When Artur Boruc was at Celtic, there was one thing players were told not to do after an Old Firm game.
Do not go into Glasgow city centre.
It did not matter if you had won, lost, played well, played badly, or just wanted something to eat.
Celtic against Rangers was different, and once the game was over, the sensible thing was to get yourself away from it.
Boruc did not really work like that.
“He was a f****** maniac.”
In one of Boruc’s first Old Firm games for Celtic.
They had played Rangers at home, and once the match finished, the trouble around Glasgow had already started.
Boruc finished the game, got showered, got changed, and walked into town.
By that point, somebody had seen where he was going and phoned security.
“There’s f****** 300 fans ready to kill Artur Boruc.”
So someone had to go and find him before he got there.
They caught up with him and asked him what he was doing.
Boruc could not understand the fuss.
“It’s normal.”
“If they want to fight, I’ll just fight them.”
He genuinely seemed to think this was a reasonable solution.
And with Boruc, it was not even completely out of character.
Another time at Ibrox, Celtic won a tight game.
Boruc went over to the Celtic end, took an Irish flag from the crowd, walked back out, and planted it in the centre circle.
“He was never aware of anything around him.”
“He just didn’t care.”
That was why the Celtic fans loved him.
He was a brilliant goalkeeper, but he also had this way of acting like the most hostile place in Scottish football was just somewhere he happened to be standing.
The police had already cautioned him in 2006 for making a V sign at Rangers fans before a game.
In 2008, after another Old Firm derby, he held up a shirt that said:
“God bless the Pope.”
And after Celtic had won the league in 2007, he waved a champions flag in front of the Ibrox crowd.
When Boruc was asked about that one afterwards, he did not make it complicated.
“It was simple.”
“I was just celebrating that we are the champions.”
“I don’t see anything weird with this.”
That was Artur Boruc at Celtic.
#football #celtic
🚨 BREAKING: The Arsenal trophy parade today has been delayed by two hours as work frantically continues on the open top bus to remove 'Champions of Europe'
A terrifying roller coaster rescue is underway in Galveston, Texas Thursday. A car became stuck on a vertical track, leaving eight people dangling at the very top of the ride. Firefighters are using a long-ladder truck to reach the riders several stories above the ground. Crews are working to remove each rider from the ride by gently catching them and lowering them into the basket at the end of the ladder, before walking them down an incredibly steep structure to safety. Latest details: https://t.co/XaBDXkYktM
CHAMPIONS AGAIN!
🏆 Celtic are crowned Champions of Scotland for the FIFTH season in a row!
Huge congratulations to Martin O’Neill and the Bhoys
#Champion5 | #CelticFC🍀🏆
"I am hoping not to cry on my last day. My wife already cried, when the fans were asking for one more year.
"So, I just want to enjoy all the moments and I will be a United fan for the rest of my life."
@Casemiro is anticipating an emotional farewell later this season 🥹❤️
Patrice Evra:
"After a Manchester United match, we were all exhausted and decided to skip signing autographs and head straight onto the bus.Then we saw Sir Alex Ferguson standing outside, signing for fans for 45 minutes.
When he finally got on the bus, he shouted at us, 'Who do you think you are? These people pay your wages. They come to see you. Now get out there and sign every single one!
So we went back and signed autographs for all the fans."