When Ibrox’s new golden boy rolled into town on a wave of fan euphoria, his early matches were characterised by such a sequence of “honest mistakes” to his advantage that even our desperately cowardly media had to sit up and take notice.
Their run of games without conceding an SPFL penalty was reaching the point of ludicrousness where suddenly even mainstream outlets were forced to speculate on it. At that time, he couldn’t praise refs enough.
Those of us who’ve been here and seen it and heard it all before from Ibrox bosses knew that wasn’t going to last, and as I wrote earlier in the week he was demanding protection for his players due to an injury picked up by Todd Cantwell, and now today he’s saying he’s not yet demanded a meeting with officials because of the too heavy fixture schedule.
Ibrox is now very clearly pressuring officials, or trying to. Just in time for the run-in where Steve Conroy has already been in the papers saying that he fears it will be refs who decide the destination of the title race. Can you even imagine the outcry?
But this guy is determined that if it happens it’ll fall in his team’s favour.
For the second time in a week, he’s made highly inflammatory statements about officials, and he continues to pretend that he’s only half serious and the media which loves this joker is lapping it up.
The first time Rodgers utters a negative word about officials you wait to see the difference in the reaction that gets. If Celtic had demanded a ref not get their games, we’d still be hearing about it.
There is nothing coded or subtle here.
This isn’t being conducted from the shadows with un-named people briefing fan media knuckle-draggers this time; this is the Ibrox boss himself demanding answers he knows to questions he’s already asked … and coming days after he said that his players need to be protected more out on the pitch.
Even the likes of Keith Jackson should be able to recognise that for what it is, and if refs and officials feel undermined by this sort of talk that’s because they are.
Ask Willie Collum, who hasn’t had an SPFL game against them since they demanded he never get another one. All the SFA’s talk about how clubs don’t get to pick their refs will be hollow until he does.
In the meantime, the manager across the city runs off his mouth. Don’t count on the officials doing anything to shut him up either, he’s the media favourite, the man of the hour, and the day they tell him to clamp it will be a cold one in Hell, even if they all know they should.
Makes all the sense in the world for Collum to get the Derby at Sevco.
He is utterly compromised as far as giving against them, and proving a point that he doesn’t favour us.
He can thank his paymasters for putting him in that position.
I actually feel sorry for him.
I don’t feel sorry for him
Any honourable person who continues to participate in any activity, social or employment related
that he knows to be corrupt is aiding and abetting that same system. I can understand the dilemma that a person would struggle with if this was in relation to his main legitimate source of income.
However this doesn’t apply here. Callum is a willing participant in an activity that is a secondary, if lucrative, income stream. He can teach long after his ‘ Officiating days are over.
He knows that the game is bent but continue to participate.
He’ll mend him.
Agree 100%
Sevco have been getting their own way since the return of the living dead crawled out of the grave.
SFA have cow towed to them since, shirt sponsor debacle.. nothing.
Choosing what ref’s, collum has been nowhere near since their complaints against him.
I’ve stated previously that the media bias was worrying because they no longer attempted to hide their one sided agenda and didn’t seem to care that it was so blatantly obvious.
SFA seem to be following the same dark path with pandering to sevco with everything they complain about
and everyone is expected to just accept this , as it is the status quo.
Indeed, 100%.
Agreed was a referee for 10 year resigned last year after Angus perthshire association had Jeff winter up as their guest speaker, a guy with any integrity would have resigned
That lot are would give an aspirin a headache
Our officials don’t do themselves any favours with the quality of their performances, whether down to their competence or unconscious biases. I posted about Butland’s starting position for the Killie penalty in midweek. I cannot think of any other league where the ref would not have told him to stand on the line before the penalty was taken. Can you imagine the fallout if similar situation occurs against us, Butland saves the penalty and goal given or retake ordered? A competent ref would do their utmost to avoid the situation arising.
How will Motherwell be cheated today you can bet your mortgage on it and no doubt kettlebellend will be spewing about it on all the corrupt media .
This is the result of Celtic’s cowardice and another reason our board needs totally cleared out. Silence has normalised the cheating its now just the way things are. This is why Mark Lawwell can’t be the only casualty, until action is taking the cheating just gets increased until we say no more. We’re already way by that imo.
Absolutely, the timing of this is for a reason ….the game at Ibrox is coming up and this game could have a big say where this Championship goes. Its going to take a strong and disiplined display from Celtic with no support and the official’s petrified to give a decision against them. Maybe Rogers should play them at their own game and voice his concern before we get there.
That big Clement Freud is still putting pressure on officialdom, with no sign of censure or punishment tells you everything we already know. Him and his club placed Collum in an impossible situation and they got away with it !
I agree with earlier comments suggesting Collum should be walking away from such a corrupt regime and organisation, after his integrity was questioned, and then going public to explain! He’s not a good ref at all, but deserved a modicum of support from his dodgy employers. For that mob, ( with all their delusions, disrespect, disregard and dishonesty,) to still have the brass neck in questioning officials, is beyond incredulity.
The sooner we get an independent authority governing our game and hiring our officials, nothing will change.
I heard from a source that ML and Dudgeon are Leicester city bound
I don’t care where they end up, just as long as it’s not here.
BRAVO,,,,,
Yes agree James but the underlying point is if this accurate then did ML and JD called the shots to resign in their own vested interests and in turn the move doesn’t reflect any radical changes in the current regime but simply a change in a staffing department? I sincerely pray this is not the case!