The Aaron Donnelly “celebration scandal” rumbles on. If this was an Ibrox supporting player, and not a Celtic one, he’d be applauded for his “self restraint” and “respect”
Eric Knott 
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The media has run and run with this one.
Talk about flogging a horse to death.
Aaron Donnelly’s “non-celebration” after he scored against Celtic, who he openly admits he supports, has been analysed to the nth degree at this point.
However, the Herald has decided to run with a completely disingenuous headline on this particular story this morning.
It’s designed to make it look as if Donnelly got into trouble for his actions.
Which is entirely not the case at all.
Here is the headline in to the article in question:
Dundee goalscorer fined over celebration against Celtic
Now, upon initially looking at that headline, you’d ask yourself the following questions:
Who fined him?
His club?
The SFA?
The thought police?
Who?
So immediately, you click into the article in question, and the story turns out to be absolute bullshit.
Nobody fined Donnelly.
Well, apparently, he was fined by his team-mates.
According to Dundee manager, Tony Docherty.
To what level?
Who knows?
It could be a few pints, it could be a few quid?
It could even be tongue in cheek from the manager.
But he said enough for a national title to run with a story which makes it LOOK like Donnelly was fined
And that is completely disingenuous.
Donnelly himself explained the situation pretty clearly after the game:
I was kind of taken back by what happened.
There was a bit of a scuffle before, the ref pulled me and my marker aside and once it went in I really didn’t know what to do.
Regardless of that fact, his actions, or lack there-of are not worthy of the scrutiny they’ve been getting.
How often have we seen ex-Ibrox players or Ibrox supporting players muting their celebrations when they’ve scored against the Ibrox side?
There have been occasions when we’ve seen some of them almost close to tears when they’ve bagged a goal against them.
Anyone remember how Kris Boyd reacted back in 2017 when he got a brace against his former side?
YouTube: Watch Kris Boyd’s superb double against Rangers
For the first goal, he went through a mild celebration with his team-mates.
For the second one, nothing, no reaction.
He just walks away after the ball loops over Wes Fotheringham.
I’m sure he was commended at the time for his “self restraint” and the “respect” he showed to his former club.
Needless to say, the media at the time sure as hell didn’t react to it the way they’ve reacted to Aaron Donnelly muted celebrations after his goal for Dundee on Tuesday night.
Yet the media jumped on that one with a zeal that is yet to subside.
To be honest the whole affair is nothing short of ridiculous, but this encapsulates the behaviour of the SMSM in a nutshell.
One set of rules for any player who supports the Ibrox club, and a completely different set for any players who support Celtic.
Even if Donnelly was muting his celebrations because he had scored against the club he supports, what of it?
What’s the big deal?
Ibrox supporting players are NEVER criticised for it.
In fact quite the opposite, they’re praised for it.
It must be a really slow-news day at the Herald when this is the kind of thing you’re looking to make a headline out of?
Ibrox fans were up in arms over the incident as well.
Some of them were demanding Donnelly be suspended AND fined by his club.
Jesus wept.
What planet do they live on when they imagine something like that could actually happen?
Sometimes I despair at the absolute bullshit that goes on in our game.
But what’s the point?
It will never change…
This is ridiculous, only a few months ago Andy Swalleeday scored for Motherwell at Hampden Versus Sevco,…. Was there a big hoo ha about his non celebration??…. No because it isn’t a big deal but when A Celtic Supporting footballer does the same type of thing against Celtic by not celebrating, it has the rats and keyboard warriors out threatening this lad…… Just another example of Zombie Scotland at its best worst.
It will change when austerity really kicks in over the next few years as their club sinks to its natural level.
A Large part of their fan base will do walking away. Even if only for the duration of the cutbacks
At this point The SFA / SPFL should start treating the club just like any other club. Censuring, fining them for their ‘Statement O’Clocks’ and outbursts. Holding their Club to the same protocols and standards expected of any other Club in the League.
It will be difficult for them to flaunt their self appointed, Supremacist and Entitled aura when their ground is half empty every second week. At that point the Civil Authorities should clamp down on their poisonous Song book. Fines for the Club, arrests for the guilty. Celtic fans should make sure their own repertoire is faultless. No more of the ‘‘twaw cheeks o’ the same erse’ nonsense.
It will be a disgrace if the Game’s Administrators don’t take the opportunity of cleaning up and levelling up the game.
It wasn’t so long ago that Andy Halliday scored against Sevco FC and held his hands up in apology the same way and was given praise for it by the Ranger’s loving press.
If it wasn’t for their Double standards they’d have NO standards at all.
He probably thought the goal would be chalked off by VAR as he had his arm round Trusty’s neck.
Celebrating a goal is not compulsory. Infact it is a mental health risk which can lead to choreographed silly dances.
Luke McCowan,same game,so what absolute click bait lies