THE thing about tribute acts is, they fill a need. The real Rangers probably died when Sir David Murray and Graeme Souness decided to sign Mo Johnston - the first openly acknowledged Roman Catholic to play for the club.
That SHOULD have drawn a line under the old archly-Protestant Rangers Ra Peepul. Triumphalist, underlining the "right" of the skilled pro-Unionist Presbyterian Scot to rule the roost up here, at least in football.
Post-Mo, things started to change. Of course, some die-hards objected and are still objecting, to what they saw as the death of one of their club's "traditions" being under-mined. Yes, of course, there have been changes - for instance some old Rangers men probably burled in their graves when Lorenzo Amoruse, an Italian Roman Catholic was appointed Rangers manager. But, today, there is still a hard core of "traditionalists" who would far rather watch a Rangers team of 11 Protestant Scotsmen than the current multi-national team. Others might not be happy with Roman Catholics, or Muslims, wearing the famous blue strip, but, as long as Rangers keep winning, they will put up with things.
On the opposite side, there are Celtic supporters who view the signing of Mo-Jo as pandering to a "traitor", and who see the all-embracing Rangers of today as window dressing. They still hate Rangers, as Rangers supporters hate Celtic, but, they would maybe hate them more if they were still the Rangers of old.
Other Celtic supporters take every opportunity to rubbish the continued use of the Rangers name. "Your team's deid", they tell the continuing Peepul.
That may be correct, however, if it looks like a duck, waddles like a duck and quacks - the chances are, it's a duck. By that yard stick, the "Rangers" which will play in the SPFL Championship next season can be regarded as Rangers-continuing. Certainly, they are keeping the Rangers brand alive.
I tend to treat this Rangers as a tribute act. They dress the same, they play in the same stadium, but, I don't think they had the standards and ethos of the pre-SDM Rangers, good and bad though these standards might have been.
However, one thing you never see with a tribute act is, one of the originals still playing. While there may be litigation and arguments along the way, were Sir Paul McCartney and/or Ringo Starr to go back on the road as "The Beatles", nobody would see the group as anything but The Beatles, even though there is no way John Lennon or George Harrison could be up there. In pop music, unless two memebers of the originals are fronting competing groups, under the same name, the group with the foremost original member still strutting his stuff is seen as the real thing.
That's how it works on the live entertainment, recording, side of the entertainment industry. It's not the same on the football side of things. So, bringing back Kenny Miller (again), to my mind, does not give legitemacy to the Rangers tribute act.
They wear the same strip, they play in the same stadium, they still attract much the same level of committed supporters, but, for me: until they get back to being an essentially Scottish team, bringing through Scottish-reared players, this currnt Rangers will not be the real thing, and, bringing back Kenny Miller, who, for all his talents, is yesterday's man. doesn't make them any more legitemate.
WHILE Rangers are looking backwards, Celtic are looking ahead, with Ronald Dhal (I think) seemingly set to be the next manager at Parkhead. Well, it's a good choice - much of the Celtic Family's back story has been distorted by fairy tales and distortion.
He's certainly a left-field appointment, but, the new guy, should he take the job, brings an impressive CV, a good track record and, he should be good for the club and hopefully for Scottish football.
MEANWHILE, elsewhere, maybe the Hibs fans should re-think their plans to get rid of Rod Petrie. He has made a good appointment in taking Leann Dempster to Easter Road, just as, in the past, he has appointed some (on paper) good managers at the club, with devastating lack of results.
Petrie has, for my money, been a good steward at the club. However, that's what he is, a steward. The real power in Leith resides with my old mucker Tommy Farmer.
Shouting "Petrie Out", no matter for how long and how loud, will not move Tommy. For as long as TF has faith in Petrie, Rod is safe.
IF the Hibs fans genuinely want rid of Rod, they have to persuade TF that there is someone out there who could do a better job. And, that will not be easy, and perhaps not possible.
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