When the substitute referee blew the final whistle at Hampden yesterday, the pain of the Ibrox klanbase was immediately palpable.
That should be a teachable moment.
However, events over the past decade have convinced your humble correspondent that they’re an evidence-resistant subculture.
If the genocide choir at Ibrox wants to know what comes next, they should follow follow the money.
The much-vaunted “rebuild” will, in fact, be a summer of sustainability.
UEFA are still watching closely, and we are about to move into year two of the FSR sliding scale on wages to football income ratio.
One putative addition to the Sevco squad is Kieran O’Neill Dowell.
He’s a free agent with an unfortunate injury profile.
Dear reader, this is indicative of a club that doesn’t have the funds to acquire quality.
The title of the piece is a hat tip to Chris Sutton.
In the post-match chat, he wasn’t for being gentle to the dignified souls who had seen Mickey Beale’s Gumtree Galacticos come up short again.
When Jota on the wing got his Brazen Head on Maeda’s cross, the hot air that had inflated egos in the build-up to the match dissipated like so much pyro smoke over Hampden.
The entire passage of play, including the somnambulant defending, was a thing of beauty.
Apparently, the Sevco chaps are always about to get it right, though.
Nearly there, getting close etc.
You wait, Timmy!
It is seriously hilarious.
A bit like Sevco’s defending.
Unlike Cameron Carter-Vickers yesterday, who was in No Pasaran mode.
This was fitting as, at the start of the game, Sevco’s dignified clientele fondly remembered their favourite Fascist, Billy Fullerton.
As Alan Morrison of Celtic By Numbers said in the Viaplay pre-match build-up, “We couldn’t be more different”.
Well said, young man!
I’ve noticed over the years that humour is kryptonite to the Ibrox klanbase.
Something that the folks at Paddy Power have obviously noticed.
It is worth remembering that Sevco’s delightful customers think that An Gorta Mór is amusing.
Frankly, they’re an unwell subculture that shouldn’t be indulged by anyone.
Which is yet another failure of the Fitba Fourth Estate.
The Ibrox klanbase had been soothed that all would soon be well when the real Rainjurrz turned up.
For the avoidance of doubt, they died in 2012.
Mr Neil McCann EBT played in a squad that was expensively assembled because the Knight of the Realm in the Blue Room had decided that paying HMRC what they were due was an unnecessary extravagance.
Actually, that was the only way the original Rangers could keep up with the club that Fergus McCann had rebuilt from the near-death experience of 1994.
Listening to David Low on the Graham Spiers podcast is worth your time.
He was in the room at all those important events when Celtic were close to the abyss.
What is being played out now in these Glasgow Derby matches is very much the legacy of the Fergus McCann revolution.
That is something that the Stenography Corps cannot be honest about to their quintessentially British demographic.
The reassuring narrative put out by the usual succulent suspects in the Stenography Corps is that this has been an awful, aberrant atypical season for the Ibrox klanbase to endure.
However, Occam’s Razor suggests that this is the new normal for the home crowd at the stadium John Brown played for.
The Ibrox klanbase has genuine difficulty emotionally processing the fact that they now follow follow a club that is up against a larger, richer rival.
Moreover, as David Low points out, the reasons for that are in-built and structural.
Yesterday, although there were many solid performers in Hoops, it came down to the guy who scored the only goal and the chap at the other end marshalling the defence.
Both Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers cost Celtic serious money last season.
The transfer fee for either is greater than the agreed budget that Mr Beale has to spend in the next window.
My information is that he has no more than £5m to rebuild his squad.
If he manages to generate cash by selling players, he’s been promised something in the region of 20-30% of what he brings in.
However, the dreaded “case-by-case basis” caveat is in play.
Watch in the coming weeks for some succulent suspects coming out with the “lean mean” narrative. The term “tight squad” will also be trotted out.
Given their track record of credulousness, do not be surprised if the Ibrox klanbase swallow it whole.
After all, their alternative is to face the reality that the Journey is over and being Simply The Second Best is their new normal.
In fairness, it would be churlish, though, not to congratulate them on winning the Closing The Gap Cup.
An impressive achievement.
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“You have to play the opposition and the refs in this league,” Caitlin Hayes.
There is a line in “Derry Girls”, albeit about a more serious matter, but relevant just the same which goes.
“I’ve always said and and I’ll say it again, if anyone is gonna sort that lot out, it’s going to be a woman”
According to Super Ally, Kent is worth £30m, really?
