nicest place to play football on but we’ve got to go there and make sure we get the points on the board,” Broony said.
The back pages tomorrow will be dominated by Scott Brown’s comments on the Andrew Davies stop last weekend, which rather unbelievably, has not warranted the SFA compliance officer using the powers at his disposal to impose addition sanction on that sort of assault. It seems there is a place in the Scottish game for stamping.
Broony, the victim of the assault, has said nothing until today, when he reported on the affect it has had on his private collection and also suggests that it would have been a different outcome had he been the one dishing out the stamping.
“I’m not too bad. I didn’t want any more kids anyway, he has probably done me a favour,” Broony said before considering whether the assault was worth more that the 2 match ban Davies got?
“It is not for me to say, that’s for the SFA to discuss and sort out. But for me, if I would have done that it would have been a lot worse, it would have been in the papers for weeks on end and I would have been getting a five- or six-game ban.
“You want to tackle hard, you want to win the ball – it is a contact sport – but stamping on opponents when the ball is nowhere near you is definitely not being a hard man or going into a hard tackle,” Broony stated.
“There’s been a couple of harsh tackles the last few games, but I don’t know if it’s on me or people mistiming them really badly.
“I’ve been playing football for a long time. I’m sure sometimes the media is for you and against you. For me it doesn’t bother me. Can’t read, won’t read and not a big social media person either.”
“There’s been a lot of comments about me but I enjoy coming along playing football, lucky enough to come into a great club and winning trophies and games. There’s an expectation to win every game and for me I just continue to do my game.”
“I enjoy the tackles, people getting touch tight and saying they’re better than me and for me I keep coming back and proving them all wrong. It’s part and parcel of who I am.
“I could be public enemy number one if you want. It really doesn’t bother me. I just go on the park and do my job. I’m here to win trophies, to enjoy the place I am and enjoy the teammates and manager that I’ve got and come in with smile on my face no matter what happens.”
Brown was also please to welcome Leigh Griffiths and Craig Gordon back int the team, now that they have both received from the injuries sustained in the 1-0 win over Hibs at Celtic park at the end of January.
“We’ve got Leigh Griffiths coming back as well and he looks as sharp as he’s ever been so it’s good to get him and Craig back.”
The captain had a wee word for Jack Hendry, whose slack pass resulted in Brown picking up a yellow card on Wednesday – and the skipper wasn’t slow in pointing this out to the new Scotland international defender while the Dundee player was receiving treatment.
“Jack Hendry’s fantastic. He’s doing really well. He’s very composed on the ball,” Broony said. A vice touch after the we row he gave Hendry on Wednesday.
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