GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - DECEMBER 15: Celtic's Callum McGregor celebrates after winning the Premier Sports Cup Final at Celtic Park, on December 15, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ross MacDonald/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Last night, in the piece I posted before heading off to enjoy myself, I mentioned that there were lots of implications to come out of the game—not just implications but consequences. That wasn’t just any cup final; as you know, that was a game that affirmed our status as the most successful club in the country, cutting through this Survival Lie BS and everything connected to it.
Regardless of the lies they tell themselves about their so-called individual trophy count, the consequences of that result are going to reverberate far beyond the here and now.
Today, the media is filled with chatter about penalty decisions, about calls that supposedly went against them, and about their manager stamping his feet, making excuses, and demanding investigations. All manner of nonsense is being spun. I wouldn’t be surprised if their new chairman and CEO decided to grab some headlines today by launching attacks on the SFA.
And you know what? Brilliant. That’s the best possible outcome, except for one other twist. The other bonus from yesterday is that Philippe Clement has probably secured himself a stay of execution, at least for a while. That’s a completely unexpected silver lining because I thought, win or lose, he was a goner in the aftermath of a defeat.
The reason he won’t be sacked now has nothing to do with the board having confidence in him or the media defending him. It’s because their fans themselves have decided he deserves more time. Of all the possible outcomes from yesterday, that’s the one I least expected: we win the game, lift the cup, and yet their fans rally behind their manager and demand patience.
In the coming days, we’ll release our next podcast, where I’ll be in the chair and expected to say something insightful about this final. Let me tell you what I wouldn’t have said under any circumstances had we lost yesterday: I wouldn’t have said I was proud of the manager and the team. I wouldn’t have, because it wouldn’t have been true. If we had lost, my only emotions would have been deep disappointment and a flash of anger at being let down.
Which is why I find it astonishing to visit their forums and see the complete opposite attitude. Their fans are actually talking about being proud. Proud of a manager and players who shattered the foundational myth of their club.
Proud of a team that allowed us to cement our dominance in the record books. Proud of a manager with no wins in six games against us, five of them defeats—including two cup finals, both delivering silverware to Celtic.
I wonder if things have changed more than I ever thought possible. I couldn’t imagine a scenario where we won that game, pulled ahead of them in the trophy count, and etched that record into history, yet their manager survived. I assumed their fans’ outrage would be so overwhelming the board would have no choice but to act.
I thought their one great intolerance was finishing second, coming up short against Celtic. I was wrong. They’ve accepted it.
Do you remember that piece I did on the stages of grief?
Maybe they’ve gone through them all—pain, denial, bargaining, and now finally, acceptance. It certainly sounds that way.
Their forums are full of pride in a team that has lost a final and failed time and again to beat us. If that’s what they want to feel, good luck to them. But if I were in their shoes, pride wouldn’t even enter the equation. I’d feel frustration, anger, and disbelief. I’d be questioning the players, the manager, and the board.
And I’d be asking, how long do we let this go on? If he hasn’t done it in six games, what makes anyone think he’ll manage it in seven, eight, nine, or ten?
As a Celtic supporter, I am thrilled they’ve given him a reprieve. I am delighted they’ve convinced themselves this is the best they can do. And I am overjoyed they’ve reached a point where being second best to Celtic is acceptable. I never thought I’d see the day.
I always believed that moving ahead of them in the trophy count would bring seismic consequences to their club, their fans, and their whole operation. But I never anticipated the sheer scale of this collapse—their willingness to tolerate it.
The loser’s mentality now permeates everything over there: the directors who won’t act, the manager who keeps picking the same failing players, the captain whose acceptance of mediocrity is legendary, and the squad, steeped in hard-luck stories and runner-up medals.
But the most stunning development is how this mindset has taken root among the supporters.
They used to believe they were destined to rule, that everything would swing their way eventually. Now they’re proud to be second best. Proud to have the runners-up prize.
That is a long, long way to fall.
The huns are now officially the 2nd most successful team in Glasgow, but only if you count their trophy haul for two separate entities. Other than that, Queens Park who have won the Scottish Cup 10 times eclipses them, meaning that they are actually in the lowly 3rd spot.
Oh how the mighty have fallen!
LOL
As of 08:08 BBC Radio 6 is playing I just can’t get enough.
I love Radio 6 because I love good music but the person that drew up this morning’s playlist will be looking at his jotters imminently.
On a side note I break the land speed record to mute the news every half hour as it’s the usual entitled BBC bullshit.
Yeah, the BBC embraces everything, gay, straight, weird, trans, whatever!
