Celtic’s Missed Chances, the Covid Cheat and how 1 plus 47.5 in Scottish Football equals 55

David Turnbull reflected on Celtic’s Scottish Cup exit at Ibrox on Sunday, rueing the chances missed in that game and indeed throughout the season as his first season at Celtic (if you discount the delayed 2020 Scottish Cup Final which was played in December) ends trophyless.

John Kennedy faced the media after the 2-0 defeat at Ibrox to a side with a Covid rule breaker playing due to the ‘Compliance’ of the Scottish FA and a big massive 55 banner on display, right across from the Celtic directors, claiming 54 titles that this current Ibrox club, founded in 2012 had no part in. Indeed the old club’s record of 54 titles is tarnished by the cheating EBT years with the side letters that should have resulted in forfeiture, again only ‘Compliance’ from the Scottish FA allowed them to do this.

And you also have to remember that one of the original Rangers FC’s titles was shared with Dumbarton so that’s half each surely?

So that 55 banner really should say ONE title win for theRangers leaving 54 from Rangers FC – a club that played it’s last game at the end of the 2011-12 season. However they should have 6 titles deducted for the EBT cheating and side letters and also a half deducted for Dumbarton’s share of that 19th century title.

So it’s ONE for theRangers and 47.5 for Rangers FC when the rules are followed and that’s before you consider how it is that the Covid rule breaker was allowed to play in that game on Sunday, apparently because Stephen Gerrard reckons that he is a good young player and the ban would damage his career.

So forgive me if I don’t get too hot under the collar about all this Super League stuff killing football for fans. Look around you in Scottish football and see what our own club has allowed to happen, presumably because they and the rest of Scottish football reckoned that they needed a Rangers.

And remember don’t be too hard on theRangers for their hard sell on this 55 nonsense.  They have partners in crime in this throughout the Scottish game, especially at Hampden but also in the Celtic Boardroom. Peter Lawwell, the outgoing CEO told the Celtic AGM in 2019 that he had never seen the so-called 5 Way Agreement. He is either guilty of telling lies or alternatively of gross negligence in his senior executive position at our club. Neither alternative is acceptable.

Back to David Turnbull, perhaps the best Celtic performer in what has been a season to forget. None of the Celtic players appeared for an interview with Celtic TV after the cup defeat on Sunday, but Turnbull did speak to Celtic View Editor Paul Cuddihy after the match.

“I feel we have been performing well as a team over the past however long it has been but it’s about being clinical and we’ve not been that,” the former Motherwell man said, as reported by the official Celtic FC website.

“It has been like that in a good few games this season. We created a lot of chances but it’s about taking them. It’s tough to take after all the success we’ve had, to have that this season.

“Since the start of the season, or since I’ve been here especially, it feels like we’ve created plenty but not takes as many as we should. I’m not sure what needs to change. We go into each game looking to win and get some form until the end of the season, then pushing on, and we’ll see what happens next season.”