I note that events concerning the tribute act, currently ranked the 14th most-successful club in Scotland are hugely concerning my esteemed friends in the Scottish Football Writers Association.
A Mr Alistair McCoist, the manager of the tribute act has tendered his resignation, and is embarking on working his 12-months notice period. This development has driven the SFWA and the other so-called sports writers and commentators in the mainstream media in Scotland into a frothing lather of speculation, as to: what is happening; what is really happening; who will take-over; when that take-over will occur.
As a result of this frenzied speculation, several huge Scandinavian forests will shortly bite the dust to produce the newsprint, the internet above Scotland will go into melt-down - and the tribute act will continue to embarrass all those who believe it to be the continuing Glasgow Rangers FC. These believers, apparently now include the movers and shakers within the SFA, who have "fined" the tribute act £250,000, in respect of the somewhat dubious Employee Benefits Trusts which were run by the former Rangers FC (1872-2012).
Now, since received wisdom has it that Mr Peter Lawwell, CEO of Celtic FC is also in fact, if not in positions, The Honcho within Hampden, this seems to indicate Celtic FC believes the tribute act to be the continuation of Rangers. Quite how Mr Lawwell sells this to the more-exciteable members of the Celtic Family, is another matter.
Now, since received wisdom has it that Mr Peter Lawwell, CEO of Celtic FC is also in fact, if not in positions, The Honcho within Hampden, this seems to indicate Celtic FC believes the tribute act to be the continuation of Rangers. Quite how Mr Lawwell sells this to the more-exciteable members of the Celtic Family, is another matter.
This, alas, is what the football world in this tiny corner of the planet has become. In the real world, had Mr McCoist been judged on his stewardship of a garage, or a shop, rather than a football club - he would have, lang syne, been shown the door. His business plan has been totally flawed, his signings have, by and large, not worked; yes, he has guided his team to back-to-back league titles, but, given the fact in those two leagues, he was in charge of a highly-paid FULL TIME squad of players, facing part-time opponents, can he honestly say: "We won these leagues as convincingly as we should have".
Of course, the entire farago around the tribute act is not soley of McCoist's doing. If the supervision from the technical area has been adject in its poverty, it is a beacon of excellence compared to the oversight from the board room.
The entire shambolic tribute act is a blight on Scottish football. "Rangers" got lucky in being allowed to continue after the mismanagement of the Murray Years and the alleged criminal activity of the subsequent owner(s).
Maybe the glorious past of "REAL" Rangers should have been laid to rest back in 2012. I fear for the future - if indeed there is a future for what was once the leading institution in Scottish football.
SADLY, there is no show without Punch, and, the Punch and Judy nature of Scottish football demands - if Rangers (or the tribute act) is hogging the headlines, the Celtic has to come-up with a response.
This response has seen the misbehaviour of a small section of "The Greatest Fans in the World" causing Celtic some trouble with UEFA, something to do with flares or fire crackers being let-off at the club's last European tie.
The Celtic support's holier than thou stance has become somewhat tarnished, this is at least the fifth time in recent years that Celtic's following has embarrassed the club. Of course, the cry is always: "It wis jist wan guy, so it wis". Poor Juan Guy, the abuse he has had to take from the well-mannered, reasonable, great sports in the rest of the Celtic Family. Still, every family needs its black sheep.
However, after this latest call to face the beaks, Celtic officials have mounted a damage limitation exercise, claiming: "99% of our fans behave, it's that tiny one per-cent which lets us down".
Fair enough, but, let's do the sums. A choc-a-bloc Celtic Park, something I'm old enough to remember, holds 60,000 fans. Subtract the usual "away" support, of 7,500 and you have a Celtic following of 52,500.
One per-cent of that figure comes to 525 fans. Therefore, even Celtic accepts they have over 500 heid-cases in their following.
Or, if you're a cynic whose football affiliations perhaps lie elsewhere in Glasgow, one per-cent of the 200,000 alleged GTFITW who travelled to Seville, some 2000 fans, are potential trouble-makers.
I would say that is a huge problem for Celtic. And that's before we go into their employment of a player who racially-abuses opponents.
BUT, much though the Glasgow branch of the MSM in Scotland would like it to be so, Scottish football isn't all about Ulster culture which has crossed the North Channel.
Paul Paton of Dundee United, who, sadly for such a talented player, has made a habit of generating the wrong headlines during the second half of 2014, has just been banned for two games for spitting at opponent Johnny Hayes of Aberdeen.
Paton's and his club's protestations of innocence, I must admit. have failed to convince me. On the evidence of the BBC footage of the incident, as I saw it - the boy spat.
Now, the camera can lie, but, to me, it looked as if he spat.
If he did, a two game ban is paltry, and, he got off lightly.
SADLY, there is no show without Punch, and, the Punch and Judy nature of Scottish football demands - if Rangers (or the tribute act) is hogging the headlines, the Celtic has to come-up with a response.
This response has seen the misbehaviour of a small section of "The Greatest Fans in the World" causing Celtic some trouble with UEFA, something to do with flares or fire crackers being let-off at the club's last European tie.
The Celtic support's holier than thou stance has become somewhat tarnished, this is at least the fifth time in recent years that Celtic's following has embarrassed the club. Of course, the cry is always: "It wis jist wan guy, so it wis". Poor Juan Guy, the abuse he has had to take from the well-mannered, reasonable, great sports in the rest of the Celtic Family. Still, every family needs its black sheep.
However, after this latest call to face the beaks, Celtic officials have mounted a damage limitation exercise, claiming: "99% of our fans behave, it's that tiny one per-cent which lets us down".
Fair enough, but, let's do the sums. A choc-a-bloc Celtic Park, something I'm old enough to remember, holds 60,000 fans. Subtract the usual "away" support, of 7,500 and you have a Celtic following of 52,500.
One per-cent of that figure comes to 525 fans. Therefore, even Celtic accepts they have over 500 heid-cases in their following.
Or, if you're a cynic whose football affiliations perhaps lie elsewhere in Glasgow, one per-cent of the 200,000 alleged GTFITW who travelled to Seville, some 2000 fans, are potential trouble-makers.
I would say that is a huge problem for Celtic. And that's before we go into their employment of a player who racially-abuses opponents.
BUT, much though the Glasgow branch of the MSM in Scotland would like it to be so, Scottish football isn't all about Ulster culture which has crossed the North Channel.
Paul Paton of Dundee United, who, sadly for such a talented player, has made a habit of generating the wrong headlines during the second half of 2014, has just been banned for two games for spitting at opponent Johnny Hayes of Aberdeen.
Paton's and his club's protestations of innocence, I must admit. have failed to convince me. On the evidence of the BBC footage of the incident, as I saw it - the boy spat.
Now, the camera can lie, but, to me, it looked as if he spat.
If he did, a two game ban is paltry, and, he got off lightly.
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