old habits die hard, the old firm might die trying

Well well after Raiths fantastic 5 - 0 win they follow it up with a 0-1 defeat, classic Rovers hehehehehe.
I was listening to the match via raith rovers abroad in the lovely Costa Brava town of L'Escala. The locals did wonder who this mad lady was with a scarf on, in doors on a day with tempratures of 20+, but I was not caring.

Of course if you mention Scottish Football to anyone these days they all shake their heads and tut, then with and intake of breathe they go "so what about the Rangers?". Well what about them? I not trying to avoid the subject, you cant, but what does this mean for the "Old Firm", it is not like the press has been great for these two clubs in the past few years.

Anyway enough gabbing from me and let me introduce this wee blast from the past, A "letters from Barcelona"  from season 10/11. It was written about the time of all the "troubles" in Glasgow football.

Enjoy

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL TEAM AND THE FANTASTIC PEOPLE WHO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Letters from Barcelona

I did not see “that game”, but I have not been able to escape hearing about it.  Celtic V Rangers cup replay at parkhead. A nice wee mid-week derby, although not an unusual fixture to see on the list as they have played each other three times in the past few weeks alone!

Highlights of the match were on the Catalan channel TV3’s football program. Well I say highlights, they mentioned the match then showed you the highlights of all the yellow cards and “handbags” with the “Benny Hill Show” theme tune playing. They were laughing at them. To outsiders the biggest game the Scottish league and cup competition has to offer is a farce! I am ashamed to say I agree.  The biggest names in the Scottish games showing their skills to the world, and they gave the world yellow and red cards and brawls in front of TV cameras. 

Sometimes I can be travelling for two or more hours to work in the morning. To keep myself alert whilst on the metro or in traffic I listen to a large amount of podcasts and sport radio shows. This past days podcasts have been over run with talks, discussions, phone-ins about the terrible display from Parkhead.

Now this I expect, people want to talk about the big games. About the fouls and cards.  What I was a little surprised at was how long they have been talking about it and the demands from the police and politicians.  They call for crisis talks and closed-door matches. Is this what we want people associate with our nation’s game?  Alex Salmond has called for both parties to sit down in a “summit”! To the outsider of the Scottish game this sounds very serious.  Has the game really come to that, or is it the 3Ps- press, police and politicians- making it worse. 

Derby matches are great. I have flown home for a few myself and I love them. The atmosphere is different from a normal match. I love it! I love how the fans all want that win a little bit more than normal because it is against “that team”. Derby days have the potential to thrill you that wee bit more. The crowd is up for it, the players are up for it, and the press are up for it.  When all is said and done in my eyes all Rangers and Celtic fixtures are another derby match, and derby matches can cause trouble.  I am sure some of us may have seen this type of derby day trouble first hand. But I thought it was a rarity in Scottish football, I hoped it was. Am I wrong?