Dear reader,
I wonder if I could possibly draw your attention to the article in this link? Old Firm shaken by SPL revolt
In that article the journalist, Roddy Forsyth, stated…
“THE 10 Scottish Premier League clubs screwed their courage to the sticking place yesterday and stood firm against the Old Firm bullies with a resolve unprecedented in the history of the game in Scotland. Many outsiders – perhaps most – will believe that yesterday’s decision by the so-called Gang of 10 to hand in their notice of resignation from the SPL and start their own league two years from now, minus the Old Firm, will not come to fruition. Probably it will not, but neither will the politics of Scottish football go back to where they were 10 days ago.”
Just in case you missed it, I will highlight that last part again. “Probably it will not, but neither will the politics of Scottish football go back to where they were 10 days ago.”
If you took the time to follow the Daily Telegraph link you may have noticed the same thing that I did. Well? Did you notice it?
That article was published in the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, 16 April 2002. Not only would it appear that Mr Forsythe was a tiny bit mistaken as to the fact that Celtic and Rangers would EVER have the brass neck to, once again, display their contempt for the rest of Scottish Football but, sadly, it took them less than a decade to do it.
Roddy Forsyth 16/04/2002
6 years, 3 months and 16 days to be exact.
Yes, that’s right. Only 2,299 days between the publication of Mr Forsyth’s article and Dundee United being forced to accept their 5% tax demands under the threat of no Celtic supporters turning up at Tannadice for the opening game of the season.
Now I may be wrong. But surely this 5% tax is every bit as much of a bully-boy tactic as the TV rights issue ever was!
WHY then did the “wee 10″ not manage to stand together and be counted on this one? It’s really got me beat.
Maybe it IS time for them to move on to pastures new down south. Scottish Football would struggle to cope, of that there is no doubt. But it WOULD survive in some guise. I really hope that the EPL DO allow them entry to their league (and if John Boyle wants to take Motherwell too – so be it). Let’s see how they get on when they try to bully the Man United’s, Chelsea’s and Arsenal’s of the world.
Today has seen the publication of this story in the Glasgow Evening Times.
The one thing that you can practically guarantee is that this potential re-structuring of the SPL television deal will affect the 10 no Old Firm sides far more than it will affect the “Big Two”.