Mark Wilson, speaking on Radio Clyde the other day, expressed his lack of concern and support for those of us who think that Celtic – as champions – should get the opening game of the league campaign.
It seems to me a perfectly reasonable proposition.
In fact, doing anything other than making the champions the team who raises the curtain on a brand new league season seems, to me anyway, a vaguely insulting decision, one that radiates contempt.
Let the also-rans fight it out over who plays the live Sunday game … we are the best club in the land and that should be reflected by giving us the opening match.
Instead it’s Celtic who plays last. As if we were merely making the numbers up and not the side who everyone wants to beat.
Last season, when the Ibrox club were defending champions, they got the early kick-off to open the fixtures. We got the latest possible kick-off still playing on the Saturday.
No-one complained because this is how most of us understand the tradition.
But here’s the thing; this is the third season in a row that a game involving the Ibrox club has been the curtain raiser, and we’ve been champions on two of those occasions.
If this is Sky doing the decision making – and of course it is – you have to wonder what on earth is going on with their Scottish football scheduling department.
There are psychological elements to this, and we should bear those in mind. The team who kicks off first can lay down a marker and put early pressure on their rivals. Ibrox’s three years of playing first in a row is an oddity, but not one that should shock any of us, as we know full well what Sky Sport’s coverage of our club is like.
The number of times last season that our fans had to buy pay-per-view tickets for away games whilst those of the Ibrox club were shown on Sky … alarming. Our first away game of this campaign, Ross County, will not be available to watch anywhere.
Sky’s contempt for our fans is clear.
That they don’t think the league title holders should raise the curtain is appalling, and will have neutrals scratching their heads in amazement.
It is an embarrassing and indefensible decision, made for the second time in three years … in both cases involving us.
Once again the Scottish football authorities kow towing to a TV company over the rights of the game in this country! Where else but Scotland ,would the premiership champions be relegated to playing a day later. The unfurling of the champion flag is deemed irrelevant to sky sports, it defers the ceremony to the following day! An everlasting sense of contempt from sky sports to Celtic FC just got ramped up a notch, expect much ,much more of the same over the coming season
Man City are playing last on the Sunday on the opening weekend. Liverpool are playing at 12.30 on the Saturday. There’s a Friday night fixture too. It’s pretty well the exact same formula.
Have you ever heard of the concept of saving the best until last?
Celtic v Aberdeen is the game of the opening fixtures and hence why it commands the right to be played on its own in front of a bigger audience.
Seems to me you like to make something out of nothing just for more content and of course the Advertising Revenue that comes with it James.
You are getting uptight about nothing!
It is not important in the grand scheme of things.
3pm on a Sunday gets better viewing figures from the football-watching public than 12pm on a Saturday, where huge numbers of that constituency is at other games / preparing to go to other games / playing the game / watching their kids play the game etc. 3pm on a Sunday is possibly the most prime time slot for any televised football match. Sky has put the bigger fixture (Celtic vs Aberdeen is a bigger fixture than Livingston vs Rangers) in that slot. I’m assuming here that both are being televised? Similarly, last season, Hearts vs Celtic was a bigger TV draw than Rangers vs Livingston.
The thing I’m more concerned about is that we’ve been given a ‘tough’ draw (or one of the bigger clubs) on the first game two years running. For a while there, it would either open with a Celtic/Hearts or a Rangers vs Hibs/Aberdeen – a fixture with a bit of niggle and it would change year about. Perhaps the fact that Aberdeen were bottom 6 gross underachievers last season changes the complexion of that.
Sky’s Scottish football coverage is deplorable, I agree. But they know how to programme fixtures in relation to audience figures. Another factor is that Celtic/Rangers away games get higher numbers than home games (there are 50k/60k bodies who would be likely to watch, who will not be watching – not insignificant numbers in terms of average viewing figures for Scottish matches).
