DOUGLAS ROSS has broken his silence on the banner at Celtic Park on Saturday evening directed at him.

The Scottish Tory party leader was running the line for the Celtic v St Mirren Scottish Cup tie when the Green Brigade unfurled a banner with a message directed personally at the Tory politician – and it wasn’t complimentary.

He told Northsound News: “I saw the banner being unveiled, I don’t think anyone could have not seen it given the size it was. But my duty at Celtic Park was to run the line, to be an assistant referee, and that’s where my focus was for the entire 90 minutes.”

The politician also added there were people looking into the banner: “Look, others are looking into this but my focus is to get my decisions right. On the day, I’m glad my decisions were correct. We had a good Scottish Cup tie, six goals, competitive up until a sending off, but my focus is on the pitch and others can make comments about my role as a referee and a politician. But for 90 minutes, my focus is on the football.”

CELTSAREHERE VIEW

We have no idea who would be ‘looking into’ the banner and why they would.

There has been the usual debate online if the banner was crass or vulgar. It wasn’t the Green Brigade’s most intellectual effort they’ve ever done, but it was a personal message from the group who constantly run charity drives trying to counteract the policies and poverty the Conservative Party is inflicting on working families in the United Kingdom.

It feels like there’s more uproar about the use of a word in a public space than there is about children going hungry and pensioners freezing cold in their homes.

The banner was met with much hilarity at Celtic Park, when it was unveiled, there were loud cheers and positive reactions on the whole.

Douglas got the message, at least.