Some places are built to divide. They thrive on noise, suspicion, and the permanent feeling that someone, somewhere, is getting away with something. Loyalty hardens, paranoia grows, and every decision becomes proof of a long-held belief. In these environments, facts are rarely just facts. They are weapons, sharpened and aimed with intent.
History, when selectively mined, becomes fuel. Numbers stop being context and start being ammunition. And when a familiar voice with a microphone decides to lean into that chaos, the fallout is never accidental. It is calculated, theatrical, and designed to set rival fanbases at each other’s throats.
That is exactly what Kris Boyd has done.
Irritated by a yellow card shown to Julian Araujo and backed by VAR, Boyd did not merely question a decision. He lit the fuse. The Sky Sports pundit went digging through Celtic’s disciplinary history at Parkhead and emerged not with balance, but with insinuation so blatant it barely bothered to hide behind statistics.
His conclusion was clear: Celtic do not get red cards at home. And if they do, it barely counts.
“It doesn’t happen, does it? You don’t get red cards at Celtic Park for the home team in the Scottish Premiership.”
Not analysis. Not curiosity. An accusation dressed up as research.
Boyd gleefully told listeners how far back he had to crawl to find a dismissal, as if uncovering some dark secret everyone else was too scared to mention.
“I actually did my research yesterday because I had to go back that far to try and find it. Incredible, eh?”
And then the punchline. The one designed to make Rangers fans nod furiously and Celtic fans see red.
“That game was done as well. 4–1. Ninety-four, ninety-five minutes. David Turnbull sent off.”
Message received. If Celtic ever do get punished at Parkhead, it is when it no longer matters. According to Boyd, justice only arrives once the damage is already done. Anything else? Apparently unthinkable.
This is not subtle. This is not accidental. This is a former Rangers striker, now a national broadcaster, openly nudging the age-old narrative that Celtic are protected, cushioned, and refereed by a different rulebook. He knows the reaction it provokes. He knows the fury it stirs. And he knows exactly who it energises.
What makes the spectacle even more damning is the contrast with those actually involved in the incident. Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin, whose player was on the receiving end of Araujo’s challenge, offered an assessment grounded in reality rather than hysteria.
“I thought the Celtic defender was a little out of control if I am honest.”
Measured. Direct. No conspiracy. No grand theory.
“VAR seemed to skim over it pretty quickly. I don’t think there was a call for the referee or anything.”
And then the key line Boyd conveniently ignores.
“If they are satisfied with that, then it’s fine.”
That should have been the end of it. Instead, Boyd chose escalation. He chose to pour petrol on the oldest fire in Scottish football and walk away smiling as it spread.
This is punditry by provocation. Outrage farming disguised as insight. A deliberate attempt to keep grievances alive and tribal anger boiling. Rangers fans will see confirmation of everything they have ever suspected. Celtic fans will see a bitter rival screaming bias because he cannot accept dominance.
And Sky Sports? Silent, as one of their most visible figures casually undermines refereeing integrity with a smirk and a stat pulled from the shadows.
If this kind of rhetoric were aimed at a top English club week after week, there would be uproar. Here, it is waved through as “banter” while supporters on both sides are left snarling at each other, convinced the game is rotten.
Boyd knows exactly what he is doing. This was never about a yellow card. It was about drawing battle lines, reopening wounds, and reminding everyone that in Scotland, the loudest voice is often the one least interested in fairness.
Mission accomplished.
