Time for forgiveness.

Time for forgiveness.

Leigh Griffiths: Celtic Footballer, Scotland International, Hibs fan, Edinburgh Boy. Racist? Not for me. As I have said since these allegations surfaced, I don't think calling someone a refugee is a racial slur, derogatory: certainly, offensive: most likely but in my understanding of the term, not racist.

That however is neither here nor there in the point I aim to make via this blog. My point being even if what he said/ sung had been a racist slur, does that make him a racist? Again not in my eyes. Everyone has at points in their lives said things which are inappropriate, offensive and things which they wouldn't say under normal circumstances. This is not to say what they said has no meaning but it isn't necessarily who they are and there in lies my point.

I'm sure a lot of the people taking the moral high ground on this issue would not be so quick were they being challenged on statements they had made/ chants they had sung at the age of 23. Yes he is in the public eye and yes, perhaps he should know better but as we all know  well in the heat of a derby game atmosphere, the build up, the game, the aftermath it is all too easy to become swept up in it.

In my opinion that is what happened to Leigh Griffiths. No matter what team strip he pulls on for a game, he is and always will be a Hibs fan and I have the utmost respect for that. He in this instance for me was stupid, naive and gullible. He was swept up in atmosphere among a group of his own fans and acted foolishly (as we all have).

My main point in this blog is that weeks on from the incident, the charge, the investigations at a home game versus Inverness the Green Brigade unveil a banner emblazoned "A Man Must Be A Celt On & Off The Field, Otherwise He Is Of No Value To This Club". While I understand the frustration of these fans and others, and agree yes a Celtic player should act with more class off the field than Leigh has so far my problem is how is the Bhoy supposed to move on from this incident and learn from his mistake if it is going to be thrown in his face at every turn? How can he be expected to turn the corner if he is being blocked?

So I guess my main point is stated in the title it is time to give forgiveness a try, for if not forgiveness then what?

On the field I love the way Griffiths plays I think he has the ability to score goals for Celtic for years to come, the hunger and passion with which he chases every ball and his control is great and at only 23 I feel he will only get better and I think that is what we need to wait for off the field as well, just that little bit of maturity to come. He is going to be The Scottish medias favourite target for the foreseeable. He is for them the new Boruc or Lennon before him but it will be how he deals with it that is the making of the player. The test of the man.. and the bhoy.

Give him time and let him become the Celt he is on the field off the field. Back our player.