Scott Brown labels Broony celebration 'worst booking of my life' as Celtic hero opens up on brutal El Hadji Diouf troll
Scott Brown has joked that his booking for a celebration in the face of Rangers nemesis El Hadji Diouf was the worst of his career.
The Celtic hero curled home a superb leveller against Rangers at Ibrox back in 2011, before turning stony faced to Gers' loanee Diouf with his hands outstretched in a celebration that became iconic with Hoops fans. Brown and Diouf had been embroiled in battles on the park, with the former Celtic skipper admitting previously: "I really didn't like him, I don't know what it was. He had that little bit of arrogance about him as well. I think he wanted to wind me up as much as what I wanted to wind him up."
Despite the Broony celebration becoming iconic with fans in Glasgow's east end, Brown - now manager of Ayr United - labelled it the worst of the 145 cautions he collected during his glittering Celtic career. Speaking to BBC Scotland, he said: "I couldn't believe I was shooting, I don't know what I was doing so far up the park at that time. It was even worse because Mark Wilson was further up the park than me.
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"To be fair it (the celebration) couldn't have happened to a better person. It's the worst booking of my life actually, getting booked for standing and putting my arms out. That's poor, that. You end up playing the last 10 or 15 minutes on a tightrope again, especially at Ibrox as well. It's always hard." When James McFadden quipped: "I'm sure you've done that before," Brown laughed and responded: "For 90 minutes usually, set the tone early doors Faddy."
Brown's goal was the final in a pulsating 2-2 Scottish Cup draw at Ibrox on February 6 2011, in a typically bad-tempered derby where both sides finished with 10 men. Jamie Ness gave Rangers a third minute lead which was quickly cancelled out by Kris Commons' strike. A penalty from Steven Whittaker - now assistant manager to Brown at Ayr - restored Rangers lead with Fraser Forster also sent off. But Brown's curling effort levelled things before Rangers saw Steven Naismith red carded.
Celtic won an equally bad-tempered replay 1-0 against nine man Rangers and went on to lift the Scottish Cup against Motherwell - but Diouf would have the last laugh that season, as the Senegalese winger went on to help Rangers win the SPL title by a single point.
