BEING the captain of an Old Firm club comes with responsibility and Scott Brown’s celebrations on Sunday were not needed.

All players have a responsibility on the park and as a captain you have more than anyone else.

I realise that emotions are running sky-high and he has just beaten his biggest rivals. But to goad the Rangers support is not right.

I remember when I was playing, the police would come in before the game and say they would monitor your comments and social media and we were told not to provoke or interact with the opposition fans.

If you did, they could make an example of you. That was their warning of what was and wasn’t acceptable before, during and after.

I haven’t been in the Old Firm fixture for a while now, but I don’t think that would have changed.

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I don’t think you can really defend Andy Halliday in all of this. If the police give out that advice, then Andy doesn’t need to go over and pour petrol on the situation rather than letting people calm it down.

I am sure Scott Brown will be delighted with all the attention that he has got but he has got to reflect and realise that he shouldn’t be doing that as captain of Celtic.

He has been a very successful skipper, won loads of trophies and been Player of the Year so, in my opinion, he should be rising above it.

He has played well in the game, beat his title rivals, so there is no need to rub their noses in it like he did at the full-time whistle.

When Rangers won at Ibrox in December, Steven Gerrard’s side didn’t feel the need to go and celebrate in front of the Celtic fans.

There are 800 Rangers supporters in a crowd of 60,000. And Scott Brown picks the one per cent of Parkhead to stand with his arms out in front of and then gesture towards. It is clear what he is trying to do.

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I don’t know if the powers at be will step in and do something about it or whether they feel it is worth looking at or commenting on. Is it enough to merit disciplinary action?

Maybe it has to come from the police and they have to remind him of his responsibilities he has got. Especially surrounding Old Firm games when tensions and the rivalry is heightened already.

You have 22 guys on the pitch that have passion and adrenaline running through their veins and it is hard to control your emotions and keep it all in check.

Alfredo Morelos couldn’t and got sent off. Ryan Kent didn’t and hit out at Brown. But they don’t have the experience of the Celtic captain.

He has played in more Old Firm games than anyone else on the pitch and, with that armband, there is responsibility on his shoulders. That means you shouldn’t be goading or antagonising opposition supporters.

I am not saying if you win a game of football you can’t celebrate, of course I am not. Rangers do it, Celtic do it, Motherwell do it.

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But Scott stepped over the line on Sunday, especially in what is a cauldron of hate, really, in an Old Firm game when fans are already wound up and emotional.

When it comes to these fixtures and the fall-out from them, everyone has to have a look at themselves and think about their behaviour and their responsibility.

The teams will play again in a couple of weeks and Rangers will be hurting, they will want to right the wrong. But the most important thing is doing your talking on the pitch.

I can see the fourth game being very fiery after the season we have had. It will be a real battle and Rangers will be desperate to win it.