Cantwell is labelled “Todd the Prod” after his goal against Celtic. Yet another English player is dragged into the sectarian cesspit
Eric Knott 
Ian MacNicol/Getty Images Sport
As long as I’ve been a Celtic supporter, I’ve never seen Celtic players nicknamed in relation to Catholicism.
Celtic is a club open to all.
We have always been a club open to all.
While yes, we may have a predominantly Catholic support, whether our players are Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish, Atheist, Hindu or even Scientologists is irrelevant to us.
I suppose you could say the most recent player to have had a religious connotation was Artur Boruc, the “Holy Goalie”.
He was so nicknamed because he had the audacity to commit the crime of blessing himself in front of the Ibrox fans back in 2006.
Artur Boruc was a Catholic. He blessed himself at games.
But when he did that in front of Ibrox fans it was no longer framed as an expression of faith, it was framed as an act of provocation.
Why? Because of the Ibrox side’s anti-Catholic history.
A Polish Catholic was given a legal caution for a breach of the peace, as an alternative to prosecution in 21st century Scotland, simply because he blessed himself.
It made Scotland the laughing stock of the footballing world and the wider world when it happened.
Its why nothing to this day has changed, and its why Todd Cantwell is either too naïve or too stupid to see the sectarian cesspit he’s getting dragged into at Ibrox.
I’m pretty sure he finds his new nickname “Todd the Prod” amusing and he thrives on it.
I’m sure he loves the fact he’s the new Ibrox poster boy.
The sectarian sewer songbook was in full flow once again on Saturday.
Cantwell probably thrived on it, oblivious to what it actually meant.
It was actually so bad, that it was called out on Follow Follow by some of the more sentient in their fanbase.
You can read all about it in the excellent blog written yesterday over on Don’t let it be forgot.
In this morning’s Sun, there is an article describing how Cantwell’s brother, Jordan Cantwell, posted a tweet calling his brother “Todd the Prod”.
He states he did so because he apparently thought it was short for “Todd the Prodigy”.
He subsequently had to delete the tweet when he realised what it actually meant.
Which begs the question, is Cantwell so naïve that he also thinks the Ibrox fans are calling him a prodigy?
Now, this wouldn’t shock me, as we all know how this guy loves bigging himself up.
Needless to say, the Ibrox fans didn’t give him that nickname with the idea of him being a prodigy in mind.
Who knows? Maybe the more senior Ibrox players have already educated him on what it means.
Cantwell is already becoming a pantomime villain for Celtic fans because of his recent antics, especially the water incident in the Cup semi-final.
Whether the new Ibrox poster boy gets dragged further into the Sectarian cesspit remains to be seen.
But it just goes to show how easily it happens, especially with English players who come north of the border.
Over the years, some of them have just been too thick to realise what they’re getting dragged into.
Graham Roberts is a prime example of someone who hadn’t a clue of what he was getting involved in when he conducted the Ibrox fans in a stirring rendition of the billy boys in October 1987.
Paul Gascoigne with his flute playing impersonations, was another one. His intellect was ripe for the picking when it came to sowing the seeds of sectarianism.
To him, it was all jolly japes simply because he was too thick to care, or understand what effect his actions had on anyone.
Terry Butcher got dragged into it too.
Butcher admits he got sucked into the culture and came to regret it in later years.
He spoke about how his wife told him to take a step back and look at himself.
The England Captain admitted he wasn’t a religious man, but that he just became immersed in the culture.
He didn’t like who he became, but it took a lot of self reflection for him to realise it.
Cantwell doesn’t strike me as the kind of person who cares about what it takes to be idolised.
He looks like someone who needs constant validation.
That’s clearly evident in his addiction to social media.
He will take pride in being called “Todd the Prod”.
He’ll be in far too deep before he realises it.
Before long he’ll be up to his knees in the sewage of the sectarian cesspit.
All because he wants to be adored.
Aodhán Ó Conchobhair 
His brother must think we are as stupid as he is if he thinks we accept what he said ( he knew what it meant ).
100% horrible human being. Refused a fellow human water. Yip water. The most basic requirement for everyone on the planet. He is a total embarrassment to his mother and father. The media showed the world what he did and now he is backtracking.
It will all come back and bite this useless piece of a complete fool .
Todd the knob is more fitting I think.
Cantplaywell is much more fitting for him.he can gobshite as much as he wants but cantplaywell is one ignorant sod of a figure but mark my word itl all come back to bite him.if he allows sectarian hatred into his life well as long as he understands that when he signed for this very sectarian club he did so he should also know that rangers football club detests catholics or irish people this is the facts the club thrives on hate sectarian hatred always have done so.any decent player who happens to be a catholic or is irish or parents were irish should never sign too such a ilegally run club.maybe cantplaywell will join the orange walks too now lets see how he reacts lets see how much he is willing to allow his brain to be infested by such rangers vile hatred
I remember Roddie MacDonald being nicknamed Roddie the proddie.
This reporter should be sacked never saw heard Catholicism!! that’s why Celtic fans boo at the queens death and chant no my king really
Hail Hail
I’m just shocked that no one ever called big Alfoodo , Alfie the Buddha ! I know it does not rhyme … But the similarity is there , if you get my drift .
Unfortunately, we made him look good as a football player on Saturday. Can’t do well, believes he’s another Grealish even down to his Alice band. What I liked the most of all his hype and hysteria of getting the peepul going was his reaction when they dared to touch him. Hysterical😁
Eric,
Two things about your article. Artur Boruc wore a t-shirt of the pope at an old firm game. That to me was stirring up trouble. Graham Roberts was actually a member of the orange order so knew what he was doing and when you slate the Celtic fans for singing super trouper then maybe we will listen to your nonsense.
Billy, I do not approve of Super Trouper nor do I endorse it in any way. There is a minority in our support who sing this. 50,000 people sang the Billy Boys last Saturday, a song where you sing about my kind surrendering or dying and being up to your knees in our blood. This has been part of your songbook for years, along with plenty of others. The mocking of the deaths of the Lisbon Lions is another. Artur Boruc has the right to wear a t-shirt with the Pope on it, whenever and where ever he wants. There is no law saying that he can’t, nor does one exist at Ibrox either.
Are rangers fans blind how many of them have seen fat bhoy morelos and others bless themselves before going on the field at ibrox?
Eric,
Lets dispel the myth that its a minority, It is most certainly not. On Boruc, If he can wear a t-shirt of the pope anywhere he wants then we can wear a sash anywhere we want. Amounts to the same thing or are you too blind to see the reasoning.
Whoever said you can’t wear a sash? More to the point, who has ever stopped you? Which is exactly my point. Don’t forget Hibs fans sing Super Trouper as well, as do Aberdeen fans. Its not just Celtic fans.
I cannot understand the Rangers supporters referring to”Tims” in the derogatory way they do when Rangers have players of the Catholic faith in their team.The obvious inference being that it’s okay to be a Catholic as long as you play for Rangers!.Sheer bigotry and sheer hypocrisy and sheer stupidity.Rangers are guilty of feeding into this disgusting hatred by virtue of the Club history and sadly the signings of Catholics to play for the Club has had no effect on the shocking behaviour of a huge number of their supporters who choose to be in denial about the fact that there are Catholic players in their team.I’m not Catholic and l have no allegiance to Celtic and so l am commenting on the poisonous culture emanating from Rangers Football Club and the feeding of this culture into the disgusting mindset of its supporters.Repeated verbal insults such as “the great unwashed “.”the manky mob””Septic” etc.etc just highlights the shocking mentality of those individuals who are a cancer on Society.