The Woeful European Performances Of Other Clubs Continues To Drag Celtic Down.

This, tonight, is why the co-efficient has to be nudged up on years when ourselves or Ibrox put together a run and get some positive results. Tonight’s epic embarrassment for Scottish football as Motherwell went out to Sligo Rovers.

I don’t like criticising other teams in Europe (except one, but give them their due; they have done as much for that co-efficient as we have) but what else is there to say? That result is disgraceful. They’ve lost the tie, and lost in both legs of it, to a team from the League of Ireland. That has long terms effects on our game. That cannot be ignored.

There is talk in some quarters about how clubs don’t enjoy European football, as they don’t make money out of it and consider the games too early in the season and thus treat them as throwaway games. I’m not saying that’s what happened here, and it’s probably a better excuse than Motherwell deserve, but I am assured it does happen.

That’s utterly stone selfish of those clubs. If they aren’t going to compete, if they aren’t going to turn up, they should hand the place over to someone who will instead of inflicting on Scotland this form of embarrassment.

First leg results, we can forgive and forget. We’ve suffered some shockers ourselves, and we’ve also been knocked out by a right few bad teams … but a team who didn’t even finish top of the Irish League? That’s a Progres style disaster, on that scale of humiliation for Motherwell as it was for Ibrox. It’s the sort that should command a major inquest.

There are people who will squeal that Celtic has a cheek to talk. Do we? When a League of Ireland side knocks us out of Europe, get back to me. Linfield fans were sneering after they beat Bodo in the first leg of their game … they conceded eight in the second leg though and are very much out and not laughing anymore.

Nobody will be laughing tonight in Motherwell. That result is a travesty and to Scottish football an utter disgrace. Every player should be thoroughly ashamed after it.

The sooner UEFA does away with any dependence we have on the “national co-efficient” the better. Time to stand and fall away from this kind of embarrassment, which only serves to drag us ever downward.