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‘I’d keep mum on titles that require “an asterisk”,’ Spiers tells Johnston

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"If David Potter finds out we'll be down to 53 and a half"

Alastair Johnston is still waiting on hearing from the Scottish FA how his Fit and Proper assessment is going. How many years has that been now? Auldheid is the man who is best placed to explain Johnston’s role in Rangers being given a licence that they were not entitled to to play in European football in 2011/12 season. And that’s more than likely the reason why his long wait is going to continue.

Johnston has been speaking to The Times and Graham Spiers makes the point himself in his post last night on Twitter to promote the piece. “Alastair Johnston believes any Celtic 2020 title triumph might require “an asterisk”. If I was a Rangers director I think I’d keep mum on titles that require “an asterisk”, Spiers stated.

Yesterday a few things happened. UEFA confirmed that whatever happens Liverpool will be Premier League Champions. The Anfield club could not be caught on the park but one or two opportunistic calls for the season to be declared Null and Void was the biggest threat to Liverpool’s first title win since 1990. Yesterday UEFA knocked that on the head once and for all.

Uefa’s President Aleksander Ceferin made it clear that whatever happens Liverpool will be English Champions. He told Slovenian publication EkipaSN (as reported in The Standard): “I can’t see a way Liverpool could be left without a title.

“If the Premier League resumes play, Liverpool will almost certainly win the title. Theoretically it’s not all over, but practically Liverpool are on the verge of it.

“If by any chance the play will not resume, we still have to find a way to declare final results, to declare champions.

“And again I cannot see, I cannot imagine a scenario, in which the champions would not be Liverpool.

“I understand the fans will be disappointed if it happens in an empty stadium or even in the league offices, but I believe, they will get the title one way or another.”

In Scotland the Null and Void merchants have already been routed – as we have reported on The Celtic Star. The implications would destroy the game in Scotland and wipe out the vast majority of clubs. It’s akin to asking twelve turkeys if they think Christmas is a good idea.

Indeed not even the Rangers are arguing for this outcome. Their financial situation is (as usual) the worst of the clubs and yesterday they started to make public the problems that they are facing. Deferring 50% of their players’ salaries for three months means that when the season starts and the season ticket money comes in, it’s going to have to pay their players for the sums deferred or the dressing room will be in turmoil.

Their fans had also spent the last week taking the moral high ground as Celtic took the heat for using the Government’s Furloughing scheme while their club had not done so, or at least hadn’t stated publicly that they had. We told you that this had already happened BEFORE Celtic confirmed publicly that they were using the scheme and would top up wages by the 20% balance.

Celtic went into this crisis with a bumper new kit-deal with adidas in the bag and with around £30million in the bank. In contrast the Rangers have no kit deal in place for next season and have admitted that they needed £10million to come in in order to see out this season – and that was before for coronavirus pandemic closed down the game and all income streams for the clubs.

Over the past few weeks former players of the former Ibrox club were wheeled out to push the Null and Void narrative. It was designed to undermine and discredit Celtic’s title triumph. This will be Celtic’s ninth league win in a row and Johnston and Dave King have both now used the asterisk argument against five of these title wins.

King reckoned that four didn’t count because Rangers weren’t in the league and now Johnston reckons an asterisk is due because the season could be ended early.

If the games aren’t played in Scotland and England will anyone ask Steven Gerrard if Liverpool’s title win should also be hit with an asterisk and no-one from Manchester City – never mind a Chairman or Director – would ever suggest such a thing. They have too much self awareness and self respect.

No title that Man City won could be questioned, unlike the Rangers, a club formed in 2012 after the club that is named on this Ibrox gates went into liquidation. If the club wasn’t one and the same as the company then why is does it say ‘Ltd’ on this gates, Mr Johnston?

Some of the comments to Spiers’ tweet are worth noting, and the after mentioned Auldheid participates too…

“I think it’s the complete lack of self awareness that gets me every time, either that or they are so beyond arrogance they have moved into ignorance.” @timtimbelgium stated.

“He committed fraud in 2011. All the evidence supports the charge that SFA have excluded from scrutiny. Blow torch and brass neck.” @Auldheid.

“Think they need to check there history books and tell us who really where champions in season 1952/53.” @bigjim8472.

“Why does this crackpot get headline space?” @runoffpanocho.

“Luvs a tainted title that roaster.” @falkirkshamrock.

“Couldnae paint a red neck on solid brass.” @daveross67

“Let’s ASTERISK every single cup/title the now defunct club ‘won’ by cheating since probable 1988 under the DM Years.” @CeltiCRab19671

“You can’t buy titles 54*” @Mibbeesayes who added “But Graham they are the people. What does that mean anyway? Banned twice this season alone for Racist and sectarian singing the new club is worse than the dead one.”

“They know ‘null and void’ is dead in the water. So, they’ve now moved onto “any Celtic 2020 title triumph”. The pain is delicious.” @Swedleypops

And on and on it goes. Niall J has also written a piece on this subject which we’ll post shortly, so stay tuned. If you want to tell us what you think about the introduction of Asterisks next to any honours won – or bought – then please email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor, who has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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