I caught the first ten minutes of Clyde’s Super Scoreboard phone-in last night when the pundits talked about the dastardly crime committed by Leigh Griffiths of throwing ‘an object’ (copyright, Daily Record, via deleted tweet) at Kilmarnock supporters on Wednesday night.
While it takes real bitterness to describe Griff’s ‘weapon’ of choice as an ‘an object’ (copyright, Daily Record, via deleted tweet), most people accept that he threw the sticky tape used to keep socks up. Everyone accepts that the fourth official held up his electronic board signalling that the Number 9 for the away side was being substituted and no-one is arguing that Griffiths on seeing that his number was up left the field of play to be replaced by Mikey Johnston.
As this was now a ‘Game Over’ situation for Griffiths he removed his sticky tape presumably so that he could take off his shin pads. He does this after every match where he is substituted.
Perhaps he shouldn’t have done that as maybe Uncle Albert might have been planning a wee kick at Griffiths – he certainly was aggressive and nasty enough, so much so that as Darryl Broadfoot (formerly of the Scottish FA) noted on Super Scoreboard last night that he managed to infuriate Craig Gordon the Celtic substitute goalkeeper who Broadfoot described as “easy going’ and ‘the most mild mannered guy you could ever meet’.
So from that deduction you can assume that Uncle Albert was being fairly abusive towards Leigh Griffiths. During the game the Celtic Number 9 was not involved in any incident, bad tackles or suchlike that could have annoyed the home support. He scored but his celebrations were directed at the Sky commentary box not the home support – so why was Uncle Albert so angry? Before the game he even stopped to sign autographs for Kilmarnock supporters.
So back ti Uncle Albert. Was his aggressive behaviour simply a deep-roote, inbred hatred for Celtic? Was he targeting Leigh Griffiths for his well known recent mental health problems? Who knows.
And what has Kilmarnock FC got to say about all of this? They have been prepared to speak out when visiting supporters have behaved badly, in their eyes, at Rugby Park in recent times so why are they silent on Uncle Albert’s disgraceful behaviour? He is after all old enough to know better. We are not talking about daft wee boys getting over excited about a later winner and dancing on the sidelines.
Have Kilmarnock spoke to Celtic, Craig Gordon or Leigh Griffiths to ask what the problem was with Uncle Albert? Maybe they should. Maybe we’ll contact Kilmarnock ourselves and ask them about all of this. We’ll let you know how we get on.
The first caller to Clyde Super Scoreboard had sympathy with Griffiths but didn’t challenge the narrative that the Celtic striker had chucked ‘an object’ (copyright, Daily Record, via deleted tweet) at Kilmarnock supporters.
Steven Thompson’s Sportscene Garbage – Black Bin Bag Beamer for BBC Scotland
This as we pointed out yesterday was the main analysis on BBC Scotland’s Sportscene programme on Thursday evening when ex-Rangers striker Steven Thompson hammered Griffiths form throwing ‘an object’ (copyright, Daily Record, via deleted tweet) at Kilmarnock supporters.
Anyway I was delighted that the second caller picked up on the point that we made in the above article and pointed out to the Clyde pundits that actually there is a black bin bag there, just in front of where Uncle Albert was standing abusing Celtic staff, and this black bin bag was in a bin so when Leigh Griffiths in his ‘Game Over’ action of removing his sock tape so he can take off his shin pads. Griffiths was actually throwing the discarded tape into this bin or in the direction of the bin at least rather than at Uncle Albert.
The pundits seemed taken aback by this, the narrative if this was accepted would change, so it was brushed over.
Here’s an obsessed fan of the Rangers who were playing St Mirren at the same time and anxiously holding onto a narrow 1-0 lead when Griffiths’ ‘Game Over’ action happened. He was tuned into the action at Rugby Park and as well as providing his own analysis (same as the media’s incidentally) he helpfully shows the footage. So here it is below. Unless Griffiths could curl ‘an object’ (copyright, Daily Record, via deleted tweet) better than he can the football with even his best free kicks, then he was aiming ‘an object’ (copyright, Daily Record, via deleted tweet) in the direction of the black bin bag not the Kilmarnock fan who was standing yards away.
Malcolm Brown (Rangers till I die), our Celtic obsessed blue nose wrote: “Considering @chris_sutton73 and @JohnHartson10 are so morally outraged by Alfredo’s gesture I’m sure they’ll be equally as outspoken and angry about Leigh Griffiths throwing an object at a Kilmarnock fan?”
Considering @chris_sutton73 and @JohnHartson10 are so morally outraged by Alfredo's gesture I'm sure they'll be equally as outspoken and angry about Leigh Griffiths throwing an object at a Kilmarnock fan? pic.twitter.com/ewjbirbePy
— Malcolm Brown (@CoveBear) January 22, 2020
So if you look at the pictures or study any TV footage above there is ZERO evidence at all of ‘an object’ (copyright, Daily Record, via deleted tweet) hitting Uncle Albert or any other Kilmarnock supporter. There is also no evidence on any Kilie fans standing next to the bin, the nearest one is well back from this.
Yet because others in the media have reported it as being the case one outlet can freely follow suit and the story grows its own legs.
So the challenge to the media is show us evidence that Uncle Albert was hit by ‘an object’ (copyright, Daily Record, via deleted tweet) thrown by Leigh Griffiths after his ‘Game Over’ action ie removing his sock tape so he could take off his shin pads.
Then you have a story. A pathetic little anti-Celtic story admittedly but a story nevertheless. And why say nothing Celtic? Mute again as is usually the case. Let’s hear from Craig Gordon on why he was so upset, what was said that enraged him? And let’s ask Leigh Griffiths if he was aiming ‘an object’ (copyright, Daily Record, via deleted tweet) at Uncle Albert of the bin with the black bin bag that Kilmarnock have conveniently provided next to the away dug-out.
That will tidy the matter up once and for all. And all that will be left to do is ask Kilmarnock what they are going to do about Uncle Albert?
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