Some Quotes and Thoughts on the 28th Anniversary of the Death of Jock Stein

Twenty eight years ago today Jock Stein died. Like many football fans, I had watched the Scotland v Wales match on TV and had not realised the tragedy taking place on the side-lines as the game inched to its conclusion. Scotland’s progress towards the 1986 World Cup soon became academic as it became clear that the greatest manager in Scottish football had died.

He was a Titan of the game, leading a team of Scots to European Cup glory against the might of the Italians of Inter Milan.

He was a remarkable man, whose full story can be read in Archie MacPherson’s excellent biography. I won’t try to replicate that in a blog post.

But, to a boy growing up in Coatbridge in the 1970s, he was an immense figure (as he was to people who were NOT boys growing up in Coatbridge in the 1970s).

Are #Rangers Already Falling Apart On and Off the Field?

Is it possible for events at Ibrox to become even more bizarre and farcical than they have already been?

Today proves that indeed that is the case.

Remember we are dealing with a football club which has been described as the second most important institution in Scotland, and one with a worldwide fan base of over 500 million.

More prosaically it is a PLC, quoted on the AIM Stock Exchange, in which £22 million was invested recently in a share issue, as well as millions more by institutional and other investors before the IPO.

(Strictly of course it is a football club made up of assets and business which are owned by a company which is owned by the PLC.)

It is also an organisation with a sizeable PR department, as well as having expensive PR professionals on retainer. Indeed the club has its own Director of Communications, who is one of the titanic figures of Scottish sports journalism of the last 25 years.

“McCoist Must Win the League AND the Cup” – Charles Green Speaks!

After yesterday’s fun I wondered how long it would take before Mr Green started straight-talking.

There was not long to wait.

Today’s Scotsman reported the following from the Sun:-

Charles Green has fired his first shot in the civil war at Ibrox. The Yorkshireman, speaking to the Sun said that Ally McCoist must win the league and the cup this year.

Green said: “He (McCoist) knows he has to win the league, but in my opinion, has to win the cup as well.

Secret Identity of the SPFL Revealed! It’s the SPL Under a New Name!

I wrote briefly about the blessed union of the SPL and SFL to create the super-duper, all-new, all singing and dancing SPFL.

I looked up Companies House to see if I could locate a company called the “Scottish Professional Football League Ltd” and there it was.

The Scottish Football League was not there but as an association of members it was not listed before.

However, there was no trace amongst active companies of the Scottish Premier League Ltd!

Bilbo’s Guest Post in Response to JohnBhoy – “What About Truth and Justice?”

Whilst I agree with the sentiment of JohnBhoy’s post I would just ask for 2 things from this little banana republic of a country that we call Scotland, and that is Truth and justice

As a Protestant who has supported Celtic all my life, I have suffered sectarianism and bigotry, especially in my school years.

Going to Hamilton Grammar in the late 70’s when 10 men won the league was not the best place to be for a known Celtic fan and when the bigots beat me up and spat on me, I recall a teacher saying “what do you expect being a tim in a school like this?”

The truth is that this was almost seen as acceptable and expected and although we have moved on a bit, the same bigots back then now have kids and I only hope they look back and realise how bigoted they were but I really doubt it.