Late last night, before I turned in for bed, The Evening Times ran an article which claimed that Ange has said he was “delighted” and “looking forward” to taking on the Ibrox club in his home nation.
I was puzzled at that headline, because he said no such thing.
I talked about it Twitter, and before the hour was up the Times had altered the headline and the story and removed the references to the Ibrox club. Their tactics are despicable.
It was an all-too obvious attempt to put Ange on the wrong side of fan opinion.
The thing is, it won’t be the last time the press plays this card.
The game isn’t due to be played until November; we have between now and then to fall out a million times over this.
The press will keep asking Ange how much he’s looking forward to it. He will do well indeed not to give an answer that the media will attempt to use to split him from the supporters.
We will condemn the media for this every time they attempt it.
But let’s not kid ourselves on here; the media is simply doing what you would expect them to do. They will make mischief against Celtic whenever and wherever and however they can.
It is the club itself which provided them with an opening this time.
It is the club itself which allowed this line of attack, by organising the fixture in the first place.
The club has placed the manager in the abysmal position where he has to take the flak for a decision that they knew full well would infuriate the fan-base, which has been vocal on this matter before.
We have no interest in playing the Ibrox club in any match where such a thing is not necessary to fulfil domestic or European fixtures.
It’s really as simple as that.
We have no interest whatsoever in the promotion of the toxic Old Firm brand, which is all this does. Our club claims to deplore the very idea of it, yet their actions signify the complete opposite.
Ange doesn’t know any of this. He probably doesn’t care.
The trouble is that the fans do care, and our position on this won’t change whether he backs his employers on it or not.
All this does is drive a wedge between the club and the support.
We would all rather Ange was not involved in the debate, but the media will keep on poking this running sore.
And I blame the CEO and the directors for that, the people who knew – who have always known – that this idea would not fly, that the fans would not support it.
It seems pretty clear that they have cynically used this moment and this particular manager to push this scummy agenda.
They are thoughtless and arrogant and utterly dismissive of fan opinion.
They do not care that Ange will have to face questions about this and will have to attempt to defend it.
This whole thing is a public relations disaster of epic proportions.
Celtic fans will be protesting and shouting about this match all the way to the kick-off.
Ange’s homecoming has been tarnished by the actions of our own board of directors. They have made it about this now, instead of about him. I cannot express enough my disbelief and disgust at it.
The media is loving this.
Already people like Tom English are tweeting about it and openly mocking the club for its contradictory stance and its embrace of the hated “rivalry.” He will not be alone in that.
Everyone is going to take their shot, and the anger of the fans is not going to dissipate; on the contrary.
Yesterday was Day One.
When the fixtures are formally announced and the PR campaign to sell tickets gets underway, wait and see how it’s promoted.
What a grotesque situation they have managed to manufacture here.
Of all the things they could have done, to do this … to make Ange’s triumphant return to the nation where he’s a hero about a money-grubbing exercise which they knew would infuriate the fans … they have no loyalty to Ange whatsoever, no consideration for him at all.
Which is to say nothing for the contempt in which they hold us.
It’s actions like this that made me give up ST.
This celtic board don’t care what the fans think. I would not be surprised if most of them are sevco supporters. Think of there actions over the past few years. They have been making decisions that benefit one club & its not the club they work for & we support.
Wait , the AGM won’t be on this year until after the Australian game.
I won’t be watching that sh#te anyway
Quite why you,or anyone else is surprised at Celtics handling of this situation is beyond me,let’s not forget,we already have a long standing board member who refers to rangers DEMOTION from top flight football,a clear and concise example of the continuation lie,and this without one word of disagreement from the other board members,shameful doesn’t begin to describe such actions.
The Celtic board have no shame at all…
This game against “them” should never happen… another own goal from Bankier and company…
We are trying to win a league and here we have another distraction…
Wait to see more banners at our home games
HH
They’re also affording the Sevvies a money making opportunity and making credible the whole Old Firm lie, and that despite their despicable bullying tactics towards the rest of Scottish Football.
any way they can , this Celtic Board will Whore our club the sooner we have a boycott this bunch of Tory bastards the better everyone of them has to be removed shower of scum
Well said john mcg i said that the day 1 of our board came out and ranjurs were demoted thats the day our fans should have started boycotting paradise because these tory bastards on our board want the old firm and i blame peter lying bastard lawwell for it all just because CELTIC were going for more history the fans took there syes off our board they’re not interested in us fans and never have been honest CELTIC board are a shower of bastards and i hate to say it I LOVE CELTIC BUT THAT BOARD HAS TO GO QUICK BEFORE SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS HONEST.