It’s not 3 o’clock though it is 4.30
Same logic applies. Wildly more potential viewers than at 12 on a Saturday – particularly for a Celtic home game when you’ve lost the viewers who are at the game (in far higher numbers than for away games, obviously). Indeed, the same slot that the champions of England will kick off at in their opening weekend. If Sky are treating Celtic with a particular disdain it’s the same one they’re sparing for Man City.
*Indeed, IT IS the same slot…
What do you expect from from the Scottish government loyal when the rangers died everyone tried to save them by covering everything up that’s why they are sevco 2012 and they still think ? they have won 55 deluded sevco 2012 have won 1 league 1 Scottish Cup brain ? dead peepul bring it on HH ? ???
It is a RIGGED game your watching and paying for.
F**k Sky don’t subscribe to it. But LOL should sevco not pick up full points tomorrow the plan by Sky and the Doncaster and Co could well backfire on them should the result not go their way for them all.
Anyway 2 penalties in the first half for sevco tomorrow with at least one Livi player red carded.
There is only one answer to this problem.. an organised cancellation of sky subscriptions on a pre arranged date by all Celtic fans daft enough to pay them.. there blatantly pro rangers stance has been an utter disgrace and totally underplayed by Celtic and our fans
Then don’t subscribe to sky sports. I chucked them a couple of years ago when it was obvious they had nothing but contempt for Celtic whilst pandering to the mob from ibrox.
what does it matter ? sometimes james, i think you search for things to be offended by…ffs
be magic if the huns dropped points on saturday…tho’ unlikely.
Mark wilson is a fuckin lickspickle the same as the rest of them. HH
Sorry to disagree with my fav blog, but the 4.30pm Sunday sky slot is great news for Celtic. It is the gold standard sky slot when they get most viewers. It puts Celtic on the UK and worldwide map just like the Feb 3-0 v Rangers did when the English league was on winter break. We should realise how vital this slot is for our branding and making us an attractive place for other footballers to see
Of course it matters. The first five games we are playing after them four times. Our away games if televised are on a sunday the newco away games are saturday midday. Sevco sky know exactly what they are doing but our board just sit back.
Only reason I will watch any sky football is basically because it’s free due to my wife being an employee of sky if it weren’t for that I’d never pay them a single penny
Celtic FC already have Celtic TV in place, so don’t need to agree to the SFA’s next sky deal just as the huns have done with the Cinch. Precedent. No great loss to all those Celtic supporters who have already shown their disapproval of sky’s behaviour by cancelling their sky contracts.
We don’t need sky
Can’t get too excited: Scottish football sold its soul to the TV companies a long time ago,
and effectively handed over control of kick-off times.
If sevco stumble on Saturday and we collect 3 points the next day, then it will make for a very enjoyable Sunday! 🙂
FQ SLY SPORTS, I THINK THEY KNOW WHAT OUR SUPPORT THINKS OF THEM.
I’LL NEVER HAVE SLY EVER AGAIN.
Football on a sunday is an abomination
Also as stated above we are playing after sevco in 4 of our first 5 matches
Disgrace
Sadly our club, of which we are a part, seem impotent with regards to any actions against our press and media abusers while we sit back and watch our ex Celtic players in their media roles banned from ebox. Unlike that lot across the city, money seems more important to us than morals in this scenario, and they’re supposed to be skint
We are the Champions, the number one Club, and we should be at the front and centre of everything. Of course then we should be involved in the season’s curtain raiser, not the imposters from Govan who will be put int heir place once again this season. We are the team of the Century and we will continue our relentless reign, we don’t stop!
Don’t often use abusive language on forums, but an utter disgrace, we should tell sky to fuck off, and play our games Saturday at 3 o’clock, we make £3mill a year off sky, the rest of scottish football thinks the sun shines out of the ibrox clubs arse, if they can shun cinch, we can shun sky. P.s. fuck them.
Absolute bullcrap!!! HH ?????
question marks…posted Bhoys stuff there…