‘Unseen’ Celtic forward struck on the head by invisible Ibrox star

Once again Mohamed Diomande escaped justice in a match against Celtic.

Whether it is Nick Walsh, Don Robertson, John Beaton or Steven McLean as referee it seems that the Ibrox midfielder has special immunity.

SFA v UEFA

Signed by Phil Clement in January 2024, Diomande quickly realised the special privileges that he gets in Scotland wearing a blue Castore shirt.

Last season Diomande was booked six times in 12 UEFA matches, picking up two suspensions. Domestically, in 42 appearances he was booked five times.

Some of the not so fun facts that escape BBC Scotland, the Daily Record and the other loyal messengers.

At Hampden on Sunday he was upto his usual tricks. Arriving late into challenges, leaving his boot in, pulling at shoulders. Etc etc.

All in plain view of Nick Walsh. But there was one incident which he took too far.

Every game against Celtic Diomande gets away with these kind of things.

Can easily walk round the player and instead kicks him on the head https://t.co/DN1RSGuesf pic.twitter.com/fQ8g53bzus

— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) November 3, 2025

KENNY DOUBLE ATTACK

Following the brutal, deliberate attack on Johnny Kenny’s ankles by Derek Cornelius the forward was left flat out.

Diomande then walked into Kenny’s space and motioned his right knee towards Kenny’s head. He knew what he was doing. It was in keeping with his attitude to the game.

Of course Premier Sports didn’t want to know. Referee Walsh can be excused for missing it, he was dealing with Nicky Raskin moaning about the assault on Kenny. No excuses for McLean and Andrew Dalas on VAR duty, those incidents are what they are paid for.

Needless to say Cornelius escaped justice. Walsh issued a yellow card, a token VAR review by McLean and Andrew Dallas agreed with the on pitch decision.

Funnily enough there was another head incident soon afterwards that has generated almost non-stop media attention.

JACK BUTLAND

Some pundits and experts are claiming that any contact between leg and head should be an automatic red card. Some of the more barking Ibrox social media accounts are claiming that blood was gushing from Jack Butland’s head. Strangely there was no wound, not even a scratch.

Almost every angle has been covered, except the one showing Auston Trusty clearly pulling his foot back as Butland’s momentum takes him to the ground.

Straight away comparisons were being made to the red card assault by Thelo Aasgaard on Tony Ralston.

There was only one issue for the Premier Sports panel of ‘experts’ to discuss at half time. It wasn’t the dodgy VAR lines produced to save Raskin from an own goal. The Cornelius attack on Kenny was barely touched on as they went full on with Butland.

PUNDIT PILE ON

Radio Scotland was even worse. Billy Dodds just couldn’t let it go. He even claimed that Trusty had raked his studs across Butland’s face. It seems that reconstruction work on the face of the former Crystal Palace reserve was completed successfully at half time.

As ever the mainstream doesn’t want to know. Too busy with their Butland coverage. Since Hampden they’ve had a statement to drool over, today it will be front and centre of the media conference for Thursday’s match against Roma.

Fortunately Celtic fan media isn’t as compliant and compromised.

The outstanding Twitter/X account Lint leads the way highlighting the double standards. Sean from Down Under produced a fantastic compilation of Sunday’s match.

More will follow, unfortunately not through official Celtic channels.

Since July 2012 the club has been on mute over SFA issues, both sides know where the fingerprints trail back to.

RELATED READING

• Celtic social media turns the tide to set the agenda
• Billy Dodds claims that Trusty raked his studs across Butland’s face