Jump to content

Dundee Utd Blogger in the Daily Ranger


broony1985

Recommended Posts

i don't normally read that garbage but this popped up on my Facebook news feed and every word written is spot on!

 

A really good read.

Here's the link:

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/sport/record-fc-dundee-united-celtic-6323654

 

For those who can't access it here it is in full:

 

Record FC Dundee United: Celtic could win fifty in a row but it means nothing in the grand scheme of things

14:25, 26 AUGUST 2015 UPDATED 14:42, 26 AUGUST 2015 BY DEREK KEILLOH

BLOGGER Derek Keilloh thinks Hoops fans need to wake up and realise winning the Premiership title with their budget isn't worth crowing about.

 

THAT game was irrelevant. Four games of every season, in effect, don't matter.

 

Due to United being in the same division as Celtic, we might be deluded into thinking they are our rivals. They're not. We happen to share a country with them, but that's more or less all we have in common.

 

That was a reserve team we were up against, by and large. And they were still light years ahead of us. The gulf didn't seem to bother the Celtic fans, with their songs about winning ten in a row.

 

Try singing it to someone who cares.

 

 

These are the sort of people who in Roman times would have been in the Colosseum cheering on the lions.

 

It's the sort of mentality where your club can sign the three best players of another club, and then complain about a lack of competition. Trying to reconcile that in our heads would give most of us an aneurysm. Not John Collins, though. Possibly because an aneurysm requires ownership of a brain.

It doesn't stop their charmless manager doing his cringeworthy roar (twice!) after the game, even though it was about as much of a competitive exercise as killing a spider in your bath is.

 

Celebrating like that after beating a Scottish Premiership side seems like a clear case of punching down to me. The fact they don't see it as embarrassing says a lot, I think.

 

Games against Celtic, and Rangers when they were around, are very much things to be endured, like root canal treatment or brussel sprouts at Christmas.

 

It's hard to know during these games whether to hate them, or Dundee United, or myself, or football in general.

 

Either way, I do feel I need to cleanse my palate afterwards. By watching a nice film, for example. Or listening to one of my favourite albums. Or having a good wash, at the very least.

 

 

Leigh Griffiths and Dundee United's Mark Durnan battle for the ball

In a wider sense, football is no longer a sport. Not really.

 

Thanks to the erroneously named Champions League, and by television, the game has been corrupted and distorted by money. There was always a glass ceiling to a certain extent, but unless you find an oligarch from somewhere, you're not getting into this club.

 

The bigger clubs are not interested in competition. It's about making money to increase the gap on the poor domestic teams they like to duff up between European games.

 

The rich get richer, the gap gets bigger, and they like to convince us it's for our own good.

 

When the gap gets so big that a club the size of Juventus cannot hold on to Paul Pogba, what chance do we have?

 

The problem exists throughout Europe, to the extent that you'd need to put the mortgage on Bayern or PSG winning their respective leagues to win back enough to buy yourself a pint.

 

But back to Scotland. The Old Firm are trapped. Trapped in a country that doesn't engage, or even interest them. A league they are often in open contempt towards. Kidding themselves that beating teams with about 10% of their budget is any kind of achievement.

 

 

Leigh Griffiths scores his side's opening goal during Celtic's 3-1 win at Tannadice

They are too big for the country they are in, in effect, due to the sheer gravitational pull of Glasgow within Scottish football, encouraged by outdated notions of political and religious identity most of the rest of us moved on from several decades ago.

 

The knowledge that so many buses depart towns up and down Scotland for Ibrox or Celtic Park every Saturday is unimaginably depressing.

 

They can't go down south, as England don't want them. Although Rangers did get to play league games in Berwick a couple of years ago, which I suppose is a start.

 

I do think a European league is an inevitability as the bigger European clubs will surely push for it over the next few years. The sooner they all leave and let the rest of us get on with it, the better.

 

Despite their desperate attempts to get out over the years, whenever the rest of us suggest we might be better off if they did go, they cry about how we couldn't possibly cope without them. Hoping that Stockholm Syndrome might kick in, I suppose.

 

We'd cope. Scottish football would find a level.

 

OK, that level might be slightly below the current standard, but if there was a drop off it probably won't be noticeable. And so what if it did?

 

Like I said, we'd find our level.

 

If we lost the Old Firm, we might struggle to hold onto our best players. Luckily, that doesn't happen now.

 

I don't know how I'd cope with having religious ditties sung at me for 90 minutes. Or without city centre pubs being turned into no go areas.

 

Or without having to look at Leigh Griffiths.

 

Or without having lunchtime kick offs, partly for TV and partly because their fans cannot be trusted to behave if the game kicks off any later than 3pm, like they are less evolved Gremlins. I might even be able to have a pint at the game, if I fancied it.

