IF you’ve ever been in Bertie Auld’s company you’ll know that he has the greatest respect for his former Rangers opponents, indeed this would be a constant theme if you ever had the privilege to speak to the Lisbon Lions, both the ones still here and the ones we have sadly lost.
Today Bertie Auld has spoken out for himself and on behalf of his teammates from Scottish football’s greatest ever side – the only one from Scotland ever to win the European Cup (now the Champions League) to register his disgust at the vile chant that has been heard from the Rangers support in recent seasons.
The chant was introduced to Scottish football by the Celtic support in the Invincible season of 2016-17. The words were ‘This is how it feels to be Celtic, Champions Again as you know, Brendan Rodgers is here for Ten in a Row’.
This video of these sick-minded fans chanting this some ironically enough was filmed in Luxembourg before the new Ibrox club were humiliated by the fifth best side in the tiny country, Progres, to knock them out of the Europa League. That was just about are far away from the glory of Bertie Auld and co lifting the European Cup to become Champions of Europe of 25 May 1967.
Perhaps green with envy, hearts full of hatred, the Rangers fans changed the words to sign ‘The Lisbon Lions won’t see Ten in a Row’.
In the year when he lost two of his former teammates from Lisbon, captain Billy McNeill and winning goalscorer Stevie Chalmers, Bertie Auld has now had enough and has spoken up about this sick chant, pointing out that the only silverware that the morons singing the chant will get their hands on will be a pair of handcuffs!
“I don’t listen to them,”Bertie told Scottish Sun.
“They can say what they want but they can’t take away what’s already there. We can’t do any better than what we done because we’re not in the game and we beat all records.
“We won five trophies in the one season. Nobody’s ever achieved that and nobody ever will.
“Don’t let them bother you. The only time these people will get silverware is when the police put them into handcuffs.”
On the wider issue of bad behaviour in the Scottish game over the past season or so, Bertie Auld added his views to the debate, as you would only expect!
“It’s frightening what’s going on,” Bertie said.
“The referees aren’t strong enough. If you look at some of the games, the players are actually running the games.
“When they’re kicking people from behind and such like, that riles the terraces.
“You can’t get to entertain if you’re not allowed to play. My dad always said to me ‘Remember son, retaliate first by doing your talking on the pitch.’
“But the referees are a wee bit weak just now. They’re not stopping the game as often as they should. Everybody in the stadium sees it and he’s in the centre. The linesmen should put up their flags.”
Asked about any abusive behaviour he experienced in his playing career compared to the current climate in the Scottish game, Bertie is quite clear that things have deteriorated.
“The abuse was there but it wasn’t the way it is just now. You would go into a café or whatever and you’d have conversations with opposition fans.
“On the park you were going out to win but away from the park you were able to enjoy. There were never any problems with anybody.”
ALSO ON THE CELTIC STAR…
Let’s make sure we don’t make the same mistake as the Rangers…see HERE.
Worried about Olympics? Eddie lovin’ PSG? More worried about the £30m Financial Times (droppin’ the e)…see HERE.
Moritz Bauer reveals full details of Jordan Jones’ apology after Ibrox Red Card…see HERE.
