The fallout from Auston Trusty’s collision with Jack Butland is still rumbling on, long after Celtic strolled out of Hampden with a 3–1 win, and theRangers fans sloped off into the night, hoping the darkness would disguise the tears running down their chunky cheeks…

You’d think they’d have bigger problems right now, but it seems the great Ibrox grievance machine is back in full swing, and we’ve now entered day two of the Justice for Jack campaign. Permanently aggrieved, forever persecuted.

Apparently, according to some corners of the internet, it’s now ‘widely accepted’ that Trusty’s a “lucky Bhoy” for avoiding a red card.

Widely accepted? Gie’s peace. What I saw was a defender anticipating a loose ball, pre-empting it, and getting it wrong by about half a second. He wasn’t endangering anyone. I’ve had worse skelps off my gran as a kid for traipsing mud through the carpet.

Referee Nick Walsh told a once again ‘disappointed’ James Tavernier, the man who’s captained more moral victories than actual ones, that the force of the challenge didn’t merit a red.

Then comes the post-match pantomime, theRangers, faces redder than the top of their socks, are apparently going to the SFA to demand an explanation from Willie Collum. Of course they are. Always cheated, never defeated. It’s practically stitched into the shirt, under the club crest.

Now, nobody’s saying Trusty’s challenge was clever. It wasn’t. It was daft, clumsy, maybe even a touch reckless, hence the yellow card, but dangerous? Come on.

According to the Daily Record, “Ibrox chiefs are furious and will raise the issue with head of refereeing Willie Collum, insisting the incident endangered Butland’s safety.”

Less Aye Ready, and more Aye Right.

Endangered. From that? Straws being clutched at comes to mind. You’d think Butland had been struck by a bus, not brushed by a defender. The way they’re talking, you half expect them to call in legal representation. No win, no fee of course.

We’ll hear the VAR audio soon enough, and it’ll probably confirm what everyone outside of the Ibrox bubble already knows, the officials saw it, assessed it, and rightly moved on.

Auston Trusty. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

But until then, the distraction machine keeps churning. The new Ibrox owners, still trying to figure out how to run not just a football club, but an unhinged football club, probably see this as good PR, show the fans they’re ‘fighting for justice,’ keep the mob busy, give them something to shout about besides another semi-final defeat and learning on the job American owners.

Meanwhile, the support will return to their usual pastimes, watching veterans abseil down the main stand, supping from loving cups, and raging about the woke agenda that landed them a vegan manager.

It’s performative, all of it. A bit of theatre for the supporters. Keep them angry, keep them distracted, and they’ll forget that Celtic played them off the park yesterday. Got to feed the persecution complex somehow.

It seems, they’re also raging about Daizen Maeda’s booking, which, apparently, should have been a red too. Never mind that Maeda only came in from that angle because Nick Walsh was hopelessly out of position, running interference for the very club whose pupils he teaches PE during the week. You couldn’t make it up, but theRangers fans don’t need to. They’ve got a lifetime subscription to fantasy.

theRangers go down to ten men after referee Nick Walsh shows the red card. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

And let’s talk about “endangering opponents,” shall we?

Asgaard’s studs up lunge on Tony Ralston, which left the player counting the contents of his jock strap, would’ve had him up in court this morning morning if it happened outside Hampden. And Cornelius? The yellow was a coin flip. And the ref was the only one carrying small change.

There’s always a fallout from these fixtures. Always a media storm, always a villain, always a victim. But strip away the noise, and this was just a proper, full-blooded semi-final, exactly the kind of edge and aggression Scottish football should celebrate. No play-acting, no pampered millionaires rolling around like we see on Match of the Day. Just 22 footballers, a ball, and a fight for everything.

Referee Nick Walsh. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

theRangers will moan. They always do. They’ll send letters, brief journalists, maybe even drop a few dramatic lines about “player safety” and “integrity.” But at the end of it all, they’ll get told the truth.

There’s SFA in their complaint, and deep down, they know it.

Today as they reflect on their season, they’re out of the Premier Sports Cup,  trailing leaders Hearts by 14 points in the Scottish Premiership and rock bottom of the Europa League with a tough game against Roma on Thursday night. They have already chased a manager this season with his replacement, Danny Röhl having to work with the players already at the club after Russell Martin’s summer spending spree.

The next Glasgow Derby is at Celtic Park on 2 January 2025.

Niall J

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Celtic in the Eighties and Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style both by David Potter. Photo The Celtic Star

Danny McGrain signing copies of Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Photo: Celtic Star Books

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