Tonight is the final of one of world football’s oldest trophies, and if you believe the Scottish media it’s being contested by both halves of the global game’s bitterest rivalry.
This is the game Scottish football is constantly told it needs, the game that is rammed down the throats of fans over and over again, whether they like it or not.
Here’s the thing; so vital are these matches to all of our wellbeing that tonight’s game, played by the kids let’s not forget – it’s an Under 17 game – will take place at Ibrox, behind closed doors.
Yep. No fans at all, for a game that, actually, people actually want to go and see, especially as it’s not been hyped like an armed intervention, and considering how many of us are genuinely interested in the progress of the youth team at Celtic Park.
This is farcical and it ought to force a cultural rethink on whether it’s a good idea to have these teams face each other at all if this is the way it’s got to be.
It speaks volumes about how the police and civic Scotland sees this game that it doesn’t trust adults to behave like it at a match where you should be able to bring the family along. What other sports fixture would occasion such hysteria? I mean let’s face it, if you can’t even have fans at a kids game then isn’t that a reminder that for all the so-called Old Firm fixture is talked up most people regard it as toxic?
Is really the sort of game we want to be hyping up?
If it’s this poisonous isn’t it something we can do without?
This worries me, it really does, and there’s a double standard at play here which you can’t ignore. We all wish people could behave responsibly in the context of football, but I believe this to be a ridiculous over-reaction on the part of the authorities.
I’ve been to Youth Cup Finals, including one at Celtic Park, years ago, where my old man and I took our neighbour’s kids – Rangers fans to a person – and everyone enjoyed the experience thoroughly.
(Especially us. Celtic routed them!)
I also came across an old STV news report about another Youth Cup Final played at Celtic Park, where we won by a single goal.
Three people were arrested, which the news station seemed to think was particularly noteworthy, out of over 8000 in attendance.
It wasn’t exactly a riot, then.
All this is to say that a game between kids is a family affair.
It’s not a cause for World War III.
That some people would make it into one is scandalous but on a wet, snowy Thursday night (yes, it’s snowing where I am) I suspect they’ll be otherwise engaged.
Ordinary decent supporters have been badly disenfranchised here. Again.
When does this nonsense end?
The game kicks off at 7:00 PM.
Celtic’s line up is (4-3-3): McAdams; Bowers, Welsh, Duffy, Church; Henderson, Bell, McInroy; Watson, Aitchison, Johnston
Subs: Hurst, Campbell, Thorburn, Antoniazzi, Potter, Deas, Barr