Later today Celtic will discover if Jozo Simunovic is to receive a retrospective suspension.
The very fact that the matter has been manufactured into news should set off alarm bells in the Celtic boardroom but after waiting five weeks to publicise John Beaton’s Ibrox explanation any alarm bell is likely to be reset for much later in the year.
With social media highlighting Allan McGregor’s attack on Lewis Ferguson the favoured Deflection Campaign was launched with every moment of the Celtic v Hibs game analysed.
Apparently a challenge by Simunovic on Olly Shaw is worthy of consideration. That will be the incident that failed to be reported in any match report or post match interview or discussion on Radio Scotland who provided radio coverage of Wednesday’s SPFL card.
It seems that the dark web, believed to be an obsessed sect loyal to a former Daily Record and Radio Scotland employee, uncovered the Simunovic incident.
This follows the pattern earlier in the season when a Scott Brown incident was uncovered to balance out Steven Naismith kicking out twice at a grounded Jonny Hayes. Bingo! Naismith and Brown were both ‘let off’ as the Compliance Officer whispered excuses to their favoured news outlets- BBC Scotland, STV, Sky Sports and the Press Association. The PA were the creators of the death threats to John Beaton and his family. All of those media outlets get the red carpet treatment at Celtic Park.
At every opportunity Celtic are getting dragged into a dirty war as efforts are stepped up to create a title challenge from Ibrox.
UEFA Financial Fair Play rules were ignored to provide European football this season, despite reported losses of £14.9m on turnover of £33m no registration embargo has been imposed, instead two players added £100,000 a week to the wage bill in January.
Since asking for the referee to explain his actions in the Glasgow derby the Celtic board have watched brutal attacks on Ryan Christie, Odsonne Edouard and Emilio Izaguirre put them out of action.
Ian Maxwell and John Fleming appear to have silenced Peter Lawwell over tea and biscuits at Hampden, there hasn’t been a word of follow up from the Celtic chief executive after he requested an explanation for the Morelos attacks on December 29. The cynical might see parallels with the statement about Steven McLean following the 2015 Scottish Cup semi- final against Inverness Caley Thistle.
Celtic players are being booted black and blue match by match.
Maxwell and Fleming have backed Beaton and ignored Lawwell’s request for information as two Celtic players had their genitals attacked and another stamped on the back. Referee’s know that there are no repercussions to any attack on Celtic players, similarly Ibrox players are almost immune from action during a match or retrospectively.
Later today the SFA are likely to tell their favoured partners that no action is being taken against Simunovic and McGregor as another piece of the ‘Old Firm’ jigsaw is completed.
With Celtic’s opponents and Ibrox players given the green light to boot out by compliant match officials and a seriously compromised governing body it is only a matter of time before more of Brendan Rodgers’ squad are in the treatment room and watching matches from the stand.