SENTINELCELTS

Morning,all.

So it is confirmed. We have another match to play against our “rivals” across the city,this time in the Scottish Cup semi-final. The match is scheduled for 29 April,a Saturday. Normally the cops would put their foot down on this one and demand that it be played on the Sunday,but there is little chance of that as the two teams were first out of the hat. And them’s the rules,first teams drawn get to play on the Saturday. You can believe that if you like,but it is likely to be a noon kick-off on the Sunday.

The SFA have really not done themselves any favours here. Of course,the match will be a sellout. Of course,it will draw huge numbers for the broadcaster Viaplay. But to schedule it for a Bank Holiday Weekend is absolutely senseless. Mind you,the SPFL aren’t much better-they’ve scheduled our next league meeting with them for the Easter Weekend. Fortunately,Easter Monday isn’t a Bank Holiday in Scotland this year for some reason,which might encourage some sense and save our overstretched NHS from even more problems. 

Aye,right. Neither weekend will be pretty,either beforehand or afterwards. But it is always the case when we play them,and that is why I can honestly say,hand on heart,that I rue the day they were manipulated into the league set-up in 2012. Against more rules and regulations than you can shake a stick at. 

Let’s be honest here. We knew in 2012 that they would be back,given a few years. It was only thanks to their own incompetence that they weren’t back a year earlier,giving us that little bit more breathing space. And I freely admit that there are few things better,as a Celtic supporter,than giving them a damned good thrashing. I’ve witnessed a good few of them in my time,and a lot more on tv too. Every one of them has been an absolute pleasure. 

But I truly wish that when they died,they had simply stayed that way. That their fans had to find some other way to spend their time. Sure,there would probably have been another team playing out of the same stadium,same colours. But having to start from scratch,history down the toilet,just how many of their supremacist winning-is-everything fans do you think would have stuck around for it? Many of us can remember their crowds in the late 70s and early 80s,and there’s your answer. A Primary Three schoolkid could have counted them off at the half-time break!

But heyho,we missed our chance and this is not the time to go into the reasons for that. They are well-documented,after all. If play them we must,then play them we will. We certainly have nothing to fear from them,based on what we have already seen this season,and even before that. There is the added attraction of a final against Falkirk or ICT,and we have some history with both of them in this trophy that I would like to see avenged. But history it is,and really,I doubt the players will be giving a monkey’s about some cup-ties twenty and twentyfive years ago. And certainly not in the semi-final. 

Their only focus on the day will be beating what is in front of them. And that is how it should be,how it always is under Ange. Think about the next game when the time arrives,we still have this one to win! But never mind the history against the teams we might face in the final,we have history against this mob too-and plenty of it. It’s time we beat them at this stage of the competition,and the memory will still be fresh-and painful-from last season. CalMac will also remember back to 2016,which was probably a blessing in disguise. 

Never mind the history,fellas. Go out there and make your own. 

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Above article by BMCUWP. 

PS-an added bonus of the draw is that Keevins got another prediction wrong!