Stop the bus
Gord insists sick Liverpool scenes serve as title warning
GORDON STRACHAN insists the bus attack in Liverpool proves Scottish football can’t risk its improving reputation by setting up a title-clinching Old Firm clash.
The former Celtic manager is adamant it’s too big a gamble for
From Back Page authorities to schedule an encounter between the rivals when Rangers could play his old club on the day they win the title.
SPFL chiefs, police hierarchy and the clubs are thrashing out the dates for the post-split Premiership fixtures that include a fourth meeting of the table’s top two at Parkhead.
Brendan Rodgers is adamant refusal to sanction the contest due to fears over trouble would be a sad indictment of society.
But Strachan claims events on Merseyside seven days ago – when Man City’s team bus was attacked and bottled by Liverpool fans – offer a prime warning.
He said: “We’d all like that (a decider) as the Man City-Man United game was a wonderful spectacle.
“This is a game where we want to showcase Scotland as well but unfortunately we saw scenes at Liverpool.
“It was a wonderful game of football and what we end up talking about was a bus getting attacked. It was a horrible sight.
“I hope that never happens here but it can and that’s why government and police think we maybe can’t take that gamble. I can understand.
“Yes, we want to promote football, but the scenes in 1999 when the ref was hit with a coin were ones that went round the world and we don’t want that again.
“Have we got better? I don’t know. When you see the Liverpool scenes then you think, ‘Hmmm. I don’t want that coming from my country’.
“I was on a bus which was attacked with CS gas at a Man United-Liverpool game. And I got a brick thrown at the bus. It’s frightening.
“Nobody knew it was coming last week and if you take it for granted then something like that might happen here.”