Celtic assistant manager John Kennedy has opened up on his touchline altercation with Rangers first-team coach Michael Beale, during the Old Firm at Parkhead at the end of December, as quoted by the Daily Record.
The two coaches were seen in a heated exchange on the touchline in the closing stages of Rangers’ 2-1 win, with Beale sent off by referee Kevin Clancy.
There were then rumours in the fallout from the game, that the two had been involved in a fight in the tunnel.
However, that has been rubbished by Kennedy, who has brushed the initial incident off as just a brief disagreement in the heat of battle.
“I’ve had a couple of people ask me about whether there was fighting in the tunnel,” he said, as quoted by the Daily Record. “There was no such thing. It’s just the usual nonsense.”
“It’s an emotional time. I know Michael very well and I have done since before he came to Rangers. We have spoken in the past. There is no issue with us.
“He was in trouble with the officials, there was a bit of verbals, that’s it, end of. That’s the way it goes sometimes.”
The Hoops no.2 went on to assert that it “looked worse than it was” and said he’d “quite like to put it to bed.”
Verdict
Michael Beale was the second member of Steven Gerrard’s coaching staff to receive their marching orders in just over a week, with Tom Culshaw red-carded at Hibs following his reaction to Ryan Porteous’ horror challenge on Borna Barisic.
However, the general sentiment from Rangers fans seems to be an appreciation for the passion of the staff rather than exasperation.
Clearly, Kennedy and Beale have known each other for some time and both likely went overboard with their comments to each other at the time.
There’s no lasting grudge there, though, and this should really be the end of the matter.
Returning today ahead of the squad’s mid-season trip to Dubai, it’s time for the coaching staff to get planning – the first port of call being to hit the ground running in 2020.
