No World Cup last night, but there was a Championship game between Sunderland and West Brom. A poor crowd with the weather clearly as cold as it is Scotland, but two teams with glorious pasts and indfferent (well, poor, really) present day realities – Sunderland the under performers in a region of traditional under performers, and West Bromwich Albion, always under the shadow of Aston Villa. Both have won the Cup; both have won the League (although not often and a long time ago) but their moments have passed!
But two Celts were involved.
Tom Rogic we could still have around and he will always be remembered for his Celtic performances and goals – the 2017 Scottish Cup final goal which went in with a thunderstorm going on round about Hampden and no-one noticed!
ROOOOGGGIIIIICCCC! pic.twitter.com/uOvSwqvGvi
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) December 12, 2022
There was a wonderful goal at Kilmarnock in 2016 when the League seemed to be slipping away. His team mates were feckless, the supporters were getting angry, but Tom scored a wonderful goal which saved the day, and so upset them in Aberdeen that they immediately lost their own game to Motherwell which kicked off half an hour after our game finished!
And then there was last season at Ibrox in what turned out to his last goal for the club. What a man! And how under-rated by so many people, including those who should know a lot better.
Tom came on as a substitute last night for West Brom, scored the equaliser from the edge of the box and then played a part in the winner as West Brom won 2-1. But there was more than that. The word “inspirational” can be done to death by commentators (rather like “unbelievable”) but it certainly applied to our Wizard of Oz last night.
pic.twitter.com/9X1L8mMgfi https://t.co/RdH8FilxEj
— Everything Celtic (@aboutceltic) December 12, 2022
You never lose it…. https://t.co/bdm5wQ9j7d
— Highland__Paddy (@Highland__paddy) December 12, 2022
And then we come to Tony Mowbray, now Manager of Sunderland. Sadly, there is no other way of putting this, but Tony, I regret, is a loser. Both with Celtic and Middlesbrough, as a manager and a player, Tony has failed to deliver, and how hard it is to say that of a man who is so obviously a genuinely nice guy who will always be happy to admit to his love of the green and whites.
Manager of Sunderland is a tough job – Martin O’Neill failed there as well, did he not? -working with strange Directors and non-supportive supporters. The Black Cats, the Mackems, the Rokerites are doing badly, and the empty seats last night told a tale. Do I hear strains of “Sacked in the morning”?
Resign, Tony, and get on a train every Saturday to come and see the club you love!
David Potter
David Potter’s best seller, The Celtic Rising ~ 1965: The Year Jock Stein Changed Everything is now back in stock after selling out. Order a signed copy today and we’ll post straight away using first class post or alternatively The Celtic Rising is also available on Amazon Kindle, again link is below…
