The question may be rhetorical but it puts me in mind of that well known quote by John F Kennedy "Ask not what America can do for you but what you can do for America”. In the context of the Old Firm in Scottish football it is particularly apposite, particularly in the current climate. The ever increasing selfishness and greed of the these teams has culminated in the destruction of the SPL TV deal while they sneak behind everyone's backs trying to negotiate separate deals with other TV companies in a bid to further feather their nests at the expense of the rest of Scottish football. Who was it that scuppered the original offer from Sky that got us into this mess? Of course none other than the OF.
It is my contention that greed and self interest has been the motivating factor behind everything the OF have done since the early days of Scottish football. This has only gottens worse since football has become more “business like”. This attitude is destroying the competitive element of our game and so, if it continues, the rest will be destroyed giving the OF no one to play. In the end of course without Scottish football the OF will be nothing. Who needs whom more? I think they need us more than they care to realise. Rejection by every league they have attempted to join has not dampened their enthusiasm for grasping more wealth at the expense of others.
Sports journalists in today's (9th April) press have even commented upon this greed. Gerry McNee, normally sycophantic to the OF point of view called them a “parcel of rogues”, while others highlighted the way they have tried to prostitute themselves in vain attempts to break away from their own country. The chairman of Dunfermline says we should refuse to play them, Aberdeen's chairman mocks them and Craig Levein, among others, wants to see the back of them. The tide is turning against the OF.
Earlier this season Celtic complained bitterly about their share of the TV money from the Champions League because a German team with half Celtic's crowds received a much larger share because German TV viewers outnumber Scottish ones. Fair enough you may think until you realise that the OF use the same argument to demand more TV cash available in this country. We have more viewers so we want more cash. Hypocrisy or what?
When home teams started to retain the gate receipts, at the instigation of you know who, the writing was on the wall as far as a level playing field was concerned in Scottish football. From that day on the OF got richer, the justification being that they had to got stronger to compete in Europe. Well we all know how “well” they have done in Europe in the past 20 years despite the huge amounts spent on players transfers and wages. Then they have the gall to blame the lack of competition in Scotland, the very same competition their actions are destroying.
It is perceived wisdom among us non-OF fans that they have always been given unfair advantage. In my near 40 years supporting United the amount of complaints fans have had about unbelievable refereeing decisions, unfair media coverage, unfair ticket allocation for cup semis or finals, buying our best players for their reserve teams etc. are legion. “It was a penalty anywhere in the world, but not at Ibrox” I recall Ivan Golac saying after a particularly ludicrous refereeing decision. Says it all really but we all have plenty examples of such injustice to justify this feeling of unfairness. All anecdotal, as the OF fans will no doubt claim but to me the evidence has been apparent for decades. Just maybe, given a fair crack of the whip, others would have won more than the odd trophy over the years.
Another stain on Scottish football is the bigotry associated with large numbers of their supporters. Despite paying lip service to efforts at eradicating the cancer of sectarianism both sides of the OF divide know that this hatred helps to sustain their competitive advantage. This mutual hatred ensures generations of followers will continue to perpetrate myths about each other which ensures that their side is “better” than the other, thereby keeping the embers of division stoked in order to polarise the support of both teams. Competition between the two is therefore assured on and off the pitch generating publicity and income from the ever growing selection of merchandise to satisfy the desires of the foot soldiers of both camps. They need each other's hatred in order to prosper.
Even the supporters seem to be treated differently from the rest of us. Recent publicity has focused on OF supporters being allowed to stand, unchallenged, in the shed at Tannadice while Arabs are ejected for doing the same. Even more bizarrely a United fan gets thrown out of Parkhead for flying a Saltire, presumably “provocatively”, at Celtic fans who are flying a Tricolour and are left to get on with it. They are the “royal family” of Scottish football supporters – beyond criticism. However, I was brought up in a tenement close next to Dens and Tannadice and well remember the urine and excrement left behind in the mouth of the close as mementos every time their fans came visiting. Some of those fans are an absolute disgrace to our football. Although there is obnoxious behaviour among fans of all teams no other team's fans behaved as badly as their's.
For good competition to flourish a level playing field is essential in every respect. To me this must mean the OF giving up some of their privileges for the greater good of the game in Scotland. In the end the game as a whole would benefit, which would equally benefit the OF, if they would only look at it that way. If they are not willing to think like this then the SPL should go it alone, throw out the OF to go wherever they can fix up a league, and join the SFL. I have argued in a previous article that the rest of us could go it alone so I wont repeat them here, Suffice to say that I'm sure it can work out well and with the added bonus of no sectarian bile to contend with.
In summary I say that the OF have contributed to the deterioration of Scottish football due to arrogance, greed and selfishness over the years. Blind to everyone else's needs but their own the have continued to bleed the game dry in search of some mythical Holy Grail of European success which they will probably never attain.
So get rid of the OF now and it is possible that Scottish football will be on the cusp of a renaissance. Less money, more evenly spread, can lead to success.
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