 

I bet our games against Dundee and Aberdeen would still sell out too. Besides, for all the talk of how the presence of the Old Firm boosts attendances, the Celtic game was actually Dundee United's lowest attendance so far this season. Funny how things turn out.

 

You never know. As the rest of us might actually have a shot at winning something, crowds might even go up.

 

But at the moment, we have a situation where the financial gap is so huge, than only one side can ever, or probably will ever, win the league. I don't know how that can be in any way satisfying for Celtic fans, apart from anything else. It doesn't mean anything. How can it?

 

You know what? Win ten in a row. Or twenty. Or fifty for all I care. No-one cares except you. It's utterly irrelevant.

 

Sorry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 101
  • Created
  • Last Reply

He's spot on tbf, I've said it for a few years now that Celtic fans must be totally bored, no-one gives a flying **** when they win the league but they celebrate it like a massive achievement, it's like me going onto FIFA starting a career with Real Madrid on beginner mode and pretending I'm ****ing great when i inevitably romp to the title.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They think we all exist for them but in reality no-one gives a flying F word if they F off to another league.  I am sure we will cope without having religious, sectarian, bigoted and political songs sung for 90 minutes every week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

doctor jambo

Sad really when the best things , the most incisive articles in sport sections are written by fans.

Though it must be said that it is written by a team that have utterly sold out to Celtic and have zip chance of doing anything this year

For Hearts and Aberdeen fans this season the matches with Celtic DO have meaning, and there may yet be a title race

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unknown user

He's put it over well, I've been saying for years that scotland would find it's natural, more competitive level if the OF actually left.

 

I have no problem at all with the OFGingTF, I'll even make them a sandwich for the bus

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well said that man.

 

A strong Hearts,Aberdeen,Dundee United,Dundee and Hobos (If the reach the top league) fighting It out for the title and maybe 8 or so points of a difference between them,would soon have crowds coming to games and It would be nice for kids to go to every game,Instead of them staying home for matches against the Old Firm,when Child Safety becomes an Issue.

 

Despite what the Glasgow media would have us believe,we DO NOT need the Ugly Sisters from Glasgow.Scottish Football would survive and In many cases,prosper.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The guy's spot on.

It's the same as the sevco fans bleating on about being the most successful team in the world, yeh in a two team league for the most part.

Since 1890 the top flight in Scotland has been won on only 19 occasions outwith either Rangers or Celtic, 19 times out of what 120 or so (take out the war years).

Rangers = 54

Celtic = 46

The Rest = 19

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He's spot on tbf, I've said it for a few years now that Celtic fans must be totally bored, no-one gives a flying **** when they win the league but they celebrate it like a massive achievement, it's like me going onto FIFA starting a career with Real Madrid on beginner mode and pretending I'm ******* great when i inevitably romp to the title.

One of my celtic fan mates pretty much does this when playing fifa.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Treasurer

I think we can all get where he's coming from with this article (whether you agree or not).

The one thing that's maybe being overlooked is that if (and it's still a big if) sellik were to F off to some Euro league or whatever the media in this country wouldn't suddenly turn their attention to what would no doubt be an exciting league. They would focus even more on the unwashed and their Euro league "challenge" meaning even less coverage (and therefore sponsorship money) for the rest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think we can all get where he's coming from with this article (whether you agree or not).

The one thing that's maybe being overlooked is that if (and it's still a big if) sellik were to F off to some Euro league or whatever the media in this country wouldn't suddenly turn their attention to what would no doubt be an exciting league. They would focus even more on the unwashed and their Euro league "challenge" meaning even less coverage (and therefore sponsorship money) for the rest.

if they did go they would get nowhere near winning any euro league so interest in them would tail off, both from their bigoted fans and the media. Maybe wishful thinking on my part I suppose 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think we can all get where he's coming from with this article (whether you agree or not).

The one thing that's maybe being overlooked is that if (and it's still a big if) sellik were to F off to some Euro league or whatever the media in this country wouldn't suddenly turn their attention to what would no doubt be an exciting league. They would focus even more on the unwashed and their Euro league "challenge" meaning even less coverage (and therefore sponsorship money) for the rest.

Agree. And where is the demand for a Euro league outside of Glasgow? At the moment the biggest clubs in the biggest leagues have two cash cows. Their domestic leagues and Europe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Treasurer

if they did go they would get nowhere near winning any euro league so interest in them would tail off, both from their bigoted fans and the media. Maybe wishful thinking on my part I suppose 

sellik are nowhere near even qualifying for the CL let alone winning it but look at the media coverage it gets.

Which do you think the Daily Rantic would have as their main story, a top of the table match between Hearts and Aberdeen or a mid table "glamour" tie between sellik and some unheard of Danish club.

