Tuesday brought two major events in British football. American rapper Snoop Dogg, as a co-owner of Swansea City, was rapturously welcomed by a record crowd, celebrating his team's dramatic draw with Preston. Meanwhile, in Scotland, Celtic's manager Martin O'Neill launched a sharp attack on the VAR system after the club's appeal against Auston Trusty's red card was rejected, sidelining the defender for key league matches.
The presence of the American hip-hop star in South Wales dominated the atmosphere around the Championship match. Snoop Dogg, who invested in Swansea City last summer, appeared at the Swansea.com Stadium for the first time, straight after the conclusion of the Milan Games. The rapper orchestrated a special display, asking fans to wave white towels – a tradition in American sports – during his seven-minute lap of honor before the match. A record attendance exceeding 21,000 spectators witnessed not only the musician's show but also sporting drama. Although Preston North End led through a Daniel Jebbison goal, the hosts managed to equalize in the 95th minute thanks to a Liam Cullen strike. The visit was accompanied by unusual circumstances: the visiting manager, Paul Heckingbottom, stated after the match that there was a distinct smell of marijuana in the stadium tunnel, a clear sign of the celebrity's presence. Snoop Dogg has become part of a growing trend of American celebrity investments in British clubs, pioneered by the success of Wrexham under Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.Completely different moods prevail in Glasgow, where Martin O'Neill publicly criticized the Scottish federation and the video review system. The cause of the conflict is the red card shown to Auston Trusty in the match against Hibernian. Despite Celtic's appeal, the suspension was upheld, meaning the American defender will miss three crucial fixtures, including the prestigious clash with Rangers. O'Neill called the appeals process „worthless” and described the <przypis title=