The Scottish media has no shame whatsoever.
I pondered yesterday whether or not they might support Brendan’s call for our game to be all grown up and for the league decider to be at Parkhead on 22 April between ourselves and the Sevconites; I had a feeling they would go the other way though.
They are refusing to support Brendan’s call for the game, and every single one of them is dredging up the same rank nonsense in their efforts to do so; 1999.
I have a different year for them, one that undercuts all the arguments, one that slams home how ridiculous their transparent arguments are; 2012.
Because, of course, 1999 wasn’t the last time a league title decider took place between Celtic and an Ibrox club. That happened in a year that was even more volcanic and potentially combustible than this one is. We went to Ibrox with Rangers teetering on the brink. They were already in administration and facing imminent closure. They were reeling, absolutely punch-drunk from events. And nobody suggested that we cancel the game.
The 1999 argument is beyond ridiculous. It was twenty years ago. How much longer is it going to influence our thinking? The hypocrisy of it is manifest in the way the media constantly extols the virtues of the Glasgow derby, only to insist that in fact it does more harm than good; you know what? Some of us have been arguing that for years.
But that game is with us whether we like it or not. It exists. It will always be a game that attracts controversy. Headlines. Because the media which is now furiously back-peddling from this game in a truly desperate fashion will create them, even when they don’t exist. All that’s required for this game to go ahead as a decider is that everyone involved act like adults and take seriously their responsibilities. Is it too much to ask?
For one Sevco fan site at least the answer is clearly yes, but they are so mired in their own hatred that they would find another outlet for it if they didn’t have this one. I am not surprised at their conduct, and the venom of what they published; it is the mainstream media itself which disgraces itself with the nonsense they’re coming out with it here.
They couldn’t wait to run out and find someone – Stuart McCall, who’s contribution to Scottish football history was the hilarious spectacle of his failing to get Sevco promoted two years back – who was willing to say it would be “common sense” not to allow it; bullshit.
It would spare Sevco and its fans some embarrassment, that’s all, but it would heap even greater embarrassment on our national sport.
How are you meant to sell this farce to anyone, far less broadcasters and advertisers? How are you going to tell the next set of negotiators for a TV contract that if the opportunity presents itself for a televised league deciding Glasgow derby that you’d move heaven and earth to make sure that it never took place? God almighty, it’s flabbergasting.
They would rather send a message to the world that Scottish football is closed for business. That it’s a backwater. That it is a poisonous place where the fans are idiot children who don’t know how to behave. What a disgusting view of our country that is. It echoes everything I wrote the other day about the chattering classes and their perception of West of Scotland football fans. I cannot properly articulate how ashamed they should be for this.
Scottish football cannot move forward whilst such backward attitudes are being promoted at the highest level and by our media.
We are a laughing stock because of these people.
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