“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”
How many times have you heard that? To most people, it’s a simple enough saying which translates to the view that you should sit on the sidelines and watch as they blunder towards destruction. But Napoleon, who coined the phrase, was a student of a good many military leaders and teachers, and that doesn’t come close to covering what it was that he was trying to say. It’s much more complex than that.
What Napolean meant is that you should allow your enemy to stumble into a mess, yes, and without alerting him to the direction he’s headed in. But Napoleon didn’t wait for his enemies to destroy themselves. When he saw that one had committed a tactical or strategic error he waited for the opportune moment and then he capitalised on it.
The idea of waiting around in the hope that circumstances or an unforced error might do your work for you would have appalled him, and so although not misquoted the saying is often misunderstood. No war is won by standing around and hoping the enemy does the job for you.
The Chinese general Sun Tzu said that “if your enemy is of choleric temper, irritate him.” He meant that you make him mad. You wind him up.
Because if you are emotional, you act irrationally.
You lash out without thought and that’s when the biggest mistakes are made. Napoleon would almost certainly have read Sun Tzu’s The Art Of War, although his military strategies came mostly from antiquity – Rome, in particular.
Looking at Ibrox right now, and their war of words with the SFA, you can see all the signs that our enemy is acting out of emotion instead of reason, that anger and hate are the defining characteristics of what is driving them on, and the mistakes they are making are profound. Some will tell us that we should simply sit on the sidelines and watch; why not, after all?
Right now, it’s the governing bodies and Ibrox both who look shambolic and that does us no harm at all. A plague on both their houses; that’s a valid way to be looking at things. But I don’t believe that makes any sense at all.
Both of our enemies are pummelling each other, one in bafflement at the bizarre, over-the-top tactics of the other; is Willie Collum really worth the enormous damage that Ibrox is attempting to inflict? Why don’t they recognise the danger both sides have gotten themselves into here? Well, if Ibrox was a rational place they probably would.
Without a doubt, though, the Ibrox club has locked itself into a bloodlust which has blinded them to everything else. At Hampden they are clearly shocked and trying to figure out what the next move is. And it’s here, in their maximum moment of vulnerability, that we should be pulling on our combat boots.
Rather than watching, we should be prepared to strike.
Ibrox is demanding two things; first, is the “openness and transparency” that they know full well the SFA is never going to agree to give them.
Our refs have been protected for too long. I would love to think that it would be their club, out of all of them, which finally forced some of the changes we’ve long wanted. The irony would be delicious and they probably wouldn’t even recognise the danger they’d made for themselves until it was too late, and in following Napoleon’s maxim none of us should be in any hurry to clue them in to it.
The second thing they are allegedly demanding is that Collum doesn’t get to referee their games. This is the truly mad demand, and the rationale behind it is poisonous and bigoted and quite deranged. The SFA is finished if it accepts that.
These are the two opportunities we’ve been handed on a plate and if we’ve got any sense we’ll be all over this.
The first thing we should do is agree with the first demand. Think how completely that will throw everyone off. I am 100% convinced that Ibrox is bluffing on that one, but that makes it perfect. They don’t expect the SFA to call it … they would not know what to do if it was Celtic who called it instead. That’s capitalising on their mistake big time.
I think other clubs would join us. Then, with cross-club support, we’d get the first major bit of refereeing reform the game here has been able to boast in years. Officials having to present the rationale for their decisions in a public forum. It would change the game. It would strip the SFA of any ability to weaponize VAR for or against certain clubs.
The second demand is clearly crazy. But it’s not stupid, if you get what I mean. In fact, it opens up the door to another logical reform; the one where officials here have to declare their allegiances, and sign contracts to that effect, legally binding ones. If there are referees who cause clubs particular concern those clubs would be able to lay out what those concerns are and an independent panel could decide whether or not they got their games.
If Ibrox gets to pick its refs, we’ll be picking ours before long. If we’re allowed to do it then every club in the country is going to want the same. The issues that will cause are obvious. Ibrox’s strategy is not really about getting it, they know they won’t … their intent is to force Collum out of the game entirely, to force him to quit and for the most despicable reason.
I am genuinely gobsmacked by how rabid their club is over this, especially when the decision has had the correct outcome. They’ve heard the audio and there’s nothing on it. They are banging on about no hint of an offside in the discussion; so, what? That wasn’t what the original decision was for, and they didn’t even find out about it until they were reviewing the incident at half time. I think their tactics are as pathetic as the dodgy dossier.
