Well, it’s that time again.
The marketing men at Sky, the mainstream media in Scotland and anyone else who is out to make a few bob from Scottish footballs cash cow. Celtic v Rangers.
Except, of course, we know better.
And we need to keep reminding everyone of that.
It’s not Celtic v Rangers, it’s Celtic v “rangers “, a club put together from the ashes of Rangers who , after years of creative accounting and unique remuneration finally crashed and burned owing millions of pounds to creditors, who of course will see only pennies on the pound when liquidation is finally complete.
Sky sports, for instance, who have relegated Scottish football to the level of the wrestling that used to be on ITV on Saturday afternoons when they insisted on four of these games every season, have turned a blind eye to the shennanigans at the SFA that ensured the contract would be fulfilled , have done thier best to re-write history.
Charles Paterson, who presumably needs the money, said in his online report for the TV company..
It is not just a new year on the horizon – Rangers supporters will gladly wave goodbye to the decade ending next Tuesday. The club’s financial meltdown nearly seven years ago led to years in the wilderness and, as they floundered in the lower divisions, Celtic racked up the silverware
First of all, the decade doesn’t end for another 12 months, as any fool knows its 01-10 that is classed as a decade.
This financial meltdown he refers to happened to another club, the one currently in liquidation, and it’s fair to say that Celtic didn’t rack up the silverware while they “floundered in the lower divisions ” as much as they have since the club/company entered the top division, since when Celtic have actually won everything domestically that matters.
In this decade Rangers have won just once at Celtic Park – in October 2010, when Kenny Miller scored twice in a 3-1 victory. That season Walter Smith’s side went on to win the league championship on the final day; Rangers have not won a major trophy since.
Er, as I’ve explained , that was last decade…and Rangers have not won a major trophy since because they are in liquidation.
The new entity hasn’t won a major trophy full stop.
But they have a product to sell, and when did the truth matter when there’s a few quid at stake ?
The mainstream media are at it as well.
Neil Lennon has remained quiet, so far, at least, and this has given the back pages over to the “rangers ” manager Steven Gerrard and his supporters in the press to hype the game even further. especially as a defeat will pretty much end the loveable Scouse rogues chances of winning the league.
We’ll start with Gerrard, who reckons this game is quite important…
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard reckons Old Firm ties could be crucial in Premiership title race
“Last year they didn’t because it was split 50-50,” Gerrard said when asked how significant the Old Firm fixtures could be in the title race. “But what happened last year was that a lot of teams were taking points off Celtic and ourselves. So maybe the importance of the Old Firm results wasn’t going to be pivotal.
“This year looks as if it is taking a different pattern – so far. With all due respect, with the consistency of Celtic and ourselves it could well boil down to what happens in the Old Firms.
“It’s difficult to deny that with the pattern the season has taken so far. That’s the reason why it’s so important we get a result at the weekend.”
“I don’t want to disrespect the rest of the league for obvious reasons,” he said. “You would get other managers jumping out of the dressing room and into the press room to say ‘you earn more money than us’ and this and that.
“I don’t want to disrespect anyone. Everyone is trying their best to compete with the Old Firm. Killie put a fantastic show on to try and nullify and frustrate us. Aberdeen took Celtic to the wire just a few days ago.
“So teams are doing everything they can, but what’s happened is that Celtic have improved and we’ve improved. I think the pressure from each side is bringing the best out of both teams.”
There’s no denying they have improved, and there’s equally no denying that it’s largely down to the goalscoring form of Alfredo Morelos, who has 28 goals already this season, thanks largely to referees ignoring his antics and allowing him free reign to “bully ” opposition defenders.
Take him out of the equation, and you’re left with Defoe-who alternates with Morelos, on 11, and Joe Aribo on 6…
In a separate interview, still with the staunch support from Union Jack, Gerrard calls for referees to protect Morelos..
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard calls for a ‘strong performance’ from the officials in Celtic showdown
“I don’t think you can be [under more pressure than the players] as an official in these Old Firms. The pressure is there for everyone, for the players, both sets, for the coaching staff, both sets, the supporters bring pressure into the ground and it is no different for the officials.
“You just hope before a ball is kicked that everyone is talking about the football after the game and not a decision that has been wrong and that affects the outcome of the game.
