"there's something rotten in the state of Denmark"

[26th of foot 6,119]

We are a certain vintage, forced to plough our way through Hamlet for Higher English. It took 'Will' power to stay the course, incest, a skull called Yoric, revenge, and moral corruption were the component facts in a Danish tragedy. Davy 'Provo' Provan was the co-comentator from amid the graveyard tonight, it's just as well Aalborg did not field a player called, 'Claudius', Provo would have pulled on the balaclava and made ready his AR 15 Armalite.

 

Cast your mind back to the last 8 games of last season, ra Sellik had a game changing decision from match officials at least every other game, a trend that has continued in the first dozen games this season. In a run of the mill Radio Snyde conversation, Darryl King highlighted this fact, Provo immediately jumped on the moral high ground and accused King of letting support for his team get in the way of objective commentary.

 

Well, the man who rejoiced in the nickname, 'Provo' for a decade at Sellik Park, eyed his cake tonight and scoffed it down with unseemly alacrity. Just before his favourites scored, he lamented the ungiven penalty, slaughtered Paulet's inability to succumb to inTIMidation and award ra Bhoys, "a stonewaller". He threw in Paulets failure to punish Maldini in the San Siro, and the perceived legitimate grievence his fellow happy hoopsters hold against the Austrian referee. He could not resist the magnetism between his nickname and death threats, it's a comfortable existance.

 

Provo's demeanor changed after Robson's headed goal, a replay showed an unsighted Ref during McDonald's upending and Davy accepted his Producer's prompting. However, Aalborg equalised and Provo went into meltdown, in twenty seconds he lost it BIG TIME, "a big deflection off McManus", became, "a wicked deflection", but settled on, "a cruel deflection". Sky's Bill Leslie attempted to move it on; well, the game continued, but Provo could not let go, "that's a huge slice of luck, Celtic should be out of sight".

 

The real tragedy is not Caldwell's own goal with a couple of minutes left, it was Provo allowing support for his team get in the way of objective commentary. Provo was an effortless Hamlet tonight, he spanned the spectrum of overwhelming grief to seething rage with aplomb. Give the guy a skull and a mate called, Horatio.

[Frankie 8,665]

Fantastic piece of writing mate!

 

Poor Provo!

[Bluedell 5,679]

Excellent stuff, 26th.

 

Keevins response is to predict a call tonight saying "look what happens when celtic don't get help from referees", and to help support the the view that refs are fair and don't go out their way to give the most outrageous decisions in Celtic's favour they have got Kenny Clark onto the phone-in.

 

Looks like they are starting to worry that even neutrals will cotton onto the fact that there isn't a level playing field in the SPL.

[26th of foot 6,119]

Excellent stuff, 26th.

 

Keevins response is to predict a call tonight saying "look what happens when celtic don't get help from referees", and to help support the the view that refs are fair and don't go out their way to give the most outrageous decisions in Celtic's favour they have got Kenny Clark onto the phone-in.

 

Looks like they are starting to worry that even neutrals will cotton onto the fact that there isn't a level playing field in the SPL.

 

I loved Nuremberg Hugh's immediate reaction last evening, deliberately spreading the fall out to include Rangers, "where does that leave Rangers, trailing 4 points behind Celtic and out of Europe to Kaunus, a worse side than Aalborg". Old Shuggie is a creature of habit, I remember him doing similar a dozen years past in the wake of the Bears thumping his beloved Sellik, "Rangers supporters are crowing tonight but they should recall they were knocked out of Europe twice before the nights got dark". Oh, he was hurting big time, just like last evening.(he was referring to the start of season that saw us papped out in a CL qualifier, then gubbed by Strasbourg in the UEFA first round).

 

Of course, Nuremberg Hugh was a most willing participant in creating the ambience of inTIMidation that so bennefits ra Sellik. He regularly waxed lyrical on Snyde and in his Scotsman columns about, 'natural justice'. A phrase he no longer uses, I wonder why? 'Natural justice' was his euphanism for his constant perception that Rangers opposition often suffered 'game changing decision' from officials.

 

He interceded Paul Cooney one Saturday afternoon from Ibrox, claiming Rangers third goal, and clincher against Hibs had to seen to be believed. Clearly yards offside, he was urging Hibs officials to make a formal complaint under the auspices of 'natural justice'. Cooney was motivated and we suffered regular updates as Nuremberg Hugh squirrelled with Hibs Directors, he announced triumphantly that a formal complaint was being made. It all turned to dust that evening as Sportscene's pictures clearly showed Hateley running on to a ball 5 yards inside his own half. Of course, it's impossible to be offside in your own half of the pitch.

 

Amazingly, considering the time and effort Snyde devoted to Shug's ravings and rantings on this particular issue, it was NEVER revisited.

[Frankie 8,665]

How the likes of Keevins maintains a place in the media really is beyond me.

 

We don't like him, Celtic fans can't stand him and he offers next to nothing in credible reporting of the game.

 

Thank Laudrup, I can't listen to Clyde through here.

[gisabeer 409]

Ive heard spew keevins say it, ive heard provan say it and ive even fannybaws speirs say it. referees were biased towards Rangers in the 60s and seventies. given that c####c had their most successful spell in the clubs history in that period i beg to differ on that point but there is one question that is left begging:

 

just how many decisions have to go Celtics way before Rangers fans can legitimetly claim that there is a bias between referees that favour celtic.

 

answers on a postcard please.

[carldvelle 0]

With slick supporters now saying ,you know how it feels,does this mean they are saying there IS a conspiracy against Rangers

 

Any coincidence this has started since New Labours Attack Dog was installed as chairman.

[Guest kilbirnie]

How the likes of Keevins maintains a place in the media really is beyond me.

 

We don't like him, Celtic fans can't stand him and he offers next to nothing in credible reporting of the game.

 

Thank Laudrup, I can't listen to Clyde through here.

 

This is what astounds me.

 

The level of incompetence with respect to journalistic writing and knowledge of football is beyond parody in Scotland.