On the day we’re debating Andy Walker being banned by the club one of the nastiest men in the media took yet another shot at us, a man who played for our club twice but rarely, if ever, has a good word to say about us.
He should have been a Celtic icon but he isn’t because he chased English glitz and gold too early to establish himself as one and came back years later a washed up waster who was lucky to get a second shot at all.
And every day he’s spent in the media has tarnished further the reputation he did have.
Charlie Nicholas is a notable figure in that his talents with the ball can still make you smile when you watch them on the highlight reel, but always you have to remind yourself that that’s who he was and this is who he is now; a dreadful pundit spouting constant poison.
His comments on Scott Brown this week are lamentable.
It was vicious, deranged, idiotic and reeked of envy for what our captain has accomplished and the way that he will be remembered.
Brown may have looked like a toothless old lion at the weekend, but he is a towering figure in the history of our club, in no way tarnished by the way his time at Parkhead ends.
I have read some deplorable garbage about Brown in the stinking sewers of social media, almost all of it from those across the city who despise him.
They despise most people, but Brown has a special place in their hearts.
They can call him whatever they like; that man has the medals and trophies and titles to prove who he is. He never needs to defend himself in the eyes of those who matter; that would be the rest of us, those whose admiration for him will never wane.
Brown has lost a little of his verve this year, and a lot us would not have had him in the team. That was only partly out of concern for the team; we never wanted to see Brown reduced as a footballer.
But even now, he really hasn’t been.
He bows out of Celtic in a way we wouldn’t have wished for but I have a sneaky suspicion that he has headlines to make yet, at Aberdeen, and that some of the people who are openly ridiculing him this week will laugh on the other side of their faces.
Nicholas knows what it takes to reach the pantheon of greats at Parkhead; his anger is perhaps rooted in his own failure to attain that status. Even if the club itself was minded to honour him, I doubt many fans would turn up for the ceremony.
Brown on the other hand will never be short of friends and admirers.
He will be welcome anywhere there are Celtic scarves on the walls.
Brown is the most successful captain of my lifetime and one of the most beloved footballers to pull on the shirt.
I have never cared about his critics; I don’t rate the opinions of 90% of them.
He’s had those critics for years; these aren’t Johnny Come Lately’s.
Some of them have never believed he was a “worthy” holder of the armband, but these people don’t understand professionalism or standards or loyalty in any shape or form, and so their views could hardly matter less.
Nicholas couldn’t spell those words.
He pissed away the best years of his own career living it up in London after turning down Liverpool. A lot of his angst is over how unappreciated he feels his own achievements are; if he’d actually achieved more he might get greater recognition.
He has two Scottish League titles. Brown has ten.
Nicholas has two League Cups in Scotland. One at Celtic and one at Aberdeen.
Brown has six League Cups at Celtic and one at Hibs.
Nicholas has one English League Cup. Brown has six Scottish Cups.
For all Nicholas’ alleged talents he won a mere 20 Scottish caps.
Brown won more than twice than many, with 55.
Brown has made the right kind of history and the right kind of headlines.
The way he leaves the club will be forgotten the first time he returns to Parkhead in a non-playing capacity. He will sit in the stands in a place of honour. He will return as a guest to unfurl league flags.
There is a certain inevitability of his coming home one day as a coach.
The red carpet will be rolled out for him anytime he’s in the vicinity.
Nicholas will be lucky if he gets into Parkhead with a ticket.