Scott Bain must be cursing his luck.
He finally gets a chance to stake his claim for the number one jersey and next up for Celtic are Paris St Germain, a side who give their reserve players to Celtic to develop them.
You’ll not need reminding that a recent European clash between the two ended in a 12-1 aggregate score for the French side, which can be blamed on a number of factors, but effectively the reason is that they are a far better side than the hoops, and showed no mercy on those occasions.
Bain wasn’t in goal for those ties, and so anything less than five is a triumph.
In their last outing, PSG won 9-0 at Le Havre, and have rattled in…oh, it’s probably best we don’t talk about that.
Not exactly the type of friendly you’d pick to build up confidence ahead of a new season, so one wonders if there is another motive.
Another way of putting it is which of their goalkeepers are we after ?
Could we be seeing Innocent on the back of a Celtic shirt ?
Meanwhile. on the other side of the city, players and ex players have been waking up and realising just what it means to play for “rangers “….
Demotivation is the key word here, and there can be little more demotivating than finding out that your supporters don;t like you because of the colour of your skin….
Conor Goldson, the Ibrox defender-I checked, he does play for them, for those of you who wouldn’t recognise the name, tweeted a picture of himself taking the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter campaign, invoking fury from the less than tolerant supremists in the Ibrox support.
Then he had another go… after the replies shocked him….
The problem is, although one would hope it’s a minority, they are dealing with a section of society that has been allowed to get away with racism for decades, athough latterly it was rebranded as “sectarianism ” to avoid facing the issue, and now it’s come back to haunt them.
The hordes have tried to play the “All Lives Matter ” card, in an attempt to play down their reaction, which is kind of like punching a man collecting money for the digs home because all animals matter.
Of course all lives matter, that sort of goes without saying, and you have to worry about the mentality of thise who feel the need to make a point of it.
The issue is that over in the USA, and to an extent in Britain, the colour of your skin could be something that gets you killed, for something as menial as walking on the cracks in the pavement.
To a lesser degree, a much lesser degree, Celtic supporters of a catholic background have seen racism in Scotland, from the “What school did you go ? ” to question on job applications, right through to the pointlessness of even applying to certain firms and instituions.
Jame MacLean, the much abused Stoke City player, has recently commented on how maybe we still have a long way to go when it comes to equality…. but also into the eradication of certain types of racism that have perhaps become acceptable… when he recently spoke to Jim White at Talksport.
“I’m seeing all this support for McGoldrick, Zaha, and Sterling and that and rightly so,”
“I don’t want to take away from the attention and the support they’re getting because it’s bang on, it’s absolutely correct and so they should.
“The point I was trying to make was: it leaves a sour taste in my mouth because I’m seeing all this support and I’m thinking, I’ve been abused for the last nine years, where’s my support been? Where’s my level of attention?
“And when I say attention, I’m not looking for attention, in my mind discrimination is discrimination, but it almost seems that one holds a higher precedence over another, and that’s what irritates me.
“I’m not asking for sympathy or looking for attention, I’m just asking for equality, that’s it really.”
Yeah, I know, Jim White…who leapt to his defence and said that he could never support a club that traded on anti Irish racism…
The wider context is simple.
Black players..and others…will not want to play at Ibrox, and they will think twice about facing abuse if they visit their as opponents.
That impacts the club financially as sponsors and advertisers will withdraw their support, and might even explain some , if not all, of their current finanical plight.
When thats expanded to Scottish football as a whole, we may even see the explanation for the lack of interest in investment of any kind from anyone except bookmaking firms.
The media have tolerated this nonsense for years, claiming it’s banter, and yet for thise on the end of it it’s anything but that.
Will it take the exit of Steven Gerrard to make the authorities finally act ?
Or sadly, are we to see our not only our game tainted not only by the abhorrent and ingrained racism across the city, and I mean that because racism is racism, the colour doesn’t matter, but the image worldwide of what should be a bold new country sweeping away the chains of colonialism to take its rightful place on the world stage ?
a section of the Ibrox support, perhaps even the silent majority , are demanding the club responds, but they have been strangely-or not so strangely-reluctant to do so.
This could be the beginning of the end for what they call their culture and traditions, and not a moment too fucking soon.
Good stuff Ralph, as you are well aware though, racism, bigotry & sectarianism is prevalent within the authorities here, i was once called a ” Papish bastard ” by a senior cop after trying to sneak into the rat pit without a ticket?
It’s in the Police & wider positions in Scotland.
The huns are what huns are, yet they are only one rung of the ladder.
If the Police, the people you are meant to trust act this way, what can you do?
