Chris Sutton has spoken out about his Ibrox ban, accusing Stewart Robertson of triumphalism and taking the club into dangerous territory.
Yesterday afternoon BT Sport, the official broadcaster for the Europa League, were informed that Sutton and Neil Lennon wouldn’t be allowed media access to Ibrox.
Rather than challenge the decision BT Sport ditched the two ex-Celtic players, brought Stan Petrov into a studio in London and pretended that it was business as usual.
Ally McCoist and Stephen Craigan provide commentary and analysis of another home defeat for Steven Gerrard’s side with nothing said on air about BT Sport having their editorial policy decided from inside Ibrox.
With their PR team taking greater control of club policy everything inside Ibrox is being done to curry favour with their internet extremists- who are now dining out on their titles as official media partners.
Sutton spoke out on BT Sport tonight with the Daily Record reporting:
We don’t have long enough to go into great depth as to where this may lead, but I think Rangers are getting into dangerous territory. This is Trumpism at its finest. I still don’t really know the reason I wasn’t allowed into Ibrox.
The security issue – two pundits going to work? That’s absolutely ludicrous. Rangers allow 800 Celtic fans, away fans into every game. I was in at Ibrox last season when there was no fans and I was told I was unwelcome.
As far as I can see, and I can only speculate, what Rangers are saying is: ‘If we don’t like what you say about us, we aren’t letting you in’. And it’s dangerous territory they’re getting into. Where does this lead? What if every football club across the country started to do that?
I sit on-air every Friday with Ally and it’s back and forth, it’s lighthearted, it’s banter, it’s debate. That’s all it is. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. I can’t speak for Ally but I know he doesn’t.
We like a laugh and a joke. I’ve taken a battering in the past year because Celtic have been hopeless and in the last decade Ally’s taken a battering, unfortunately for him. I just think Rangers are getting into murky, murky waters with this and I hope it stops.
Steven Gerrard and Gary McAllister must be embarrassed by the way their club is acting and I hope Rangers do the right thing and put it right.
Sutton’s UK profile with media contracts to the Daily Mail, BBC 5 Live and BT Sport will ensure that this issue isn’t quietly buried.
