Kris Boyd more worried about fans’ missiles than sectarian chants

Kilmarnock club captain Kris Boyd claims that sectarian chanting does not concern him (although he concedes that it is wrong), arguing that he is more concerned with supporters throwing missiles at players.

Kilmarnock's Kris Boyd chats with the media about the rise of sectarian abuse in Scottish football. Picture: Alan Harvey/SNS

He points out that the vast fan base of Celtic and Rangers has been built on religious intolerance and that he has personally benefited from that.

“I can’t sit here and have any problems with, to an extent, Rangers and Celtic,” he said. “That’s why you get paid [big wages]. I’ve had a good life off the back of it.

“I’m not saying it’s right but there is a price to pay when you play for the Old Firm. The chants I’m used to. That’s maybe because it happens that often, but does it make it right? No.

“My issue was it’s gone that step too far with objects being thrown. It’s not just from last Sunday. Objects thrown at people, objects thrown at officials, there is a problem.”

Boyd also argued that the SFA’s seemingly random disciplinary system and confusing appeals process has helped to create much of the unrest inside the country’s stadia. “What I will say is that, as it stands, I think there is a siege mentality at every club right now,” he said.

“That’s coming from inside the building at Hampden because every fan thinks that they [the SFA] are against their team and that makes them back them even more in terms of the songs being sung.

“It’s louder and clearer and more people are joining in but I think there is a wider issue here which needs addressed in terms of how various incidents have been treated. I don’t want to have a go [at the SFA] but there’s no clarity regarding what’s a good challenge and what’s a bad one, with some players being banned and 
others not.

“There’s an opportunity now, with all that’s going on, for all 42 senior clubs in Scotland to sit down and rewrite their own rule book, working forward going together.

“We need to be crystal clear on what the rules are, for a start. For me, there are certain things happening – people can launch appeals to delay suspensions so that they can play in big games.

“The whole thing is fractured and you could possibly say it’s dated.”