It is a truism that you learn more about people when things go badly for them as opposed to when it is all hunky-dory.
That general rule applies to groups as well as individuals.
Last night it was especially apparent when the news emerged that Alfredo Morelos would be banned for three matches.
This came on the heels of a two-match ban for Sevco netminder Allan McGregor for his…err… challenge on Lewis Ferguson at Pittodrie.
The keeper didn’t go over the ball in the challenged as he already had the ball!
The referee appeared to have a clear view of the incident at it was baffling that he took no action.
The amoral outrage of the Ibrox klanbase was quite something to behold as it viralled across social media.
Quite simply it was that rules were for little people, not The People.
This was the EBT mindset in the Twitter age.
The very idea that rules should apply to everyone without fear or favour is anathema to The People.
That which is cultural is not amenable to reason and their Herrenvolk sense of entitlement will not allow them to accept that equal treatment should be their lot.
Generations of corrupt preferment in the employment market in Fair Caledonia is not such a distant folk memory.
Consequently, the belief in a right to special treatment stubbornly refuses to budge from the klan’s collective consciousness.
When they see the basket of assets being awarded four penalties in one match then it is a reminder of how things used to be in the wider society.
Any suggestion that equality of treatment will now invade Planet Fitba has the klan beside themselves.
Of course, if anyone should be feeling aggrieved at the moment it is Aberdeen FC and their fans.
What SHOULD have happened during the match was that McGregor should have been sent off and a penalty awarded to the Dons at a crucial juncture in the contest.
Once more Sevco were the beneficiaries of yet another unfortunate officiating lapse.
The simple truth is that the basket of assets cannot get near Celtic in the league race without such random events falling for them during matches.
Last night Brendan Rodgers very diplomatically called out the…ahem…refereeing community in Scotland.
Essentially the Irishman said that there were too few of them and that they were amateurs.
Yes, he used the “A” word.
They are amateurs and Rodgers is the consummate professional.
Therefore, bringing in professionals from outside is undoubtedly a good idea.
The old employment practices on the Clyde were burst open when foreign multinationals came in and replaced the native-run businesses.
The bottom line as the priority of these meddling foreigners.
Consequently, any quaint notions of cultural supremacy in the workplace were binned.
The virus of merit was introduced.
Now it has taken a couple of generations, but the days when a peculiar handshake sealed the deal at a job interview is increasingly a thing of the past.
For the avoidance of doubt, the klan does not like this social progress.
While these changes were ongoing the old ways held on at Ibrox.
Indeed, the original Rangers had a discriminatory employment practice against Catholics that lasted longer than the Soviet Union.
The “What school did you go to?” scouting system at Rangers was a metaphor for Scotland for most of the 20th century.
When society moved on with outside help, the old ways at Ibrox took on more significance for the klan.
Bringing in outsiders to officiate at games and introducing technology like VAR will start to level the playing field.
It will reduce the habitat for Honest Mistakes.
None of this is a panacea to a problem that is essentially cultural, but it is necessary.
We know from the EBT decade that such a topography fills the klan with dread and that is the reason for the howls of outrage.
Most of us on Planet Fitba already knew that The People don’t fancy the future that much if it based on fairness and equality.
Last night we learned that The People now realise that such an appalling vista might finally be about to hove into view.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
With the outrage of the Ibrox fanbase at full throttle over Morelos and McGregor Gate, often topped up by a compliant media, they all appear to either ignored that the clock is ticking to the next round with Sports Direct and Big Mike, or they have stuck their fingers in their ears, closed their collective eyes and hoping that it just somehow goes away.
It’s amazing how not one of our hopeless media has adressed the merchandising deal and how the Ibrox club have managed to put themselves in this position.
Having already shelled out a couple of million to SD, King clearly stated in the accounts that the saga was at an end and no more would be heard from Ashley.
That turned out to be blatantly untrue and instead of coining in millions from the sale of kit the monies paid to SD and the legal costs will likely have wiped this out with the very real fear that there is more bad news to come.
Someone at Ibrox should have lost their job over this.
