My dismay over protracted Celtic apology from Rangers man beset by a maturity bypass – Hugh Keevins

There will be no away fans at the final two Old Firm games this season because both clubs agreed there are serious concerns over what they called “safety and security”.

And the severity of their decision was shown to be justified last Wednesday when a Rangers supporter was sent to prison for a year after being found guilty of having disfigured Celtic physio, Daniel Friel, by throwing a glass object at him when the sides met at Ibrox in April 2022. The need for the joint action has also been underlined by the arrests of 16 more people involved in an affray beforeFebruary’s Old Firm Viaplay Cup final.

The fears over safety and security were not, however, supposed to apply to salaried officials of the clubs, such as Craig McPherson, assistant manager of Rangers’ womens’ team. The SFA have now served him with a notice of complaint over a headbutt on Celtic manager Fran Alonso, at the end of the drawn game between the sides at Broadwood last Monday night.

A shocking incident captured during the live transmission of the game on Sky Television. There was a time when such aconfrontation would have been quickly followed by the resignation of the person who had disgraced the badge he was wearing on the touchline.

But I long ago came to the conclusion life isn’t like that any more. What should have happened in the aftermath of a moment Celtic, in an official statement, said was a “Hugely concerning incident falling well below any acceptable standard” was, at the very least, the release of a public apology from Rangers.

The fact that no such thing was forthcoming until yesterday morning was, for me, a source of dismay. Why it took the assailant so long to admit to the regrettable nature of his actions is, without doubt, less