Röhl’s treatment of James Tavernier has finished his career at Ibrox. No Celtic player would ever be treated that way

For the better part of the last 11 years or so, I have jumped on the bandwagon that has taken the ever-loving piss out of James Tavernier.

I have laughed at his misfortune, reveled in calling him Captain Disappointed, and delighted in Daizen Maeda making an utter fool of him.

He was the captain of our arch rivals.

In reality, it wouldn’t matter who the captain of that club was, they would receive the same treatment from me, and any other Celtic supporter.

Tavernier, though, provided us with some laughs we’ll never forget.

However, there is a fine line between having a laugh, and then laughing at someone’s misfortune.

In reality, I have little reason to feel sympathy for James Tavernier.

He is a multi-millionaire.

Made for life, and with wealth to a level only I could dream of.

But the bottom line is that he is human.

Flesh and blood, just like the rest of us.

Granted, Tavernier plays – or should I say played – for a team I absolutely detest.

But last Wednesday night, he ended up being chewed up and spat out by the very institution that was supposed to be celebrating his 11 years of sterling service.

It doesn’t matter that it was Danny Röhl who instigated the poor treatment of Tavernier because at the end of the day, Röhl is a representative of that club.

Therefore he epitomises what that club is about.

And his treatment of James Tavernier on Wednesday night was shocking.

The fact that nobody amongst the club’s hierarchy questioned it on the night, is beyond me.

Whatever else you want to say about James Tavernier, he deserved to walk out as captain of the Ibrox side for his final home game at the club.

He deserved to walk out with his kids holding his hands and to the suitable kind of ending 11 years of service at any club warrants.

The game against Hibs was a dead rubber.

Meaningless.

Yet we’re led to believe that Danny Röhl had a disagreement with Tavernier before the game, and as a result, Röhl dropped him?

There’s a time and a place to where you can act the pro, and push the fact that you’re the boss, but Wednesday night at Ibrox wasn’t it.

Whatever was said between both Tavernier and Röhl should have been set aside for the evening that was in it.

Instead Röhl chose to punish Tavernier and dropped him entirely from the matchday squad.

As a result, Tavernier was on the verge of walking out of Ibrox, such was his upset at the treatment he received.

What an ignominious end to 11 years of service.

But at the same time, it portrays the Ibrox club for the sham it is.

In the end, someone convinced Tavernier to stay and come out for his award and presentation from John Grieg.

In the footage of that presentation, Tavernier is seen to be crying.

But you’ve got to wonder were they genuine tears of sadness, or were they tears of bitterness?

After 11 years, you get the feeling Tavernier will be glad to see the back of that place.

As for Röhl, his actions have most likely finished his fleeting career at Ibrox.

Because there was absolutely no need for the way he treated Tavernier last Wednesday evening.

But he’s a German, and Germans are sticklers for the rules.

They are also sticklers when it comes to authority being questioned, and clearly Röhl’s authority was questioned that night by James Tavernier.

As a result, Röhl decided to stick by the rules and implement his authority as manager.

But there’s a time and a place, and that wasn’t it.

Differences should have been set aside.

Tavernier should have been allowed to lead the team out, and Röhl could have sucked it up for the two remaining “cup finals” of the season.

After that, both parties would have parted ways, most likely never to speak again.

Instead, Röhl has now cast himself as the pantomime villain in all of this, and Tavernier is seen as his hapless victim.

If the Ibrox fans didn’t like him much before Wednesday night?

Well, they detest him now.

He ultimately finished his career at Ibrox by putting himself first, instead of the occasion.

From my perspective, it all just adds to the detestable image of that club.

I know that no Celtic servant would ever have been treated like that.

Regardless of the circumstances.

That just not how we do things at Celtic because we, at least, have a bit of class.

They have always been classless over there.

Any player, at any club, who gives 11 years of service – let alone the captaincy – deserves better than the treatment Tavernier received in his final home game at that club.

It’s hard not to feel sorry for Tavernier in all of this.

Take the piss out him all you want, he did not deserve that.

I’m sure he was pretty disappointed with it all in the end, excuse the pun.

In the end, he’s just another victim of the Ibrox culture.

By the middle of next season, he’ll be but a distant memory.

A sad end to a pretty unrewarding 11 years at a shite club.

Well, at least he’s loaded, I suppose.

That counts for something in the end.

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