Other clubs must be flabbergasted. Yesterday I described this as a West of Scotland psychodrama; that is precisely how it must look outside of Glasgow, and the role the media is playing in it must be viewed by those clubs as especially disgusting. Yet if they are smart, they will see their own chance to exploit this and make sure we all don’t have to go through this again.
They presumably also want full disclosure and transparency. They must realise the enormous benefits of having West of Scotland refs locked out of games against the Glasgow teams. If they don’t then they really are just posturing for their fans whenever bad decisions go against them and they run to the media and complain for a day.
They could do something about it, and there will never be a better time than this. Ibrox, in its raging fury, has opened the floodgates and although the SFA will scramble to shut them as soon as possible and hope our rivals sober up in time to recognise what they’ve done, it would be barmy for the rest of us to simply sit and watch the mayhem.
No blame can be apportioned to us or to any other club; let Ibrox take the lead, let the media cheer them on, and we can have the victory we’ve long craved simply by expressing our support for their first demand and agreeing that it’s time the thorny issue of refereeing was gripped once and for all. In a year the SFA as we know it would no longer exist.
It was John Lennon who said “you may say that I’m a dreamer” but you know what? “I’m not the only one.” Reform needs a kick in the backside and we those of us who see the need for it should be willing to use every weapon in the arsenal, yes even if it means using them as our bludgeon, and we should not hesitate. The mistake has been made.
Now it’s time to take full advantage of it.
History occasionally needs a good hard kick in the knackers to effect change. Cue Sevco….
Should fan media reach out to the Celtic board and say that there is a consensus from our fans for the first demand and we should make a request to the SFA and publish publicly that we confirm our support for the rangers request.
I hope someone stops Celtic making the mistake of signing Scott McKenna, he’s a big plank of wood, not even close to Celtic class, and I’m worried about the rumours.
Paranoia from The Rangers, never.
Shhhh they know we are talking about them.
One thing ah’ve always thought about Collum, although incompetent as he can be, he’s no been afraid tae make a decision against anybody. Incredible how they want him put out the game altogether through one particular call. Especially when ye think what they’ve gotten away with over the years. They’re absolutely terrified of another ibrox managerial and league campaign failure. This is an example of what’s comin if they don’t get their own way.
They’ve had Collum banned from officiating their games before, so if it happens again, even if it is permanently, I won’t be surprised. They went over 70 games without conceding a goal in Scotland, and the media and refereeing fraternity claimed it was paranoia when people pointed to that fact. They will circle the wagons again and do the same if Collum is banned from their matches. Nothing to see here, it is merely his incompetence Sevco oppose, nothing to do with his alleged ‘suspicious’ background. The propaganda will be so ubiquitous that no dissenting voices will be heard, and if they are they will be labelled as bampots. As for their demand for full transparency within the refereeing fraternity I’m sure the culture of paranoia at Ibrox is so feverish that they genuinely believe they are being singled out and persecuted as a special case. The refereeing fraternity has been infiltrated by those who seek to harm Sevco, just as the rest of Scottish society has been polluted by such types- these enemies of ‘ra peepul’ must have a light shone upon them and be rooted out. The SFA has been compromised and no longer serves the interest of Ibrox and so it must be reformed or destroyed ( hence the death grip they’ve inflicted on the Hampden suits). The real proof for them is how little they have won over since they came back from the dead- how have they, The People, Gods own, the silent dignified majority, won so little? The answer is obvious: a systematic campaign of bias against them, not only by the SFA, referees, but by the media and the BBC in particular, and even the SNP are out to get them. Gerrard said this when he cam to Ibrox: ‘We don’t get the decisions’. Caixinha was dolally with the notion before him. Every manager since and now Clement is pedalling the same deranged gravy. Is it part of the Derry’s Walls siege mentality culture that dominates within the rubber walls at Ibrox- why else did they place the likes of DUP councillor and professional Orangeman David Graham as Head of Communication? and now another dyed in the blue blue wool former Labour MSP Alasdair Morrison? The Ibrox suits need to keep the hordes dangling on their chain for the blue coin to keep rolling in to the corporate coffers- so get yahoo fans like Graham or Morrison to communicate with the likes of Blue order or Union Yahoos or bears or whatever they call themselves…so they can peddle Orange strips and the loyalist we are the peepul culture of poppies, soldiers and general war cultishness…since they went and died and went full on Zombie they have become even more nakedly toxic and obnoxious as a club- they BLAME EVERYONE else for their fate and this is the FOUNDATIONAL MYTH of the Zombie Incarnation at Ibrox. The errant paranoia of this founding myth has bled into every part of the club ever since and has contaminated it from top to bottom with hate and resentment- but the suits at Ibrox know this peddling of myths and the loyalist culture makes a lot of money and the very identity of the zombie club depends on the survival and oxygenation of this paranoiac culture…
Jings, I’m breathless just reading that! The zombie apocalypse surely beckons…..
