A worrying report emerged last night as the Daily Record claimed Kilmarnock are set to bring the Celtic Dubai trip into their fight with the SPFL.
Kilmarnock and St Mirren were both penalised for breaching distancing guidelines. Killie had to cancel a game against Motherwell that saw them suffer an automatic 3-0 defeat. Saints, meanwhile, suffered a similar fate for matches against Motherwell and Hamilton respectively.
This was down to the fact that players were breaching guidelines on team buses and at meals. A case will be heard on January 14th after both sides challenged their punishments.
And the Record reports that images of Celtic players lounging at a bar in Dubai will be used as a defence. The newspaper highlighted a Rugby Park source that claims this will definitely be used by their lawyers.
“There’s absolutely no question this will be brought up at Hampden on January 14. A strict set of rules for staying in hotels was circulated by the JRG to all clubs. In fact, it got to the point Kilmarnock FC took the decision not to stay in hotels because it’s practically impossible.
“The photos that have surfaced of Celtic in Dubai just go to prove that and it doesn’t look good as it’s apparent the players aren’t socially distancing. We were penalised for not staying two metres apart on the team bus and we now use two buses. This isn’t necessarily a criticism of Celtic because we know better than anyone how difficult it is but everyone has to stick by the same rules.
“If they had been there on holiday during their free time then they could have argued against that but it’s a training camp so it’s club business so surely the same rules must apply.”
Kilmarnock warning exactly why Celtic Dubai trip was so risky
This is just turning into an absolute mess. The worrying thing about it is that Kilmarnock would have a good point. And that’s what made this trip to Dubai all the more risky and needless.
If the authorities decide to hammer Killie and St Mirren with defeats, questions will be raised. There will be those calling for the authorities to do the same for Celtic’s upcoming game against Hibs at Parkhead.
Because it’s difficult to differentiate the two incidents. If Kilmarnock have been cited for not adhering to social distancing guidelines, Celtic do have something to answer for.
It’s just another reason as to why we shouldn’t have gone to the UAE. The entire trip has been a total PR disaster. But with Kilmarnock set to use it in court as a defence for their own breaches, it’s become more serious.
Should this affect points in any way, the league is over. And this team we mean it. With the new government restrictions put in place also, it’s up in the air what’s going to happen here.
Fingers crossed we come through it relatively unscathed.
In other news, a former Neil Lennon signing has slammed the idea of him being sacked.
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