“I don’t think that is fair on both groups of players. I think the least we deserve is a good, strong performance from all the officials.”
Presumably he means a strong performance like the strong performance of John Beaton…
Ever reliable puppet journalist Gary Ralston at the Record did his bit as well, presumably on the orders of the Fat controller over at Level 5, as he complains that Morelos is the victim of all sorts of abuse…
For instance, there’s years of racist abuse, he’s been attacked in the street, in the dugout and even had to have police protection for his family after bomb threats and bullets were sent to his home..
Oh hang on, I’m getting mixed up here…that was Neil Lennon, who of course, brought it all on himself…
But Ralston is under orders, and so he produced this guff…
Alfredo Morelos and the disgusting Rangers abuse his rivals will dish out to rile him up – Gary Ralston
If the Colombian striker was Scottish the Ibrox star would have a statue outside Hampden.
Alfredo Morelos can sleep easy as he heads into 2020 no matter the result at Celtic Park.
One Scotland, many cultures?
It’s unlikely the Colombian striker will be called up any time soon and asked to lend his endorsement to the Holyrood campaign.
Scottish football can be a brutal, tribal business, but the civic nationalism espoused by Nicola Sturgeon was long ago exposed as a fallacy when it comes to the Rangers frontman.
Too often, there’s an ugliness at the heart of the Scottish football support, which will be manifested in all its gory detail in tomorrow’s Old Firm clash.
you know, for a minute i thought he was going to mention what happened to Lennon, or the racist abuse of Scott Sinclair, or the missiles thrown at Leigh Griffiths, or even the endemic anti irish racism that purs down from the stands every time “rangers ” are at home….
But I was disappointed…
Morelos is likely to feel the wrath of it, walking out into an environment that would make even the knees of a Spartan shake, but this time you’d back him to cope.
Spartans-wasn’t that the club who were forced to make way for “rangers 2 when the new club needed to get into the league ?
The learning curve for Morelos these past 18 months has been steep, but there’s more to the 23-year-old than a scowl and a well clipped short back and sides.
That disgusting banner held up by Aberdeen fans at Pittodrie earlier this year, which crossed the line from naked hostility to blatant racism, represented a new low for the image of Scotland as a tolerant, welcoming nation.
Anyone else remember the kick on Du Wei ?
In his first game against Rangers, the Record used a wee bit of blatant racism which represented a new low for the image of Scotland as a tolerant , welcoming nation…
Something about welcome to Scotland, China ?
Oddly enough, the abuse Scott sinclair received at Ibrox didn;t get this much coverage, and I’ve yet to see anything resembling racism that has been thrown at morelos.
That someone would go to the bother of funding a banner declaring, in Spanish, ‘Morelos, your mother is a mattress’ was shameful.
not quite sure how that’s racist….
That a group of fans would hoist it high was even worse, before we even get started on those who tried to take a Silentnight into the subsequent Ibrox cup replay the following week.
The woman who was the victim of such reprehensible behaviour – her name is Marta by the way, not Mattress – spent her Christmas Eve with her husband, Alfredo senior, handing out gifts to disadvantaged kids in their home city.
Their boy – that despicable individual – funded 300 gifts for children in the Botaven neighbourhood of Cerete as part of his charity foundation and has rightly been feted for his sense of community, as well as his integrity and generosity.
Win, lose or draw, Morelos will climb off a plane from the UK on Monday and straight into a game he has organised to help raise funds for a host of educational causes around his home town.
Morelos, it seems, does do a lot for charity, and should be rightly commended for that.
But to use that as an excuse for his shocking behaviour on the park is utterly shameful.
It’s like excusing Jimmy Saville for his crimes….maybe an extreme example, but the point stands.
If Morelos was Scottish they would be erecting statues to him outside Hampden and building an international team around him for seasons to come.
But he isn’t, so they won’t.
Put it this way, how many Scottish kids could leave their home at the age of 19 and fly halfway across the world without a support network in a bid to make it in the game?
I’d say that Liam Henderson has made a decent fist of it, and so would many more given the opportunity.
That was the route Morelos took less than four years ago when he moved to Finland, determined to fulfil his dream of playing in the major leagues by using HJK Helsinki as a stepping stone.
