The Celtic statement yesterday was measured and forensic.
However, in one sense it is very little and many years too late.
In the summer of 2012 the extent of the cheating carried out by the original Rangers was very clear.
Moreover, the people on the 6th floor at Hampden were trying to drop the new Ibrox club into the top flight.
Indeed, Neil Doncaster, then the chief executive of the Scottish Premier League (SPL) stated that “there is no mechanism for what we are trying to achieve”.
That was a pretty frank admission that they were making it up on the hoof in order to shoehorn the Ibrox brand into the SPL.
Fortunately for the chaps at Hampden, the local media had the same objective.
The Stenography Corps wanted a Rangers, any Rangers, in the top flight so that they could use the term “Old Firm” in every piece.
They had dined at David Murray’s table and called Craig Whyte a “billionaire”.
Therefore, it was no surprise when they gushed about Charles of Normandy.
Everything was in place for a crime against sporting integrity to be inflicted upon the national game in Fair Caledonia.
Only the Scottish Spring, led by the late great Turnbull Hutton, prevented this appalling stitch up.
Consequently, the new club started at the bottom of the professional game in Scotland.
My sense of it at the time was that although the Celtic fans were cheering about the death of Rangers, not everyone in the boardroom at Parkhead saw it the same way.
This year Resolution 12 will be seven years old.
As you read this the Celtic board are sitting with prima facie evidence that Rangers should not have been awarded a UEFA licence for season 2011-2012.
All road in this story leads to the 6th floor of Hampden.
Consider this, what would Fergus McCann have done if he had the same documentation on his desk?
Two words spring to mind:
“Jim Farry”.
Indeed, the Bunnett would not have had to wait for shareholders to table a resolution at the AGM before going to law.
Moreover, the requisitioners would not have had to endure years of meetings with senior club employees where something is always just about to happen.
So in with all that water under the governance bridge complaining about a particular referee does seem very late in the day.
If you turned a blind eye to a blatant attempt to bend the rules of the game out of shape to suit the Ibrox brand in 2012 then the conduct of a referee in 2018 is rather a small matter.
So yesterday the Celtic board asked for directions to Galway.
As the story goes, if I was going there, I wouldn’t start from here!
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Very interesting article from Waddell in today’s Sunday Mail.
Whilst the rest of the media is doing hand stands at Rangers sharing points equality with the Champions, he’s actually highlighting the losses made by the new club since inception and that the addition of two highly paid EPL performers is definitely pushing the financial boat out.
It seems strange that he’s on a completely different path from his media mates and the timing is even stranger.
Is this a precursor to bad news, say Ashley popping up and more court appearances just around the corner?
He also raises the question of what happens when those writing the cheques for the soft loans can no longer find their pens?
Cries all around today for protection of the referees.
Of course that will be the same protection meted out to the Celtic players by Beaton in the face of the various Morelos assaults.
As we know Beaton will not be talking us through last week’s incidents because there is no explanation for his lack of action in response to the multiple sins of Morelos.
The pictures of him celebrating in his local Rangers supporting pub, no matter when the photos were taken, should have him renoved from his post immediately.
Unfortunately the secret society that runs Scottish football won’t allow that, in fact he is a stick on for this year’s Scottish Cup Final.
Fleming’s contribution to the paucity of our match officials continues to fly under the radar.
The one thing that the fans of all clubs can agree on is that in the Fleming years he has failed to produce one, just one, official who we can all agree is half decent.
Why is he still in situ after all these years when it’s clear that it’s not working?
Is he untouchable and, if so, why?
Beaton’s performance last week was disgusting. Specsavers are not getting value for money.
On the downside the antics of the Columbian clown will have done his valuation no good and only a desperate EPL club would take a chance on someone with an in built self destruct button.
I personally think we have one more than decent referee in Scotland, although it may be in spite of Fleming rather than because of him. I personally think Craig Thompson is an excellent ref. I would take him every day of the week. Does he make mistakes? Of course he does. He’s human. The man who’s NEVER made a mistake has NEVER made anything. Does he occasionally have an absolute stinker? Of course he does. Can anyone reading this put their hand on their heart and say they’ve NEVER had days at work – and I’m deliberately using the plural – where just about every decision they’ve made has been wrong? Days where you just know as soon as you burn the toast in the morning it’s going to be one shite day? I can tell you right now at the age of sixty three I’ve had more days like that than I could count. Have I gone out to deliberately fuck up? Of course I haven’t. Have I sometimes realised five minutes later that I fucked up and been able to fix it? Yes I have. Five minutes after a ref fucks up it’s too late to fix it. I firmly believe that Thompson is a decent guy and if he makes an “honest mistake”, that’s exactly what it is, an honest mistake.
