In George Orwell’s 1984, one of my favourite books, nothing is quite so frightening as what lies behind the door to Room 101. Winston Smith, the main character, is vaguely aware that this room terrifies people, but he has half convinced himself that he does not know what’s in there. O’Brien, his interrogator, comprehensively cuts through that nonsense.
“You asked me once,” said O’Brien, “what was in Room 101. I told you that you knew the answer already. Everyone knows it. The thing that is in Room 101 is the worst thing in the world,” he says, before going on to elaborate. “’The worst thing in the world varies from individual to individual. It may be burial alive, or death by fire, or by drowning, or by impalement, or fifty other deaths. There are cases where it is some quite trivial thing, not even fatal.”
For Winston Smith, it happens to be rats, and O’Brien, of course, has provided for that.
For sensible football bosses, what lies beyond the door of Room 101 might well be the Ibrox managerial hot-seat.
I cannot think of a worse job in the sport right now.
Toxic fans who will not accept any defeat, against any level of opposition.
A board more in thrall to its fans than any other in Britain. A media which amplifies every slip into a disaster. A rival which has far greater resources and can up its game at any time it chooses. And a gloating Celtic support which can taunt and goad everyone involved over there into making every imaginable wrong decision.
Do not underestimate the impact we have on their club. Our voices are amongst the loudest in football cyberspace, and I firmly believe that we have helped to frame their image of their club in the way the media of the early 90’s was able to frame ours.
Our mockery has fed their anger. Our laughter has fuelled their boos. We have turned them against their players, their managers and their board. On some occasions, even against each other.
The slide started with our win at Ibrox. They can talk all they want about the opening day at Kilmarnock and the Champions League exit. Hell, most of them were willing to excuse going out of that competition as a good deal because they think they can go further in the Europa League, and considering that pitiful draw they got they can and will.
It was Celtic going there with half a team and winning that did it.
It always comes down to us.
That, for them, was the cardinal sin, that was the unforgivable result.
That is why they’ve spent the time since pulling their club apart and why today their summer rebuild lies in ruins after less than ten games of the domestic campaign. Because we went to their house and brought three points back to ours. Other than that, this guy would have been given more time.
That club cannot escape from our shadow, no matter how hard it tries.
And really, it doesn’t try that hard.
It permanently inhabits that space, and it cannot shake us off. Their club has been completely upended because we’re seven points in front. In October. I wholeheartedly believe that The Mooch was a dreadful appointment, but then I said so from the start, and predicted that it would turn out exactly like this, although the speed of it has amazed me.
But the only reason he got the job in the first place was the mad fantasy they indulged in that he and Gerrard masterminded a title triumph and had made their club the top one in the country. They closed their minds to the unique circumstances and conditions of that campaign, and refused to even contemplate that it might have been a freak result.
We won the five out of the next six trophies. Still, they refused to consider that their single season victory might have been more to do with COVID than with the brilliance of their management team. They hired The Mooch because he “knew how to win” against us, there’s no other reason, he had no other accomplishments to speak of.
That’s the level they work at. That’s the depth of their obsession with Celtic, that they hired a complete novice on the basis that he had some unique understanding about our club.
His understanding of the one he took over was summed up when he took the players on a tour of the museum in the aftermath of our win; as I said at the time, if his intent was to infuse in them the idea that they played for a massive institution, even those who didn’t know that the history is only 12 years old only had to look at him, managing it, to know better.
It has ended how it was always going to end, and whoever they bring in knows from the start that the average shelf life of a manager there is months, not years.
Since they reached the top flight five separate men have sat in the managers office and this is the second one they’ve sacked in 12 months. Two others fell in much the same manner, crushed by their inability to “win when it mattered.” Which means against us.
Even getting them to a European final and winning a domestic trophy did not save Van Bronckhorst, so what exactly does the next manager have to do to be considered a success?
Beat one club. Beat Celtic. No other consideration matters, nothing else comes close.
And that’s why the next guy has a noose around his neck before he ever starts the job.
That’s why he should ignore the name-tag on his office door and take to calling it Room 101 instead.
Because what’s in Room 101 is the worst thing in the world.
