Sharely You Wouldn't Invest In Them Now

I REMEMBER, back in my youth, when the Daily Express was a serious newspaper, and had the biggest circulation in Scotland, reading an article on shares, albeit in the Sunday, rather than Daily Express.

Rangers - Once a Safe Haven For Investment Funds

 

This article stated what was then one of the golden rules of share investment – there were certain shares you had to have in your holding; they would not perform spectacularly, but, if you had holdings in Rowntree, Rolls Royce, Rangers and Marks and Spencer, you would always have share income through the end of year bonuses.

Fifty and more years on, Rowntree is owned by the Americans, Rolls Royce by the Germans, Marks and Spencer's travails are a hardy annual for financial and retail writers to exploit and Rangers, whose AGM was held in Glasgow this morning – well, best not go there.

It has seemed this season that the boys who go to work up at Auchenhowie from Monday to Friday, then strut their stuff on the park on a Saturday at Ibrox and elsewhere and involved in an: “anything you can do, I can do worser” competition with the men in the expensive suits who make the big decisions in the board room.

Of course, he has an agenda, but, Phil Four Names – the Donegal Blogger – will never be short of readers for as long as the present board are in place at the head of the marble staircase, as a source of mirth and merriment. Indeed, the morbid fear of PMGB and the rest of the Celtic Family is that the Glib and Shameless Liar and his mob will be replaced by a competent board, who will invest the necessary cash in players, managerial staff and infrastructure which will mean the pendulum of Glasgow dominance swings back to Ibrox.

To those of us whose motto is: “A Plague On Both Their Houses”, there can be no-clearer evidence of Celtic's current dominance than the two penalties which Celtic have been awarded in their last two matches, both against Motherwell.

Willie Collum - Yet Another Controversial Penalty Decision

Neither was ever a penalty, any place other than the penalty box of domestic opposition against one half of the Old Firm. Both were awarded by Elite, FIFA-roster referees. If Craig Thomson and Willie Collum ever give such decisions in major European ties, I fear they will not be much longer on the elite list.

Poor wee Jonathan Watson, he will need to source some Knights of St Columba regalia should he ever again wish to reprise his Scottish Referees meeting sketch. Both decisions stunk to high heaven.

When Celtic need such a rank rotten decision in order to maintain their impressive unbeaten domestic run, you hope, you just hope, the “diddy” teams further down the league table will get a sense of belief, and realise – they can be beaten. But, I am afraid that is something of a forlorn hope. Generations of losses, with or without the assistance of poor refereeing has produced in Scottish football a sense of inevitability for the lesser teams and entitlement to win for their Old Firm opponents.

Some day, a Sports Psychologist will get inside the heads of a team of Scottish players and the status quo will no longer pertain. Roll-on that day, when the Bigot Brothers are just another couple of teams, our game will be better for this.

It got somewhat overshadowed in the passing, and via the penalty controversy in the Motherwell v Celtic game, but, that was a good, and much-needed, win for Rangers over Aberdeen last night. Poor Graeme Murty probably went home wondering where that performance had been hiding all season.

Sadly for the players – I am certain the stenographers will be more concerned with what is, or is not said, at the AGM.

Derek McInnes - He And His Men Have An Immediate Chance Of Revenge

But, there is no let-up for the players, who have to face Aberdeen again, at Pittodrie, on Sunday. Another win like last night's and, just maybe, the recovery is on. But, what an incentive for the Dons, to put yet another bad night in Glasgow behind them on home soil.

And, just to add grist to the mill, Saturday sees Celtic v Motherwell III, this time at Celtic Park – just who is in charge of fixtures at Hampden? This reeks of overkill.