Ex-Celtic man Alan Thompson ponders charity boxing bout; Sutton brilliantly weighs in

By Euan Davidson

August 11, 2021

Former Celtic winger Alan Thompson is considering a boxing match with Simon Webbe from Blue, and Chris Sutton has backed the singer.

In “sentences you never thought you’d write”, ex-Celtic man Thompson announced he was mulling over an invitation to fight for charity at the MEN Arena, Manchester. After tweeting about it, his former team-mate Chris Sutton recalled a hilarious incident involving a locker and Bobo Balde.

Yes, really.

Former Bhoys winger Thompson tweeted:

To which his former team-mate Sutton said:

Ice cold, Chris. Ice cold.

Thompson, who also spent a successful stint as a coach with Celtic, was clearly one of many who was a bit scared of Bobo Balde. In fairness, the centre-back was and is gigantic, to the extent that referees were terrified of sending him off.

Jackie McNamara has hilariously explained, alongside Thompson, the story of when Rab Douglas was accidentally sent off against Barcelona [Off the Ball].

Clearly, Martin O’Neill’s squad are still a close-knit bunch. Albeit, a painfully honest one.

Former Celtic stars Thompson and Sutton argue over celebrity boxing match

We’re sorry, but this was simply too funny not to cover. Obviously, celebrity boxing matches are a thing. They raise a lot of money for charity, and fair play to anyone bold enough to step in a ring with so many people watching.

It’s also great to see Thompson back in the picture. Always an immensely likeable presence, his insights about football are always welcome, and he always came across like a laugh in his retirement.

It’s worth mentioning though, Simon Webbe represents some stern opposition. Having sold 15 million albums with Blue, Webbe has worked with Elton John and Stevie Wonder. Thompson can’t say that.

Webbe’s boxing prowess is unknown, though. Thompson has more of a record for competitive feistiness. Solely against Rangers, Thompson picked up three red cards [Celtic Wiki], in now-famous battles with Fernando Ricksen.

Years on, it’s funny that Thompson tweeted about a charity event, Chris Sutton still found a way of taking a cheeky dig at his former team-mate. The devil works hard, but Sutton works harder.

Bet you didn’t expect to see Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Chris Sutton, Alan Thompson and Bobo Balde in the same article today.

Read more: Former Celtic youngster builds European CV