It’s difficult to tell you how disappointed I am with Brian Wilson, the latest Celtic director, who has decided to use his public platform to claim that people are too stupid to think for themselves.
Imagine you are a dinosaur, sitting with your dinosaur wife watching the telly. And she says to you..
“That Noah is a bastard, isn’t he ? ”
Thats the level of disappointment I’m feeling.
He claims, in the Herald, that the use of the word “unionists,” to describe those who seek to continue the union with the rest of the UK is bringing sectarianism into Scottish politics.
Though what he thought was a better word to describe one who seeks or wishes to continue with a union was unclear.
“By putting that tag on, and in the full knowledge of that connotation in an Irish context, they know exactly what they’re doing. It’s a very dangerous road they’re going down.”
“One of the worrying things I see going on here is… a very deliberate attempt being made to sectarianise Scottish politics. That is very dangerous.
“The word Unionist in Scottish politics is not a Scottish word. It is not Scottish Unionism.
“When Tory candidates stood [in the past] as Conservative and Unionist candidates in Scotland they were not talking about Scotland, they were talking about Ireland, and they were playing for the Orange vote in Scottish politics.
“That is the Unionist, that is Unionism, in Scottish politics.
“So when the Nationalists, when the whole thrust is to lump us together as Unionists… by putting that tag on, and in the full knowledge of that connotation in an Irish context, they know exactly what they are doing. And it’s a very dangerous road they’re going down.
“It’s a difficult thing to analyse, a difficult thing perhaps to see it happening. But it’s been happening over a long period and I think it’s really sinister.”
Sorry to start with politics, but the guy is a director of Celtic football club, and the hypocrisy is alarming.
After all, the support cannot comment on politics when they are representing the club, so why should a director be allowed to speak out ?
Thats apart from the fact he’s talking enough shite to earn a ten year deal at Talksport Radio.
Mr Wilson, 68, was an Ayrshire MP from 1987 to 2005, a minister in Tony Blair’s government from 1997 to 2003, and has been a non-executive director of Celtic plc since June 2005.
Maybe its time to ask him to look after his garden before he says something really stupid.
It appears the club have chosen the strips for next season, as with New Balance you can’t get a top that lasts more than twelve months.
Quality aside, I’m still astonished the club were allowed to sign a deal that involved three new strips a year, including that bloody awful pink one. Which is to be replaced by this colour, an imaginative flourescent green.
The other two strips will no doubt become public soon, but if its anything apart from Lisbon 67 replica hoops for the first strip, and white with green and gold trim for the change strip, then they can stick it up their bottoms, as they will have completely missed the point.
The material quality of the tops may have improved slightly, but the imagination behind the designs is unimaginative to say the least, and as with director Brian Wilson, shows a complete lack of understanding what the support want.
The third strip is designed for the childrens market, and it would be interesting to see the sales figures for the pink one, or perhaps that should be figure…
Elsewhere, and remember Charlie Mulgrew, the last player to be able to strike a free kick toward goal with a reasonable amount of optimism ?
Well, he’s at Blackburn now, and thinks he’s enjoying it..
“It’s been good, I’m enjoying the change,”
“It’s something different, playing different teams and we’ve got a big challenge for the rest of the season. But everything is positive, we’re looking forward and we’re all enjoying it.
“At the time, a lot of people looked and thought it wasn’t the right move, but it was me that wanted to do it. I wanted to experience something different, at this stage of my career it was probably my last chance to go down south and I wanted that.
“Off the field everything has been great, on the field it’s been difficult picking up results. But I’ve never regretted my decision. I’m enjoying the challenge, I’m enjoying playing different teams at big stadiums and a whole new challenge. We’ve also picked up recently, so I’m enjoying it.”
“I feel as if I’ve improved since I’ve been at Blackburn. It’s opened my eyes a bit,”
“I’m really enjoying it and I feel more prepared now and that I’m a better player, more experienced. It’s a more demanding league. Every game is genuinely 50-50.
“A lot of the games are more even down there and that was part of the challenge why I wanted to go down.
“I wanted to be part of that, experience that and grow. I feel it’s improved me as well.
“You have a lot of the ball at Celtic, in most games you’ve got at least 60 to 70 percent possession. So it’s different games, there’s more defending to be done. I’m enjoying it.”
Well, as long as he’s enjoying it…good luck to him.
Having noted the publicity that Talkshite Radio got from winding up Celtic fans, state broadcaster BBC allowed its one of its own to try his luck at the same game.
Jermaine Defoe -google him, I had to- reckons he could score goals for Celtic when he is 45, which is supposed to make us all feel rather inferioir to the product on display down south.
Former Celt Chris Sutton, one of few who plied his trade north of the border while he could still compete at that level, responded by pointing out how badly English teams are doing in Europe, although to be honest, the clubs might be based in England, but its stretching it a bit to call them English teams.
The format of English football good, Scottish football bad, is wearing a bit thin, and as a man who knew a bit about the game said many years ago..
“Ach, they have their thing, and we have ours.. ”
Sutton thus far has done well in promoting our game, but now its time to ignore what those in the south say. It just panders to their own marketing strategy.
Lets concentrate on ours.
Back at the ranch, and its all gone a bit quiet as its the international break and quite a few Celts are off on their travels..
I’ve counted them all out, and will await counting them all back in..
We discussed the prospect of a midfield-or defensive- enforcer to deal with the ever increasing instances where the referee fails to reprimand an opposing player when a Celt is assaulted on the pitch.
Believe it or not, we’ve already got one.
One who knows exactly how to point out to the referee that he should perhaps do his job properly..
Just once…please…
I’ll organise a whip round to pay the fine.
This weeks Knob of the Week is going to be difficult.
We’ve already seen a very strong claim from Brian Wilson, and its followed by this one, from Mark Howarth. (Google him-I had to )
Of course, its all part of the agenda designed to soften the blow when the SFA try to shoehorn “rangers ” into a European place, as after all, with a strong “rangers ” competing , the co efficient will go up in exactly the same way as the amount of European governments placing bans on flights in and out of Glasgow around the dates of their games.
By March 31, the SFA wil, have to tell UEFA that there are one or two financial issues with the new club, and perhaps its better to wait until they are resolved before issuing them a licence.
Exactly like they didn’t do the last time a club from Ibrox applied to play in Europe.
With Neil Doncaster over at the SPFL still refusing to deny collusion, one can still only draw one conclusion…
Down south, they are a little stricter, and a little more transparent…
Have the SFA received the Ibrox accounts ?
Do they fulfill all the requirements for a UEFA licence ?
Or is history going to repeat itself ?
Over at O’Neills in the Merchant Square, someone has had it away with the Celtic Charity Foundation collection.
If you see them, contact a constable..
Yesterdays picture..
Caption;
‘I told ye not to say to Darren O’Dea that ye thought wee Aidan was shite!’
Today…
