Yesterday, in his shambolic, rambling media interview after the Celtic game, in which he claimed the gap isn’t that big (9 before the game 12 after it) and that he was pleased with his team (although they got beat), The Mooch threw something else in there.
“That was my 16th derby and I never seen it how it used to be (with the traditional allocation of 7,000 briefs to the visitors),” he said, once again talking as if he was the manager all the way through the Gerrard seasons.
“I’m not the decision-maker, I’m not in and around it. I’m led to believe it was a call from Celtic why there were no away fans between now and the end of the season. That’s what I’m led to believe, from when I asked the question.”
I wonder exactly who he asked the question to?
The same people, one would presume, who briefed their hyper-gullible fan reps and told them the same barefaced lie.
The thing is, this is a very easy one to get to the bottom of.
The accusation that Celtic banned their fans falls down the second you ask two questions, which apparently is too taxing for their bloggers to do and too simple for The Mooch to consider.
First, why now? They had fans at the opening league game at Parkhead and we had fans at Ibrox. So why would that be different for the last two games?
Secondly, how could we “ban” their fans and take that decision independently of them when the SFA regulations explicitly state that “reasonable” measures be taken to give away fans an allocation for any league game?
Clubs cannot ban away fans. Away clubs have a right to representation at matches.
It’s a fundamental of football and one that if it didn’t exist would result in games being played in front of home fans only every time clubs thought there was the slightest advantage to be gained from it.
There are only two circumstances in which clubs would ever tolerate that situation.
If they were banned – legitimately banned, by the governing bodies – from having away fans or if they just didn’t want any.
Ibrox fans were not banned from Celtic Park yesterday.
We don’t have that power, and they were not under any sanction.
One Ibrox fan blog tried to claim that we had defied the SFA regulations yesterday, as if daring them to punish us.
If we had, why is their own club not publicly protesting?
Why did the SFA not immediately announce that if Celtic stopped away fans from attending that we’d be punished?
The decision was made weeks ago. So where were the twin outcries from Ibrox and Hampden? There weren’t any, and the very absence of those complaints tells you, clearly, that no such thing took place. We did not ban anybody.
I understand Ibrox fans sites writing this tripe.
They believe everything that comes out of that club, no matter how deranged, deluded or ridiculous.
But The Mooch trotting out the same tired line?
That tells you something.
That tells you that the board over there isn’t even above lying to their own manager and making him look like a mug.
Nobody in the press corps has contradicted those remarks, but everyone in the media must know what the regulations say and, indeed, they’ve spent many weeks now repeating the line which they were given by the club which was that this was a “joint decision” based on the safety of supporters.
That’s not true either, of course, but it contains at least of kernel of fact in that Celtic, at least, turned down tickets on that basis.
So they have to know that when The Mooch said that yesterday that he was claiming that the club has told him something entirely different from what they’ve been feeding the press … and whether they want to acknowledge it or not, that’s a news story.
Because when the club is telling the media one thing and it’s telling its fan reps and its own manager something entirely different, then how can either party trust a word of any of it?
Celtic has kept its powder dry on the matter, but any hack who wants to know the facts can contact the club and get the truth, which this blog and others have been writing.
But in this case they don’t even have to take our word for it.
There are two flatly contradictory stories about this in the public sphere now, and the Ibrox club is responsible for both of them. The media doesn’t even have to do any digging.
The Mooch was clear that his information on why no Ibrox fans were at the game yesterday came from people inside the club. The same people have told the media an entirely different version of events.
So this isn’t Celtic sites gilding the lily or stirring the soup here … this one is pretty cut and dried. Ibrox is lying. Are they lying to only one group of people or to everyone?
We all know the answer, and increasingly the media must be realising it as well.
But feeding the manager a transparent fiction, when he then looks like a fool repeating to the press?
That’s something else entirely.
It makes you wonder what other lies they are telling him, doesn’t it?
They can’t lie about result yesterday. Or TWELVE point gap. HH
Oh, but they can lie about the result. Apparently we didn’t win the game, despite the 3-2 final score. According to Todd Cantplay, that is. “We lost the game, they didn’t win it.” Makes you wonder how we managed to get the 3 points, for a game we din’t win.
