So the Premier League has announced it intends to outlaw provocative goal celebrations. Maybe they ought to sort out their own useless VAR system before turning their attention to the further sanitization of the game that millions turn up to watch, week in, week out. Nobody wants goal celebrations that are derisory, insulting or inflammatory gestures to partisan crowds ( Anyone remember Paul Gascoigne’s ill judged celebration at Rangers? ).
But at the same time, there is enough loss of spontaneity thanks to the inevitable VAR hiatus which keeps players and fans from celebrating for several minutes on occasion that the goal celebrations which are sometimes funny, tongue in cheek, witty, dumb, embarrassing – Michail Antonio’s goal celebrations (main pic) have sometimes been all of those-but they have become part of the game. Eventually, if we don’t guard against it, this game will become a pale, sanitised and BORING spectacle that we all fall out of love with.
Former West Ham striker and Premier League legend Ian Wright was his usual forthright self on twitter / x professing that his own celebrations would have landed him in hot water: You can see for yourself what he means- his twitter / x is attached. The Premier League take this out of the game at their peril.
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They would be calling for me to be locked up!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 VAR already taking away the celebrations and now this! Kmt https://t.co/mKmbybEDZK pic.twitter.com/D8ohr9IG7I
— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) February 5, 2025
What a load of PC rubbish…….Haaland dealt with the crap dished out to him by just getting on with it and as a fan its fun to give opposition players pelters during the game and its fair game if they give it back…i remember the hell we were giving Chris Waddle back in his Newcastle days mainly about his hair and that oh so forgettable duet with Glen Hoddle lol…he got it for the whole game and in a minute we got it shoved back at us when he broke the offside trap clean through on goal we all watched in silence as he stroked the ball home and ran around hand cupped to his ear waving…as a crowd you just thought B****cks but you accepted it as it was his right to give as good as he got.
So the Premier league needs to sort out it’s refs more than players who celebrate because what you do one week will come bite you the following one and that is part and parcel of the game…..having someone score and just simply nod and go back to the centre circle is just nonsense.