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Rangers Observer: Daily Record pushes title stripping agenda


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In case people were wondering, and just for reference ... and it is mostly utter drivel from Gannon, who can't help to put a dig into Linfield's supporters but lauds the oh so nice Yahoos ...

 

Celtic are better rejecting Linfield tickets than to risk Parkhead being shut for big Champions League nights - Michael Gannon

 

Michael argues that Celtic need to protect their brand which has taken a fair old kicking from UEFA in recent years.

 

 

It seems a bit strange to tell fans they can’t hop across the water to Belfast when less than 12 months ago there wasn’t a peep about going to a place just 50 miles from the Gaza Strip.

 

But that probably sums up the bonkers situation surrounding a match that isn’t even a thing yet.

 

Celtic ’s decision after police advice to knock back a ticket allowance for Linfield, should the Northern Irish club get past La Fiorita, hasn’t gone down too well with the supporters.

It’s understandable. Football fans want to go and support their team, no matter where they go.

 

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a boozer in Baku or an obscure alehouse in Astana, you’ll see scores of troops wearing the Hoops.

 

Some of these Euro outposts can be quite scary as well. Anyone who’s

done a jaunt abroad knows you never get into a bust-up with a Balkan

bouncer or try to get into aggro with some Albanian hardcase.

 

They are usually pretty clued-up and self-policing when it comes to

being in and around the cities. Folk from Glasgow grow up with a sixth

sense when it comes to sniffing danger. They can automatically gauge

when the fun shifts and it’s time to get off your mark.

 

There might be the odd eijit but by and large Celtic – and Scottish football fans in general – go in peace and there’s no doubt 99 per cent would be the same in Northern Ireland.

 

Yet Belfast is going to be a no-go zone and some punters, like the Green Brigade, are up in arms.

 

You can see where they’re coming from. But the statement the fans group stuck out the other day calling for their club to have a rethink over the ticket issue managed to make the point as well as miss the point at the same time.

 

They accused Celtic of being more concerned about “the brand’ and that it’s more fears about the Celtic support rather than fears for their safety they have in mind.

 

Got it in one. Celtic need to protect the brand because it has taken a fair old kicking from UEFA in recent years.

 

The Parkhead club have had their backsides slapped 10 times in six years by the bigwigs – with two separate fines last season alone.

 

You could argue all day whether UEFA are the ones in the wrong but it doesn’t matter. They are in charge and at some point the rap sheet is going to go over a line and Celtic are going to get hit with something worse than a 10 grand bill.

 

That’s why it was an easy decision for them to knock back briefs from Linfield. As soon as the cops hummed and hawed about any guarantees over fan safety, the choice became straightforward.

 

It’s too big a risk to put punters in harm’s way – and it’s an even bigger concern they might land themselves in bother if some fancy making a political point during the most volatile week on the calendar in that neck of the woods.

 

No one needs a history lesson here. Linfield are like any other club and the majority are just normal folk who like to watch their team. It’s Belfast, not Baghdad, and the place is unrecognisable from 30 years ago. But there is still that sinister element, the people who refuse to come out of the dark ages, who will have spent the week marching up and down the streets.

 

A sash bash would be like a red rag to a bull to some in the Celtic support.

 

We’re not even talking violence here. It would just take the odd big banner and UEFA will bring down the hammer.

 

If a few daft Linfield punters want to sing or stick up signs about some Dutch dude who died more than 300 years ago then that’s their problem.

 

Celtic don’t need any of their own. The Green Brigade and Celtic Trust have accused their club of not batting for their fans but it has to be a two-way street.

 

Peter Lawwell has pleaded with them to cut out the flares and some of the carry-on.

 

But he’s had it thrown back in his face. He gave them the standingsection they craved and it’s made Parkhead the envy of clubs all over the UK.

 

There has to be some give and take. Hoops fans want their club to trust them but that trust has to be earned.

 

The consequences are too severe to take a chance with this game. Fans might be p***** off but they would be even more so if UEFA shut part of Parkhead if the likes of Real Madrid came to town or denied Hoops punters the chance to go to Bayern Munich.

 

Sometimes you need to pick your battles but there are no winners when the fans and the club get into a fight

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/celtic-better-rejecting-linfield-tickets-10706627

 

It is rather simple that the club, once again, does not trust its support to behave in Europe, and sure not a day or two after the 12th and the town full of Oranger Order people. It was indeed Linfield and PSNI who agreed with UEFA to switch the tie to a Friday.

 

You would hope that the Linfield staff and players will be acutely aware what is being done and sung in the return leg. Had our people, and not least the players on the park spotted those blow-updolls at the Scumhut last year, I would have expected them to leave the field in protest ... and mark the Scum out for what they are. Same would go for sectarian banners.

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What a dreadfully written piece from Michael Gannon. I could only manage a few sentences. Thankfully the operative parts were highlighted so I could skim over it quickly. This is just reinforcing my previous post.... :D

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The point is, one needs to C&P these articles and their links to show the rhag up for what it is. They have edited some of the online stuff after some complaints and then those are "gone" as proof of their bias. Then again, Gannon is a loose cannon anyway.

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I've not bought any paper, let alone the Daily Record for several years now. However I don't think much about clicking through to their online stuff. Stuff like this just shows that I now need to re-think my approach and just get any Rangers-related stuff when its posted on forums, or just ignore it completely.

 

Yes we should just have 1named person across all forums who clicks the Record and puts up the Rangers news. That way they will only getting a few clicks for a large amount of the support

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In case people were wondering, and just for reference ... and it is mostly utter drivel from Gannon, who can't help to put a dig into Linfield's supporters but lauds the oh so nice Yahoos ...

 

 

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/celtic-better-rejecting-linfield-tickets-10706627

 

It is rather simple that the club, once again, does not trust its support to behave in Europe, and sure not a day or two after the 12th and the town full of Oranger Order people. It was indeed Linfield and PSNI who agreed with UEFA to switch the tie to a Friday.

 

You would hope that the Linfield staff and players will be acutely aware what is being done and sung in the return leg. Had our people, and not least the players on the park spotted those blow-updolls at the Scumhut last year, I would have expected them to leave the field in protest ... and mark the Scum out for what they are. Same would go for sectarian banners.

 

That is a shocking article. The memory of Celtic fans only last year hanging effigies of Orangemen has well and truly been sweeped under the carpet. The agenda from that paper has gone from covert to plain site in a really short time.

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Yes we should just have 1named person across all forums who clicks the Record and puts up the Rangers news. That way they will only getting a few clicks for a large amount of the support

 

I nominate Ian!

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A truly appalling piece of writing by Mick Gannon.

 

He aims minor criticism at the Green Brigade, a token tilt at their over enthusiasm, daft bhoyness no doubt. Then, assuages their sensitivities. The Green Brigade are directly responsible for the vast majority of those dozen UEFA fines in six years. Further, it was the same element of the support that hanged effigies with their hands tied behind their back from the roof of the North Stand.

 

Seriously, you have got to hand it to ra Sellik. Everything, the merest whim is broadcast by proxy. Journalists are queuing up to be seen to be that day's nominated proxy.

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