Last May, Hearts came to Celtic Park as nativism’s standard-bearers on Planet Fitba.
Specifically, they carried the hopes and fever dreams of their Ibrox cousins.
Of course, the club formed by immigrants prevailed.
All the Tynecastle outfit needed to do that day was avoid defeat.
They didn’t.
Yesterday, the natural order was firmly re-established, and it was over quite quickly as a contest.
Three nil on 36 minutes.
Four nil two minutes later.
The visitors pulled one back in the 41st minute, and then it was Herr Baur’s moment: Halt mal mein Bier!
5-1 at halftime.
The home side won the second half 2-0, which was played at testimonial pace by the champions.
When João Pedro Neves Filipe dumped a Hearts defender on his arse, it kind of summed up the gulf in class.
The visitors, like many of their fans last time in Paradise, were broken.
However, they still had enough left in the nativist tank to voice their views on the late great Johnny Doyle as he was remembered on his anniversary (it is today, October 19th).
During the applause from the home crowd, “to die a Fenian bastard” came from the away support, and it was clearly audible to those watching the Sky feed.
Dear reader, always believe people when they reveal themselves.
Always.
Anti-Irish racism is alive and well among Sevco’s low-calorie cousins in Edinburgh.
This describes the problem rather succinctly.
Maith thú!
Conversely, this is what the PR world calls “narrative framing”.
“A small, small section of our support”.
Really?
For the avoidance of doubt, I’m sure that he genuinely believes that.
In fairness to Mr Geissler, who seems a kindly soul, it can’t be easy following them.
Just for perspective, veteran winger and homegrown bhoy James Forrest came on as a substitute in the second half.
He has won 28 major trophies in his career at Celtic.
Hearts have existed since 1874.
In those 152 years, they’ve won 16.
More numbers:
The John Wilson Arena holds 19,852.
For comparison, Celtic’s North Stand holds 27,000.
One very level Celtic is the bigger club.
Of course, everyone loves a plucky underdog story.
Until they find out what a disgusting racist hound it actually is.
This clearly decent human being from England only got the Hovis Advert version in this heartwarming documentary.
Personally, I would have appreciated more close-up footage of just HOW broken they were that day in May.
For my private collection, you understand…
As for that “small, small section” of the Hearts support.
Perhaps Mr Geissler will want to use his BBC skillset to rigorously investigate why these McCrae’s Battalion chaps seem to be big fans of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (AKA Tommy Robinson).
It would make for an interesting documentary.
Have a great week!
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Great writing as always Phil but harsh on Martin Geissler. He is at every game and is known by all so to put that out there speaks volumes for him. Empty vessels make most noise so let’s make his assumption of a small minority true. At least he called it out.
It was an enjoyable moment at half time when the bhoys sang that Joy Division classic “Hearts, Hearts Have Fallen Apart Again”.