“It makes you wonder what other lies they are telling him, doesn’t it?”
How about: “There’s a good amount of money available in the Summer”?
What about this doozy ! John Souttar was outstanding … Apert from the mistake for Jota’s goal ! Right out of the ‘Tim Nice But Dim ‘ repertoire .
They are all hurting badly even when we did not play that good on the day but they still could not beat us 12″points in front 29″ goal difference. They media keep writing and pundits keep telling us there is not much between both teams maybe we are missing something maybe they are all talking bull#hit lovely.
The Mooch believes there is money yes plenty of money that previous ibrox mgrs never had, hmm has he seen the most recent share issue to aquire funds that are needed to keep club going and pays back a little bit of the directors loans, maybe that’s not reported in the Beano he reads, park has stepped down or was it booted by the other directors who have loaned the club money, all on favourable interest rates terms, fans need to wake up to all the feel good stories that are just camouflage to the real issues in the ibrox run club.
Add to the Continuity Lie and the Victim Lie, we now have the Fans Banned Lie, and the Jota Handball Lie. Strangers to the truth.
I don’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth. He is part of that establishment and is economical with the truth. When is managerial career is over wouldn’t be surprised to see him pop up in politics.
As I said the other day James, Sevco have the backing of the media. Beale and the media know full well Celtic cannot ban away fans. Why did the person asking the question not make reference to that fact.
Why aren’t managers asked to justify why they think they should have got something from the game. Apart from the goals they had one shot on target? But Beale thinks they should have got something from the game. Really?
Think Beale gets off lightly with questions. His team was mince but the compliant media do not focus on what really went wrong. Its the same with sky pundits. They worm around the issues.
Scottish football doesn’t have a real controversial pundit who tells it as it is. A Roy Keane who does not mince his words.
I heard Super Ali spitting his dummy out about VAR… Shame Gazza wasn’t there to hold his hand. He likes a good greet anaw. Pmsl.
What a club full of hypocrites why can’t they just tell the truth the new club are the same as the old one based on bigotry and lies . At least nowadays your religion and colour of your skin is no longer an issue thank God but still in the boardroom the same old mob
The biggest lie they told him was that he,s a good manager , he,s nothing more than a mouthpiece full of utter nonsense
Prepare for Groundhog Day in the semi.
Ange must come up with a way to combat our three v their five in midfield.
If CalMac is deep it’s two v five.
@Anne mcq14. Sounds like James is simply accepting that it’s true because Beale said so without further questioning of it. That’s really odd in itself James. The simple solution is a clear and unambiguous Celtic statement of fact or are they lying too?
As Maya Angelou once said “Just say it right. It may not be expedient or profitable to you but it will satisfy your soul”.
The board members should do right by the fans and the wider Celtic community, not just represent themselves from the power of a board seat. You have been entrusted with the values and morals of our club to represent it when you took those seats so take that position please. Our voices and concerns need to be heard so put it out there and “Just do right”. HH
Celtic FC should be exposing their lies, full stop.
Complaint sent to BBC News for stating the away allocation was removed because of “safety and security reason”. Where did they get such misinformation ?
Spot on article trying to deflect how a dissary there club is in
So what is the real story behind all the lies? Did Old Firm Sevco refuse an allocation and, if so, why? If Celtic can’t ban an away support then why did they “ban” the away support?
Does anyone know the real reason?
Beale said there is two good teams in Scotland not just one,,, assuming he rates celtic as a good team (cant deny it) So what hes saying is the other ten teams in tbe league are not good,, does that mean, he thought he only had to beat one club to be successful up bere???? So disrespectful of him,, Typical patter from someone south of the border, Joey Barton springs to mind
I had a difference of opinion earlier on another site, regarding a similar topic, the Rangers supporter said Rangers cut Celtics allocation in order to maximise their own season ticket sales as they needed the money, I can find this believable.
I seem to remember Dave King bleating on about the reason but as usual didn’t pay much attention to him.
That’s how unintelligent THEY are,anyone with a little brain would know who the culprit is,its now called LIEBROX