QUIET WEIRD BUT BHOYS' FOCUS FIRM

Luke: Protests can't distract us

- BY GAVIN MCCAFFERTY

Keeper Raphael Sallinger secures a point for Hibs by throwing himself high to his right to make a super stoppage-time save from Celtic substitute Johnny Kenny's header

CELTIC PARK is often so loud a player can barely hear themselves think.

So it was a strange sensation for Luke McCowan on Saturday when he was able to pick up chatter from his Parkhead pals.

Hoops fans staged the first part of a silent protest against the club's board by remaining tight-lipped for the opening 12 minutes of Saturday's goalless Premiership draw with Hibs.

The plan is for another 29 minutes of hush in Thursday's Europa League teatime clash with Braga and then 32 minutes when Motherwell pitch up at Parkhead on the Sunday.

The stalemate with the Easter Road side did little to dim the background noise around a support raging at a poor transfer window and the general direction the club is going, with money in the back but a lack of quality on the pitch.

McCowan is well aware the frustration is aimed at the men in the suits rather than the Bhoys in the strips and he's also got enough family and friends in the Hoops support to know the script.

But the midfielder reckons the squad needs to shut out the sound of silence by doing their talking on the pitch.

McCowan said: "That's our full focus. What we're doing on the pitch is the main thing that we can contribute to.

"We just need to keep focused on ourselves. If the fans are doing whatever, that's on them. It's not in our control.