COVID Breach

[TEFTONG 60,108]

When we win the League and everyone goes mental and its  fuck the restrictions" as thousands gather in George Square and at Ibrox would it be acceptable for everyone who has broken these restrictions to be sacked without any other disciplinary measures taken. 

I think not. 

This is not a post defending what the players did but it is one pointing out how certain posters opinions and the no mercy stance will no doubt change when we celebrate 55.

I will support whatever the Club decide is the best course of action for the players involved. 

[BridgeIsBlue 66,606]

Just now, TEFTONG said:

When we win the League and everyone goes mental and its  fuck the restrictions" as thousands gather in George Square and at Ibrox would it be acceptable for everyone who has broken these restrictions to be sacked without any other disciplinary measures taken. 

I think not. 

This is not a post defending what the players did but it is one pointing out how certain posters opinions and the no mercy stance will no doubt change when we celebrate 55.

I will support whatever the Club decide is the best course of action for the players involved. 

Fans aren't earning thousands of pounds a week and having the privilege of playing for the biggest club in the country during our most important season in decades, possibly ever. 

If I get fined for breaking restrictions the company I work for isn't lambasted in the media followed by calls from the public to shut the business down (postponing games). 

[MaddistonKnight 1,567]

24 minutes ago, left winger said:

Probably not, but no one is suggesting we should. The point being made is that someone has been found guilty of a very serious crime and has spent time in jail, has been given a second chance. If that person can get a second chance, why can’t others who’s crime was punishable by a fixed penalty notice.

My first instincts on hearing what they have done was that none of them have a future at the club. However, I’ve come round to a ‘final warning’ point of view for them all, which I think more fairly reflects what they did and it’s consequences.

I probably agree with you completely. For the first time ever !

The only thing I would add is that there does come a time when enough is enough. We  may just get lucky as things are looking up on the COVID front, so less chance of a daft bugger chancing his arm, getting caught and Rangers having to make the call.

[TEFTONG 60,108]

8 minutes ago, BridgeIsBlue said:

Fans aren't earning thousands of pounds a week and having the privilege of playing for the biggest club in the country during our most important season in decades, possibly ever. 

If I get fined for breaking restrictions the company I work for isn't lambasted in the media followed by calls from the public to shut the business down (postponing games). 

But none of that doomsday scenario came to pass mate. 

Im struggling to see why this is still being debated at all tbh. 

Huge Europa League game tonight 3 possibly 2 games from 55 and folk are still in a rage about this. 

[STEPPS BOY 73,911]

These players are only sorry because they got caught.

At the tail end of a monumental league campaign and 5 days before a last 32 tie in Europa league they decided to have a private party with 5 people not within their bubble. If one of those 5 had passed on virus and then these players mixed with team it had the potential to destroy our Euro Campaign and massively disrupt our league campaign.

Anyone comparing this with posters potentially going to George Square is fucking bonkers in all honesty.

Their crocodile tears don’t wash with me, they’re a bunch of selfish bastards who disrespected their manager, team mates and the fans.

[.Williamson. 82,205]

5 minutes ago, STEPPS BOY said:

These players are only sorry because they got caught.

At the tail end of a monumental league campaign and 5 days before a last 32 tie in Europa league they decided to have a private party with 5 people not within their bubble. If one of those 5 had passed on virus and then these players mixed with team it had the potential to destroy our Euro Campaign and massively disrupt our league campaign.

Anyone comparing this with posters potentially going to George Square is fucking bonkers in all honesty.

Their crocodile tears don’t wash with me, they’re a bunch of selfish bastards who disrespected their manager, team mates and the fans.

No surrender mate

[Boybluesy 3,708]

To err is human, to forgive is Angelic and much more profitable 

[BridgeIsBlue 66,606]

14 minutes ago, TEFTONG said:

But none of that doomsday scenario came to pass mate. 

Im struggling to see why this is still being debated at all tbh. 

Huge Europa League game tonight 3 possibly 2 games from 55 and folk are still in a rage about this. 

If one of them caught the virus and waltzed back into training with the squad we'd all be singing a different tune if we had to forfeit that game in Belgium last week. 

They didn't care, their tears and apologies don't wash with me, they don't deserve to have a future here and should be shown the door immediately. 

And aye, I'd be saying the same it were any player, nobody is bigger than the club. 

[DrLaudrup 4,606]

55 minutes ago, GersInCanada said:

From my initial rage at the 5 for behaving so badly and wanting them out of the club I have mellowed a bit and am happy for the club to deal with them as they see fit.

I doubt that the SFA will try to ban them. Still waiting to hear about Dubaigate and now their officials mess up. I expect them to keep their heads down and leave it to the club.

