One game suspension is a result for Brendan, but bigger questions still remain…
Brendan Rodgers was yesterday handed a two match suspension with one suspended until the end of the season. That means that he will be in the dugout for the vital Glasgow Derby at Ibrox next weekend, although he will have to sit out Sunday’s trip to Livingston.
That could be seen as a decent outcome for the Irishman who was expected to be in the stands Ibrox and it’s a decision that has infuriated theRangers fans who reckon things started to go wrong after the Papal visit in the early 1980s! But the fact is, the Celtic manager was still punished and deemed as guilty despite him stating an obvious truth.
That obvious truth being the fact that John Beaton is guilty of incompetence, yet he himself still gets to do his own job without any consequences. Beaton will no doubt be handed key fixtures in the title run in, involving ourselves and theRangers. Whether that’s on the field or in the VAR room, you can guarantee that he will be involved in some capacity.
I wouldn’t even rule him out as the man tasked with blowing the whistle at the Glasgow Derby a week on Sunday.
Let’s make something clear, this isn’t a case of ‘paranoia’ from the Celtic supporters when it concerns Beaton. It’s a well known fact that Beaton has an affiliation for the side who play out of Ibrox. He has openly flaunted it. The fact that he’s allowed anywhere near games involving them or us is an embarrassment to our game.
He can’t be trusted to act impartially as it’s only natural that his feelings will cloud his judgement when it comes to decision making in games involving the side he has leanings towards. It is no coincidence that his Tynecastle skullduggery happened the day after Motherwell had unexpectedly won at Ibrox.
The very fact that he is still allowed anywhere near these sort of games is a bigger issue that needs to be addressed. And that’s where Celtic’s focus should be now. Hopefully when top barrister Nick De Marco was in town he was briefed on this by the club and a plan to deal with this once and for all is now in the making.
A pleasure, as ever, to represent Celtic FC and Brendan at today’s hearing. I’m looking forward to getting back up to watch a match at Celtic Park soon again. #Celtic https://t.co/MyDNCehD7l
— Nick De Marco KC (@nickdemarco_) March 28, 2024
An opportunity does exist. Other clubs, notably Motherwell and St Johnstone, have spoken out against VAR. Add Celtic to that list and there’s momentum. Crawford Allan has jumped before he was pushed and the real back story to that has yet to come out. You would have to think it’s related to the VAR shambles and maybe specifically to what happened at Tynecastle.
Hopefully the Celtic players are as angry about this as the support and take Brendan’s absence on Sunday as an injustice that they can put right by putting on a show and winning well ahead of the big one the following week. Six points Bhoys and we put Beaton back in his box.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy