HAVING never actually been a staff journalist on a Glasgow-based newspaper which is distributed right across Scotland, I have no notion of the pressures under which the poor dears operate.
Any stuff I wrote for the Glasgow titles - Herald, Sunday Herald, Evening Times, Record, Sunday Mail, Sun, New of the World (when still going), Sunday Times or Times (Scotland), Daily Express, Daily Star Scotland or Daily Mail, or for The Scotsman in Edinburgh was done on a freelance or contract basis.
I never knew the joys of being a sub-editor, sitting at a Sports Desk in Kinning Park, in that lull between first and second editions, when, one half of the Old Firm having surprisingly lost to one of the 40 "diddy" teams, 'The Mad Geordie' as Sports Editor Steve Wolstencroft was known, would say something like: "Right Lads - who are we gonna destroy tonight"?
Steve and his team would then, I am told by one who was there, systematically destroy: the OF goalie who boobed; the defender who got red-carded; the striker who missed the sitter or the manager who got his tactics wrong.
Thus, in the morning, Ra Peepul, or the Celtic Family would nod sagely, or burt a blood vessel in disagreement; the agenda for the next two days had been set - it was all about the Old Firm, the two clubs who are still today living up to that great quote from Oscar Wilde:
“There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” - Oscar Wilde.
Over a century has passed since the dear old queen came up with that belter, and, still today it is a rule of thumb for the Bigot Brothers. They have this entitlement, to be the bill-toppers, the main attraction, and God help any of the diddy teams what tries to usurp their hegemony.
So, here we are, at the start of March, 2016. With 28 of the 38 rounds of games in the Ladbrokes SPFL Premiership played, Celtic still haven't opened-up a clear water lead over their pursuers. In their last two fixtures, they have drawn with fifth-placed Dundee and with tenth-placed Hamilton. Cue outrage from The Greatest Fans In The World; how has this been allowed to happen, sack that useless Norwegian, this is disgraceful.
Let's be clear. This current entity is NOT a good Celtic team. If I was asked to pick a composite Celtic team from those players I have seen wearing the hoops, going back over 50-years, well, the only one who would get near it would be Craig Gordon - on known "at his best" capabilities, rather than the sometimes uncertain goalkeeper we have seen this season.
Celtic have been more vulnerable during the absence of any kind of "Rangers" since the Oldco were wound-up and Sevco shoe-horned into the bottom tier. Without the old enemy to keep them focused and honest, Celtic have become slip-shod.
And still, the rest have failed to properly challenge them. The last time Celtic were this bad, between their double win in 1954 and the return of Jock Stein in 1965, they finished: second, fifth, fifth, sixth, ninth, fourth, third, fourth, third and eighth in the league.
In that period, they won just two trophies - the League Cup, twice, beating Partick Thistle 3-0 in 1956 and with that 7-1 "Hampden in the sun" glory day against Rangers a year later, (the 1965 Scottish Cup win was under Stein),. They also lost another League Cup final, and two Scottish Cup finals in that time - one of these to Clyde in 1955, the other to a Stein-inspired Dunfermline in 1961.
During these Wilderness Years, in addition to the larger non-Glasgow clubs (Aberdeen, Dundee, Hearts and Hibs) who might be expected to challenge the Old Firm - Raith Rovers (in 1957), Motherwell and Airdrie (1959), Clyde and Ayr United (1960), Third Lanark (1961), Partick Thistle (1963)Dunfermline and Clyde (1965) all had season when they finished above the Hoops. Lest we forget, between 1960 and 1965, Kilmarnock (second, second, fifth, second, second and first) and Hearts (first, seventh, sixth, fifth, fourth, second) were seen as the clubs best-placed to halt the Rangers steamroller.
In that decade, (1955-1965), sure, Rangers won six League Championships, but, Hearts won two and Aberdeen, Dundee and Kilmarnock one each. Clyde, Falkirk, St Mirren and Dunfermline all won the Scottish Cup. There were just three Old Firm cup finals (League and Scottish Cups), there was a genuine challenge to the Old Firm - why not today?
Since the loss of the Old firm games, something has gone out of Celtic, as I wrote above, the rest have failed to keep them honest, and, that to me is the biggest regret about the whole sorry administration, liquidation, Sevco business. The had a chance to strike a blow against a weakened Celtic, and let's not beat about the bush, the rivalry gives the Bigot Brothers an individual and collective strength - they have thus far failed to take it.
If, somehow, Derek McInnes, can get his players focused, get them to BELIEVE they can bridge that four-point gap and win the league, they will strike a genuine blow for the betterment of Scottish football.
The Celtic crest cannot be far from being torn asunder in Scotland's newspapers
Mind you, the guys on the Glasgow sports desks, will still tell the tale as one of failure by Deila, of Celtic imploding, that broken crest visual will be pulled-up and used.Anything other than give Aberdeen some credit for maintaining interest in what, given the difference in resources between Celtic and the rest, should be a one-horse race for the title.
After all - news about the Old Firm, good or bad, sells newspapers.
And, just in case any of TGFITW think I am having a go at their heroes, if the boot was on the other foot, if Celtic had been liquidated and a Celtic Tribute Act was in the Championship, the same criticism would hold good.
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