Bill Leckie has speculated on the impact of football getting a red card while almost all media outlets fall silent about the Sunday night statement from Ibrox.
Following a day of Social Media speculation the Ibrox club issued a statement about an internal investigation which was soon followed by a statement from Police Scotland about 10 Fixed Penalties following a house party in Hayburn Lane in the West End.
Steven Gerrard will have hit the pillow on Saturday night with every reason to sleep like a baby; another win in the bag and another 1xbet promo code cashed in for punters, another step nearer the title. Then the phone rings first thing. Someone’s on the line from the club going, “Sorry to bother you, gaffer, but we’ve got a situation?.?.?.”
All of a sudden he’d have been excused for pulling the duvet over his head and wondering why the hell he bothers. Two days after the Ibrox statement there has been no comment from the SFA or SPFL.
At lunchtime on Monday the First Minister voiced her anger and frustration but there was no threat or warning. Later in the day Barry Ferguson, Stuart McCall and Alex Rae expressed their outrage that the high standards they were used to at Ibrox had been disrespected by some greedy, selfish players.
There was a distinct change of mood during Tuesday, almost as if an embargo had been applied. Jim White passed on a message, Radio Clyde issued an apology with the Sunday statement almost vanishing.
Leckie isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but his experience in the business gives him independence, being banned from an invite-only Zoom conference call isn’t going to leave him devastated and fearful for his job.
Returning to the issue that could close down the Scottish game, he tells Sun readers:
Wee Nicola’s got her thumb and forefinger on the red card, and she’s more desperate to whip it out than she is to put Boris Johnson in a headlock. She’s keeping her powder dry for now because the stories of Rangers players partying last Saturday night are so far no more than that — rumours and accusations.
If, however, it turns out members of the Ibrox squad, or any club, were among the ten booked at the scene in the early hours of Sunday, we really are at her mercy. It’s six months since the Aberdeen Eight and the wally Bolingoli put our game on the most public of yellow cards.
It’s three months since Gers themselves had to deal with Jordan Jones and George Edmundson believing the rules of lockdown didn’t apply to them. So it would be quite simply unforgivable if reports proved correct there were elite footballers involved in that weekend police raid. Sadly, though, it would be far from unbelievable.
Later on he adds:
All we can do, then, is cross our fingers the accusations against those so far unnamed Rangers players turn out to be unfounded, because if not?.?.?.?well, no one could blame the First Minister for turning the air blue.