Celtic Dubai trip – A timeline and where are you SPFL ?

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November 2020 – Celtic approach the SFA to seek approval to travel to "somewhere" and the SFA subsequently ask the Scottish Government. The JRG rules are very clear that the only way this trip would be allowed if it was to fulfil a winter training camp.

19 December 20 – Nicola Sturgeon announces a nationwide lockdown and return to Tier 4 from Boxing Day. No-one is to leave the country unless “absolutely essential” and unavoidable.

2nd January 21 – Rangers beat Celtic again.

A few moments later – Neil Lennon announces live on Sky that Celtic are flying out to Dubai for a bit of “R and R”. This is NOT allowed under the JRG rules as R and R is not a "Training Camp"

3rd January 21 Photo 1 – Neil Lennon, Scott Brown, SHANE DUFFY and various other Celtic players and staff are pictured around the pool with the first 2 having a drink. Crucially, it appears none of them have face masks on. This breached JRG Rule 1. (see end)

http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=23_celticdubai2-copy.jpg

Photo 2 – SHANE DUFFY and Scott Brown at the Jacuzzi Bar again with no masks on. Breach of Rule 1 – There are some doubts if this picture is a photoshop or not however if you look at the Bar in front of the players, the reflections match perfectly their body positions.

http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=23_hottub-copy.jpg

Photo 3 – 9 Celtic players including SHANE DUFFY are pictured drinking in Shades bar watching the Chelsea v Man City game. Shades Bar is a sports bar situated in Le Royal Meridien and is open to the public. This breached JRG Rule 1 and JRG Rule 2.

http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=23_celticdubai3-copy975.jpg

Its important to note at this point that even if Celtic had exclusive use of the hotel, which they did not, then according to JRG Rule 2, in that scenario, the bar should be CLOSED completely so any notion it was private does NOT negate the rules.

Photo 4 – SHANE DUFFY is pictured getting a selfie with a fan. To be fair, there is a bit of distance between them however again, he is doing so without his mask on which breaches JRG Rule 1

http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=23_duffydubai-copy.jpg

4th January 21 – The Celtic PR job attempts to change the narrative from this being a “trip for some R and R” which is a direct quote from the manager to it being a difficult and full training trip.

Celtic claim “The training camp was arranged a number of months ago & approved by all relevant footballing authorities & @scotgov through the Joint Response Group on 12th November 2020”

4th January 21 – Photo 5 - SHANE DUFFY flies home from trip. He is pictured in Dubai airport, outwith the football bubble flying home in a commercial, non chartered airline, and not wearing his mask correctly.

http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=23_duffyairport-copy.jpg

8th January 21 – Photo 6 – Picture of Christopher Jullien leaving the plane and airport emerge with his crutches. Jullien had injured himself a week before the trip and is out of action for up to 4 months. His inclusion on the trip cannot in anyway meet the standard of being “absolutely essential” and therefore he broke the Government rule, in fact law, by travelling out of the country. This backs up Neil Lennons view it was R and R.

http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=23_jullien-copy.jpg

All 49 staff who travelled at a total cost of over £250,000 are tested for Covid upon arrival back home.

10th January 21 – News breaks that Christopher Jullien, who travelled, in my opinion illegally, to Dubai, has tested positive for Covid. First and foremost, I wish him and anyone around him affected a speedy and full recovery.

Jullien has been around players at the hotel, on a tin can in the air for 7 hours and on the bus journey back to Celtic Park completely unaware he is now carrying the disease. He had to have caught it somewhere. Was it in the bar watching the footy ? Or in the busy Dubai Airport where Celtic did NOT have the luxury of being separated whilst transiting to their charter flight or even on the plane home from one of the stewards or stewardesses ?

The irony it was a player who shouldn’t have been anywhere near the trip Is not lost here.

Also that day – John Kennedy is interviewed and amongst other things revealed that:

a) SHANE DUFFY would miss the Hibs game as he left the bubble and requires a different round of testing.

https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/sport/19000167.shane-duffy-remains-celtics-plans-according-john-kennedy/

b) Celtic players had made “slip ups and minor things” on their training camp in Dubai, a quite astonishing admission.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55603267

11th January 21 – News breaks a further 15 members of staff including players and management are now self isolating due to contact with Jullien.

Nicola Sturgeon counter Celtics previous claim by confirming they did not “give approval”:

“We set out the rules, it is not the role of the Scottish Government. We are not formally on the Joint Response Group. It is not our role to give approval or not give approval to what a football team is doing. As I understand it, I think at the time when that clarity of the rules was given it was another country that they were planning on going to rather than Dubai and also, that was back in November.

“The world and the situation with Covid has changed quite a lot since then and the club itself described the trip to Dubai as R&R.”

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/6518911/sturgeon-celtic-planned-to-go-different-country-not-dubai/

The SPFL bury their heads in the sand and refuse to comment all day. They remain silent. Silent that is until Hibs threaten not to play the game only to be told they MUST play the game or they will forfeit the points. A threat if you will.

