FLAK OF THE BUS HAS CAUSED THE HUFF
Celts ‘transport gaffe’ behind self isolation ruling - and Lenny rant
ANXIOUS health chiefs ordered a total of 16 Celtic players to miss two crucial top-flight matches after studying a series of bus trips during the club’s controversial trip to Dubai.
Boss Neil Lennon described the decision as ‘ludicrous’ during his scatter-gun media address on Monday while suggesting the scale of the numbers involved pointed to a political intervention rather than a straightforward public health measure.
But the major reason so many of the travelling party had to self isolate was based upon a probe into six separate journeys on the team coach, with the club’s own manifests showing injured defender Christopher Jullien (below) sat in at least two different seats.
The Frenchman tested positive for coronavirus on his return to prompt an urgent investigation from track and trace experts.
And it was only after they had examined those seating arrangements that it was decided that as many as 13 of his team mates – along with three coaching staff including Lennon himself – would also have to stay locked up at home for 10 days. The decision effectively forced all of Jullien’s close contacts to sit out the backto-back home draws against Hibs and Livingston which have left Celtic’s hopes of 10 in a row hanging by a thread. And Lennon appears to blame that on an ‘agenda’ against his club.
Lennon said: “There seems to be some sort of agenda being driven here. We have been decimated by these rules.
“I’m not convinced they’re a public health issue. It seems political.”
It’s understood Celtic had anticipated their own strict protocols would limit the numbers involved – with Lennon and members of his backroom staff believed to have been sitting closest to Jullien at the front of the plane during the eight hour charter flight.
But, during Monday’s explosive rant, Lennon also alluded to those numbers soaring after the bus trips came into the scope of the investigation team.
He said: “On the plane it was the guys that were closest to them. So all of a sudden it was two rows back, two rows forward, two rows to the side. We were under the impression that with business class seat the distance from two seats back was pretty safe.
“And some lads had to isolate because they were on buses with Christopher. This is where I’m confused. All clubs in Scotland have been travelling up and down the country in two buses.
“So for me the goalposts are completely moved.”