John Beaton will referee this Sunday’s Glasgow derby.<\/p>\n
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After the sterling efforts from his colleague Bobby Madden which guaranteed the Ibrox season won’t end until the last day, it’s now down to Cheatin’ Beaton to ensure that much needed season book money rolls into the coffers as they attempt to remain solvent over the summer.<\/p>\n
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But even if they win on Sunday, Celtic will still very much be in the driving seat, right ?<\/p>\n
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Yes, they will, but that would leave “rangers ” with three wins in the derby games against two from Celtic, allowing them to sell books to an angry mob who will feel that they should have won the league, are the better side and fuel that same sense of indignation they felt when they were told they had been relegated because some spivs ripped them off.<\/p>\n
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Factor in the inevitable mainstream narrative about more death threats to Beaton and the Old Firm Show, live on Sky TV, will be given full steam ahead for another series…..<\/p>\n
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Meanwhile, the Celtic board, fully behind this Old Firm business venture, will do nothing.<\/p>\n
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They will hint at behind the scenes protests, but the fact that Madden and Beaton have been handed two crucial games in the full knowledge that they are both fans of one of the teams is beyond comprehension.<\/p>\n
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It doesn’t happen anywhere else.<\/p>\n
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But in Scotland, it’s the norm.<\/p>\n
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Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has consistently refused to comment on such matters, but as a newcomer to the novel and refreshing way that football is governed in Scotland, it must be a bit of an eye opener for him.<\/p>\n
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And an almost certain guarantee that when he leaves, if not because of this peculiar balancing of our game, it will be in is farewell speech.<\/p>\n
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As for the board, they have appeased the actions of the new entity ever since it slouched it’s way towards Glasgow to be born, and they won’t change now.<\/p>\n
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Again we have seen that they refuse to stand up for the club, in much the same way as they refuse to stand up for the players, the staff and the supporters.<\/p>\n
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We’ve seen them ignore refereeing leniancy that has led to players spending time on the treatment table, or picking up broken glass from their work surface.<\/p>\n
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We’ve seen them ignore bottles thrown at medical staff, we even had one manager assaulted in the street, on the pitch and subject to bullets sent through the post. There was no doubt which element of society was behind that, and none whatsoever about their own allegiances or motivation for their behaviour.<\/p>\n
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And we’ve seen them ignore the results of police tactics, such as those used at Janefield Street a couple of years ago which could easily have resulted in serious injury or even death to supporters.<\/p>\n
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So they’re hardly likely to speak up about a clear and present danger to the integrity of our club by allowing it to be presented to a tv audience of millions around the world when it is sold as one half of a famous sporting brand, which was quite brazenly advertised on all the hoardings at the last league meeting between the two.<\/p>\n
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Sometimes, our board make me sick.<\/p>\n
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Their consistent appeasement of those who seek to do us harm is in itself the worse form of betrayal.<\/p>\n
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And it’s clear that one of the reasons they do it, one of the reasons they go along with the Old Firm brand and it;s associated myth and legend is that they,\u00a0 in their rarified atmosphere of wealth and privilege, actually do think we’re exactly the same as the other lot.<\/p>\n
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The myth that we are two cheeks of the same arse will be enhanced this week….should Celtic lose Beaton’s pals in the media will tell us how he has been threatened, his family abused and we may even see a bottle or two launched in his direction….or at least hear about one.<\/p>\n
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Should Celtic win, there will be “clashes ” between “Old Firm ” fans all over Scotland, and several arrests of “football fans ” , wioth little or no attempt to ascertain blame or investigate the cause.<\/p>\n
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No, the whole shitshow will rumble on for another season, and we’ll buy into it.<\/p>\n
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We’ll get the funky new adidas tops, the cool training gear and buy season books in their thousands.<\/p>\n
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While the corruption uncovered by the Resolution 12 guys, the diligence applied by one or two journalists despite intimidation and the blatant breech of the rules of Financial fair play continues, and indeed burrows even deeper, we’ll sing songs, spend our money and cheer our pyrrhic victories.<\/p>\n
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There is no doubt the board are appeasing those who have only their own interests at heart, but surely we could do a wee bit more from the sidelines ourselves ?<\/p>\n
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For a support drenched in the traditions of the rebel, we’re awfully quiet sometimes.<\/p>\n
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