Why Celtic’s Biggest Problem With The Aussie Trip Could Be The Fury Of The Ibrox Fans.

Our club has put itself in a proper bad place with their decision to play this Australian friendly, as I’ve already written and as others have already written.

The Celtic fans are angry about it, and even Ange’s comments – which I’ll write more about later – aren’t quelling the flames.

The board obviously knew we would not be happy.

That must have been “factored in” when they were putting this together.

Here’s what they didn’t expect; the full-on fury which has erupted across the city.

That fury is a major, major problem for Celtic because it is a major problem for the board over there.

Because Ibrox dances to the tune of their fans in a way that is sometimes truly reprehensible. No fan base that deranged should ever be taken so seriously by its own club but the simple fact is that they do listen to their lunatic fringe to a worrisome degree.

And right now that segment of their support if beyond enraged.

They are clamouring for their club to think again about this game, and if their board pulls out of this our own is going to look even shittier than it does right now for not doing so first.

There might be commercial contracts signed and sealed, but let’s not pretend that Ibrox takes any of that seriously because we know that they don’t. They won’t even participate in the SPFL’s sponsorship deals although they are obligated to do so.

Nothing is going to calm their supporters down on this; they see the whole thing as being about the promotion of Celtic and Ange’s brand Down Under and understand full well – another subject I’ll be tackling later – what their status on this “tour” is … they are the support act at best, the whole match itself like a circus side-show, with them in the role of the freaks.

There is every chance that their clamour will result in their club pulling out of the whole thing.

The second they believe their own financial bottom line will be impacted for showing up the meagre cash they are getting for it – do not believe a word of their hype about it being more than they get from the SPFL – will be a secondary consideration.

The Celtic board needs to think again about this game, and if that means that they once again get their heads together with the Ibrox board to ditch the whole grubby concept than I reckon we can overlook that and simply accept that the right decision has been arrived at … but I strongly suspect they will persist with this long after the point where it has become toxic and that will not be too long in coming as should be evident to them.

The Ibrox fans are much, much more vocal on this than our fans have been thus far although I fully expect that to change the second we make the official “announcement” that we are playing them … if indeed the club intends to confirm it.

Oh how thoroughly cowardly the charlatans who have made this decision are.

When everyone knows what the agenda is our club is yet to offer any comment on it.

If you ever wanted a clear picture of who runs us this offers it to you.

Ibrox is almost certainly already looking for a way to pull the plug if they cannot quell the tide of anger.

Our own club is hiding from the anger they too know will explode online the second they confirm this disgrace.

They should act first and end this farce and set up the kind of homecoming tour for Ange that will not leave this club tainted and scarred.