David L. Rosenhan’s seminal study on “being sane in insane places” published in the journal Science in 1973 was justifiably famous within the sociology world by the time I was an undergraduate over 40 years ago.
I have fond memories of discussing this ground-breaking study with my then Professor Laurie Taylor at York.
Some would allege that the academic was the inspiration for Howard Kirk in Malcolm Bradbury’s novel “The History Man”.
I was immediately drawn to the humanity of the situationist perspective as opposed to the dispositional analysis within the social sciences.
Rosenhan’s study was very much of the former approach.
I do not know if the Stanford Psychologist had been influenced by Ken Kesey’s novel “One flew over the cuckoo’s nest”.
At that point, it had yet to be adapted for film.
He certainly had been inspired after attending a lecture given by Scottish psychiatrist R. D Laing.
In Rosenhan’s study, his pseudo-patients were misdiagnosed as suffering from various mental disorders because of the situation that they were in.
It was the place that was crazy and not the people taking part in the experiment.
For obvious ethical reasons, a longitudinal study would have been impossible.
However, I suspect that a pseudo patient in that situation for a prolonged period of time would start to suffer the ill effects of being in such a disordered environment.
Dear reader, I believe that Planet Fitba has its very own insane place this summer.
The Blue Room.
This is a PR war fought on the back pages with the help of the Stenography Corps.
It must be a constant stream of upbeat pish about a rosy future.
That includes putative star players who will tip the balance in Glasgow.
Hence Hagi…
Of course, Sevco’s success is always in the future.
Those who want to continue believing this hallucinogenic pish should just keep taking the tabloids.
It must be a strange experience to be a grounded individual in there as those around you lose their dignified shit about 10 IAR.
Moreover, any protestations about how Celtic got to their second 9IAR can be dismissed as protesting too loudly.
The growing hysteria over 10IAR shows that the Sevco High Command and their klanbase accepts that the next one up is Planet Fitba’s version of La Decima.
Back in the day, the Bunnet was relatively relaxed about a financially doped Rangers team equalling Celtic’s 9IAR record.
Instead, he was burrowing down into the fundamentals of the business to, quite literally, lay the foundations for future success.
Since the new Celtic Park was constructed the Parkhead club have been on another level financially from their dysfunctional neighbours across the Clyde.
David Murray decided to match Celtic’s finances through a creative tax scheme.
You know the rest…
Of course, any successful business must have the ability to adapt.
The post-Coivd19 world will be unforgiving to those who pretend that it isn’t happening.
Consequently, I got in touch yesterday with a senior person in a topflight provincial club.
I was wanted to know what his views were on the finances of closed-door games for the rest of the calendar year etc.
His text back to me was as succinct as it was on the money:
“Every club bar Celtic has financial issues”.
Of course, there is ONE club that has to pretend to their customers that they are financially sound.
It is vital to keep the illusion going or the season ticket renewals might dry up if the Dunkirk Spirit kicked in.
Meanwhile, other clubs that made public pronouncements about the necessary austerity measures that are being forced upon them by the pandemic.
Leeann Dempster wasn’t indulging in hyperbole when she spoke of a “meteor” heading for Scottish football.
This is sombre stuff, indeed, and it is time to get real.
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
The Covid19 meteor will have an impact on the dinosaurs of Ibrox even if they pretend that it doesn’t apply to them.
In this new dispensation, the pretence of wealth can be a hazardous pastime when austerity is urgently required.
There must be times when the Serious Professional must think that he’s stumbled into an unethical experiment on cognitive dissonance.
Discover more from Phil Mac Giolla Bháin
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
During the 2nd World War, the RAF had a saying,’ beware the Hun in the sun’. Little did I think that in 2020, this saying would once again prove to be relevant. The stories emanating daily from Liebrox are bad enough, but the daily drivel in that rag, purporting to be a newspaper, and the embarrassing platitudes from bit part former players are cause for great merriment during this trying time. Also I noticed that they don’t seem to have players; everyone is a legend, a star or an icon. If that club were an animal, it would have been taken to the Vets long before now. Let us hope that they enter administration soon as they attempt yet another chase for a title that already has Celtic’s name on it.
The history books will hold the truth of Kingco’s saving Rangers.
No major trophy in nearly 10 seasons tells its own story, one of abject failure.
A poor start to next season and Stevie G is toast.
Must be time for Tavernier to unleash his annual ‘ lets do the treble’ call to the troops.
Another huge trading loss will follow the release of the annual trading results. Will be interesting to compare them with the 6 monthly fag packet calculations given to the SFA before they waived through the UEFA licence application.
I was wondering why interims appeared last year but not this and came to the conclusion that another 6 months interim profit followed by a huge audited loss might further provide embarrassment for the SFA licence chaps?