Truth is, Dignity FC had a long history of this sort of carry on towards match officials way before Sevco crawled out of their grave. Back in the late 60s a ref failed to send off Yogi for a second bookable in a derby match. Rangers went absolutely tonto and complained, and the ref who was called Jim Callaghan got much the same treatment Collum is presently experiencing, before getting an 8 week ban from the SFA. The Celtic Star did this piece on it:
https://thecelticstar.com/my-fathers-8-week-ban-from-refereeing-in-1969-jim-callaghan/
Hope JF doesn’t mind links to other blogs being posted!
Love it! Deranged gravy 🙂
I agree we should ask the for the same thing as “the rangers “transparency” audio” in VAR decision making as LOUD as possible. The SFA/SPFL, the referees,”Crawford Allan” and the SMSM will all s@&#e themselves.
I see “the rangers” manager doesn’t understand the handball rule after Kilmarnock were given a penalty kick…. I’m not surprised Conor Goldson has handled the ball ten times worse and nothing has been given. No wonder the poor man is confused
Willie can and should sue the sfa for restriction of trade.
He would win and handsomely at that do the blazers really want that?.
I can see the headlines now and all generated by a bloodlust from weearrapeepell pygmys if you will.
James an excellent and thought provocative piece of work. I just hope our enemies do not read this but fans of Aberdeen Hibs etc do.
Living in England it is interesting to hear what football fans say having watched both the ‘hand ball’ and Turnbull push.
In both cases they all said penalty.
Once they heard the reason for not giving the ‘hand ball’ they were less convinced it was. Although a few pulled their faces.
WRT to the push they were 100% convince it was a pen and it should have been reviewed by VAR.
As you can imagine I have kept them abreast of the last 5 days. They are totally shocked by the behaviour of TTFKAR. They cannot believe it has gone on for so long.
Their view is, to put pressure on the ref from both sides to retire. They said the refs should stand their ground. I said it will be death threats next as thats the way it works with them
Rangers will get their way regards Collum, it will be done on the quiet but it will happen.
The usual gang/mob mentality from fans to the board are an absolute disgrace but as you allude to James the SFA have been compliant on many issues in the past and allowed rangers to get their way. Cinch for example.
Nothing will change. I’d love the ref’s union to step in and back Collum again that won’t happen.
“ It Will Never Change “ Until
This vile association and refereeing clan is
Totally destroyed.
Here’s we example That Dallas cartoon character is the worst possible referee. He’s never refereed a game for almost 2 years.
He sits in VAR offices basically cheating for his favourite club..Absolutely Scandalous Yet not a cheap from the press..
Good article once again James, but once again I’m afraid the old bitter and twisted person I have been forced to become, has to say ,yes, you are a dreamer, very like the dreamer I once was tbh.
But I am also a fighter, and never give up hope, even when I am pointing out the un-likelyhood of something happening. So here’s to the dreamers and more power to your pen, maybe one day Celtic will stand up for something, the majority of the support really deserve at least that.
Did they not get a referee suspended back in the sixties because of alleged bias re Celtic.Nothing happened then and nothing will happen now as it seems the rest including Celtic do not want the bother
It’ll be the usual from The Celtic Board…
‘we are in constant dialogue and working professionally with The SFA on these matters –
All wish washy, mealy mouth pish pot jerker as per usual…
That is if they even bother to tell us that which they probably won’t even bother doing if they bothered having any dialogue in the first place at all !
The fact that the Huns are going after Collum-and not Walsh-tells us all we need to know about their motivation. The Huns are trying to call into question, the integrity of referees who went to the wrong kind of school. Or are of Irish descent. Or both. Clancy will be next for ‘the treatment.’ The Huns will not rest until every referee is if ‘the right persuasion.’ People who can be trusted to do the right thing. People of an Orange/Masonic bent. Staunch true blues such as Dallas, Beaton, Lawwell etc.
Hail Hail.