STOKING THE FLAMES

I always smile ruefully when I read how Celtic made heavy weather of winning a match. Take the weekend's game at Dingwall, where we are told that Celtic played well but struggled to make an impact against a determined Ross County defence and were lucky to come away with all three points, relying on a deflection for their solitary goal. Our beloved hacks have fairly changed their tune these days, eh? It was just a few years ago that whenever Rangers struggled in a game we were told that 'grinding out results' was the mark of champions. I wonder why they say different now!

Meanwhile, the hypocrisy continues as our media build up the hype for next Sunday's 'Old Firm' encounter. Keith Jackson is full of the joys, telling us how a once great sporting fixture has been reduced and is now just all about hatred. As per usual, he goes on with the old, 'one side's as bad as the other' crap, citing all of us 'card-carrying Bampots' as evidence. Obviously he hasn't actually looked at any social media or he would notice a huge difference. Celtic blogs are all about what will happen on the pitch, anticipating a goal-fest; the blogs of those supporting the Ibrox team, however, are a different matter entirely. There's nothing about football there; it's all about how Peter Lawwell put the boot into their club, how there's been a big conspiracy against them and how they will 'never forgive, never forget.' They're thirsting for vengeance for all these imagined wrongdoings and it has nothing to do with their new club beating Celtic!

Part of Jackson's evidence for 'being as bad as each other' is the advert taken out in the Sunday Herald - you know the one I mean! The report in the Daily Record about the advert showed why some folk felt compelled to get the truth out there. Apparently we're supposed to just take the word of Neil Doncaster, the SFA and Nimmo Smith that it's 'the same club'! We're meant to trust our football authorities after everything they did to get Green's new club into the Premier League and then Division One? Aye, that'll be right! And as for Nimmo Smith he was just saying what he was told to say and nothing more.

Of course, we're hearing how this advert is 'stirring up tension' and 'stoking the flames', almost as if excuses are being made in advance for the expected behaviour of The Peeppul. In essence, with all their rhetoric about the advert potentially causing trouble, they're practically issuing a licence to kill. If any Celtic fan ends up dead or seriously injured then the supporters that paid for the advert are going to get the blame. Contrast this with all the 'Nous sommes tous Charlie Hebdo' stuff of a couple of weeks back.

Speaking of hypocrisy, my book about the Better Together campaign should be on sale in the next few days. I've had a bit of bother with formatting but I think I've finally got it sorted. So watch here for more news.

"Ah don't unnerston what they Sellick suporters ur oan aboot. It's goat tae be the same club - thur wearin' Rangers jerseys, in't they? Ah mean, that seals it fur me!"