Celtic fans were stunned and furious at a tweet from Gerry McCulloch justifying the BBC’s continuing coverage of Christian Eriksen tonight.
Four minutes from half-time in the match between Denmark and Finland the Inter Milan striker fell to the ground in clear distress.
Referee Anthony Taylor instantly brought the match to a halt, medics raced to the scene and the enormity of the incident was obvious from the reactions of both sets of players.
UEFA as broadcasting hosts continued to cover the incident with Danish players forming a protective barrier around their team-mate with most too distressed to look at what was going on.
With the horror of the incident dawning on the fans inside the stadium it made for harrowing viewing with the BBC continuing to beam the pictures out live.
Eventually they returned to Gary Lineker in the studio, after a brief word with each of the three pundits the BBC ended their coverage and switched to some back up programming.
On Social Media the shock of the incident was matched by the outrage at why the BBC continued to show coverage of a clearly very upsetting incident. Fortunately, after 30 minutes the news improved with Eriksen awake and being monitored in hospital and the game being resumed. Finland went on to win 1-0 with the result incidental.
Celtic employees know that Social Media is an angry place, any comment out of place will be jumped on by supporters upset and isolated from their club.
McCulloch has never been popular since making the jump from Radio Clyde to front up Celtic TV and media coverage.
Steering clear of the obvious anger would have been the sensible course for a media professional to take. Instead, McCulloch chose to try and justify the actions of his media chums, within an hour more than 600 replies had been made to his tweet.
What an absolute clown you are! Zero compassion for the poor guys family you are an embarrassment to the Celtic family hang your head in shame!!
— John Robert MacPhail (@macphail_john) June 12, 2021
You’ve missed the point of my tweet. Of course things should’ve been done differently. That wasn’t what I was commenting on though
— Gerry McCulloch (@gerrymcculloch1) June 12, 2021
— Paul Tansey (@Paul_Tansey) June 12, 2021
Delete this immediately. You’ve had time to think about this, and this was your take.
The decision to continue broadcasting those scenes was outrageous Gerry; absolutely indefensible.
— Fitzy (@Fitzy_072) June 12, 2021
Seriously stupid tweet. A man was lying dying and you’re trying to justify it? Get a grip
— #youjustcantcolin (@weemisstim) June 12, 2021
Seriously Gerry?
While the pictures are not in the control of the BBC studio, taking and broadcasting the feed most certainly is.
The producer and director should be ashamed!!!
— GWR ?????????? (@gwr_67) June 12, 2021
Gerry out of Celtic #gerryout
— dermy21 (@Dermy21) June 12, 2021
They apologise for swearing at a match but see fit to focus on a guy possibly dying on the pitch. You’re miles out here Gerry
— Michael Dickson (@Baggy88) June 12, 2021
Let yourself down badly here Gerry. The ONLY thing that matters is the health and well being of the player – yet you fail to even mention that. Absolute shocker mate.
— Hoopybhoy ???? (@PaddyBhoy1965) June 12, 2021
C’mon Gerry .A streaker or a fan running onto the pitch and the cameras are quick enough to show different pictures or revert back to studio.
— jonbhoy75 (@tendeck75) June 12, 2021
Genuinely incredible how many folk on here are such friendless contrarians that they watched a footballer collapse on the pitch and then ten minutes of his distressed wife in tears and thought “I must tweet my defence of the people who chose to show this” https://t.co/USKkthyJyJ
— Dave (@DavFlan) June 12, 2021