As if?
UEFA were in on the 5WA from the start. Regan shuttled back and forth to Nyon all through 2012.
“Pay the football debts, call them Rangers and we’ll turn a blind eye” – UEFA.
UEFA are as exposed as the SFA on Sevco.
FFP is smoke and mirrors to pretend the sport is governed when it’s a football mafia cash cow. UEFA know the SFA are fixing the financials to keep Sevco in the Europa League.
UEFA view it as propping up Scottish football, which is always close to collapse.
Can’t see that man city are ban for 3seasons
Breach of the FFp
Ken Kesey’s novel has been described as “a searing portrayal of the boundary between sanity and madness”. it seems the occupants of the Blue Room have stepped across that boundary and are marching, the deluded hordes in their wake, briskly in the opposite direction. They really are cuckoo. Time for some financial shock therapy, in Nurse Ratched’s opinion
I loved the TV adaptation of The History Man, with Anthony Sher as the priapic protagonist . He was a real piece of work, marking students down who didn’t submit essays of a Marxist bent, then at the end we learn he voted Tory in 1979. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest was another classic. I’m sure Kirk Douglas bought the rights and wanted to play the lead, but was overruled by young `Mikey and the part was given to Jack Nicholson.
I heard this Nicholson story from a guy who witnessed the event. This guy was having lunch in one of the big studios down south–Pinewood or Elstree. There was a film being made at the time and a member of the crew approached a diner who was playing a part in the film. He told the diner that an extra day’s shooting would be required.When the crew member had left the diner announced to all and sundry. ” Oh well, another day, another ten thousand dollars. My name’s Jack Nicholson.”
The SFA find it difficult to do their business Well under normal circumstances.
Add on top of that COVID19 and the serious Govt requirements, planning and cost to football and the SFA have an almost impossible task.
Add to that the fact 41 out of 42 clubs are skint and it becomes almost impossible.
On top of all that, we have Budge and her reconstruction madness at this time of all times. It’s clearly far too much for the SFA & SPFL to sort.
They cannot start planning for a normal 12 club Premiership startup with something different being a possibility. The SFA/SPFL must tell the clubs to decide by June 10th latest to enable selecting games and dates and venues and developing health and safety measures/mitigation’s.
In fact defer the whole reconstruction madness until after next season, after Covid19. We need common sense in Scottish football. Planning for a normal 12 team top league needs to start now.
The Championship will benefit economically with Hearts being there. It’s a good thing financially for the lower league clubs. Much needed in these times. Better if Sevco were there too. Any chance of a penalty relegation?
The bigger teams such as Celtic need their fixtures programme set ASAP as they are in 4 competitions and require early planning to fit it all in to an optimised plan. No coming home from Azerbaijan to face TRFC at Ibrox 48hrs later, then a cup game 48hrs after that in Aberdeen.
In all the hype surrounding the proposed transfer of young Mr Hagi – I say proposed because it can’t actually be completed until the window opens –
something seems to have slipped under the radar of the local hacks
The guy who went into Genk on loan as Hagi came to sevco was clearly rated a better player. They’ve just made his move permanent. One Eboue Kouassi. In other words, a guy who could not command a regular place on our bench is rated higher than the latest sevco galactico.
Operation ‘BillyBigBaws’ cannot be halted..
Once again they spend millions on a player they’ve had on loan and who failed to prove himself a footballer. Do they not realise the purpose of a loan? I suppose his dad can buy a Hun-TV package so he can watch him on the bench once football finally gets going.
I’ve asked Paddy Power for odds on them going under by end of November… must be well worth a punt?!?
Millions in salary to cough up in July/August
Zero income even once football commences
Mr Ashley still looming (they seem to think he’s gone away)
… but bringing in players who won’t be kicking a ball competitively for many months.
I think they’ve moved from deludamol to something stronger….
The next few months will be interesting for onlookers.
I already notice that with today’s EPL announcement that matches will start shortly on June 17, Sevco supporters seem to have quickly forgotten that Sevco voted against closed door games. It is Celtic, SFA, SPFL and everybody elses fault that the season ended early.
Of course we wanted matches played – so Phil please remind the Sevco – it was they who dod not want to play behind closed doors – effectively ending the season early.
Closed doors games are very bad financially for Sevco.
Celtic were ok with that end to the season-closed door matches.
Essentially, Celtic called Sevco’s bluff.
Allan, it’s not a question of them forgetting that their club voted to end the season, it’s more a question of they don’t believe their club actually did.
