Friday, January 11, 2008

Celtic Player labels Celtic fans "Reptiles"

Ian Wright has lifted the lid on the mutiny at Celtic which led to the departure of coach John Barnes.

A half-time dressing-room bust-up which preceded the Hoops' embarrassing 3-1 home Scottish Cup reverse to First Division side Inverness Caledonian Thistle proved to be Barnes' final game in charge.

I just can't help thinking a lot of people have finally got what they wanted - John Barnes sacked
Ian Wright

"The dressing-room is sacrosanct and I don't intend to reveal secrets.

"But I will say I have never witnessed anything like it in my entire career for club and country. It was shocking," said Wright, who has since been ditched by director of football Kenny Dalglish and has now joined Second Division side Burnley.

The former Arsenal player also launched a fierce attack on a minority of Celtic supporters who rounded on him during his short loan spell at the Scottish club.

"I felt I was caught up in a war crisis in Kosovo not involved in a football result that wrecked John Barnes' career as Celtic manager.

"Some so-called fans, a few morons who know nothing better, covered my car in spit, they were shouting obscenities at myself and Regi Blinker.

"They were screaming at me to get back to London, to clear off out of the place and that I didn't deserve to wear their colours. It was stone age stuff from reptiles."

Wright and keeper Jonathan Gould have both left the club since Barnes' departure.

"I just can't help thinking a lot of people have finally got what they wanted - John Barnes sacked," he said.

"Celtic won nine of their first 10 games yet as soon as we lost our first there were rumblings.

"One game, one single, solitary game.

"I believe that John simply did not get a fair crack of the whip as coach.

"There was always someone waiting to slag him off and now they've got what the wanted," he told the Sun.

Wright said Barnes did not receive full backing from the Celtic management from the moment he arrived at Celtic Park nine months ago.

"You can't tell me people were not gunning for him.

"Those nine wins on the spin were a better start to the season than the last time Celtic won the title.

"Not for me, Barnes' sacking has little to do with his ability as a coach."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/643498.stm