I think we have got away with it to a point. They’ve had their police and club punishments and we haven’t heard from the league as yet, although I’m sure they are rubbing their hands at the prospect of targetting more of our squad. I was furious initially although I’ve also mellowed a little, but I wonder if we might feel differently if we were not in such a strong position currently. We were fortunate that we had Balogun who not only stepped in and played well, but we continued our winning run. People might be less forgiving if we had dropped points or were in a tight race. The club message of maintaining professionalism and being ready should be a harsh and well remembered lesson for these players in future as their actions could have cost us much more. As things stand Patterson and Bassey in particular hopefully have a chance to redeem themselves and contribute in the run in. Getting things tied up early will hopefully allow them and guys like Simpson a chance to get some starts. 

[bluebear24 84]

2 hours ago, TamCoopz said:

But they’re in the public eye, when they’re out they constantly have to represent the club. When I’m out and about nobody knows who I work for so I’m not damaging the reputation of any companies by being a moron 

Rubbish, you can't say it's OK for you to do something because no-one knows who you are. Being perfectly honest I could walk past at least 4 of the 5 on the street and not even notice they are who they are. Was breaking the rules wrong. Yes it was. have they been fined and punished yes they have. That should be the end of it. If someone did happen to recognise you and speak to your employer would you not be damaging the brand? Hypocrisy at its finest 

[SeparateEntityMyArse 53,722]

41 minutes ago, mitre_mouldmaster said:

The JJ/GE scenario was the precedent, so that kinda snookers us for how to treat the latest 5. Any ones that follow would be measured against these cases. If we tried to sack Mebude for instance, he would be able to show how we have set the precedent that its not a case of Gross Misconduct leading to Dismissal.

They could get the paperwork through the legal process, not sure if its called 'discovery' in the UK, but that kinda thing. The lawyers would have the power to request the evidence to show why the difference in treatment.

Wrongful Dismissal would be the charge I suspect. It certainly wouldnt be constructive dismissal.

Agreed largely, although if the club revisited the terms of contracts and explicitly stated that deliberate blatant breaches of covid protocols would be deemed gross misconduct going forward then I think the club would be protected.

But again that doesn't align itself to what was claimed in the scenario yesterday. And that was that sacking any the 5 would open the gates to claims as a direct result of how it was subsequently in future episodes, despite the competency of the sacking of the 5.

I'm sure lawyers would be interested in challenging a justifiable sacking for gross misconduct, if in future employees don't get sacked for similar, but then lawyers get paid win or lose. I'm just not seeing the mechanism for wrongful dismissal claims where the decision wasn't wrongful, the employee just being irked that a different course of action was taken to a different employee. But then thats football where players are different valued assets not equals and I've gone full circle now 😂

BTW I'm not saying it is justifiable to sack for gross misconduct, that would depend on what has been discussed with players/ agents/ contracts etc, just that the scenario yesterday was that if they were sacked it would open floodgates to claims if then later the same course of action wasn't taken.

[BridgeIsBlue 66,606]

2 minutes ago, bluebear24 said:

If someone did happen to recognise you and speak to your employer would you not be damaging the brand? Hypocrisy at its finest 

Somebody works in Tesco breaks the rules and their name is plastered over every newspaper going? Tesco forced to apologise to their shareholders for a potential loss of business? 

The defending of these clowns on here is fucking nauseating. 

[TamCoopz 19,605]

3 minutes ago, bluebear24 said:

Rubbish, you can't say it's OK for you to do something because no-one knows who you are. Being perfectly honest I could walk past at least 4 of the 5 on the street and not even notice they are who they are. Was breaking the rules wrong. Yes it was. have they been fined and punished yes they have. That should be the end of it. If someone did happen to recognise you and speak to your employer would you not be damaging the brand? Hypocrisy at its finest 

Honestly don’t know how you can defend them 😂 they’re footballers in the public eye and shouldn’t be doing stupid shit like this, especially when two teammates have been stupid already and got into bother. Mental how you’re trying to compare the average person on the street to professional athletes 

[TamCoopz 19,605]

1 minute ago, BridgeIsBlue said:

Somebody works in Tesco breaks the rules and their name is plastered over every newspaper going? Tesco forced to apologise to their shareholders for a potential loss of business? 

The defending of these clowns on here is fucking nauseating. 

I give up man 

[SeparateEntityMyArse 53,722]

28 minutes ago, Boybluesy said:

To err is human, to forgive is Angelic and much more profitable 

Deep 👍

[bluebear24 84]

No what is nauseating is people not recognising they are no different to anyone else in the country that has been asked to follow rules and has made the decision not to. They have been punished. I wasn't I have made the 500 mile journey  from Wiltshire to duns on multiple occasions to see my family because I chose to. Not one person has ever stopped  or questioned me. I deliver cars all round the country as part of my job. I've never been stopped. Why is me breaking the rules OK but for these young lads they should  loose their  careers. Some of them might not of seen their family in a year. I have said they shouldn't  of done it. But I can't hang them out to dry because I understand,footballer or not the situation is the same for everyone. Its done the club clearly wants to move on. It's none of any of our business anymore 

[bluebear24 84]

1 hour ago, BridgeIsBlue said:

Do we lower our standards just because a no mark club like Livingston have employed a convicted drug dealer? 

