This afternoon, the contrasting fortunes of the two Glasgow clubs have again come into focus. I did my write-ups on the Celtic – Barcelona game yesterday, and in it I pointed out that we are going to be hosting one of the biggest, if not the biggest, matches in Europe tonight. Win or lose, succeed or fail, this is the stage we belong at. This is the only show in town.
Across the city they are hosting the circus, and this is nothing new over there. We’ve seen it before and before and before; they are a club that simply cannot get a grip, that cannot behave in a rational manner. A club so unprofessional it almost defies belief.
I am going to do a piece later on relating to the way one particular newspaper constantly behaves in relation to matters over there, but for now you have to marvel at a serious organisation that conducts its private affairs in such a public fashion.
Celtic would never get away with doing business in such a way.
The fans wouldn’t tolerate it for a start. We would lacerate our board if they did anything like it. Over the last couple of years, as chaos has reigned at Ibrox, we’ve prided ourselves on being professional and well run, we’ve dedicated ourselves to maintaining certain standards. If we started to slip God help those responsible because the fans would be in uproar.
Tonight we’re going to take on the biggest club in world football in the biggest competition the club game has. That’s the measure of where we are and how we see ourselves. The outside of our stadium now reflects our self-belief and self image and the name of our new frontage – the Celtic Way – is an affirmation of those things … an avenue of heroes. Kids will look up there and appreciate the past, but with an eye on the future.
Sevco appointed John Brown as their global ambassador, and he’s perfect for that role. That is how they see themselves and that’s the image they want to reflect to the world. Without a history I guess they have to take what they can get, but if you believe their version of things they had the entire history of the OldCo to choose from … and this is what they picked.
They are preparing for court cases at the moment, one which they are launching and which today’s “strategic leak” to the press might have grounded before it starts, and another where Ashley is suing them for their ridiculous decision to cancel a contract via a press release instead of going through the legal process like everyone else.
King loves courtrooms, it seems to me.
He spent so long there he probably thinks of it as a second home. Whilst we long for the arenas in Barcelona, Madrid, Munich and London they seem to fantasise about emptying a warehouse in Shirebrook.
Talk about setting the bar low.
No wonder they are a mess.