Let us all stay focused on the remaining games coming forget about these rags trying to stir bother among our team and fans,so forget about this tournament just now as they maybe not be here in November.
sevco fanzines every one of them tv and radio as well. a disgrace to journalism.
Well, if anyone thought that our new CEO Nicholson was going to handle things any differently from Lawwell… 🙁
And knowing how deeply unpopular this decision would be, the CEO still remains in the background.
Very poor show.
Haven’t seen confirmation of this from Celtic
Do not go looking to blame individuals on the Board. It’s a straight business deal. There’s profit in it. Celtic fans have all been been blinded by their adulation of Ange. He like us all, has an ego as well as humility. I feel Ange knew what was going on in Australia. Don’t be angry with Ange he has an important job to focus on. Maybe he gave the CEO a heads-up on the Australian proposal, a fair time ago. WHO KNOWS?. GVB and his Board would have been waiting for confirmation of the Sydney Super Football Cup going ahead; which is partly underwritten by the NSW Government. I would suggest that the Aussie organizers approached both SPL clubs and they agreed in principle. The press releases went out more than 24 hours ago in Australia. Ticket sales were opened instantly. It will give the best of the Celtic Bs an opportunity to shine. One of your commentators was very prescient in pointing this out. The present Blue Bag professional football players were not part of the disturbing history of the Derangers club yet some Celtic fans pillory them with insults….that’s enough of that!.
James, I hope Celtic FC gives you a free ticket to travel on the plane with the press contingent. You might be lucky and get a seat next to Alex Rae
https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/it-will-be-special-ange-bringing-celtic-to-australia-in-bumper-fourteam-tournament/news-story/319498a8bc87f5d40e34fbcde719d753
What’s this THREE clubs Celts will face in Australia pish? TWO clubs and a company, I think we’ll find. HH
Has it been confirmed?
By Ibrox, which just magnifies the insult.
mcgregor and davis were part of the oldco derangers they know the facts it is the rest of them waving 55 flags who need a history lesson and until they get one we have every right to pillory them.
This can not happen! I lived their and I tell you every hun will come out from under his rick as I said yesterday Celtic have a massive loyal community in Sydney at Cheers bar and out west also, huns have none tho the casual bigots will appear and wee one year visa types and no doubt the English right wing weirdos to! We are the draw! It’s a disgrace that board put us in this posion! This could be a great spectacle no need for the posion I used to go watch western Sydney they to are the migrant club ” wog ” one their own words it’s an aussie thing basically the Latin migrants of Spain, Italy Greece and south Americans. The huns pushing this now while using ” first o f game”! This will cause chaos they wreck pockets of thst city as we all know Sydney doesnt know what going to hit it with that poison wirse to it’s late November so ” beaches be busy God help help them! I cant believe that board put us in this posion we have to say no huns or we are out! These halfwits that run our club are so out a touch! How could they put is in this position! Great for the scum but we are
propping that poison up! It be different if they were a normal club not one full of hate racist,vile poison! We will get dragged into this! As they will cause mayhem it’s what they do when 20 of them gather! We could go there with 2 sydney teams and another guest club no problem in fact a joyous ” CELTICBRATION ” even but throw that poison in the mix chaos! Even if we weren’t there they cause it! I go on about ” enablers” we as in our club has now become one for that sectarian filth! This cant happen it cant! It only end up bad for us very bad!
Hun under a rock I meant
The board, CEO, and probably Ange (can’t believe he’s not been consulted or is unaware of this) has got this badly wrong if agreement to this is confirmed by the club. This is a ST renewal issue for me. They’re taking us backwards, hallucinating about the focus of the ‘Old Firm’ selling potential. Its clearly all about money and greed and clearly disrespectful to our fans. Their addiction to the scum on the run across the city is embarrassing the Celtic family. Just Say No. HH