Big words like unanimous are too much for them to take in and our media monkeys have gone out of their way to avoid actually saying that Rangers voted along with the other 11 clubs as even the dumbest of fans would be asking why, whilst they are raising the roof moaning about Celtic’s 9 IAR.
It would appear that the Ibrox club has chosen the money released from the final SPFL hand out instead of staunchly sticking to their principles, as if, about bringing the season to an end.
Still not a peep about the threatened legal action, perhaps the prohibitive cost is a factor in that, so they will leave it to Hearts to raise that particular flag.
It’s amazing how the press have tip toed around Rangers voting with the rest of the clubs as if it didn’t happen.
That’s a story in itself that our sports media and their editors for reasons known only to themselves just won’t run with.
Rangers have spent weeks threatening this, that, whatever, talking tough to help boost their season ticket drive and when push came to shove rolled over and let the SPFL tickle their tummy.
Just like Dominic Cummings ‘principles’ Do As I Say Not As I Do.
Is “The Boris’ principle advisor a follower of the ibrox cult?
Spin, lies, deception, illusion and perception peddling merchants. Scotland.
There is only one football club in Scotland on a sound financial footing – CELTIC.
On Covid19 – The Scottish Govt tell us 2,316 people have died of the virus in the entire country up until today.
We must insist all 2,316 are named online with age and place of residence. Families deserve to know if their loved ones are listed officially. Or if officials are hiding the true numbers.
The war dead are listed precisely by name. Society knows the true numbers. We need the names of all CV19 dead. Is it really double, treble or more dead?
This isn’t enough:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-daily-data-for-scotland/
The 2,316 are known And are listed by health authority. Getting their names up online by health authority should be no more than an hour’s IT work.
Unless this is done there is no openness and honesty regarding the dead. They must be respected with their names, they were people from our communities not an anonymous set of numbers.
Indeed I call for a Covid19 wall of remembrance to be built with all their names on it. Set within a remembrance garden.
And if the families want to grieve in private???
The names of dead and cause of death, place and age are all legally public domain data in Scotland/UK.
It would take a researcher forever to try and find the 2,316 among all deaths.
Each of the 14 Scottish Health Boards needs to publish the names next to their anonymous numbers.
A journalist could write to all 14 health boards under freedom of information laws.
https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/statistics/2020/04/coronavirus-covid-19-trends-in-daily-data/documents/trends-in-number-of-people-in-hospital-with-confirmed-or-suspected-covid-19/trends-in-number-of-people-in-hospital-with-confirmed-or-suspected-covid-19/govscot%3Adocument/Trends%2Bin%2Bdaily%2BCOVID-19%2Bdata%2B28%2BMay%2B2020.xlsx
Typical Rabid SNP Charger trying to muddy the water, smelling a possible SNP stink?
Oh dear
Aye? I bet it’s nowhere near as strong as the absolute stench coming from Whitehall, where many experts believe deaths have been under reported by tens of thousands
Charger: Whitehall?
Whataboutery!!! The final argumentative refuge of SNP dullards. Mimicking their hacks in the Scottish gutter press.
Sorry pal. Read the shite you’re writing then ask yourself who sounds rabid. Isn’t it strange how Holyrood is ALWAYS fair game for extremists like you but criticising anything to do with Boris and his Eton cronies is strictly taboo. I bet you think poor Dominic is being picked upon. Do you get aroused when Boris stands up and tells bare faced lies.
I can just visualise your little face, incandescent with rage right now because someone dares to disagree with your Westminster Tory sympathies. You sad, pathetic little unionist.
Charles k, are you right in the head,what a shocking way to have a kick at the SNP government.You are as daft as the UK government trying to compare the situation with the 2nd world war,it is nothing like it, and if people behave sensibly we can get through this.I hope that by the start of 2021 we can get back to watching THE CELTIC at paradise.
The reported Hagi signing (which didn’t happen as the transfer window is not yet open) is simply a ploy to boost season ticket sales and a decoy to ease the concern that 6 senior squad members were released in the same week. The gullibles will swallow it hook, line and sinker whilst the rest of us will see it exactly as it is!
With all that you’ve mentioned, there still no mention of their audited accounts, which surely should bar them from taking part in European competition unless the SFA do what they did in regards to resolution 12 all those year ago, with no European money their demise hopefully sooner rather than later
With all due respect,
the ‘Serious Professional’ is now – very firmly – part of the problem in the Blue Room.
Most recently;
he was very publicly humiliated during the protracted, SPFL ‘dodgy dossiergate’ drama.
TRFC then lost their demanded, EGM vote – and rather convincingly.
…and yet he still sits on the SPFL Board today?!
No honour.
No self-awareness.
Just brass-neck it in an undignified manner?
Rather, a ‘Specious Amateur’? 🙂
If he is a serious professional then he is also clearly a serious sevco fan.
