My thoughts on Diouf

El-Hadji Diouf. Never before have three words provoked such a gigantic backlash in Scotland. Well, aside from "fucking POLL TAX?!"

Now, I am a Celtic fan, but I am going to try and write as neutrally as possible. So firstly, let me outline Diouf's crime count as quickly as possible:

Motoring offences. Several. Unconfirmed reports that it was he who caused Princess Diana to crash in Paris.
Spitting offences. Many. Coca Cola are thinking of contacting him to use his saliva as their new bottled water following the forced withdrawal of Desani.
Racial abuse. Calling a boy "white." Sources state he was accurate, however ball boy takes offence.
Abusing cripples and encouraging fucking legs. A strange fetish.

Now, if there had just been one or two incidents of note, or it had merely been motoring offences, we could perhaps overlook it. However, Diouf's previous misdemeanors are extensive and troubling. Spitting on an 11 year old fan is particularly reprehensible, and I assume universally condemned by anyone with half a brain. I cannot deny, Celtic have signed players in the past with interesting back stories - Roy Keane being a prime example, however there is something particularly distasteful about Diouf - possibly the fact that his offences are so varied, or simply so numerous, that it seems he simply does not learn his lesson.

His signing represents a huge risk by Rangers. I actually (whisper it) have a lot of time for Walter Smith, despite his walking out on Scotland - were I Scotland manager and Celtic had come in for me, I would have acted in exactly the same way. Smith is a shrewd manager, he has managed troubled, yet talented players in the past, and obviously thinks he can encourage Diouf to keep his head down and showcase his undoubted talent. However, the question I ask is this - is Scottish football not in a poor enough state as it is, without allowing players such as this into our clubs? With supporters already under intense scrutiny, Old Firm games being a cauldron of hatred already, there is surely a higher than average chance that Diouf could respond in ways he has shown he is capable of in the past, and enrage fans further?

I hope I am wrong, and that he keeps his head down and sticks to the football. But I am of the opinion that a tiger never changes his stripes, and that his signing could be a huge step in the wrong direction for Rangers, the SPL and Scottish football as a whole.