Now, back to Beaton. I’m fairly sure that a couple of years ago he was the referee when we took five off sevco. I’m also fairly sure that he awarded us an early penalty in that match. Kind of knocks the sevco supporting orange bastard theory on the head. Was he possibly TOLD “Give them fuck all!” Given the history, both recent and long term, of the SFA, this would not surprise me one little bit. As I stated in a previous post I’m sure that the message has been put out, not even particularly subtly, the league run stops this season. The nightmare scenario for the SFA would be a repeat of 2012 and they will do ANYTHING THEY CAN to try to prevent it. Sevco are going for broke. If they don’t win the title this season and get at least a bite at CL qualification I think they’ll go bust. The very thought of that gives the SFA hierarchy the screaming heebygeebies.
Agree with you on Thompson. Would rather have him than one of the Fleming fast tracked products.
I’d forgotten that Beaton was the ref when Moshni barged the Albion Rovers goalie over the line in a Scottish Cup tie some years ago to earn Rangers a replay.
There was a former Rangers player in the TV studio, can’t remember who it was, who was gobsmacked that Beaton didn’t award the Rovers a free kick, so clear was the foul on the goalie.
No surprise when you see the photos of him celebrating in his Rangers supporting Bellshill local with his kin.
No surprise that the SFA/Fleming have failed to comment on the photos!
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Jeezus, I listened into every pundit on BBC sportsound today agree that Celtic are wrong and referees are precious, and this type of discussion shouldn’t be held in public, on the feckin radio. It’s almost like they were all told beforehand what to think, they wouldn’t be taken seriously as independent witnesses by any police investigation. Fake news, by any definition.
I think your appraisal of the club’s actions are spot on.
Either Beaton was cheating or he suffers from 90 minute blindness, take your pick.
Can you imagine the outcry if former refs Kevin O’Donnell or James O’ Hare had turned in a similar performance in a Celtic win then being pictured celebrating with Celtic fans in a Coatbridge pub?
The media would be in meltdown and they would have been sacked on the spot, much like they were back in the day when their faces didn’t fit in the SFA secret society!
Hail hail
I have to disagree with you that the statement is measured. It is restrained, but that is a different thing. To say that they are “surprised” imputes either the descriptor of incompetence or inconsistency to Beaton. But that is not the case. What we are talking about is conscious bias. Referees often make mistakes and act inconsistently across Europe. However, it is now time to raise the issue with UEFA and call it what it is. I thought it was just my imagination when watching Beaton interact with the Rangers players on the pitch, but clearly your second picture shows that you caught it too. Those micro interactions are on film and an expert witness would easily decipher their meaning (Lie to Me, right enough). It is time to either level the charge, in writing to UEFA/FIFA, or accept that this is going to continue in perpetuity.
My friends and I always end messages of various forms with the tag line “Keep the faith”
Faith is a spiritual principal, it requires the practical application of a set of actions, the main one for me is “Acknowledge you don’t always see the bigger picture”
Allow yourself to feel the frustration, keep the faith.
Allow yourself to feel the anger, keep the faith.
Allow yourself to stand with dignity especially in the face of adversity, keep the faith.
Brutal, it’s always been pretty brutal supporting Celtic, the emotional rollercoaster I go through daily is why I love the club. A club like no other.
This current phase can divert my attention, but, I’m keeping the faith.
What I suggest is that as we the supporters areally the ones paying them to stand our corner and we all know they ain’t then we should all send an email/letter to the club letting them know we have had enough of this s***e and if they don’t stand up for our great club and this means res12 then we will not be renewing our season tickets next season and I’m sure this would have them take notice and do what they are paid to do they done it in 2012 when we said if sevco were to be fast tracked to top league then thousands would boycott and look how long it took for them to open their gobs then HH
Celtic and Sevco really are two cheeks of the same arse.
“Gutless” is probably the kindest word i can find, to describe the Celtic Boards actions, from 2012 until now.
The word you are looking for is “INVERTEBRATE”
Phil…I don’t know if Mr. Lawwell reads your blog personally ( “and why wouldn’t he” says you…?)…but I’m sure that someone in his entourage does….and reports back.
That being the case…I hope that they report this back.
In the Official Club statement the word ” surprised ” is used (again) to convey our apparent disquiet at the outcome of the “Morelos” situation.
But if, indeed, the Board of our Club is “surprised” at the outcome….then they are the only people, connected to Celtic who are ” surprised “….as the rest of us were quite confident that the rules would be circumvented to ensure that no punishment would be forthcoming….As is usually the case with the Govan Club.
So might I suggest that when our leaders sit down with the Hampden Branch of the Sevco Supporters Club…
they drop the word ” surprised ” ….and consider alternatives…such as….
“Angry”….”Disgusted”….”Seriously perturbed”…or…” What the fuck is really going on here? ”
There is also the not insignificant situation concerning the Match referee and his public display of drinking in a Sevco pub.