Kenny McCaskill described a hun hatefest at Hampden a few years back described their singbook as a ” great atmosphere “? He was Justice Secretary at the time.
How many match day commentators describe the huns singing as ” great atmosphere ” or ” the rangers fans getting right behind their team “?
It’s never been about getting behind their team, it’s about hating us!
Every polis I’ve ever met is a bit thick and brutish so it’s no surprise that most of them are huns. All that business of swearing undying loyalty to Frau Saxe-Coburg would put sensible tims off. Still, they get a nice uniform and the chance to lord it over other people. Same with the army really (where has Charlie Saiz gone these days).
Spot on Monti, I was asked at an interview “What team do you go and watch”? to get into Napier College to study journalism. Didn’t get in as my “ standard of English wasn’t high enough” This was after I had to write and ask them why. I had an “A” in Sixth Year Studies English plus four other ‘highers ‘ and a bleedin’ “A” in Politics and Government “A” level. Straight outa school in Coatbridge. My grandfather said I should have said Albion Rovers and I said why, I don’t go watch them. Scottish ‘ journalism’ is rotten with anti Catholic bias. Call it out.
To study ‘journalism’ in Scotland? They probably meant your standard of hunnish wasn’t high enough.
Steve, Rosyth Dockyard was also riddled with it, ok if you were blue, not so if you were Green.
Supervisor was a bun, his boss a bun & on it goes…..as you can imagine i was very quiet about my allegiance & didn’t let them know what I was…..cough.
Heaven knows what it must have been like in the yards through the west?
The bitterness is still there, dressed up by the so called great and The good as banter. It is time that this bigoted wee country grew a pair of cohones and dealt with it. I love the statements that come out stating it is only the minority that sing or are rascist, in work I have found this to clearly be untrue.
The attacks on Goldson says it all, but when ra media bring up the old chestnut of Alfredo being racially bullied by an individual as a major story it says it all. The CEO of Sevco has put out a pathetic statement, but still no one has challenged them on the incorrect Buffalo translation on Sky calling Celtic fans rascist or reporters on ITN making up farytails.
The 12/07/20 another day of hate fest and rascism, culture locale it is claimed!
Caption: huns behave like huns. Quelle surprise
(Yes I know there is no caption competition. But it’s still appropriate)
Here here and hail hail
And yet you published a racist image of Meghan Markle and her man holding a gorilla when they had their baby. Hypocrites.
Great points from Ralph AND Monti , and no mention of Woking or pizza !
Read a great article in the Guardian about huge sums of money being spent by the Westminster government on secretive procurement contracts without any competition or transparency.
A great example is a company called Pestfix , with total net assets of £18000, who were awarded a 32 MILLION POUND contract for surgical gowns. They were to act as an intermediary , and arrange purchase of the gowns from a chinese manufacturer. As they did not have the funds , the Government broke more of its own rules when it payed 75% of the contract up front.
Of course in Scotland the SNP are under no scrutiny or investigation from any sources .They seem to have the police and the press under direct control. Best wee country …?
If you don’t think a left of centre, independence party in Scotland aren’t under media scrutiny from the right wing UK press, not to mention MI5, you are deluded, or just taking the piss.
Here’s what I’ll always remember about the SNP government – they criminalised football supporters.
The Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012.
According to the BBC “The law was the first piece of legislation passed at Holyrood with no cross-party support, with every SNP MSP voting in favour – and every opposition MSP voting against.”
This Act was described as “illiberal” which “unfairly targets football fans”, and was “condemned by legal experts, human rights organisations and equality groups”.
Professor Sir Tom Devine previously spoke of the Football Act as “the most illiberal and counterproductive act passed by our young Parliament to date” and a “stain on the reputation of the Scottish legal system for fair dealing”.
Much was made of when a Sheriff described the law as “mince”.
After the repeal of the Act the First Minister stated “I’m disappointed. I think it was a retrograde step”.
If that’s anti SNP, so be it!
I wasn’t aware that you had to be pro SNP in order to share views on this site.
You don’t have to be pro SNP but that guy brings it into everything he posts. I’m surprised he doesn’t blame Sturgeon when his bunnet blaws aff in the wind. Lighten up ffs!
Oh, give it a rest for fuck’s sake! I woke up this morning with an itchy arse but I don’t blame it on Sturgeon’s handling of the health service even though I can’t stand her. In any case, she has no more intention of pursuing Indy than you have. Brexit and covid have been a gift as she can put off Indy ad infinitum and hang on to her cosy sinecure at Bute House. You, on the other hand, sound like an old Labour loyalist who can’t accept their days of ruling the roost in Scotland are gone like the supporters of a certain zombified fitba team. Either that or you’re a Tory in which case you can fuck right off.
