The news today that Sevco is “set to join Celtic” in competing in a French pre-season min-tourney has raised a bit of suspicion amongst fans that we’re perhaps behind this, along with the Ibrox club, as a way to raise a bit of money before the season starts.
There are plenty of ways to make money that we ought never to consider for a second.
Anything that involves any kind of commercial arrangement, no matter how modest, no matter how temporary, between us and them is one of them.
At a time when some of us are still fuming over the way Resolution 12 has gone, the board needs to be well aware of the depth of feeling in this. Fans will be seriously pissed off if there is the slightest sign that this is in some way a resurrection of Old Firm Inc.
Now look, I am not levelling any accusations here. It might just be that this is the brainchild of the French and it’s their idea to invite both clubs. But I happen to know that the idea of playing a “friendly” between Celtic and Sevco during the pre-season is an idea that has long held appeal in the boardrooms of both Parkhead and Ibrox.
Some at our club do think there are opportunities which should be explored here.
Let me caution them on that; it is an abhorrent suggestion.
Have they looked at Sevco at the current time? Have they been following the forums and the blogs? Their club’s fans are increasingly cosying up to the far-right. Their club has been fanning the flames of this for years … we should be running from the very suggestion that we are in any way connected to them.
Some might say that we have nothing to fear as long as we are seen as their polar opposites; they fail to understand that we’ll not be painted that way. It’ll be “the other side of the same coin” and so our principles and beliefs will be twisted into their worst possible selves.
Far from being seen as a club that embraces openness and celebrates diversity, the contrast will be our “support for the IRA” and other such nonsense.
There is nothing to gain from it at all.
The best thing our club can do is continue to march to its own beat. I do not want to see us involved with them in any way. Any grubby commercial agreement between the clubs would generate only revulsion. I don’t know a single person who would support it.
Like I said, I’m not saying that’s what this thing in France is.
But if it turns out to be, if the merest hint of that finds its way into the public domain, then our board is going to have questions to answer, and will be on the end of fury they cannot even imagine.
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