Morelos grew up in such abject poverty he sold fruit from the side of the road with his father and it’s the same streetfighter instincts that will help him achieve his career ambition via Rangers, most likely at the end of this season.
In the meantime, he will continue to bully the life out of Scottish defenders, underlining a strength of character and a lack of fear, driven only by the desire to be the very best he can be.
What he actually means is the dopey little sod doesn’t quite understand that you can;t go around stamping , elbowing and diving your way to success.
What Ralston fails to add, in a purely footballing sense, is that despite his goals, and he does score a few, no one has yet put in a serious bid for him, and when millions of pounds are at stake, clubs will have a look into all aspects of a player, including his character, which at best with Morelos can be descrobed as suspect, and thats why no one wants him, at least not at the price “rangers ” value him at, which means sooner or later Morelos will implode, as he will almost certainly believe his own publicity, and there’s a showdown due at ibrox when he is led to believe that he’s worth more than they are paying him.
Thats what they’re telling him.
Of course, when or if he does go, they’ve paved the way for a narrative that will siggest he was hounded out by racists, which will be a convenient excuse for another trophyless season….
After all, thats what everyone has been saying.
Meanwhile, the good guys are just quietly going about their business, having already beaten Gerrards side twice this season, and despite the superstar striker in their midst, the men in blue have failed to score on both occasions, neither of which were at Celtic Park.
In fact, the new club have never won there, and Morelos has never even scored against Celtic.
Thats not to say we should take this game lightly, in fact Celtic should take it very seriously, and play to the best of their ability to put the world firmly back on its axis and put an end to all this talk of a title race.
Here’s something to consider…
Since the SPFL started, 7 games have ended with a 7goals (or more) winning margin. Celtic provided 6 of the 7
Celtic 9:0 Aberdeen
Celtic FC 8:1 Hamilton
Dunfermline 1:8 Celtic
Celtic 7:0 St Johnstone
Celtic 7:0 Motherwell
Celtic 7:0 St Mirren
Dundee 0:7 Aberdeen
It’s time to add to that list…someone is due a pounding, given the recent form of the men in hoops, and tomorrow would be as good a time as any for that to happen.
Yesterday, we had this…
today…
Caption : I smell shite
Whoa, 7 goal thrashing, who’s been at the Christmas cooking sherry?
A 1 goal victory to give us breathing space and players a rest before coming back strongly. Upward and onward.
Wonderful, fearless anti-racist article by Ralston.
Shame, due to lack of space, he couldn’t mention the Scottish club that’s been sanctioned twice already this season due to their racist fans.
Caption “ah that’s your name, I usually just check the goalscorers after the game”.
Ralstons thrilling piece about more or less also includes this cracker. Finnish players are too gentlemanly ,that swhy he was never booked in finland. its all the fault of those bad players in Scotland.
Shhuussh The “Rangers” are coming, they really are. Of course they cannot, cos they’re deed. The wonderful Scottish press narrative, that as always creates its very own fantasy land fairy stories, it makes great stuffing though for wet wellies.
Do they really believe the guff that they write, padded cells for them if they do. They do listen intently to the daily muses of the Scottish version of the “special One” as he washes the feet of the great unwashed, his picture published daily usually in Liverpool red. “Clipity Klop” was on the phone asking for my advise the other day, so the narrative is added to, by his past and how he is being lined up as the next “Liverpool Manager”. All abject Pish directed by the “Fat Controller”. I’m no greedy, Ile take 3-0 to the good guys and send them homewards tae stink again.
The mere mention of Awesome Odsonne will strike fear into hun hearts.
Celtic 2 Jaffa Cakes 0
Scorers: Big Ed (2)
Edd-Ee, Edd-Ee. He’s big, he’s tall, he’s Awesome on the ball, Edd-Ee the hattrick King. So I’m sticking tae 3.
I want a dominating performance, straight from the fucking kick off & smash four or five past these fucking animals!
Me tae, but I’m playing safe.
Here I saw your post the other day before the diary changed, twas great, so well said you.
Yoker, a great read in todays Dundee Courier “Origins, oranges and football”, it tells the story of how Sevilla began. Ahead of the clubs 130 anniversary they are trying to trace the writer of a Courier edition in 1890 which proves that Sevilla are Spain’s oldest football club. It documents the founding of the club by British residents after a “Burns Supper” on Jan. 25 along with some Spanish friends. It might be online, worth a read mibbee, but not at the expense of the morra’s review. 😉
Merry Christmas Mike
I remember my grandfather telling me of the connection with Sevilla and Dundee.He had lived in Lochee just after the war.