Shut up go live in England
link to the guardian piece.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/when-secret-coronavirus-contracts-are-awarded-without-competition-it-s-deadly-serious/ar-BB16KqZe?ocid=msedgntp
link , almost to the guardian piece.
msn.com/en-gb/money/other/when-secret-coronavirus-contracts-are-awarded-without-competition-it-s-deadly-serious/ar-BB16KqZe?ocid=msedgntp
Along with hunger one of our founding principles was to improve the lives of the Irish diaspora in Glasgow and to provide a cause that both Irish and Scottish, Catholic and all religions – or none – could unite under. We’ve done it. But the cancer of racism, whilst diminishing in number has been emboldened by the right wing Brexiteer xenophobes. And FTP and F the taigs is spray painted on walls a few miles from my home by children. What can you do? Well if you have the vision of a Walfrid you can fund the appointment of a Professor of Celtic studies at a major Scottish university to educate on the Irish experience in Scotland and make our voices heard. Black lives matter and so do ours. They get that and we get that. We’re fighting no one. We’re united in the cause of eradicating racism as an acceptable part of Scottish culture. Now Lawwell/Desmond there’s your legacy off the pitch.
Fortunately as a Prodestant Aberdonian I have never experienced any of this, but I can promise you this racism is alive and well in the US and it goes both ways, but there is a theory that you can’t be racist if you are a “minority”. Funny that because the most racist thing ever said to me by an American was by a “minority”. I’m standing right there next to someone who’s house is burning down, but I’ll never forget when my house burnt down and who set my shed on fire.
Auldheid
I’m two thirds through Fergus McCann v David Murray by Stephen O Donnell to be published on the 27th this month and it is working well on 3 levels so far.
As a memory jogger, an information gap filler and a wonder at how the feck did Murray get away with it although when you hear Traynor and Keevins getting a mention you know how and it is still going on. The three monkeys approach to what passes as sports journalism in Scotland.
I liked this bit because whatever anyone thinks of McCann as saviour or profiteer it tells us he “got” Celtic. I wonder if he still does given The CST are working on gathering in shareholder details.
” Matters came to a head at another momentous EGM, this
time held on 26 November 1993, when Fergus McCann and
his allies effectively went all in to try to persuade the besieged
directors, still stubbornly bound together by their notorious
voting pact, to accept the offer of fresh investment that was on
the table and allow a rights issue to broaden the ownership of the
club.
Aware that his plans would need the approval of at least
some of the sitting directors, McCann told the meeting, ‘I do
not think this club was ever intended to be a family business. It
was started to improve the lot of poor families in the East End
of Glasgow,’ an assertion that was greeted with warm applause
from the floor. ‘The people who are demonstrating outside …
are not a rabble agitated by individuals,’ McCann continued.
‘They are people who feel a great deal for the club. They want
to see the club move ahead … On the field, as everyone knows,
no success is guaranteed because of money only. However, I
can guarantee you one thing: in professional team sports at the
level that Celtic are expected to play at, with no money you are
guaranteed no success.”
My Father god rest his soul was a brilliant turner to trade.
He worked in the big hun institutions of RB Tennent in Coatbridge, Anderson Boyds in Motherwell.
He was the shop steward in both, and he was also mighty with his fists.
As a young lad growing up he always tried to install get the school work done get the best results you can, this country is against you, you have to be able to show your better than them at everything.
Application forms son are not to see your credentials but to see what faith you are. How can they tell if you have 2 grades the same as the other guy who is the best one for the job. They will always get it.
So get 3 grades, always get 1 more than them.
Sadly it fell on deaf ears for me,as I was too busy playing the class clown.
He was so right. HH to all the Celtic Da’s.
Just what we need a morale boosting thrashing from psg to get the season up. I’m all for masochism
Squad continues to be depleted each season lacking the quality of the one that won the title before.
We have got away with it up till now.
If the remaining quality players are not kept and added too then 10 in a row wont happen.
Hoping for them to explode again this season isn’t going to happen.
We need to win this title and win it with such authority that they can’t come back and say 9 in a row never happened.
Peter you need to quickly sort this.
Bitton and Ajer again? As we approach european qualification you have to be kidding.
Ntcham best player out there for us by a mile.
Calm composed unlike Calmac and Christie who once again think the ball is a hot tattie.
Shocked by how poor Calmac and Christie were. Also hopeless at the back where Ajer continues to get found out. He may be a decent midfielder but we’ll never find out. Certainly not a central defender. Big Julian also looked lost in the 5 (or was it a 3?) Rogic looked composed in the short time he was on.