Craig Levein suggests Scott Brown got booked against Kilmarnock to avoid Rangers ban
Thursday 8 February 2018 12:49, UK
Craig Levein has suggested Scott Brown got booked against Kilmarnock deliberately to avoid a ban for Celtic's match against Rangers in March.
Speaking after picking up a yellow card at Rugby Park - which rules him out of this month's visit of St Johnstone to Celtic Park - Brown said: "He has done his job, hasn't he?
"I was booked with my first foul and I think that is exactly what Craig was looking to do."
But Levein - who has also recently found himself embroiled in a spat with Hibernian boss Neil Lennon - suggested Brown got himself booked against Killie to ensure he would be free to face Rangers at Ibrox on March 11, live on Sky Sports.
"I'm not trying to irritate anybody. I'm just pointing stuff out," Levein said. "On that front actually, Scott Brown mentioned last week that he got booked because of me bringing attention to his proclivity to foul people.
"I disagree with that completely. If Scott didn't get booked against Kilmarnock last week and got booked against St Johnstone [on February 18] then he would have missed the Rangers game. I'll leave that to you to deduce.
"I'm just pointing out things that are obvious. I'm just pointing out as a retort to his statement last week that it was me who got him booked [against Kilmarnock]. I think you'll find that his intentions were always to get himself booked in that game so he didn't miss the Rangers game.
"That sort of thing happens all the time. Anybody who is sensible would look at the situation if there is a particular game they want to play in and know they need to get booked to miss a game prior to that. I did it myself when I was playing, so it happens.
"I don't know Scott's intentions but I'm just pointing out the fact. That's all."
