SENTINELCELTS

Morning,all. 

I know some of you couldn’t give a XXXX about Australia and the people who live there,but I’ve long had a soft spot for them. Even though I’m no great fan of their beer,it still can bring a smile to my face when I recall my hun mate Jimmy declaring a fondness for Fosters,as he raised a can to his lips. 

His premise was based on the colours red white and blue in its design. I simply pointed out the legend printed around the rim-“brewing beer since 1888”,or words to that effect-and told him every sip was him kissing that hallowed year!

And who can forget the outrageous hilarity of Paul Hogan on Channel 4 when it started forty years ago? Cultural icon? You bet!

Additionally,of course,in my family we have our own Aussie,my brother in law. He’s a really top bloke,as those of you who have met him can testify. And very patient and tolerant with it,as those of you who have met me and/or my family,will agree! So what has this got to do with Celtic,you might ask?

Well,the site has been at pains to congratulate our new CEO Michael Nicholson for his efforts in his new role in the last six months,even if those efforts have been carried out quietly and behind the scenes. That works for me,an invisible hand doing the work,rather than overt displays in the public eye masking the ineptitude of the previous incumbent. But while I am happy for MN to allow AP to be the public face of the club,I am not at all keen on that process masking any failings of the board.

And so it is with our apparent deal to play the huns in Sydney in November. I say apparent,as the club have not officially revealed who else will participate in The Sydney Cup,but the line up has been revealed by the organisers. 

Why the silence,the omertà,on the subject? Are they unaware of the feelings of the fans,the anger that this recognition by proxy of our foe malign incites amongst us? This fixture is not a contractual obligation imposed by others as part of the membership requirements,as is our membership of the SPFL and UEFA-though our unwillingness to complain vociferously about their bloody membership of those organisations raises its own questions. This is a voluntary decision to take part in an invitation-only tournament,and it serves only to validate their existence. And to further distance the board from the fans. 

And who is the public face of the club in the barrage of publicity and media questioning that has arisen since the brief announcement on Tuesday? Well,it isn’t the invisible man,the CEO who would have been responsible for agreeing to our signing up to this shitshow. It has been left to our manager,himself an Aussie. 

Ange has enough on his plate as head chef and bottle washer on the playing side. He has to do the coaching and the team selection.  Act as Chief Scout. Motivational expert. Medical advisor and therapist. He is NOT our Public Relations Officer-though he is a vast improvement on previous holders of that position. And he should not be hung out to dry,answering questions about a future event which the club are as yet too shamefaced to admit to. 

Celtic HAVE to face the huns in the domestic game,simply because both clubs are members of the SPFL/SFA. And should they ever be drawn against each other in Europe,our membership of UEFA demands that we participate in those matches. There is no need for us to validate their existence by travelling halfway around the world to play against them by invitation. 

But there is every need for the club to realise their grave misjudgement on this issue,and announce that they will no longer participate. Get out while you can,Celtic. A strategic withdrawal makes sense. We have nothing to gain and plenty to lose by playing this game,and the board are supposed to be smart enough to know better.

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Above article by BMCUWP