I’m sure he said it was due to the many steamships that brought the oranges for the jam and marmalade to the city that men from Dundee would also be over there. I’m sure some were involved in not only setting up the club but playing for them also.
Its said that maybe some of the DC Thomson clan from the newspaper and comic publishers were involved and that’s why the courier which was published by them had the story?. Tomorrow we need to be better in the final 3rd Eddy has been the one we have been relying on I would go 3 at the back and get big Rogic on in the last 25 minutes to finished them off.
Forster
Bitton Jullien Ajer
Frimpong rwb Hayes Lwb
Brown def midfielder
Forrest Christie McGregor
Edouard.
3-1 the bhoys.
Merry Christmas Jimmy and all the very best to you and to yours. I’ll try and reply under Yoker, so you can both get the gist.
I’ll be interested to give that a read Mike. Officially, Spain’s oldest club is Recreativo de Huelva (also from Andalusia), which was founded on 23rd December 1889.
I’m afraid I’ve already posted my review (see above) – a bit more concise than usual I know – it’s just that I suffer attacks of nausea if I have to write about the unwashed. Seriously though, I’ve got too many commitments at the moment to be able to write anything decent but that won’t stop me watching and commenting on the game. The adrenalin’s pumping already!
Yoker/ Jimmy.
“Sevilla in bid to solve the Courier mystery”.
Sevilla is trying to find who wrote the 17th March 1890 Dundee courier article as part of its 130th. Anniversary.
A Courier cutting from that year documented the founding of the club by British-Spanish residents. The story was written by a Sevilla correspondent and sent to the Courier, the author was one of the clubs members. It confirmed Sevilla’s little believed claim of being the oldest club in Spain. Its thought that his name was Thomson (D.C.Thomson or relative?) The Thomson in question figures in one of the first matches Sevilla F.C. played against the Huelva Rec. club. Dec.27 1890.Jimmy you are right in that tonnes of Sevilla oranges were used in the city’s marmalade. There is more info. but that is the gist, as Javier Terenti from the Sevilla history department try’s to find out who the author was.
Great stuff Mike/Jimmy. Thanks for that. I’ve just read the whole article online and it makes for very interesting reading with a mention of the orange importation for marmalade in Dundee. I’ll let you know if this makes the news over here but if it ever does become a serious matter for investigation, one thing’s for certain – the Recre fans will be none too pleased. As you know, I’m no Sevilla fan either! 😉
Monti… It shall be so :).
My Reds now 3 points clear at top after a 2 1 win at Larne. And linfield and Coleraine drew 1 1 with each other 🙂
COYR
Caption: ‘Haw, Morrie. Up for a pint efter the game?’
Caption
El tutti frutti looks like you’ve shat urself again
“I’ll show you what it’s all about, Alfie.”
Caption
Christ, it’s Scotland’s greatest ever player boys!
Love the stupidity of the Jabba media, and the gullibles. Tomorrow is their high noon, zombies do not like that time of day,
Caption: Did the boy that phoned in the bomb scare when you were getting your hair cut have a Fife accent like?
I heard he bought sally`s bayview jetty Puggy.
Mikey on a 5 year deal while they try to punt their only asset. And just after Santa the Celtic PR make their annual appearance. Happy days.
What do you mean…? Kendo Nagasaki versus Giant Haystacks was pure entertainment. As was the crowd.
Caption: Ghood guy…..wanker….
Heh Alfie bhoy ,cut oot aw that dribbling down your chin,
C,mon dae the floss with me
A milkin
Shug. They sevconians are in for a milkin
.Caption:
Hey MacArena.
Caption:
Broony: “He’s been greetin’ so much his tap’s soaked.”
sevconians,everyone anyone questioned for the answer told.
Open slather game.You fucking watching this Lawwell?
2019. Set a flare off for me.
I remember as a boy taking the piss out of the older one
s who wore them in the 70
s.The faster they chased,the more they had a chance of lift off. 🙂
Verse The!
Well done this man .
