Did you read Mark Hateley today? Wow.
That was one of the most absurd interviews I’ve come across in a long time.
His idea that Celtic and the Ibrox club should cobble together some sort of “Old Firm” presentation to the European Super League organisers could only have come from someone who wasn’t playing with a full deck.
For openers, maybe he’s missed the fact that Celtic has no interest in the promotion of the so-called “Old Firm” as the club has made plain time and time again. On top of that, Celtic’s position on this has been made crystal clear; the idea is of no interest to us whatsoever.
Finally, the relationship between the two clubs is hardly at its shining best at the moment anyway, and we wouldn’t be terribly inclined to do them any favours.
And that’s where this is most hilarious, of course, because that’s exactly what his plea comes down to. The two sides need to “work together” on this he says, but why?
The organisers have already made it clear that an invite is ours for the taking if we change our minds. This is part of the public record. He has reached out to Celtic via the media, and although we can trust very little of what these people tell us I do believe they want us.
Why wouldn’t they? Not only are we an historic club with a European Cup, but we’re also senior executive members of both UEFA and the ECA, which means that there is a huge political upside to them securing our support as much as anything else.
They also claim that they want their teams to be there on merit, which means national champions from the leading nations and top clubs from the wealthy countries. National champions. In short, us.
The reasons why they’d want Celtic are very obvious, very clear. It is just not readily apparent why they would want the club from across the city. That doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. If the invites are being sent out, Ibrox isn’t getting one right now.
And so Hateley wants us to give them a wee leg up. He seems to be suggesting that we get together with Ibrox and tell the European Super League that they take us as a pair or not at all. Ha! Even if the prospect of this ludicrous proposal was enticing, that certainly isn’t.
The whole thing is quite mad, and it’s no wonder he tries to cover his intentions by portraying this as a means for us to leave Scottish football (which proves he hasn’t read the proposals at all and has no idea what he’s talking about as the Super League would not open any such avenue) and thus “benefit” the whole game here, a theory which has been refuted over and over again.
But there’s no altruism here, no “for the good of everyone” motivation … just the oldest one of them all, a development which he thinks would in some way benefit his favourite club.
That, if this all came to pass, it would ruin Celtic’s good reputation, wreck its relationship with the fans, leave Scottish football a wasteland and plunge UEFA into anarchy appears not to bother him one bit.
That’s the measure of people pushing this whole sordid scheme.
Just another steaming pile of fantasist jobby from the rangers groupie. Aye, we’ll take his ‘opinion’ on board ! Few years back, he was even wantin an ‘asterisk’ put on our title. Fkn baloon that he is.
Huns, in my experience, are very good at telling Celtic fans what is best for Celtic and Scottish football. Casual suggestions like Celtic not winning is good for the rest of Scottish football. I am fairly certain Martindale said that a few weeks ago before we beat his piss poor team.
We all know what they really mean. It will be good for them, the huns. They don’t care about us and nor should they. Likewise, they shouldn’t expect anything from us.
Hateley was found out as an idiot when he was allowed to commentate on matches up here. The fact he was a million times better than Boyd is tells you how bad Sky has become. I am not going back until that clown is gone.
The.idea of a Super Cup is something that too many football fans of all persuasions don’t want anything to do with. It might gain traction when all us old duffers have left the field and the Messi Pepsi CR7 XBox FIFA 24 (I know that doesn’t exist) generation have free reign to be manipulated even more by the money men.
Until then, let’s plough on and try to retain some level of dignity when it comes to the slow death of our beautiful game.
One of the good things Kingy did after jetting in was jettison Hately as one of the rangers hanger-on’s. Probably because he wasn’t such a good cheerleader as some of the others.
Superleague will never happen as long as most get a pop at CL money.
I’ve never been able to fathom anything Umm Err Aah ever said.
So no change there then.
Sorry Hateley – But I ‘Hate’ to tell you that The O#d F#rm died (c.2012) at the same time as your beloved Rangers (as they were until their death in (c.June 2012) !
I would much rather see Celtic active in sending the tribute act to the grave for the rest of all eternity.
Where do these Idiots Come From Theirs No Anything Associated With Celtic & Them ? Their Hatred Towards Us From Day 1 Seen To that! There Will Never Be Anything Other Than Celtic Our Own Way No False Whatever They Think There Should Be