He’s hardly made a contribution over the last two seasons and was hooked early in the semi final.
They will do well to recover the £7m fee that they spent on him. No doubt he once was a decent player but those days are long gone.
Super is either senile or talking up the fee at the behest of his old club.
£30m, aye right Ally 😜
“Kieran O’Neill Dowell”. Now there’s a name that will be warmly welcomed…..
Weeks ago…Mick made a comment which wasn’t picked up on….apart from me seemingly….And it was along the lines of …..Something fantastic was going to happen in the summer…and I was surprised no one ran with it…But I stored it away…Now it could have been the usual load of crap to boost Season tickets…But there is no doubt something major appears to be happening over there….I await with interest.
Weeks ago…Mick made a comment which wasn’t picked up on….apart from me seemingly….And it was along the lines of …..Something fantastic was going to happen in the summer…and I was surprised no one ran with it…But I stored it away…Now it could have been the usual load of crap to boost Season tickets…But there is no doubt something major appears to be happening over there….I await with interest.
Sevco academy director just quit, so many senior people jumping ship, definitely got the whiff of an admin event on the horizon
Your sense of smell is seriously malfunctioning.
Sevco does not have major external liabilities.
Take some time out…
There’s another director done walking away. Whatever is happening over there this all seems too much of a coincidence
A bit harsh there…
Todders was revered by the klan for being as staunch af but staunchness didn’t turn him into a winner. Just shows the density of the gullibillies that staunchness is more admirable than trophies. HH
I wonder what the ticket split will be for the cup final?
10,000 to Caley, maybe another 5,000 if they punt the first lot?. Either way no doubt Celtic fans will end up with a few of them.
The usual 5000/7000 or more to be punted by the SFA, sponsors, pals, etc have to be satisfied?
So best case scenario is 30,000 for Celtic fans most of which will correctly go to those who have attended all of the games during the cup run.
Cup Final now put back to 5.30pm KO for TV companies not fans. 😦
Inverness only had 4k on Saturday and not sure they’ll double that for a late KO.
Celtic should get 35-40k, which obviously won’t be enough for all STHs but, hopefully, will cover those who went to the Morton and St Mirren games.
I doubt they’ll count the Hearts and Rangers games, as plenty would’ve gone but missed out on ballots.
It would very quickly be rescheduled to 3pm if the Celtic fans decided en masse to boycott it. The treatment of the Inverness fans is nothing short of appalling. They can’t get down for a lunch time KO, and they can’t get home after a 5:30 KO. I haven’t spoken to a single Celtic fan who is happy with this decision. Every single one I’ve spoken to has the same thoughts as I have. It won’t happen of course, but our reputation as a club would absolutely go through the roof if we stood shoulder to shoulder with fellow fans.
It would also send a huge message to any media company that Scottish clubs will NOT be fucked about.
Somebody sent me a link to a story about the hotline on the daily ranger, some nuggets actually mentioned Glasgow cups when talking about trophy counts, 🤣🤣🤣🤣
You know it’s a beautiful Tuesday when ICT have had a more sucessful season than sevco
I honestly sat back and laughed from the tenth minute when after the sheer lack of squib ignition co-ordination, the sevconauts resorted to long ball tactics, at which point it was obvious they were blunted in game winning stratagem. I am genuinely surprised about the lack of recognition of the Taking The Mickey Cup honours.
Admin is the only way out of the 5hite show for Scotland newest football club, and all the joy that will bring us.
This abomination currently plying its trade out of Ibrox is even nastier than the last one that played their .
Is there some indoctrination ceremony new played must go through that fills them with hate .
Todd Tok Tok Cantwell was probably a decent bloke until he came here
His childish actions regards the water bottle was out of order and unprofessional .
Yet he is unsurprisingly being lauded by the klan for his actions .
I genuinely fear for Ange and the players when they have to go to Ibrox on a few weeks ,that club have shown it cannot protect our staff from rabid mob
With Celtic staff and players hit by objects from the dugout .
Players hit by objects thrown from the corner flag area .
And the joe hart glass incident .
It’s the actions the likes of Cantwell that feeds that hate
And if any thing does unfold they should be held accountable
He also sees himself as some sort of pseudo hard man. Seems to like a late one.
When a team coach from the ladies team can assault a fellow opposition coach in such a manner that would be imprisonable if it were done in the street , in full view of thousands of witnesses and TV cameras , and he only has to apologise to HIS side for letting them down , ( Celtic should have done far more in this , and the circumstances you quoted .. ) , I hold absolutely no hope they will be held accountable for anything .
