As I listened to the playback that Celtic fans so willingly directed me to after I heard of the ruckus Chris Sutton had made on Clyde Superscoreboard yesterday, I couldn’t help but belt out a giddy laugh as the Englishman cut through all the bull sh** and went after unashamed Rangers man Derek Johnstone.

It was music to my ears as the former Celtic striker pulled no punches against a man who very well may be a “nice guy” as even some Celtic fans have pointed out, but an impartial pundit – he is not. The Englishman did not mince his words as he branded Derek Johnstone a charlatan, a cheerleader and an embarrassment to the profession he has found himself in after retiring from football. Derek Johnstone was rattled, no two ways about it. Sutton may have been scathing of the former Rangers man but if you’re going to go for the jugular then be on point, and that’s exactly what he was. As Derek tried to shout over Chris who was laying home truths down like they were going out of fashion the BT Sport pundit was calm and measured. With every comment made by Chris it was clear Derek was getting more and more annoyed to the point he was lashing out like a schoolboy who’d just had his ball stolen. At one point Derek exclaimed “I’m DISGUSTED, that I’m even talking to you right now” – lashing out with that comment after Chris pointed out how the Radio Clyde pundit BACKED Craig Whyte, BACKED Charles Green, BACKED the Easdales and so on acting as a puppet for anyone in authority at The Rangers. These statements by Sutton cannot be denied, even though a rattled Johnstone tried to do so. Revisionism by people like himself is rife within the Scottish game. He was not prepared for the onslaught which ensued when Chris was given the floor and you have to blame the compliance of others up until this point for that fact. Derek is used to all cutesy, nicey-nicey banter with pundits at all angles, who for whatever reason failed to call him on his fan boy tendencies towards the Ibrox club. The guy was even quoted as saying the Barton debacle last week would galvanise The Rangers. A massive riot after a heavy defeat by city rivals which sees a player go after his teammate and then the manager will galvanise them? Aye, nae bother Derek.

The reason why it’s all over social media today and I like many other Celtic sites are writing about this is because this kind of thing just does not happen. Oh, there have been plenty of fans on questioning the man’s integrity and his affinity to The Rangers when talking about the issues of the day but they are quickly cut off and belittled and branded as bampots. This time, they were on the line to someone they couldn’t just hang up on and boy oh boy were they sweating. Now, I have never voluntarily listened to the phone in, it’s something I listened to on match days when my Dad would have the radio on in the car and I would try my best not to scoff at some of the stuff that was said on air and passed as fact. Now that I’m driving the car to the games, you’re more likely to hear Taylor Swift coming from my vehicle than what Gerry and the lads are up to. I don’t complain about the phone-in like many do, I have a choice to listen to it or not and I choose not to. The things Chris Sutton was saying last night would have been even sweeter for the frustrated bunch who listen regularly and never have the good sense to turn off.

We often have pops at ex-Celts in the media when they criticise the club. I even had a go at Chris Sutton over his Ronny Deila comments last season when I thought he was going over the top. I have no doubt that I’ll criticise his comments in the future  but he cannot be accused of being a Celtic cheerleader nor can many of the ex-Celts that have went into punditry. I even think at times guys like Nicholas and Walker try too hard not to show their allegiance that they become more scathing of the club to appear unbiased and professional. This is why Derek had absolutely nowhere to hid last night as Chris did not come across hypocritical or wrong. Everything he said was true and that’s why if we were able to see Derek Johnstone last night he would have been 50 shades of red.

We often have pops at ex-Celts in the media when they criticise the club. I even had a go at Chris Sutton over his Ronny Deila comments last season when I thought he was going over the top. I have no doubt that I’ll criticise his comments in the future  but he cannot be accused of being a Celtic cheerleader nor can many of the ex-Celts that have went into punditry. I even think at times guys like Nicholas and Walker try too hard not to show their allegiance that they become more scathing of the club to appear unbiased and professional. This is why Derek had absolutely nowhere to hide last night as Chris did not come across hypocritical or wrong. Everything he said was true and that’s why if we were able to see Derek Johnstone last night he would have been 50 shades of red.

