I have noticed a few Celtic fans on twitter starting to question why some Celtic fans are interested in goings on at Rangers. It isn’t enough that the ‘obsessed’ patter is the standard response for fans of the newco, when some fans of Celtic begin to argue that way you know there is a disconnect between some who care and some who don’t.

If you don’t care what happens at that basket case of a new club, who are never out of the news for all the wrong reasons, that’s fine but don’t lecture people who reserve the right to be wary of a team formed out of the ashes of the previous occupiers of Ibrox.

The reason some Celtic fans, and fans of other Scottish teams, pay attention to the goings on at Ibrox is that there is still a perceived bias that they got, and still get, an easy time of it in the media.

One argument I have read recently is the comparison between the coverage their new manager, Pedro Caixinha, has received and the coverage received by Dr. Jo Venglos back in 1998. Dr. Jo was criticised for being a nobody much like Caixinha. A few have argued, however, that things have changed in 20 years. That may be so but football fans have long memories and it isn’t a stretch to be critical of coverage received in one era to a change in reporting now. That would be like saying, ‘Margaret Thatcher’s reign was over 20 years ago, surely Glasgow can move on and begin to trust the Conservatives now?’ Of course they can’t because that legacy was so toxic and so far reaching that myself, who was born in the mid-80s, would never vote Tory based on the experiences of my parents in the 80s under Thatcherism.

I don’t understand how the media works. I am the first to admit that as I don’t work within it but that doesn’t mean I can’t make judgements about what I see and what I read. I saw the media in this country perform the ultimate U-turn when it came to the reporting around the formation of the new Rangers. Some people might not like that assertion but everyone knew at the time what each aspect of the demise of Rangers meant and the inability of them to achieve a CVA. Since 2012, those who don’t believe the ‘survival myth’ are treated with disdain amongst those in the media so is it any wonder why those media outlets are questioned at all times?

I have read the argument also that media companies in Scotland will pitch their news stories for Celtic fans to react. We should stop falling for it is the advice and to concentrate on our own team. I do concentrate on my own team. I consume as many Celtic articles, blogs, podcasts as I can but I also read articles about other Scottish clubs. I wouldn’t want to apply an absolute filter to my news feed to only see pravda-type news articles about Celtic. If I wanted that, the only account I would follow would be Celtic. I want to be enlightened more about what is going on in Scottish football as a whole and that is my prerogative. My twitter account is mine and I choose who I follow and what I comment on. As I said earlier, I don’t care if you aren’t interested in the goings on at Ibrox but don’t criticise those who do want to know.

The downfall surrounding that club was one of the biggest stories in the Scottish sports media and it is still an ongoing saga. The outcome of the ‘big tax case’ decision in the supreme court is one I hope brings some finality to that side of the story. Some Celtic fans may not care that the club out of Ibrox used tax avoidance schemes to achieve an unfair sporting advantage but I do. I want the SFA to apply the rules of the scottish game without fear or favour.

I am as excited as the next Celtic fan that we are on the verge of six-in-a-row. I am so proud this year that we are able to celebrate the winning of the ‘Big Cup’ 50 years ago. I hope we can win the treble. An international weekend without Celtic is so boring and I can’t wait for domestic football to return next week. I am extremely positive about this team that Brendan has built and how we are progressing both on and off the park.

All of these things will be shared by all Celtic fans but just because some do glance at what is happening across the city, at their convicted criminal chairman who seems ‘obsessed’ by Celtic, it does not make you any less of a Celtic fan than one who isn’t interested at all. We are not a homogeneous support and there is space for all manners of views to exist. It is disrespectful to question the credentials of a Celtic fan if they decide to comment not just on Celtic.

George Just

Visit George’s blog at: https://justbhoy.wordpress.com/2017/

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6 COMMENTS

  1. It’s fair enough when people are reporting on the strange happenings from Poundland and in the media, but certain blogs feel the need to report on sevcos every move. They reported every word the warbler uttered and then found a negative spin in order to write about it.
    Keep us up to date with the lying kings moves, with the dodgy actions of the board, with media injustices. I loved reading that stuff.
    But why report about the manager saying something really insignificant in a press conference and then try to make it into something it’s not to justify the article.

  2. the reason people get away with anything is a culture of ‘why should i care, people cheat that’s the way of the world’. well i have sad news guys, the reason people cheat is because there is a culture of acceptability around these sociopaths and their motives; and those people with that attitude are the ones creating that culture.

    ‘he who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.’ martin luther king jr

    im refuse to cooperate withe the demonstrable on field cheating, financial doping, bigotry, unionism, xenophobia, triumphalism, exceptionalism, their secret societies, their loyalism, their support of the bombing of gazza’s civilian population, mocking victims of paedophilia, there death threats on heggarty, banning the media, their delusions of persecution, the unionist media giving them an easy ride (for moonbeams ‘sweeties’ for example) while talking about fergus mccann as a village idiot for example, their delusions about continuity, their arrogance and ingratitude of dismissing our warnings only to call us obsessed (they dont live in a bubble – if sevco bring in investors looking to leach off of scottish football it affects everyone in the league), officially excusing their thugs at the hibs final and racism of the oldco and, lets face it the same culturally poisoned fans and the tribute act sevco that these same knuckle draggers have adopted.

    and for the record, loving breaking bad doesnt stop me from hating eastenders so why cant i love celtic and loathe oldco and sevco? they arent mutually exclusive ya tubes.

  3. When the sevco fans employ the “obsessed” patter it is one of two things.
    1.An attempt to shut down any debate and scrutiny of the dead club and their corrupt cheating tax dodging past, “move along nothing to see here we won the titles fair and square”. My arse you did cheating bastards.
    2. A deflection tactic as they cant stand Celtic fans ripping the absolute piss out of them on a daily basis “Stop laughing at us as we stumble from one disaster to the next we simply cant stand it any more. Stop it.”

  4. Well said George! I too, like to keep myself informed on the performance of other football clubs.
    In this biased, at times toxic, cauldron that it the Scottish Media, it is very important to have citizen journalism. Getting out the other, at times, real version of events.
    In the case of Rangers, it is so important to do this.

  5. Rangers 1-1 Motherwell

    Dundee v Aberdeen 0-7

    Roll on The Morra Another 3pts in the bag and fucking religion and shit Footballs about as team a stadium the fans the game fuckall else people should remember that when there’s big fat bastarts shouting swearing and throwing objects near and around kids disgusting behavior …Respect Safety And Good Manners Are Like Gold Dust just enjoy the fucking football watch the game have a beer chill banter with yer pals

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