Have you never made a mistake that you have had to atone for regardless  of how severe it was. People make mistakes it's how you deal with it that determines what type of person you are. Regardless of it was you who made the mistake, or you who was the brunt of it

[STEPPS BOY 73,911]

50 minutes ago, .Williamson. said:

No surrender mate

FGAU

[rabc10000 5,061]

13 minutes ago, bluebear24 said:

No what is nauseating is people not recognising they are no different to anyone else in the country that has been asked to follow rules and has made the decision not to. They have been punished. I wasn't I have made the 500 mile journey  from Wiltshire to duns on multiple occasions to see my family because I chose to. Not one person has ever stopped  or questioned me. I deliver cars all round the country as part of my job. I've never been stopped. Why is me breaking the rules OK but for these young lads they should  loose their  careers. Some of them might not of seen their family in a year. I have said they shouldn't  of done it. But I can't hang them out to dry because I understand,footballer or not the situation is the same for everyone. Its done the club clearly wants to move on. It's none of any of our business anymore 

You breaking the rules is not OK and guys like u are partly why we are still in lock down atm and partly why my sick daughter has now picked up this virus. But hey that's OK as long as u can go visit family and or friends 

[BridgeIsBlue 66,606]

13 minutes ago, bluebear24 said:

Have you never made a mistake that you have had to atone for regardless  of how severe it was. People make mistakes it's how you deal with it that determines what type of person you are. Regardless of it was you who made the mistake, or you who was the brunt of it

Rangers wouldn't employ a convicted drug dealer. 

Jones and Edmundson have been shown the door for taking the piss, it can't be one rule for them and another for Patterson etc. 

[bluebear24 84]

Just now, rabc10000 said:

You breaking the rules is not OK and guys like u are partly why we are still in lock down atm and partly why my sick daughter has now picked up this virus. 

I've had it. All be it mildly. I have had family die from it.  Everyone has a reason as to why they choose to do something. You don't know my circumstances or my reasoning. But in the eyes of the law that doesn't  matter. I caught it at work from a customer because my job was deemed important  enough  to carry on through lockdown. I can't be completely  contactless with my clients. It's impossible. 

I followed the rules for nearly 6 months. My mother hadn't seen her first grandchild. I made the decision because  I felt it was important  enough for my family environment. 

Have you followed  the rules to the letter? Is there any occasion  you have been slightly lax. I don't think 90% of the country can say that with conviction.

People have had enough. Things could of been done better back in march last year. The reason we are still in lockdown is the government weren't hard enough for the first 3-4 months. If they were I would of followed the rules. We could of been in the same boat as aus and not where they are basically back to normal.

I hope your little one gets well soon! That's the most important thing! 

[bluebear24 84]

1 minute ago, BridgeIsBlue said:

Rangers wouldn't employ a convicted drug dealer. 

Jones and Edmundson have been shown the door for taking the piss, it can't be one rule for them and another for Patterson etc. 

They have been sent on loan.... where is it confirmed they won't be back 

[Blue Avenger 22,567]

6 minutes ago, TamCoopz said:

I give up man 

We do love a hanging party. 

Not condoning what happened. They were wrong. No defending them, but we are human and suffer the human frailty of getting it wrong. Just look at in here. 

Young, first offenders, fined, suspended etc. They have been punished. Sack them and we would end up in court and lose, including the reputational damage that goes with it. 

Meanwhile both the FM and PM between them, knowingly send over 18,000 to their death in care homes, but that's OK! Where's the hanging party? 

A sense of perspective can get lost in something that is so sensitive or in pursuing flawed premise. 

Lastly, when we take the title, how many are talking about partying in a mass gathering outside Ibrox and at George Square again, in spite of Covid laws?! 

Being human beings we can at times engage in hypocrisy and irony overload. None of us are immune to it. 

Time we moved on and leave this baggage behind. Lesson learned and enough damage has been done. No point in doing the taigs work for them. 

[Thornliebanktrueblue 667]

Phil Fodden!. Breaks rules for England and stalwart of Man City’s title aspirations. The boys were wrong. They have been punished. We move on. 

[BridgeIsBlue 66,606]

3 minutes ago, bluebear24 said:

They have been sent on loan.... where is it confirmed they won't be back 

If you think they'll play for us again more fool you.