Whoever that poor sod is, he’s going to find that working at Ibrox comes pretty damned close to that.
Pure karma far as ahm concerned. The smug arrogant b*****d lasted even less than the guy he showed total disrespect tae. And tbf imo, Van Bronckhorst was somebody who deserved respect for his conduct alone. Anyway, who’s next up for the OTT, superhype treatment. We know thats comin.
Whilst we have rightly complained about our own Board’s failings
in the past – when it comes to manager recruitment –
it looks like sevco is even worse!
I mean, a player/manager was all the rage… in the ’80’s.
And bringing in a nonentity like Rae – because he happens to have the Badges
Davis doesn’t – smacks of desperation, if only in the interim.
And to appeal to the foaming bears, Davis & Rae might double-down on their
staunchness and love of all the ‘Ibrox traditions’ – whilst circling the wagons?
The contrived victimhood over there could get cranked up by 2 ex-RFC players?
The SMSM copy/pasting from the Ibrox PR is going to be interesting this week…
Excellent article James. As you said they have a reactive board which follows the mood of their fans. The Survival Lie is their Achilles heel. By the passage of time they will eventually come to terms with the process of Spaniolification.
The interesting part in Sevco statement is the last part. They realise sacking of managers in a matter of months is not financially sustainable.
The statement reads ‘they will remain in charge for as long as it takes until an appointment is made.’
With the help of their compliant press they will manufacture stories about top European managers and claim they are either expensive or not available.
Does Room 101 have padded walls by any chance?
That was a double plus good article. Thank you.
So what is in Room 101?
Aaargh. It’s Nosferatu Alex Rae Affthebackyyabelt!
The Horror! The Horror!
They’d be better with 101 the off sales if we Quark the alkie is in charge.
Their managers last 1, at best 1 1/2 seasons. Gerrard was about to be sacked, until the world closing down saved him, then a lack of fans (their ideal environment, our idea of hell) and a meltdown by us turned him into the 2nd coming. He still lost both cups that year, and has shown his lack of managerial talent since.
The names on the swamp are hilarious. Nobody but a hun would take that job. Or me, actually. I’d take it tomorrow.
send yer cv in martin….just don’t mention what school you went to……
HH
Luckily I went to one of these Catholic Schools that doesn’t immediately look like a Catholic school’s name.
Think when they saw my surname I’d be fecked right enough…
Yes
He not fit as manager, he clown man.
I don’t think they need us to taunt them. They are all fek’d up in the head already. Look at the recent TIFO’s and nazi flags on the day they have the army around for a cuppa too.
That UJ that has culloden written on it that is seen at every home game,wtf, just wtf.!
I used to think I understood their rivalry but it is just gang culture and hate at Ibrox. Why any businessman would want to be associated with that is beyond me.
When the mob get together it is a racist, fascist hate fest. I have a neighbour lovely guy who used to go to all the games and once said to me just let us sing what we want to sing at the games.Hard to sum that up, Ignorance maybe.
Anyhoo my money is on the St Mirren manager making the road to Ibrox. HH
James excellent article on the Nazi Flag earlier, hits the spot and well articulated. Ably backed up by a great read from the comments of SFATHENADIROFCHIFTINESS.
Folks you should go read that article.
Those 2 articles together show the stupidity of the support and board and how they can never change without some Nuclear type event which I cannot see coming any time soon…. They will continue to repeat the mistakes of the past ad-finitum. Deja-vu again.
All of them deserve each other.
Not to mention Celtic is so blatant it stands out by it’s omission how much celtic were the catalyst.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHA,this is the END!!!!
A little song verse to Room 101 & where I think Bealey Boy could end up at !
By a lonely prison wall (Room 101)
I heard a young Hun calling,
Micheal they have taken you away…
For you stole John Bennet’s Corn,
So The Huns might see the morn
Now a Sevco prison ship lies in the bay…
Now Low Lie The Fields of Forest Green,
Where once I watched the small free birds preen…
As my love Roves on their wing,
I have dreams and songs to sing…
It’s so lovely being The Boss of Forest Green !!!
All of them deserve each other.
Not to mention Celtic is so blatant it stands out by it’s omission how much celtic were the catalyst.