Barry Ferguson gave a baffling response when asked about the behaviour of his Ibrox players during their win at Celtic Park two weeks ago—a match which saw Vaclav Cerny deliberately spray water on Celtic supporters while running down the touchline.
It was a classless act in the middle of a rare away derby win for the Govan side. In isolation, it wasn’t the most scandalous moment ever seen in a derby, but it was an unnecessary and antagonistic gesture that brought the spotlight onto player conduct rather than the football.
Most managers would use that sort of flashpoint as an opportunity to remind players about standards. A simple, “We don’t want players interacting with fans like that, he got caught up in the moment,” would’ve put the matter to bed. But Ferguson took a different route.
In his comments almost two weeks removed from the game , the Ibrox interim boss told PLZ Sport, “I would have a problem if my staff and my players sat in their seat and never said a word.” It was a strange remark considering nobody had questioned the team’s right to celebrate. The issue was the deliberate provocation of opposition fans—a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
Ferguson’s comments seemed to completely miss the point. No one suggested his players should sit emotionless through a derby win. The question was about professionalism and setting standards. His answer smacked of deflection, and it set a concerning tone around acceptable conduct.
You’d wonder how Ferguson would react if a Celtic player chose to douse the Copland Road with water during a win at Ibrox. Based on his own logic, it sounds like he’d welcome it—so long as it showed passion. But it’s hard to imagine him sticking to that stance under reversed circumstances.