Hillsborough campaigner Prof Phil Scraton has turned down an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours list.
The author, who led the Hillsborough Independent Panel’s research team, said he could not receive an honour in protest “at those who remained unresponsive” to help families and survivors affected by the disaster.
Ninety-six people died following a crush at Hillsborough on 15 April 1989.
In April, an inquest jury concluded the fans were unlawfully killed .
The inquests into the deaths of 96 fans were the longest in UK legal history
Prof Scraton’s book, Hillsborough: The Truth, is widely accepted as the definitive account of the disaster.
In a statement, he said: “I researched Hillsborough from 1989, publishing reports, articles and the first edition of Hillsborough: The Truth in 1990.
“Until 2009, and despite compelling evidence, successive governments declined to pursue a thorough, independent review of the context, consequences and aftermath of the disaster.
“This changed as a direct result of the families’ and survivors’ brave, persistent campaign.
“It led to the Hillsborough Independent Panel, its ground-breaking findings, new inquests and their crucially significant verdicts.”
Prof Scraton has previously received the Freedom of the City of Liverpool, the Political Studies Association’s Campaigner of the Year Award and an Honorary Doctorate in Laws from the University of Liverpool “with gratitude and humility”.
But he added: “I headed the Panel’s research team and was a consultant to the families’ lawyers throughout the new inquests.
“I could not receive an honour on the recommendation of those who remained unresponsive to the determined efforts of bereaved families and survivors to secure truth and justice.”
Prof Scraton acknowledged his decision “might come as a disappointment to some Hillsborough families, survivors and whoever nominated me”.
However, he added: “Finally, I could not accept an honour tied in name to the ‘British Empire’.
“In my scholarship and teaching I remain a strong critic of the historical, cultural and political contexts of imperialism and their international legacy.
Fresh inquests in April concluded that the 96 football fans who died as a result of a crush at Hillsborough were unlawfully killed,
The jury found that match commander Ch Supt David Duckenfield was “responsible for manslaughter by gross negligence” due to a breach of his duty of care.
Police errors also added to a dangerous situation at the FA Cup semi-final.
After a 27-year campaign by victims’ families, the behaviour of Liverpool fans was exonerated.
Good man.
What`s the atmosphere like?
Not long till stovies.
French Eddie rolled his ankle again.
One nil it is then.
Celtic manicure times.
A Brazilian center half?
Celtic
s goin
exotic and a new strip.pedro`ll stock hooped veet in The Celtic Store next.
They
re stockin
hot cross buns.No is desensitized.Even God
s fiert of a day
s off.No foe to fear my Lord.
Jackie Robinson CSC.
For the yîr′ĕnd,there`s always room for a Broony.
SMSM,thy illegal jigsaw.
Bhoys,don`t think,just do.
Sweet spot Football.
sevco,you`re up against a settled side.
Question another,question yourself.
Who wrote that?
Spit on the hand to sort the hair.
And echo in the ear,up you get.
Happy New Year Mammy`s.
I reckon you’d do a job as holding midfielder port. I’m thinking Kelty Hearts. Wee baz needs some steel in the engine room
Even The Ton
ld chase that dick.
Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year Iancelt67.
Bazza,Scotlands embarrassing armband.
Sorry Ian,
my reply is…well,you know.
Dean Martin s
happnin
.I could see Baz dancing to Tiger Feet.
.
Screen check.
Hiring scaffolders.
sevco quack remedy FC.
Sideburns have never gone away.
It
s called the influence in their blind eyes.
re to.They
Ooh, la la la.
“Little Ole Wine Drinker Me”
sing.
Whisper Rangers.There whose.
Wooden crate and an old pram…Celtic FC supporters parking only.
Crunch Rod`s crisps.
They sit with us.
All proceeds today are brought to you by.
Stand.
Somewhere.
Protected species…Arfield,stay down.
A sevconian throwing his thong at the zeal of Morales.
bloo moonlight shadows.
There`s a reason for the sunshine sky.
Written to listen.
O`days like this Green Brigade.
Eff the real estate novelists.
Better watch out.We
ll tell you why.
s Celtic`s town.Glasgow
Bebopabloo sevco.
Neil,Aussies do it better.
It
s not about the guard,it
s throwing it.I seen T.Rex at the shops singing with Subo.