As you’ll all be aware, I’ve been ill the past couple of days. There are some news stories that I want to try and grab hold of in the next few, and one of them was highlighted yesterday by Phil; the apparent apoplexy in La La Land over the club’s decision to tweet a promotional ad for a range of Puma boots. In green.
According to Phil, the club had anticipated this and either before or after the event contacted Puma to ask them if such a campaign was strictly necessary. Can you imagine being the person making that call? Can you imagine being the person taking it?
Does there come a point over there, do you think, where even the club’s directors reckon the embarrassment level has peaked and they can’t do it anymore? Or is the entire club infused with this to such an extent that they can’t see past it?
There is a story which you’ve all undoubtedly heard about how on the day of Sevco’s semi-final triumph over us two years ago, that the conduct of their board at Hampden so infuriated, insulted and offended Dermot Desmond that he put together Operation: Crush This Mob the very same afternoon. I’ve always believed there was at least a core of truth in that tale because it’s just the kind of thing I could imagine certain of them doing.
At other clubs, it would be impossible to take a story like that seriously. At Ibrox it is impossible to simply dismiss. There have been too many examples of behaviour just like that or worse, and the tolerance for naked sectarianism is undeniable.
Let’s not forget, the instruction banning players from wearing green boots originated in the manager’s office over there, and that that ended up in the papers was an example of a PR machine doing everything possible to blast the credibility of those it was supposed to serve. I don’t know what impact that story was supposed to have on dressing room morale but it lifted spirits in the stands alright. It is just the sort of drum beat their fans love to dance to.
That’s why I find it easy to believe that the club not only anticipated a backlash from having to send out that tweet but that they also asked the official club merchandiser not to make them do it. That it was the talk of the forums for half a day is proof that this is a club completely unspooled from reality; this is what their supporters choose to get animated over.
Today on Follow Follow there’s a video doing the rounds of some utter non-entity singing a highly offensive song about the Pope. This, to them, represents High Culture, a moron going through a repertoire of play-ground level dirge for reasons that have nothing to do with their failing football club, nothing to do with anything relating to football at all. I won’t even tell you what the current trending thread on their site is in relation to; you can guess.
We’ve spent a few days talking about Scott Brown and envy; there are all different kinds of envy, and the very idea of Celtic as a progressive, forward looking, inclusive club seems to drive these people off their nuts. They, on the other hand, cling to the pavement, face in the gutter, with the Saturday night sick as if born to it.
They are the Peepul. And the Peepul are stark, staring mad, like bug eyed loons right out of the Hills Have Eyes.
Trailer parks wouldn’t have them.
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