Aaaah Sevco fans. You’ve got to hand it to them.
Today they are celebrating. Why? Because last night they won 4-2 against Brazilian club Corinthians after being 2-0 down at half time. I don’t know whether it “secured” them the “Florida Cup” and I don’t particularly care. But I knew there would be an over-reaction to that result, from many quarters, and I was right. But what an over-reaction it is.
Once again, the “Sevco are coming.” Jesus wept.
Do these people never learn? Has history taught them nothing?
Before this season ends, the same fans who are cheering from the rooftops this afternoon will be demanded the managers head, the heads of various players and the heads of all the board. There aren’t enough spiky railings in Glasgow for all the decapitations to sit on.
You know this. I know this. Deep down they perhaps know it too.
But once again, this is a trip steeped in shame. Their fans, knowing they were addressing an international audience, couldn’t help themselves but belt out songs about being up to their knees in blood. Your blood, perhaps. Certainly mine. The organisers of the tournament have issued an apology about it; their apology is un-necessary unless it’s for a poor choice of house-guest. Hey, we’ve all done it. The trick is not inviting them back.
The “tournament” itself – two matches and bizarre points and goal difference system – was not exactly high glamour. One of their opponents didn’t bother to bring their first team for it and Corinthians subbed their entire first team at half time last night; Sevco fans who are cock-a-hoop over the performance should have a lie down lest they get over-excited. Some of them already are. Vanguard Scum, hilariously, compared it to the Champions League. There aren’t enough brain cells in the world to bring that lot up to the average IQ of an otter.
But what the trip was really about, of course, was “showcasing” Sevco’s crap players to the wider world, in the hope they can shift some of them.
The only trouble is, the wider world doesn’t give a toss what happens in a Mickey Mouse friendly competition. Dalcio played most of the game last night; this is Sevco trying to put him in the shop window. But apart from the goods not being up to much the shop is on a side street full of druggies which no other bugger ever actually goes down.
The English leagues had a full card on yesterday. Most of the leagues of Europe did. Scouts aren’t watching the Florida Cup for players; they are watching the German and French and English and Belgian and Austrian competitions; competitive football.
Even so, none of those “fringe players” exactly shone although the way the press has sought to bum up the hapless Josh Windass recently, you just know he’s the one they are holding out hope of getting shot of before the window shuts.
Candelas was the latest of the summer’s dodgy imports to tell them that there will be no quick turn-around. Following on the heels of Herrera the other day, Candelas has said he’s having the time of his life in Scotland – on Sevco’s big bucks, in other words – and is going nowhere. Moving these guys on isn’t going to be easy. They know they’re on a good gig.
So Mission Accomplished? Did Sevco come back with the trophy? I don’t care if they did; it’s not going to get pride of place in the trophy room whilst those three lower-league titles and one Scottish third tier cup are sitting there. But it will fill it out a little, so that’s a good thing for them I suppose. But in terms of shipping out players, no-one will be interested.
And in terms of “strengthening the global brand”, well that too is shot. Last night’s game was played in a mostly empty stadium. The club’s “fans” have shamed themselves on television, singing a song that if they’d done it here would have got them arrested. They’ve shown themselves up once more as a small-minded, bigoted little institution without a significant following outside of their home city and some of the shabbier enclaves of the Irish North.
Shame stalks them. Founded in it, mired in it, as they hurtle towards the end of the month, the closure of the window and the financial reckoning that awaits if they don’t manage to cut the wage bill and bring in some cash … my money is on them dying in it too.