SENTINELCELTS

One poor decision is understandable, two unlucky, but a constant barrage of them is an attack.
 
It’s clear there’s a concerted
effort under way in the SPL and as a result one particular team is taking to the field with an unofficial handicap already in place. The Hawkeye/Var system will not be properly implemented, cards against kept to a very minimum, any hint of a penalty against is automatically awarded, non fouls get blown for, and now the basic tenets of refereeing are ignored such as allowing opposition players to remain on the pitch after treatment plus moving the ball away from goal after it touched the whistler.
 
It’s a credit to football operations that they continually manage to rise above this adversity and deliver the three points, but at the weekend the goading worked and the manager confronted the officials in frustration.

 
This is exactly what they want.
Under his watch the club have emerged as the genuine dominant force, their nearest rival hobbled by regulations and poor decisions, and a long period of success (financial and sporting) is in the offing.
Ange and his squad will not be stopped by normal methods, so the establishment has tacitly approved abnormal means to try and halt the green and white juggernaut.
 
Why is obvious. Frustrate and drive away the bedrock of Celtics current success, Ange Postecouglou. Sour his experience of the Scottish top flight, curtail his team as much as possible, the idea being the next Brighton tempts him to say screw that backwater I’m off.
 
This would heavily impact the club in terms of managerial recruitment (the word will be out that you get chopped down if quality) and player recruitment (the man with the eye for a player is gone).
Worst of all it would allow agendas to de-facto control Scottish football’s top flight.
 
As we witnessed, the frustration did get to Ange, part one of the job done. The victory probably calmed him down, the visit home certainly will, however when the fixtures resume there’s a good chance this jiggery-pokery will cost points or silverware at some stage, and that frustration returns with a vengeance. The Cup semis and finals and the derby games will clearly mean more, and as such are prime candidates for tampering.
 
Additionally it must be hard for him to wrap his head around the fact the nation’s biggest club is effectively toothless in this situation, letters and meetings receive scorn and flimsy excuses, professionalism is non-existent, scratch under the surface and racism/sectarianism is ingrained even at the highest levels.
 
The biggest problem is there’s no ending in sight. As one giant was hobbled by Big Bad Uefas spending rules, hobbling the other giant through the available methods looks like the establishment’s long term solution. It’s been prolonged, a consistent period now, which tells me this isn’t a flash in the pan but rather a campaign.
A Drive-Him-Out campaign.
 
The stakes are very high, there’s a lot of finance involved in topping the league these days, but the integrity of Scottish football is once again seriously called into question, it’s governance found lacking again.
 
Every straw has the potential to break the Camel’s back, and there’s already a lot of straw on that back.
The refereeing is the biggest issue amongst the support at the moment, it’s the one topic all can unite upon. It’s a serious issue that can drive people (fans, club owners and club employees) from the national sport.
The club knows this, the SFA knows this as do the SPL Chairman, the whistlers most certainly know this.
 
The break comes at an opportune time all around. It gives space for behind the scenes talks, liaising with other Chairman for collective pressure, maybe getting the broadcasters to throw their weight around and instruct better standards or they move on with their cash.
 
Late December will reveal all.
Better quality officiating will tell me talks worked for now.
Corrupt officiating will tell me Operation Drive-Him-Out shall continue for the long haul.
One more reason to look forward to Christmas.
 
By Mahe
sentinelcelts@gmail.com