Or he would have been offski a long time ago. The board continue to make him look foolish regularly.
A serious professional with integrity and self respect would NOT allow himself to be treated in this manner, or have his professional reputation tarnished as regularly as; it has been for years now unless there was a serious emotional attachment.
Robertson is alleged to have made public SPFL business that should not have been in the public domain.
Why is he still on the SPFL board?
Oh and I see those bright chaps at IN greeting about next seasons league fixtures kicking off on the 1st August.
They still can’t get their heads around the undisputable fact that their club voted along with the other 11 SPFL top teams to end this season.
Of course it’s purely coincidental that the unanimous vote triggered the final instalment of the SPFL prize money.
Handy if you had to find £1m to put down as a deposit on Hagi?
The new kid on the block at the Daily Ranger, Gabriel McKay, looks bound for great things though it would appear that some of his senior colleagues are a wee bit jealous of his rise to prominence.
How else can you explain his article on the gap at the top of the league claiming a 12 point difference. Did no one, a sub editor?, choose to correct him and point out the fact that it was 13 points?
I know he’s new to the game but Jackson and the old hard core footie reporters must have wet themselves laughing when in reference to Hagi’s status at Ibrox Gabriel referred to the end of his rental period.
Rental period? What happened to loan period Gabriel?
Definitely one to keep an eye on. What next a Bridgeton Billionaire with wealth off the radar?
Mr Robertson and the people running the new club would blend right in with Boris the buffoon and his cabinet ministers all telling lies until (no joke intended ) they are blue in the face .
Folks I think we have to get the idea that the govan club are going bust again out of our heads , they are clearly being assisted yet again in their euro license application , and have already sold 10k season books and 10k my gers packages , that gives them in the region of 6.5 m income to date , and the deferred wages are to be paid over the season not at the end of June , they have also their euro pay cheque to come , this mindset is what could cost us ten in a row , forget them going bust and be ready with a few new signings to blow them away right from the start of the new campaign , then perhaps we will see them go bust , but until then we must focus on ourselves and be ready to charge on to ten in a row .
The statements coming out of ibrox and the remarkable marriage made in heaven with the press is parallel with the statements from Downing Street with the backing of Cummings from Boris the buffoon and his merry men of ministers. Everyone of them is in sync it’s embarrassing.
Your first sentence echoes the warning, “in the land of the foolish, it is foolish to be wise”. It is why they get away with it.
But Phil Mr McColl will be riding over the hill on his red white and blue charger to save the day
Phil, I understand the need to bang the Lambeg to drum up season ticket money but that is the same finite resource they budget for every year, which doesn’t touch the sides of their annual debt never mind unforeseen meteors. is it really just as simple as them being a drunk man stumbling along the street, his nose an inch from the ground, desperately trying to stay upright unaware that the pavement ends in a ravine?
I am slightly confused here. I thought the transfer window opened on June 9th 2020 and players joined their new club on 1st July. How can the orks sign someone just now? When they can’t pay their players, how can they afford a downpayment? Its sheer madness or a season ticket push. Closed door games means that they are stealing their own fans money again. Is the real plan admin in July/August so they can compete in Europe?
Aye but they’ll get a £25 voucher for castore merchandise, add another £100 you get a tap.!!
Aye true but you cannae spend it in the club shop. Oh sorry they don’t have one
Are the clubs who are selling season tickets for the new season ( and it is not just Sevco ) perpetrating a fraud ? No one knows if or when the new season will start ; no one knows if crowds will be allowed entrance to games ; no one knows how many games will be played or WHO we will be playing – especially as ”reconstruction talks ” are still ongoing .
So surely selling tickets for these non-events ( at the moment ) constitutes some form of selling goods under false pretences ?
Celtic appear to be a lone voice – postponing ST renewals to ( at least ) end of June and perhaps longer depending on circumstances .
The downpayment will have come from the final SPFL instalment of prize money, handed out after the unanimous vote to cut the season short and crown Celtic 9 IAR Championees.
Most of their fan base are unaware or ignoring this fact that Rangers were part of the unanimous vote despite all the moaning and bluster coming out of Ibrox.
On a different note I’ve now sent 4 letters in the last month to Maxwell in his Hampden bunker asking why that fine, upstanding fellow, Alistair Johnston, is having trouble in passing the SFA’s Fit and Proper test.
What’s the problem Ian, why is this taking months?
I guess the lack of response can be attributed to this being ‘a need to know basis’ and us ordinary football fans can just feck off and leave important matters like this to the grown ups at Hampden.
Aye the same one’s that can’t make a Scottish Cup draw without mixing up the 6’s and the 9’s!