Just don’t be Irish or catholic or god forbid both.
Excellent piece James…acceptance of the fact that they are now, officially second best ( or probably third Johnny lol) is just music to our ears.
Talking about music, will Tina’s anthem now be consigned to history, just like their first club et al.
What a lovely Monday morning! HH
Well done on having an article up so early after the night before.
For all the praise “ they” get for there performance yesterday from the so called media and the likes
of Neill Mcann and co just remember we were far from our best in fact played very poorly in that first half with errors all over the park.
I have been a very vocal critic of Hatate this season and he was poor again in that first half BUT he came to life in that last 1/2 hour or so and when he is on his game then so is the whole team.
A signing or two in January (Lennon Miller) IF he wants to play for us and we will be just fine.
Well done Bhoys!
It’s despicable, although totally expected, not a word, not one, about the pure religious bile sang at that game yesterday. Sectarian and paedophile, that was the main content and focus of their songbook throughout. Loud, clear and unless yer stone deaf, impossible not tae hear. Whit a shameful, hypocritical lot the media and sfa are here. Celtic theirselves, should be takin action and makin uefa aware of this. That yesterday was a fkn disgrace.
Wow pride in going toe to toe with us (well in goals anyway) – really??
That’s what I would have rightly expected from say Ross County fans or St Johnstone fans etc (in fact deep down I’d genuinely feel for those clubs and fans if they lost to us on pens after a 3-3 draw in a final and would feel that they deserve to win such a game given the gulf in resources) but to hear that from our biggest rivals – laughable. They really have become Espanyol if they’re proud of their team’s “efforts” yesterday.
They could’ve sneaked it and we’d have been devastated for sure…
But they didn’t and we prevailed in the end –
Though I couldn’t face the penalty shoot out I’ve got to admit…
Chanced it to the off license while it was happening, switched on the mobi to Sen Celtic comments and got the news we’d dreamt off…
Not normally a champagne fella – But last nights bottle was sweet, as was the lager, as was the whisky, as is the hangover…
Celtic FC – SCOTLAND’S MOST SUCCESSFUL FOOTBALL CLUB !
We knew we were for sure…
But The Scummy’s of The Scottish Football Media didn’t Or wouldn’t…
The Sevco Hun Hoards either –
And now they fuckin just have to…
B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L Just Fuckin B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L !!!!
I’ve said for a while they won’t sack Clement until February so they won’t have to find money to back a new manager in January. Now he can stay with a bit of goodwill from the fans after securing his 2nd 3-3 win against Celtic. But nothing has changed except Celtic have won another trophy and in February it’ll dawn on them that the league is gone, we’re on for a treble and Clement has to go. Yesterday was brilliant, at 2-1 I thought we’d put the foot down, at 3-2 it should’ve been over, the penalties were great
I think you are 100% correct on the grief stages, bargaining stage was when they were hoping Aberdeen would beat us knowing it would also be points against them.
If their progress is drawing (and then losing) to the Celts on a very bad day for us then fair play. When they meet us on a half decent day they will lose with 2 of a start.
Clemente must stay he has the right character for the huns….
Waiting on the Monday analysis of what could have been…
Schmeichel is he best keeper we have had in my living memory and I fancied him saving a pen. Get a 2 yr contract in front of the big guy.
Having my 3 young grandchildren yesterday allowed me not to hear the Klan songbook. They really are a rancid lot.
James I think you’re maybe a bit previous with your interpretation of their apparent acceptance of their status in the Scottish Game. Their Social Media possibly portrayed a sense of justifiable deflation and an attempt at introspection which is not a common skill set amongst them. Bad result, miserable weather, late getting home with or without a detour to their desired watering holes. Their ‘gas was at a peep’ with no energy left for anger.
I’m reasonably confident that as the hours and days tick away their sense of grievance will reassert itself. True change to their collective psyche is a generational thing driven by factors that they cannot control or are seldom even aware of.
That they will have to learn the art of patience, lose their fixation for the quick fix or reliance on other peepuls money to finance their dreams will take a long, long time. Things will get worse, very worse at Ibrox before there’s any new dawn.
With new hands on the tiller of HMS Sevco it won’t be long before their fans will have to face their uncertain future.
That’s the time to revisit their Social Media Sewers.
If the current status quo is maintained then their worst nightmares have yet to be realised. The kids from generational supporting sevco families(classifying this as an oxymoron) will soon be asking for Celtic kits for Christmas. Their simply the best is just not good enough for our below par performance (oooh another oxymoron).