High-profile Rangers supporters have highlighted the “breathtaking hypocrisy” of ex-Celtic striker Chris Sutton and his latest comments on referees.
Speaking south of the border, the former Blackburn and Norwich striker took on a decidedly different tone from that up north – where the former Parkhead striker has routinely fuelled refereeing conspiracies – by challenging the abuse of whistlers.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Chris Sutton asked why referees even take up the job and struggles to see why, with the abuse that comes with it, anyone would look to pursue the interest.
This comes after hundreds of grassroots referees told the BBC that they fear for their safety, with Sutton previously being involved in an incident with a referee at this level involving his son.
“You have to ask yourself, why would anybody want to put themselves through that on a Sunday morning?” Chris Sutton asked.
“If people want grassroots football to thrive then the attitude towards referees does need to change. It has been going on far too long and it does need to stop.”
Rangers fans challenge Chris Sutton on referees
Fair enough Chris Sutton, some noble words here indeed, but Rangers fans have been quick to point out this isn’t exactly in keeping with his behaviour around referees north of the border.
Still scorned from the last day events of 02/03 and Helicopter Sunday, the ex-Celtic star has routinely encouraged abuse of referees through smart comments on absolutely contemptible conspiracies in Scottish football.
In 2019, amid completely unverified pictures of referee John Beaton in a bar frequented by Rangers supporters after the 1-0 defeat of Celtic in December the year before, Chris Sutton suggested Scottish football was a “stitch-up” for letting Alfredo Morelos “off the hook” in the game [Daily Record].
The Colombian was involved in a few minor scuffles in the game that the Celtic support focused on to help cope with the fact we’d beaten them in a league game for the first time in nearly a decade.
John Beaton was then forced to call the police following a series of threats made in the aftermath of the Ibrox victory.
Writing in the Herald a week later, Chris Sutton then suggested that the referee had brought the staggering levels of irrational abuse on himself.
It’s led to Rangers media partners Heart & Hand using their official account to point out the “quite breathtaking hypocrisy” of the claims.
Chris Sutton continues to pile the pressure on referees with subtle nods to Rangers conspiracies and the Celtic support boil in frustration as a result.
This suggestion deserves contempt, and Chris Sutton is contemptible for constantly doing so, but there is staggering level of hypocrisy when it comes to referees here.
Chris Sutton should practice what he preaches and stop dog-whistling to conspiratorial losers in the Celtic support, but we all know that’s unlikely to happen, even at the expense of the referees themselves.
Meanwhile, Malik Tillman continues to take centre stage at Ibrox.