Make no mistake…We are being humiliated …and its deliberate. So if the Club doesn’t act now to stop the rot at the top of our game…. then we are fecked.
This, to my mind, is our last chance to expose the corruption that exists…and get rid of it for once and for all.
Over to you Mr. Lawwell.
Can you imagine the outcry if the recent Rangers v Celtic game had been officiated by a referee with a perceived ‘Celtic leaning’ and had been ‘supported’ by 3 of the same ilk – not possible I know but just consider it, and had made the same decisions as Beaton but in favour of Celtic – Rangers players being assaulted off the ball etc and no action taken, and he was later seen drinking and laughing in a well known Celtic Watering Hole – yes just imagine. Kings statements are OTT and threatening, the Celtic boards are measured and lack bite, perhaps now is the time for them to ‘Do a Fergus’, it’s long overdue.
The time has come to stop pissing about and, while “diplomatically” calling the SFA into question, we should have our sights firmly focused on Dave King. He, alone, is what is dragging the game below gutter level. I get what the other “bears” are doing (quietly going about their business), but King is a rabble rouser who needs to be put back in his box, and shipped back to south of the Limpopo! I still have good contacts in the air freight, seafreight, and express courier business, so shifting this googly-eyed halfwit back to South Africa does not present a problem.
SPOT ON!!
I think it’s been clear for a long time that the current Celtic board are in alignment with both the SFA and media in terms of wanting ANY form of ‘Rainjuurz’ playing in Glasgow. This of course is firmly out of line with the feelings of not just the Celtic fans but the broader Scottish football-literate…
…But when did Celtic PLC last pay much or any attention to the views or feelings of supporters?
Joining the ‘statement club’ club won’t deflect the fans attentions from what needs to be done this window!
At any rate…. it will come to nothing and the media are alert to it with their bogus reports of threats against referee Beaton… they reallly do have all engines at full tilt to derail Celtics current run.
BTW … if I think back not too far – I believe that the most recent case of ACTUAL violence towards a referee was by a Sevco supporter.
To think back further to 2012 and while NO form of Rainjuurz would have been my preferred outcome…. my satisfaction at Sevco having to start in the 4th tier (being the right decision) has changed recently..
It might sound strange but I actually now feel that HAD they been allowed to join the premier league of the SPL/SPFL. in 2012 they would not be in the top tier now and possibly have already gone out of business.
By being allowed to start their ‘journey’…. they were able to take 4 years to cement the belief that they were the same club. 4 years to slightly up the quality of their players in order to secure promotion to the next division ( Hibs permitting).
4 years for the media to froth about ‘old firm’ meetings and the need for the ‘great institution’ to get back ‘where it belongs’.
We laughed at Swally pulling balls from the Brechin Hedge . We mocked their managerial turnover. We gorged on popcorn as Motherwell delayed ‘the journey’ and hibs dashed their Scottish cup hopes.
They managed their ‘journey’ badly…. imagine where they might be had they done it sensibly through youth development and financial prudence rather than paying 750000 to a 4th tier manager and making gung ho signings like Joey Barton and Kung-fu signings like Bilel Moshni?
I firmly believe now that had Sevco been admitted to the premier division … they would not be there now. Championship at best . Possibly league 1 , possibly gone the way of oldco..
In 2012 after the ‘walkaways’ had gone , they were left with youngsters and the no-hopers and with transfer embargo’s pinning them down.
They would have been relegation fodder from the outset and the set back of genuine relegation / demotion would have seen their season ticket sales reduce rather than grow season on season. In addition there would have been little or no squad improvement and most likely mid table ignominy or even another bottom of table relegation fight on their hands.
Further to this – I don’t think we would ever (or yet) have seen any interest from Mr Dave King as he was only interested once they’d climbed to the point where top flight football was a certainty.
While we all felt that some sort of justice was done back in spring 2012 … in reality it was just putting off the inevitable for 4 years and giving them time to ‘be Rainjuurz again’.
We know it’s not true but sadly we are a minority and when our clubs board is complicit in the deception !!!
Well is there ANY hope?
The same forces who have decided that the league run WILL stop this season whatever it takes, would NOT have allowed them to be relegated. Even if it had meant League Reconstruction.
What would Fergus McCann done about this !
Mr Lawwell and Mr Desmond surely that is a good barometer here !
The days of keeping your powder dry and sending the odd private letter off to the SFA and secretly showing the same to supporters leaders and bloggers copies are over !
Time to stand up to these corrupt bar stewards (SFA, SPFL, Oldco, Newco) and take the fight to UEFA, FIFA
What are we doing about resolution 12 ?
What are we doing about stripping the titles during the various iterations of the EBT years ?
What are we doing about the ongoing cheating by SFA officials and inconsistency ?
We could sit all day here and right about the roll of dishonour
Time for the leaders to lead !