entitlement

noun

• the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment.

When you look at the meltdown we are currently witnessing in Scotland on social, written, and broadcast media, you could realistically and innocently assume that it was all about the current Global pandemic: old people dying in care homes, the lowest percentage of elderly people being vaccinated against Covid-19 compared to the rest of the United Kingdom, people being placed into lockdown, or being furloughed, or worse, being made redundant.

You would be wrong.

The meltdown of epic proportions that we are currently witnessing isn't down to a Global pandemic, nor is it as a result of a political scandal In Scotland which threatens to tear apart the separatist SNP, it is all about someone who most of us will never have heard of. Terry Munro.

Never heard of him? Then let me explain.

In 2012 Rangers were placed in the lowest tier of Scottish football as a result of financial mismanagement and an orchestrated media and political campaign against the club. I will not comment on that further should it jeopardise future legal proceedings.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out who the main benefactors would be if the biggest club in Scottish football was placed in the lowest league: that would be their only serious rivals.

Overnight, the two horse title race in Scotland became a one horse race, and don't let anyone else try to tell you otherwise.

Celtic FC were given a free shot at four in a row, Champions League football and the financial benefits which CL brings, while Rangers were forced to start again, in the bottom tier, without a licence to play until virtually hours before they were due to kick off in League 2.

Poor management at our club, from boardroom to pitch-side saw four-in-a-row become five, six, and seven in the one horse SPL title race.

With that domination of Scottish football, came a sense of entitlement. The supporters of Celtic worked themselves into a frenzy, ably assisted by a compliant and fawning Scottish media. Steven Gerrard was appointed manager of our wonderful institution and was immediately slaughtered by the Scottish media. Written off by all but the most die-hard Rangers supporters, he started to rebuild our club in the manner in which he built his career. From bottom to top, he changed the structure of our club: supported by a board who truly care about what this club means. Steven Gerrard brought a totally different level of professionalism to our club, and despite falling short in his first season, and being denied a chance to right that in his second season through the intervention of the Scottish footballing authorities and Covid-19 Steven, the board, the backroom team and the recruitment team, remained focused on the job in hand. 

Eight became eight and an asterisk, and we saw media frenzy intensify, as Steven Gerrard was criticised from all angles by the Scottish media. Enter Terry Munro.

Terry was the end game: the culmination of all the efforts of the republican politicians, place people and media cohorts who wanted total domination of Scottish football and to undermine that pesky bastion of Unionism in Scotland: Rangers FC.

With that frenzy of adulation towards Celtic FC, it brought even more of a sense of entitlement from their support, and Terry Munro became everything. Terry was a stick-on certainty to become a legendary figure in Scottish football: nothing could stop him.

And then someone did.

Written off by a compliant Scottish media, we began this season as mere bit part players in the Terry Munro Show. That is a fact. We were written off by the entire Scottish media, and their support was totally convinced that Terry was one of their own.

Then reality hit home.

While they had been busy preparing for Terry Munro they had forgotten about Steven Gerrard, and our club. While they had been buying disco lights, and plotting Champions League qualification, we were building, learning, and improving.

World class young players were signed, and a squad was assembled including the best Scottish talent, and current and former international footballers. World class coaching saw potential become reality, and Terry Munro quickly became a bit part figure in what was supposed to be his finest moment, as our wonderful club embarked on a run of form which has broken numerous footballing records.

And that brings me back to the title of this article: Entitlement 

For years Celtic FC and their supporters have expected everything given to them. The media and many politicians in Scotland have fuelled those expectations, to the point where they truly believe that they are entitled to be given Terry Munro.

Like the spoiled child, crying and stamping their feet in the supermarket, they will continue to wail and manipulate the Scottish media in a last gasp attempt to try to convince anyone who will listen that they are victims, despite childhood abuse claims mounting against them.

Given all that has happened over the last nine years, they are entitled to nothing.

When we finally clinch #55, we will be entitled to think that we have regained our place at the top of Scottish football. 

We will be entitled to celebrate in George Square in Glasgow. 

We will be entitled to call ourselves Scottish Premiership Champions 2020/2021.