Think we both know the answer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We_are_the_Hearts

Sounds like a bitter loser who chucked his toys out the pram. Luckily guys like Simeone don't have his attitude.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you know what would be very refreshing? If some of the media stopped pandering to the Old Firm all the time with their constant bile about how Scottish Football needs them and backed the majority of the other 40 senior clubs and their fans who think exactly the same as this blogger.

 

If they took the lead and started playing down the Old Firm and if the SPFL and SFA took the same stance then things would maybe start to change but then that will never happen, it is only a pipe-dream.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think we can all get where he's coming from with this article (whether you agree or not).

The one thing that's maybe being overlooked is that if (and it's still a big if) sellik were to F off to some Euro league or whatever the media in this country wouldn't suddenly turn their attention to what would no doubt be an exciting league. They would focus even more on the unwashed and their Euro league "challenge" meaning even less coverage (and therefore sponsorship money) for the rest.

Isn't that kind of his point though? That if Celtic did leave, Scottish football would find it's level and with the potential of success in the league would come higher attendances in the stadiums.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"they were still light years ahead of us." hell I wouldn't go that far.It took an OG and a deflection to get past UTD

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Amoruso_lets_it_run

"These are the sort of people who in Roman times would have been in the Colosseum cheering on the lions."

 

Love this line

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We_are_the_Hearts

Depressingly defeatist piece more like. Luckily our Craig and Robbie are made of stronger stuff. Some folk need to grow a set!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Francis Albert

We seemed to revel last season in winning a competition in large part because we were consistently beating teams with a tiny budget compared to ours.

 

While I too believe Scottish football would be better off if Rangers and Celtic never existed I don't share the defeatist attitude of the blog. Some of my best moments as a Hearts fan have been beating Rangers and Celtic, and when we have challenged one or both of the OF despite operating on a fraction of their resources. The last quarter century has seen the distortion of massive CL cash injections and massive David Murray subsidies. Without those I don't think the OF would have been so dominant. They would as ever have been the most successful clubs but I think other clubs would have challenged more closely and more regularly.

 

It's a bit sad to see a fan of one of the last two clubs to consistently challenge the OF being so defeatist, especially when United at the time was probably only the 5th or 6th richest in the league.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I pray they apply to the English league and start from the bottom and somewhere around league 1 & 2 they fail and remain there forever.  To think they want lumped into the Premiership JUST BECAUSE.

 

The reality is we could be leading this league with 10 games to go and we know the establishment will take over and ensure normal service will resume.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Francis Albert

 

 

The reality is we could be leading this league with 10 games to go and we know the establishment will take over and ensure normal service will resume.

So how come Rangers are still in the second tier?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think we can all get where he's coming from with this article (whether you agree or not).

The one thing that's maybe being overlooked is that if (and it's still a big if) sellik were to F off to some Euro league or whatever the media in this country wouldn't suddenly turn their attention to what would no doubt be an exciting league. They would focus even more on the unwashed and their Euro league "challenge" meaning even less coverage (and therefore sponsorship money) for the rest.

 

Correct, and their filthy fans would still be prominent on our streets as well.

 

Any resolution to whatever problems we have in our game needs to include the old firm. To be honest, every league in Europe is probably having similar issues of Champions League money creating a closed shop for a few clubs.

 

Edit: and I would add that winning a league without beating celtic (and let's face it, rangers in a couple of years) would not mean a great deal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To the Blogger don't be "sorry" it's what the vast majority of football fans outside of the OF have felt for decades. The most worrying but not unexpected is that the Hampden twats won't do anything to sort it. It's not that they can't it's just there's seems to be so much stopping them from even trying. Cronyism and fear of the Big Bad Boys threatening Armageddon if they disappear. For me they can't go quick enough.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Treasurer

Isn't that kind of his point though? That if Celtic did leave, Scottish football would find it's level and with the potential of success in the league would come higher attendances in the stadiums.

Higher attendances - for a few clubs, yes.

Higher media attention/coverage - not a chance

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't that kind of his point though? That if Celtic did leave, Scottish football would find it's level and with the potential of success in the league would come higher attendances in the stadiums.

 

But would that last? Give it 20 years and Scottish football could just as easily be moaning about the duopoly of Hearts and Aberdeen. 

 

If you think about it, say we start next season with no OF. Hearts and Aberdeen become the 2 biggest clubs, we edge Aberdeen to the title and make it through to the CL qualifiers before going out in the final qualifying stage and like Celtic this season, drop into the Europa league and make ?8.5m. We are already the financially strongest side due to FOH contributions and sell out crowds. This then puts us on a totally different level to anyone else in the league. 

 

Aberdeen take advantage of our Europa league campaign and win the 17/18 season and do the same, now two clubs are ahead of the rest and even after 2 years it is almost impossible for other clubs to compete.