Having a certain amount of compliance in the media since the succulent lamb days has ill prepared the peepil for the uprising of the new age of punditry. Having had the floor for so long without challenge, the petulance and anger ripping out some when truths are told is palpable. It’s refreshing.

I would also like to point out the refreshing approach that BT Sport has taken with Scottish football which I believe is already better than what Sky Sports has ever done. They’re promoting our game better, got a wide range of views and are not sycophantic towards any team. No wonder Derek professed he watches BT Sports football games with the TV on mute. The truth Derek, the truth….you can’t handle the truth. Now I’m off to get ready for the Kilmarnock game, where is my Taylor Swift CD!

Viva la Sutty!

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11 COMMENTS

  1. Well done big Chris
    It’s about time the likes of Johnston were called out.
    They couldn’t cut big Chris off but I would put good money on it that hundreds if not thousands of callers have not been given air time to criticise The likes of Johnstone and turncoat Keevins.
    You can also put money on it that all things Sevco will be trying to get big Chris sacked for telling the truth.
    If BT even think twice about this there will be a huge backlash.BT beware.
    Hail Hail

  2. Viva la Sutty? Wasn’t that when he was getting stuck into Ronny.
    Sutton is a failure in every sense of the word. As a player, he was a cheater. As a manager, abject disaster. Financially bankrupt. Now he has to sell his soul and be a rent-a-gob to try and make ends meet. Poor Chris.
    It’s pathetic than now he says some nasty things about Rangers he is now in favour again.

    • I expect you to be on your way to Pittodrie to see sevco play there for the first time!
      I hope you record the game for later to listen to big Chris telling it as it is!
      Johnstone has been nothing but a mouthpiece for the old RFC and now sevco!
      Chris exposed him for all to see!
      Thank you Chris, a much needed breath of fresh air indeed!

  3. WE HABE HAD THESE TWO IMPOSTERS FOR TOO LONG.THANK YOU CHRIS SO MUCH.THEY WOULDNT DARE PRESS THE EJECT BUTTON SO THEY HAD TO SUFFER.JOHNSTON SHOULD HAVE BEEN PULLED BY RADIO CLYDE MANAGEMENT LONG AGO BECAUSE OF HIS BIGOTED STANCE… KEEVINS ISNT WORTH BREADTH…A COWARD…JOHNSTONE?…CHRIS SUMMED HIM RIGHT UP.

  4. the only thing I was dissapointed with in sutton’s interview with johnston was that he forgot to mention that for the last 3 transfer windows he insisted that Dave King would splash the cash to keep up with celtic, obviously that didn’t happen.But all in all well said big Chris, it was a long time coming.

  5. Got to agree with jay beer. Sutton was a great player for the celts but is a disgrace as a pundit. He’ll say anything to get back in favour with the rank & file, well not this bhoy. He’s treatment of Ronnie last year was a disgrace. Now he’s bankrupt and wants to be even more controversial. Every team has its apologists not just Sevco most ex players including Chris Sutton are biased towards the team they played for. I’ve been going to games since the 1960’s and too much of this crap going on.

  6. Listened to Sutton on Clyde.Agreed with most of it.Can’t stand Johnstone and Keevins.Both stated Sevco Scotland would win the league!! Two of the best pundits are Packy and Murdo.They don ‘t take any nonsense from the apologists for “The Rangers”.Today,Derek Ferguson stated that Aberdeen were poor because of the City Trader’s tactics!! They are looking for any glimmer of hope.Sad.

  7. Totally agree with everything you have written…BT is so much better than other broadcasters, I still bare the scarred eardrums from the last time Kyle Lafferty scored against us and Crocker screamed into the microphone ‘1 for Lafferty, 1 for Rangers and 1 for the cause’.

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