But the SPFL apparently go one better. They tell Hibs that they must play the game but they shouldn’t worry about their players catching Covid because if that happens, the SPFL will postpone the League Cup Semi Final for them until everyone is ok. Astounding.

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/hibs-reveal-spfl-threat-club-issues-statement-controversial-celtic-clash-3092670

Later that evening – The team sheets come out and SHANE DUFFY is on it. This is SHANE DUFFY who breached JRG rules at the poolside, breached them at a jacuzzi bar, breached them in a sports bar, breached them getting selfies with a fan, mingled with hundreds of passengers in Dubai departures whilst not wearing mask correctly, probably did the same on the plane, according to reports, went back into a English family bubble he had not been part of due to living in Scotland then flew on another commercial plane back to Scotland to play despite the management team saying he couldnt.

The Scottish government days earlier announced that all people arriving in Scotland who had flown home from Dubai on the 3rd January had to isolate. This included Shane Duffy. He was no longer protected under the Elite football status.

He should be in quarantine, just as Rangers new signing in October was forced to do for 14 days when he flew on a Commercial airline to sign for Rangers.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bongani-zungu-quarantine-blow-revealed-22855325

This story is going to run and run but here are a list of many questions that the SPFL specifically need to answer here?

1) In the middle of a Global pandemic, who sanctioned Celtics change of fixture to a Monday night, despite Hibernians refusal, on the grounds of a R and R trip to Dubai?

2) Will the football authorities ask Celtic about the R and R statement from Neil Lennon?

3) Why was a guy out for 3 months taken on an alleged Training camp ?

4) Why did Shane Duffy travel home and which bubble did he join in England ?

5) Whats the difference between 9 players in a Dubai bar v 8 players in an Aberdeen bar ?

6) What questions have been asked of John Kennedy in relation to minor breaches he said happened in Dubai ?

7) How do these minor breaches compare to the minor breaches at Kilmarnock and St Mirren?

8) What changed between Saturday (SHANE DUFFY cannot play) to Monday when he did?

9) Why did Bongani Zungu have to quarantine when Duffy did not ?

10) Why has there been ZERO public comment from any official of the SPFL ?

11) Given that Aberdeen had to cancel 2 games due to the players being in a bar, how come Celtic played last night with at least 2 players on the park who were in the Dubai Bar ? (SHANE DUFFY and Stephen Welsh)

12) Leigh Griffiths party, Bolingoli trip to Spain, Frimpong flying his American girlfriend to Scotland for her to breach quarantine, multiple breaches in Dubai, Duffy breaking government quarantine rules……is it one rule for Celtic FC and another set of rules for the rest of the population of Scotland ?

RULES

Its important to note at this stage, there are a number of iterations of the JRG rules but the guidance for them is that they all cross over each other and that the rules “IN SCOTLAND” take precedent over any local rules as confirmed in the PHASE 3 - RESUMPTION OF PERFORMANCE (ELITE) SPORT GUIDANCE Step 4 (return to cross border competition – no spectators) issued by Sports Scotland

https://sportscotland.org.uk/media/5908/phase-3-resumption-of-performance-sport-step-4-final-draft-with-annex-a.pdf

Which states:

“All existing government and Public Health Scotland (PHS) guidance continues to apply and takes precedent over any other standards (specified by international Competition Organisers, International Federations or governments) unless otherwise specified”

The JRG RULES on clubs staying in a hotel are very clear and see RULE 1 and RULE 2 in conjunction with the points above.

RULE 1

“Face masks for players and staff to be used during the stay, outside their own room, the dining room and the team bus”

RULE 2

“Ban on access for players and staff to the Wellness areas, gym and other common areas such as the bar, lounges or lobby. Alternatively, if hotel is exclusive to team, these areas should be closed”

Where are you Neil Doncaster? £300k + per year and as silent as the night. A job that by his own admission is only there to carry out the wishes of his members. Your members want answers.

Aberdeen want to know why its okay for 9 Celtic players to be in a bar in Dubai but not in Aberdeen.

Rangers want to know why Zungu had to isolate/quarantine for 14 days despite sticking to protocols but Duffy never having breached rules time and time again. They also want to know why 2 players were given 7 match bans for breaching protocol when a whole team of players is out in Dubai breaching left right and centre.

Hibs want to know why they were threatened to play last night. They also want to know why you moved to their game without their agreement to facilitate this abomination of a trip in the first place.

St Mirren and Kilmarnock want to know why their admission of minor breaches meant them initially losing games 3-0 yet you are completely silent on Celtics breaches as admitted by the management team.

Motherwell want to know why you gave them 6 points then deducted them, without any prior notification on the morning of Boxing Day hours before a match.

Hamilton want to know the same.

Partick Thistle want to know if yesterdays decision was made BECAUSE of what has happened here with Celtic going to Dubai.

Get your finger out of your pie hole Neil !!

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