Tom English broadcast an astonishing attack on Celtic last night.
The BBC Scotland pundit was given the floor on Radio Scotland’s Sportsound programme last night and claimed that Boyd’s views on John Beaton are Celtic’s official line calling Beaton a biased cheat.
Firstly Boyd said nothing of the sort. After a measured discussion during play of a clear hand-ball that didn’t result in a penalty Boyd threw it open about it being a premeditated decision from the referee, he didn’t know.
It seems that an army of Scottish media experts were all tuned in to Celtic TV at the time, after expressing their shock and horror the following day they managed to get the SFA Compliance Officer to state off the record that Boyd’s comments were being investigated.
With a stand off between his colleague Chris McLaughlin and the powers that be at Ibrox it seems that English is eager to become the centre of attention with a ferocious attack on Celtic.
From 2 minutes 30 seconds of Monday’s Sportsound programme English said:
It’s not that long ago that Beaton was targeted by Celtic fundamentalists, he had to be escorted into his work by Police and Tom Boyd knows this and doesn’t factor it into his thinking when effectively calling Beaton a biased cheat.
It’s one eye, classic one eye thinking. Celtic don’t get decisions and the bhoys are struck dumb when that happens, when a decision goes against them it’s 12 men, what’s worse though is Celtic statement today.
They have now effectively agreed with Boyd’s view that Beaton was Dunfermline’s 12th man and that he denied Celtic a penalty in a pre-meditated fashion. That’s the most serious thing here, an official endorsement from the club that Boyd’s words about Beaton operating against them becomes Celtic’s official line.
Let’s think about that for a second. I mean refs can be slammed for being rubbish. Refs make awesome blunders in this country and in other countries, no doubt about it but a blundering referee isn’t a biased referee. This is the claim here, not just from Boyd but seemingly from Celtic. And, and it’s ridiculous. It demeans Celtic, it really demeans Celtic this nonsense.
Later on English added:
Look we can say that it’s just Tom Boyd and he’s a bit of a blowhard but it’s a guy whose comments have now been endorsed by the club, club, the club saying Dunfermline’s 12th man was John Beaton. If the SFA aren’t going to support a referee in that case they may as well pack up their tent and get the hell out of Mount Florida.
Before and after all domestic matches Celtic grant Radio Scotland exclusive access to their manager for an interview broadcast live on air.
Scotland’s referees are sponsored by Specsavers.