I agree fully with your comments regarding the safety of any and all Celtic staff in next match …
Raskin and Cantwell are already being hyped as the next 10m+ players that will attract bids from Turin to Beijing . There’s a reason they were free and sub 1m but like Kamara to Juve , Kent to Leeds and Morelos to half of Europe this pair will not be ringing the tills anytime soon. The hype is also to promote Beale as a genius in the transfer market and raise his stock in the hope some EPL outfit will come in for him. The usual close season drivel of signing superstars is almost upon us , those season tickets don’t sell themselves.
I have it on good authority that Todd Cantwell changed his name by deed poll from Todd Cantwin.
Surnames historically reflected the person’s trade.
Hail hail
I heard it was Todd Can’tplaywell🤣
Willie Waddle, the then manager, on how staunch the club is after a defeat to Celtic :”Rangers fans going home to bash the wife” .
Thank heavens Sevco is a different entity!
Hey Phil,
Did you spot the charming No Surrender banner at Hampden yesterday? (clearly visible at 85:13 when Greg Taylor’s taking a throw-in)
Not only does it feature the Waffen SS ‘Totenkopf Skull’ it also carries Italian Fascist leader, Benito Mussolini’s “Expand or Perish” motto.
Someone in the Klan clearly has a History ‘O’ Level.
Hail and Hail again!
A bad week for Todd Cantplay. An even worse one for the Ibrox Klan. They’re watching in horror as Celts head for a possible treble. Additionally they have the unedifying prospect of groveling before auld Charlie.
Another season without a trophy. Lots of activity in the boardroom.A manager whose credibility with their fans has nose dived and an ageing squad many of whom will be moved on in the close season if they can attract reasonable, any, offers.
Given the number of those heading for the exit door it would be a big ask for an experienced manager to replace the leavers whilst bringing in transfer fees to fund the rebuild.
Is Beale the man to lead the Ibrox club into the promised land?
Time will tell but failure to win the last Celtic game of the season will undoubtedly heap further pressure on the manager from their fans.
I did notice the onion bears having co-ordination issues initially with their squibs and then more worryingly with untying the knots in their banners at the end. They may need to lay off the substances to overcome these great challenges, might also help them see the reality.
What was enjoyable about the goal was that everybody knew it was a foul and stopped. The ref, trying to help HIS team, didn’t give it. Cost them dearly. C’est la vie.
Robert, agree! Absolutely hilarious that by the ref trying to help he actually assisted Celtic..priceless.
Correct !!
Are the finances that bad at Ibrokes the reason Tik Tok Todd wouldn’t allow Reo a bottle of water trying to take as much fluid back with them to go an so the next bill isn’t quite high?
It was toilet water that’s what they drink he was afraid they would get found out
Long before yesterday I had CCV as my POTY…Wonderful contribution from The Tank…Oh and I hear that Sevco have won the Haven’t Got a Pot to Piss In trophy.
Sometimes the truth hurts. At least one of them see the reality of their predicament
They also picked up the “We Stayed in the Game Shield” to add to their trophy haul apparently. Can they afford the imaginary Brasso to polish all those imaginary trophies though? Over to you Phil. You follow follow their finances closer than anyone.
Is “stayed in the game shield” the new “played better 2nd half plate”?
UEFA? SFA? Petrofac?
Classic, Phil. Love it.
Has anyone questioned why John Beaton was at the game yesterday? Was he in the stands in his SFA capacity? Was he called to the stadium to replace original ref W. Collum as 4th official? Or was he just in attendance as a ‘neutral?’
You’re a better man than I am, Tom Cant” drink from my” well.
I meant to write “Tom” rather than “Todd” and when I can think of a good reason, I’ll get back to you.
The WOAT trophy and the Closing the Gap Cup is a successful season for Fine Margins FC; let’s give credit where it’s due.
They’ll claim a double…..Closing the Gap Cup and the Close Season Cup.
I understand the need to soothe the klan with this constant pish ….season ticket sales (and not to mention the faux ‘entitlement ‘ they possess).
I hope Aberdeen end their hopes of the inaugural “Mick Beale league……”
Sevco and credit dont go
Has Timmy has failed to take into account the many riches being generated from the grand palace of New Edmiston House?…it’s a truly world-class space don’t you know?