Leaving Politics at the Door? Depends on who's door it seems...

[Frankie 8,695]

A fine guest article from a friend on another forum...

 

http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=553&Itemid=1

 

Having taken a day or so to digest the charade of a quite repulsive individual taking up the figurehead position at the neighbours, I still can't get the bad taste out of my mouth.

 

Sitting there at work, having a coffee with no-one to blether to, I picks up the ââ?¬Ë?Recordââ?¬â?¢ (God forgive me) and find Keevins has written a piece on John Reidââ?¬â?¢s investiture plus some reaction to the criticism he received. Apparently Reid displayed consummate calm, not having to resort to Rottweiller tactics. Eurgh, I thought to myself - one gets the definite feeling Hugh is not being entirely objective here. Is there a teeny weeny possibility the 2 have been chummy and old Hugh is helping out a pal? To quote the opening credits of Hong Kong Phooey -'could be!'

 

The wretched Reid's defence was that politics should be left at the door in football. An interesting position for a tim, I thought, given their rigid adherence to the 'it's not sectarian, it's political' line in previous months and years. But is it true? And in particular, do our now entirely sporting and IN NO WAY political writers take off their political shoes when entering the building?

 

The most obvious 'victim' of politics was Donald Findlay QC - an interesting man but one who is plainly missing something in his soul. His demise was certainly engendered by political antipathy amongst the labour classes, and happily leapt upon by the Celtic classes. That he was partly responsible for his own downfall is usually overlooked - a man of his intelligence and in his position should have known better. His personality split, almost a schizophrenia, which sees him affecting the attire of an Edwardian dandy, ascending the lofty heights of the legal establishment while retaining a sense of his working class roots, perhaps means he is never entirely comfortable in the shoes of either? But all this is amateur psychology. He fell, and politics was definitely not left at the door.

 

A figure some may recall is Giovanni di Stefano. Another solicitor, at least a lawyer, this man of dubious propriety attained a controlling share in Dundee FC some years ago. He blew in on a cloud of promises, CL football, breaking the OF duopoly - the usual piss and wind. He left shortly afterwards on a cloud of ripped up cheques and interesting financial dealings. Here, though, our interest lies in his professional affairs. A defender of the indefensible (a bit like Findlay, funnily enough!) he had done cases for some notorious Serbian warlords and was trying to get himself onto Saddam Hussein's legal team at that time. How do I know this? Our neutral sporting press wasted no chance to tell me of course!

 

That they were correct to do so is not the point. They cannot, in all conscience, show up the politics of any and all of those who have come before and then give John Reid an easy ride just because he is in charge at Celtic.

 

Or will they?

[PrideAndPassion 0]

I'm not going to defen Reid, but i'm certainly not going to defend Findlay either. As a club we are far richer with this arse well away from us!

[Guest ackbar]

What has Reid stating that politics should be left at the door got to do with Donald Findlay signing the BB?

 

Reids comments were in response to his involvement in the Iraq war and claims he has blood on his hands and has nothing to do with 'political' signing.

[Frankie 8,695]

ackbar:

 

I think andy was meaning that the background of Findlay has been roundly discussed time and time again because of the dubious nature of it - including the singing.

 

Reid's hasn't.

[Gribz 972]

Interesting comments from George Galloway about Reid just now on his talk radio show.

 

Saying a few things, but mainly that Reid used to teach people the IRA handbook of songs in his earlier days as a Irish Republican.

[CammyF 8,725]

Interesting comments from George Galloway about Reid just now on his talk radio show.

 

Saying a few things, but mainly that Reid used to teach people the IRA handbook of songs in his earlier days as a Irish Republican.

 

And I'll think you'll find that GG was one of his students

 

Cammy F