A Skelping For Rangers, But Not Even A Ticking-Off For OBFA

RANGERS had their earses well and truly skelped at Parkhead on Saturday. There really is nothing even the staunchest, loyalist member of Ra Peepul could say in mitigation. They got handed a lesson on how far behind their old rivals they are.

A period of silence, contemplation and probably a new approach is called for from the men running the club, both in the Ibrox corridors of power, and on the ground at whatever Murray Park is called these days.

The win has more-or-less guaranteed another title for Celtic. The psychology of Scottish football now being: they two are better than us, so, we are playing for third. Now Celtic has shown who are the masters, I do not see Aberdeen or Hearts coming through to challenge them. This domestic primacy, however, will not, I suspect, mean much in Manchester, Barcelona or Monchengladbach.

The fans were praised for their behaviour. Well if one lot being up to their knees in Fenian blood – again – and the other lot hanging effigies of someone on the end of a rope, in a week when the brother of a well-known Rangers fan and former player hung himself, is not offensive behaviour at football – then I do not know what is.

We all know, invoking strict liability on their fans' behaviour is the answer to most, if not all, the bad behaviour inside football grounds, but, we also know, Scottish football as a whole will not do this.

Can I make a suggestion? The Scottish government is being asked to at best amend, at worst scrap OBFA. Why don't they suggest, nicely, to the SFA and the SPFL: “You bring-in, THEN ENFORCE, strict liability, and we will suspend, pending scrapping, OBFA.

“We run a two-year experiment, if it works, OBFA is scrapped, if not, we toughen it up”.

The Scottish government might also add: “If you do do something, we will look at putting more government money into football – do nothing, we will do something”.

If the haddies among the High Heid Yins continue to drag their feet, then hell mend them.

A FAIRLY significant result passed, almost without notice or comment on Saturday. Scottish Junior Cup holders Beith beat West Superleague Champions Auchinleck Talbot 3-0 in a William Hill Scottish Cup second qualifying round tie on Saturday.

The match was at Beechwood Park. I cannot remember when last Talbot lost at home by three clear goals. Well done wee John Miller and his men. However, I fear for the rest of the West Superleague clubs, a wounded 'Bot is a very dangerous side indeed.