Keith Jackson pours petrol on the flames with his “Operation A*** Covering” article, and his claims of Frankie Kent being “blood spattered” at Celtic Park

It seems there is now a concerted effort to criminalise everything that happened at Celtic Park last Saturday afternoon.

This morning Keith Jackson is leading the way in the SMSM with his effort.

Instead of trying to look at things in more calm and reasonable way as the dust settles on the events of the weekend, Jackson has chosen to pour petrol on the fire.

Jackson believes the actions of the Celtic fans are totally criminalistic, and therefore must be portrayed in that light

His story is a re-hash of everything I already discussed in my articles from yesterday and this morning.

But he has expanded the story to suit the narrative he’s trying to push.

I’ll start with claims of players being blood spattered.

There have been claims that certain Hearts players were bloodied and battered on the Celtic Park turf.

Jackson claims that Frankie Kent was one of them, and that he became blood spattered in his efforts to defend Lawrence Shankland.

Who apparently was under incessant attack from Celtic fans.

You’ve seen the footage of Shankland to date, it seems to be entirely different to the narrative going around in the media.

As for Frankie Kent?

There are several images doing the rounds in the media and social media of his arrival at Tynecastle after the trip back from Glasgow.

In them, he is seen to be crying and he is still in his kit.

No where on his face is there a mark, or any sign of blood.

If there was any on a maroon kit, it would be fairly hard to see, but his kit looks to be pretty clean.

So why are the media continuing to push the bloodied and battered narrative?

Why hasn’t Kent spoken out about it himself?

Why is there no footage of the alleged assault?

But this is the scary thing.

People in the media like Jackson can say what they want, and thousands of people will believe it.

Perception becomes reality.

Even if the reality is entirely different to the story he has run with.

Journalists are, after all, just telling a story like everybody else.

But because they do it in a mainstream title, people automatically accept it as fact.

I agree that a full and proper investigation needs to be conducted after Saturday’s events at Celtic Park.

I also believe that many of the stories being fabricated in the media will be exactly that – fabrications.

Jackson also says that Police Scotland advised Hearts’ security team that they should leave the ground as soon as possible.

I think we all know that Derek McInnes expedited that decision.

I would say based on his instructions, the Hearts security team spoke to Police Scotland and asked them if they felt it was safe for them to stay.

Police Scotland probably responded and said, if you don’t feel safe, do what you feel is best for your team.

Jackson then says they were abused by a small pocket of the Celtic supporters as they left Celtic Park.

I saw the footage of their departure.

If singing “Champions again” constitutes being abused in Scotland, then it’s sad day for Scottish football, isn’t it?

Look, we all know that because it was Celtic who won this League, and Celtic supporters who invaded the pitch in the midst of the euphoria of winning it, everything in the aftermath of this is going to be portrayed in a negative light.

Celtic simply aren’t permitted to do this.

The media’s darlings Hearts fell at the final hurdle.

Scottish football was denied a fairytale by the evil, nasty, corrupt and thuggish club that is Celtic.

Football lost on Saturday.

Jackson titled the SFA’s attempts to bury this mess as “Operation Arse Covering”.

Maybe in the end, Jackson and the rest of the Stenography corps will find that there wasn’t really that much to be covered up at all.

Instead they might find that the truth doesn’t suit their narrative.

Do I wish there wasn’t a pitch invasion in the end?

Of course I do.

Celtic could have done without our own fans loading a howitzer and aiming it at ourselves.

Especially considering that the board have been masters at that all season.

Did I feel there was any air of inevitably about it?

Of course I did.

To many Celtic fans, winning this title was as significant as stopping the ten back in 1998.

To that end, I’ll leave you with this image from that day in 1998.

Notice the similarities?

The only difference that day is that St. Johnstone weren’t title contenders and they sure as hell weren’t sore losers.

There was no narrative of the fans disgracing themselves that day.

The current narrative has been created to suit an agenda.

To deflect away from the fact that Derek McInnes bottled it.

That his team only managed one away win in nine attempts in the run in.

They blew it.

But hey.

Celtic and their fans are the real enemy here.

Keep your focus on them.

Give them and Martin O’Neil no credit whatsoever for their achievement.

When the dust settles on all of this, only one thing will matter.

Celtic are Champions.

If that offends people, then tough shit.

We are now the most successful team in Scotland.

That causes a lot of people a huge amount of anguish.

Long may it stay that way.

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