The SFA’s response to Cerny’s antics at Celtic Park is pathetic. If it was a Celtic player, there would be a totally different outcome…
Eric Knott 
(Photo by Rob Casey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
So, almost a month later, the SFA have come to a verdict on Vaclav Cerny’s behaviour at Celtic Park.
Indeed, in their view, it was all just a bit of tomfoolery.
A bit of innocent jiggery pokery, but in order to keep up the pretence of actually doing something about it, they’ve issued him with ‘a formal warning as to his future conduct’.
In other words, there’s a good boy, just don’t do it again.
The SFA’s compliance officer, Martin Black, decided it’s not worthy of anything more than that.
Which, in my view, is an absolutely pathetic response to an incident that could have incited a riot.
Rest assured, if a Celtic player did this at Ibrox, well firstly, it WOULD incite a riot.
And secondly, he’d be banned for at least 5 matches.
But just because Celtic fans aren’t like Ibrox fans, he gets off lightly with a ‘formal warning’.
The Record is running with the story this evening.
I think it’s fair to say that we all knew that the SFA would cop out of dealing with this in any meaningful way.
It now sets a precedent that this kind of behaviour is considered acceptable.
Despite the lack of respect it shows, which Brendan Rodgers highlighted in a recent interview:
It’s respect, isn’t it? I think it’s a lack of respect if somehow a player runs up a touchline and he’s squirting a water bottle in a supporter’s face.
I certainly wouldn’t want my players to do it. Listen, it works both ways, a lot comes into players as well, from the stands, to coaches, managers and players.
But I think we all know there’s a line that we shouldn’t cross. It is a very emotive game, an amazing fixture, and I thought it was great to have the [away] fans back in, I think that gave it that extra bit as well.
But I just think there’s lines we can’t antagonise because in this fixture in particular, that can lead to an issue.
I understand the jubilation and Rangers players have every right to celebrate with their supporters. You come to Celtic Park, like it would be when we go to Ibrox, you win a game of that magnitude, you celebrate. But not in that way.
Despite these more than sensible words from the Celtic boss, Martin Black of the SFA feels that this kind of behaviour is acceptable.
But as I said earlier, if one of our players behaved like that at Ibrox, you can rest assured, the SFA rulebook would be thrown at him.
The SFA’s reaction does nothing to quell the danger that is in a powder keg fixture.
More often than not, it’s either Celtic fans, or Celtic staff that, are on the receiving end of incidents instigated by the Ibrox support.
If the SFA had set an example here, we might have seen the requisite reaction from Ibrox.
They seem hell bent on getting their fans to behave.
So why not get your players to behave as well?
As Brendan Rodgers said, it’s about respect.
Since they’re all about respecting everyone, and anyone at Ibrox, how about their professional footballers showing a bit of respect as well?
The next Glasgow Derby at Ibrox will tell us an awful lot.
After the SFA’s pathetic verdict in this incident, I doubt it will pass without incident.
Which should in turn be the final nail in the Fakeover coffin.
Ain’t Karma a bitch?
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Can Celtic not push the SFA for some kind of punishment. If that happened at ibrox it would be a totally different case with fans attacking our players and staff. I’m afraid to say Celtic will not do anything as a club we don’t want to cause any trouble. That’s why thee rangers keep doing what ever they want because nothing will happen to them
It makes me sick that they get away with it again
So no problem let our players do the same to their fans and let’s see what happens because the SFA gave given players permission to do the water stunts with impunity.
The flip side is, we score the winning goal and one of our fans near the dugout leans over and sprays the ebt all stars and sevco subs with water.
What happens next? Nothing? Slap on the wrist?
Don’t think so.
This is also an infection control issue. People do not need sprayed by fluid that another person has been drinking from. 2 minutes ago we could not sit at football matches for fear of cross infection. We also assume it was water – no fluids should be sprayed at fans. Pally Ally who admits he would breach Scottish hate laws via sectarianism was the first to call it a laugh. Same people who would angry of it was their families being soaked. Class response from Brendan.
Gutless from the SFA and the SPFL.
A bit of tomfoolery is one think but deliberately spraying water on opposition fans would cause anger no matter who was playing the Glasgow 13 rs as they will be known if the phantom takeover ever takes place.
If someone came up to you in the street goading you and squirted water in your face and clothes you would react by striking out at them ie slap in the mouth if those victims at parkhead would have jumped the barrier and assaulted the culprit there could have been a mob invasion from the visiting fans and something more serious would have happened what then?
I can’t believe that celtic are still going on about this yes it shouldn’t have happened but come on you want to ban a player for 5,6,7 some say 8 games for spraying water near celtic fans come on grow up and move on.
Let it go doesn’t affect the result
Oh My Seems Some people are a little irate over some water was it not supposed to be a accident time to wake up and smell the coffee is this FOOTBALL lm hearing about let’s just get some FIREWORKS and have a GREAT TIME throwing onto the PITCHES Then if something goes up in flames we will require the fire brigade and you will know what GETTING SPRAYED WITH WATER FEELS LIKE GROW UP and enjoy the GAME