Leggat - More Evidence Of Scotlands' Pro-Celtic Press

[ian1964 10,720]

THE outbreak of madness and hysteria surrounding Celticâ??s record-breaking European defeat showed just how firmly in control of the Scottish media Peter Lawwell is.

 

As I said, when Celtic went out of the Champions League after suffering a 5-0 aggregate defeat from Juventus, it was the biggest, most overwhelming and humiliating beating Celtic have suffered in over half a century of competing in Europe.

 

Neil Lennon managed to achieve something a great deal worst than ever came the way of the vilified Tony Mowbray or even Liam Brady.

 

But a swift glance at the papers in the aftermath of the doing Celtic got in Glasgow, on a night when it was colder than Turin and in Turin on an evening when it was wetter than in Glasgow, told you little or nothing about just now comprehensive the two goings over Celtic were on the receiving end of actually were.

 

Instead, we were told, there would be a whole host of leading clubs from England and the continent, all heading to Parkhead in a bid to sign Celticâ??s best players.

 

And according the Peter Lawwellâ??s press poodles, Neil Lennon was now the most sought after manager in Britain.

 

There was no substance and no evidence produced to substantiate these wild reckless claims which were all seemingly calculated to talk up Celtic and take away from how easily a Juventus side, which seldom felt the need to get out of third gear, outclassed a Celtic side which could not defend, had no guile in midfield and whose managerâ??s tactical acumen seemed to be restricted to telling his full backs to fire in high and easily dealt with diagonal crosses.

 

Yet there was a fact available for lazy and easily manipulated reporters. There was evidence staring out of the record books for them to use to base their pieces on.

 

It was the information, the evidence, the fact that in over half a century of competing in Europe, this was the heaviest aggregate defeat Celtic had suffered. That was what Neil Lennon actually achieved.

 

So, why was this hard cold statistic, this indisputable fact, either downplayed or completely ignored?

 

Are all the members of the press pack rabid Celtic men? No, they are not.

 

But what so many of them are, are Peterâ??s puppets, to be worked from the back by Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell, whose influence on the media is now as great as great as it is in Scottish footballâ??s corridors of power.

 

Take, for example, his appearance alongside his Tannadice buddy, Stephen Thomson at Hampden on the day of the Scottish Cup semi finals draw, the same day when the Scottish Premier League board, of which Thomson is a member and Lawwell is not, met.

 

It was a coincidence which I highlighted here last week, but one which nobody appeared to be curious about. I can now reveal that Lawwell was attending a meeting of what was described to me as a Working Group. What Working Group? Well, according to my well placed source, it is a Working Group related to the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League reconstruction talks and plans.

 

As I have said before, Peter Lawwell is everywhere. And if he isnâ??t actually there, then his influence is.

 

As the way Scotlandâ??s newspapers, radio and television stations either played down the fact that the 5-0 doing third gear Juventus handed Neil Lennonâ??s Celtic was the biggest defeat the club have suffered in more than half a century, or completely ignored it, testified to.

[BlueMazza 0]

A lot better from Leggo there. Less name calling and over-excitedness and more connecting the dots.

 

It was a coincidence which I highlighted here last week, but one which nobody appeared to be curious about. I can now reveal that Lawwell was attending a meeting of what was described to me as a Working Group. What Working Group? Well, according to my well placed source, it is a Working Group related to the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League reconstruction talks and plans.

 

Well that's interesting, but sadly not surprising