I’m getting a wee bit bored with it. And it takes a lot to bore me with slagging the artist formerly known as Rangers. In the last week Celtic has signed a quality striker in Miku and a Nigerian international who could provide the dominant partner for Mulgrew that we have been crying out for. These two as well as a couple of new members to add to the squad as well. Oh, and in case you didn’t notice, we have the small matter of an ECL group containing Barcelona, Benfica and Spartak Moscow.
But Twitter has been more aflame with slagging Sevco for their players leaving, their almost botching of the Templeton signing and the fact that The Rangers are, well, plain shite.
We know they are. They are a comedy outfit with a clown for a manager and an equally substance free CEO who is the process of taking their club on the kind of ride that got their former incarnation into the mess that became the prelude to their history ending event; their proverbial giant meteor.
But, a growing side-effect in the fall out from the celebratory cataclysm has been to see Celtic fans become so obsessed with the machinations of the SFA, Sevco and the media that we are in danger of forgetting what supporting your own team is about.
In our frenzy to laugh at the misfortune of the Govan faithful we have potentially failed to hold our own club to account. I have too have been guilty of this. It reached its nadir for me when on transfer deadline day the amount of tweets, texts and emails I got about what was happening at Mordor outstripped the same concern for Celtic’s activities.
By fuelling this ‘them & us’ mindset we are in danger of doing more than anyone in the MSM in keeping the O** F*** tag alive. In our desperation to point out they are dead we are acting as a web based defibrillator keeping the faint heartbeat of a ghastly institution pumping like an asthmatic metronome, but pump it does.
They can claim to be our rivals if they want. The Rangers v Celtic. But if we apply the ‘new club with new history logic’ they have no more right to claim a rivalry with us than Annan Athletic or Forres Mechanics. Maybe when we start playing each other and the enmity builds that rivalry can be claimed as true, but for now let them wallow in the frozen wastes of the SFL3. It is a place where away wins are hard to come by and the reality of the season ahead is starting to hit home.
Concentrate on Celtic I say. We need to celebrate our successes like qualifying for the ECL and for what could be a mildly successful transfer window. At the same time we need to make sure Lawwell and Desmond know that we, the Celtic faithful, accept that our club should be run prudently but with a firm focus on retaining quality, growing quality and finding quality. The balance sheet is only one side of a successful Celtic. The others are a club playing with the pride, passion and style that we espouse in Willie Maley and one that gives as much to the community as it takes.
Let’s talk about Celtic more. Yes, it is fine to laugh at Rangers (as was) and their laughable follow-up, but not to the detriment of supporting your own team. If and when the new club gets up to playing at a standard that allows them to exist in the same league as us we can worry about them, but for the time being, the biggest slur we could pay The Rangers from here on is to simply ignore them as irrelevant.
It’s a fine line to cross when you prefer to hate another than to love your own. That’s what did it for Anakin Skywalker, let’s not take our wonderful club down the same path.
I agree totally – I’m not interested in old Rangers, new Rangers and never was interested in Old Firm.
E-tims great website for all matters CELTIC.
All the best bhoys
Colin
Admirable point BF.
With so much going on over there, it is so easy to get dragged into the fray – particularly when the ibrox PR department seems to be fleshed out with volenteers from every national newspaper and broadcaster, who repeat the part line on and on.
There is a strong desire to wade in, correct the tosh that is being spouted and then have a right good giggle.
I agree with you – lets leave them too it and focus on the celts.
As James Joyce said “shut your eyes, and see.”
Bedford,
I agree wholeheartedly with your fundamental argument i.e. focusing on our club, Celtic, and not allowing the coughing and sneezing elsewhere to spoil our enjoyment of the concert. However, I also believe all Scottish supporters must continue to give sufficient focus to some of the wider issues affecting the game such as the conduct of the governing authorities. You rightly ask us to remember our primary purpose, the support of our team and the accountability of our board and management. On the other hand, we must also not be distracted from our duty as football supporters to uphold the integrity of the game and to challenge those, in whatever role, who seem determined to threaten its very existence for the sake of their own selfish ends. Like Peter Lawwell’s accounts, our commitments and loyalties have to be properly balanced.
H H
You’re of course right, it’s just a fine line and we need to recognise our priorities. Still, it was a fun summer 🙂
Spot on PB! They still have an effect / influence on the game here and are part of the bigger picture. The balance has to be correct like you say but we always have to keep a ‘weather eye’ on that mob. Cos if we don’t, who will??
HH (Hail Hail that is!)
congrats on the new site great improvement and fully agree with the diary time to move on and let others do the same hopefully in a downward spiral.
Completey agree with your sentiment Bedford, time to focus on the Champions League where we have a small chance of second and a decent chance of third which in turn will generate more revenue for the second half of the year. I have been guilty of focussing too much on sevco, I couldnae care less what the elgin score was so why should I care about another pub team. Hail Hail
Cheers Skoosh!
“We, the Celtic faithful, accept that our club should be run prudently but with a firm focus on retaining quality, growing quality and finding quality..
Too bloody right BF, whether we like it or not our friends across the city will given time have a side capable of competing with and on occasion besting us but what we have ensured over these last few months is that they will have to do so playing by the rules on and off the pitch.
Feels good to be able to refocus on the hoops, they need and deserve our total support.