 

Fast forward 20 years and our crowds soar (due to lapsed OF fans, glory hunters and kids that no longer have the neither the option nor the inclination to gaze along the M8) to fill a revamped 40k seat stadium (paid for from year on year European qualification), Aberdeen have hoovered up the ex-OF fans in the north and are pulling crowds of 30k, between us we've won every title for 20 years and Scottish Football back to square one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

michael_bolton

We seemed to revel last season in winning a competition in large part because we were consistently beating teams with a tiny budget compared to ours.

 

 

It's a bit sad to see a fan of one of the last two clubs to consistently challenge the OF being so defeatist, especially when United at the time was probably only the 5th or 6th richest in the league.

 

1) We beat two main rivals to that league win. One of whom had much more than us in terms of resources and the other of whom had comparable resources to us. It was a grand achievement. Especially to win it so well.

 

2) It's sad, but it's also realistic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I P Knightley

Or without having to look at Leigh Griffiths.

 

 

 

 

Mmmphmm :biglaugh:

 

A point the MSM consistently refuse to address.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While much of what he said was correct I got the impression he met himself coming back a bit.

He said that unless most clubs get the backing of an oligarth they cannot enter the rich man's club and few would argue with that.

Later he implies that Celtic and RIFC should leave Scotland for a super league and (presumably) create a more level playing field in the residual league, which on paper seems fine

But

What if HMFC and the Sheep become the rich men of this league and constantly dominate.  If there is no process by which they can enter the new Europen league then the  residual league would have the same problems as currently exist.  Promotion and relegation to/from that super league would cause geographical anomalies especially if the 2 Scottish teams were not in relegation positions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Francis Albert

1) We beat two main rivals to that league win. One of whom had much more than us in terms of resources and the other of whom had comparable resources to us. It was a grand achievement. Especially to win it so well.

 

2) It's sad, but it's also realistic.

1) and this season only one team in our league has much more than us in terms of resources.

2) compare the OF squads today with those of 10 to 15 years ago. There was an excuse for defeatism in the days of the likes of de Boer and Larsson. The gap in quality is a lot narrower.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No it?s not.  They are not agreeing that Celtic are in anyway to blame etc.  They just agree that Celtic are too big  and need a challenge.  They simply just do not get it.  All the Celtic fans I speak with are all so much in denial they just can?t even admit that they miss and need Rangers.

 

They call them ?The Zombies?

 

:facepalm:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

michael_bolton

1) and this season only one team in our league has much more than us in terms of resources.

2) compare the OF squads today with those of 10 to 15 years ago. There was an excuse for defeatism in the days of the likes of de Boer and Larsson. The gap in quality is a lot narrower.

 

The league table doesn't show that the gap in quality is narrower. They still finish just as far ahead as they did in those days.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So how come Rangers are still in the second tier?

 

It won't be allowed for a team outside the infirm to win the premier league.  They're in the second tier because they cannot operate without credit, nobody in the establishment can do anything to sort that ... they can try to help them by giving them home Petrofac ties against their ex-premier rivals and then the first game at home against an ex-premier club to fill the coffers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No it?s not.  They are not agreeing that Celtic are in anyway to blame etc.  They just agree that Celtic are too big  and need a challenge.  They simply just do not get it.  All the Celtic fans I speak with are all so much in denial they just can?t even admit that they miss and need Rangers.

 

They call them ?The Zombies?

 

:facepalm:

God forbid you call them rangers, all you get is who are they? They're obsessed with them, you just know they are dying for them to come back up so they can "hate" them again, and get their boring old firm games back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We would be a wonderful league without the Old Firm.

 

Within time (I'd say 3 years) we'd all also be earning more money from league football. Crowds would be up and the competitive nature of the league would get more TV interest, sponsorship and advertising.

 

You'd have at least 6 teams each season that could win the league.

 

It would be perfect.

 

A breakaway should happen and be followed through with. The fans should start to demand it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We_are_the_Hearts

We would be a wonderful league without the Old Firm.

 

Within time (I'd say 3 years) we'd all also be earning more money from league football. Crowds would be up and the competitive nature of the league would get more TV interest, sponsorship and advertising.

 

You'd have at least 6 teams each season that could win the league.

 

It would be perfect.

 

A breakaway should happen and be followed through with. The fans should start to demand it.

If we broke away we would be excluded from European competition. Should the 16 teams in the EPL breakaway from the 2 Manchester clubs and the 2 London Clubs?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

God forbid you call them rangers, all you get is who are they? They're obsessed with them, you just know they are dying for them to come back up so they can "hate" them again, and get their boring old firm games back.

 

We all despise Rangers but you would be kididng ourselves if you don't admit that in a  few years time they will be right back to where they once where.  Make no bones about it.  It is an effing crime that they are still existing but all this sevco chat is seriously dire chat.  They have the same fans, stadium, history, badge, colours - they are the exact same team.  Just more shite.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.




×
×
  • Create New...