STEPHEN O’DONNELL’S latest book, Tangled Up in Blue is certainly causing quite a stir among the Hordes. They absolutely hate it when anyone shines a light into the mucky, sectarian world that their clubs have operated in over all of our lifetimes.
You just have to look at the hateful book ‘reviews’ that have been posted on Amazon by these people who certainly haven’t read Stephen’s book and probably haven’t turned a page or two in years. The word Morons springs readily to mind, but if there are enough of them, and when these clubs are concerned – old or new – the quantity of morons available has never been a problem.
Not since Phil Mac Giolla Bháin covered the death of Rangers 1872-2012 in Downfall has anyone put the Rangers story down on paper. And with so much of the facts surrounding the decline, fall and death of Rangers in 2012 being ‘altered’ it is perhaps the appropriate time for a well written account to record the events leading up to and in 2012 and beyond for the RECORD.
This week both Bury and Bolton football clubs have been on the brink of financial collapse yet the Scottish media is left with the difficulties caused by their euphemistic reporting of the Rangers collapse. Clubs don’t die at Ibrox, just the holding company that operated the club. Liquidation doesn’t mean that the history is lost at Ibrox but inconveniently it does in Bury or Bolton.
Then there’s the UEFA charges that have been brought against the current Ibrox club for their RACIST and sectarian singing. Yet you listen to the BBC reports and the RACIST word is not used. Surely if the charges clearly state RACIST and sectarian then the BBC should report BOTH words and not take a decision to delete the RACIST for whatever reason?
Who made such a decision and why?
Tomorrow Celtic go to Ibrox. If you look at the papers today you will see that there have been running battles in the streets of Govan last night as the sectarian tensions rise in the city.
Racist and sectarian chants were absent from Ibrox on Thursday night because UEFA took action and emptied 3000 seats. They also imposed a second 3000 seat closure for their next Europa League match and if there are further charges they face a complete ground closure for a Europa League match which would cost the Rangers around £1million in revenue.
But it is the Scottish football authorities in charge tomorrow and the media, who got very upset a fortnight ago about some remarks made by Tom Boyd on the subscription only Celtic TV broadcasting via the internet to Celtic Supporters outwit Britain and Ireland, will have their usual deaf ears regarding the songs that UEFA regard as RACIST and sectarian.
So tensions are high. The game tomorrow will give both sides, who have had three wins each in the Premiership to date, the chance to go three points clear. The fans will be in the spotlight, how the Scottish football authorities and the Scottish media reacts will be discussed and debated. There could possibly not have been a better time to publish Tanged Up in Blue.
The Celtic Star caught up with author Stephen O’Donnell earlier the week to talk about his new book and everything surrounding it…here’s what happened.
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