During this debate, Kelly (a man I’ve rarely agreed with on Celtic matters) raised the role of the press in allowing Rangers to discriminate against people based upon their religion. Indignantly Traynor stated that he’d written pieces against this policy on many occasions – Whoop de Do Jim. At this point I remembered a caller to the phone in 24 years ago. Did you boycott the stadium, did you get questions raised in Parliament, did you suggest they play behind closed doors or be suspended from the league? No you wrote about it. Or did you? A subsequent review by tweeters could only come up with one paragraph of text written after Mo had signed (and scored) for Rangers.
As I have said on the podcast and written here, I do not believe that there is a directed conspiracy against us. I do believe however that, due to a variety of factors, there is a built in culture in favour of Rangers and against us.
When you make such statements are made immediately you’re asked – Where was this bias in the O’Neil years or during 9 in a row? It was always there, we were just so good we succeeded despite it. Many fans don’t like bringing this bias up as a matter for discussion as it looks like excuses for a poor team.
It’s not an excuse, it just is!
When we’re too good for everyone else these matters pass off because when winning by 4 the chopped off goal doesn’t count. When we’re not so good these little differences really do matter. Call the phone-in and one of the Uncle Tims like Hugh will say that Celtic shouldn’t need the chopped off goal or the off side goal disallowed, they should be good enough. In other words Uncle Tim, Celtic have to accept that to win anything they need to be 2 goals better than EVERYONE else?!?
For your doubting Thomas’s or Teddy Bears who think we’re paranoid just ask the following questions;
Not including dubious decisions (because I accept a pen given not given CAN be down to opinion)…
When was the last drawn (or game lost by one goal) Rangers game where TV CLEARLY showed Rangers had a valid goal chopped off.
When was the last drawn (or game lost by one goal) Rangers game where TV CLEARLY showed that an opposition goal should not have stood.
For both of these I can give answers for games where the wronged team were the Rangers opponents.
Now substitute Rangers with Celtic. Start with the Hamilton game and work backwards. There were at least 5 last season.
It’s not a conspiracy. It just is.