With SD retaining top legal advisors who are Rangers lining up to fight their corner in the coming court case?
Why is the Killie cup replay not taking place this week as there are no previous Killie/Rangers fixtures set for this week.
I see there is a full set of English Championship games set for Tues/Wed.
Is it a UEFA rule that no top league fixtures can be played anywhere in Europe when CL and Europa games are scheduled?
Shouldn’t matter if there was such a rule. It’s not a league fixture.
I wonder if Aberdeen dropped a hint to the SFA panel that they had time stamped photos of the damage to McKenna’s nether region that would find their way into the public domain therefore knocking straight on the head any notion of Morelos walking on the grounds that his actions didn’t meet the violence levels that the SFA randomly apply.
In a way Morelos having the red rescinded or downgraded to yellow then the photos appearing would have made certain people look very, very silly and with questions to answer.
I’d love to know the grounds of their appeal. The film footage was irrefutable. The only reason I can think of why they even bothered appealing was that they thought any hearing would not take place until this coming week thereby freeing More-or-less to play against Killie.
Memories of the late, great Rikki Fulton’s sketch of the interview with him and Rab C as the Rangers scout weighing up the prospects of signing the next great young thing till they found out he kicked with the wrong foot.
Still absolutely hilarious.
Having professional referees in Scotland will not make a blind bit of difference. As long as they come through the same system the same prejudices will exist. I also have to say, that other than improved fitness levels, I see no advantage in professional full time refs. Watching games south of the border, “honest mistakes” aside, I really don’t believe that the standard of refereeing is significantly better than ours. As for VAR, I’m all for it. Again though, it will not stop the vast majority of “honest mistakes”. It will not stop free-kicks being given against us for innocuous challenges in midfield. It will not win us justifiable free-kicks when our players are basically assaulted. It will not stop phantom corners and throw-ins being awarded against us, gifting possession to the opposition, or give justifiable ones to us.
If VAR were to be used to sort out all of the above, a match would last around 3 hours.
At least deliberate hand ball on the goal line would be reviewed and the correct decision eventually made.
These are the most important game changing issues that Celtic would benefit most from.
Wasn’t the importing from of refs tried before? Back in the late 80’/early 90’s when that lot used to actually challenge us.
Thought I recalled the drafting in of refs from the continent for derby games in Glasgow.
It wouldn’t be a first though,me being wrong I mean.
If this happens it’ll be a step in the right direction,but it’s a societal change that is really good needed.
If that were to happen I think you would see the end of them as a football power. In essence, without the benefits of the establishment team they would be the same as all the other teams and be bang average.
First they lost having the pick of all the youngsters coming through the ranks to play for the ‘Gers’. Then they lost having the financial advantage over everybody when they lost the Bank of Scotland printing press. If they now lose the “Association aid” (SFA & SRA) they will be finished. The other teams like Dons, Hearts, Hibs, Killie etc. are much better run clubs than them, because they had to be. And they will eat them for dinner!
Great piece Phil, you never know what’s around the corner, maybe the FFP can come into play. Hail Hail
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.
Celtic, both directly and indirectly, will benefit more than any other club in Scotland with the introduction of VAR.
Hi ghuys, Enti 1967…. employment of foreign referees was in the Lennon era, asking of Croppy Bhoy….Do you honestly think VAR will BENEFIT Celtic F.C.?
What would have been the outcome of the VAR review of the Josh Meekings hand ball on the line in the Scottish Cup semi-final?
Clear and obvious mistake. Penalty and red card and a Celtic treble that season.
Just one example of the kind of thing that even the Scottish football establishment could not prevent justice being done in.
I’m not saying that every dodgy decision against us would be overturned but even if just half of them were, just think about how many more games and trophies we would win.
Sevco would suffer the most as they would have had ‘winning’ goals like the one at Tynecastle this season disallowed.
Three of their penalties would have been overturned against Saint Mirren, the list just goes on and on!
Without a shadow of a doubt, the introduction of VAR would benefit Celtic more than any other club.
Which is why they will tell us it’s too expensive and will never be employed.