Lawwell backs ban

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell has backed Gordon Strachan’s decision to impose a weekend city centre ban on his squad.

The Parkhead boss has banned his players from drinking alcohol at all during the week and from socialising in Glasgow during weekends.

The move comes in the wake of several high-profile incidents involving his players, most recently when Aiden McGeady was attacked outside a nightclub leaving him with facial injuries.

Young Irish defender Darren O’Dea was previously arrested following an altercation late at night in the city centre and coach Neil Lennon was hospitalised after he was attacked leaving a bar in the city’s West End.

Following talks with a four-man committee of first-team players, including captain Stephen McManus, Strachan announced his new rules the day before Sunday’s 2-0 Clydesdale Bank Premier League defeat by Hibernian at Easter Road and made it clear that any player caught breaking the rules would be hit with a hefty fine.

Lawwell believes Strachan has been left with little option but to curtail his players’ movements.

“It is a real pity that the manager has been forced to impose these new rules”, Lawwell told the Daily Record.

“But given the series of events involving attacks on our players in recent months he has been left with no choice.

“There has been a number of potentially serious attacks on our players and it is important that we respond to these by ensuring team members take all sensible steps to avoid putting themselves at risk of potential harm.

“The manager has discussed the new approach with the players.

“They realise what is being introduced is a matter of common sense with the players interests very much at heart.”

Meanwhile, Strachan will make changes to his side for Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Villarreal – and Hoops legend Frank McGarvey insists the first thing he should do is drop Artur Boruc.

The former Legia Warsaw keeper has struggled to find the form of last season amid a constant stream of negative off-field stories concerning his private life.

However, he reached a new low for this campaign at Easter Road when he allowed John Rankin’s 40-yard drive to slip though his grasp for an unlikely opener and the points were lost when Colin Nish grabbed the second.

McGarvey insists the Parkhead boss should use the game against Villarreal as an opportunity to bring in number two keeper Mark Brown.

He said: “Boruc has to be dropped for the game against Villarreal. He cannot be trusted any more. Rankin’s shot was from more than 40 odd yards out and had no real pace and yet it still beat him.

“He is losing Celtic points and they could be costly come the end of the season.

“I accept that Mark Brown’s not as good a keeper but he has to come in.”