Wednesday, 16 February 2011 STRACHAN ON THE BALL WHAT many have suspected for years is now official. There are people inside Parkhead who pour the poison of paranoia, bigotry, sectarianism and hatred into the ear of the Celtic manager. Thanks to Gordon Strachan, this suspicion, harboured by so many for such a long time, is officially confirmed as a fact. For the first of Keith Jackson's splendid and revealing three part interview in the Daily Record with the first Celtic manager since Jock Stein to win three consecutive titles, has beamed a light into dark and dangerous places inside Parkhead. Strachan, of course, was also the first Celtic manager to take Celtic into the last 16 of the Champions League, a feat he repeated the following season. That was something Martin O'Neill could not manage, despite having far greater resources than were made available to Strachan. Yet he was never idolised in the way O'Neill was, and was never fully accepted by huge swathes of the Celtic support. Many suspected that also applied to some factions within the club too. Veteran Parkhead watcher, Hugh Keevins coined the memorable phrase about Strachan's lack of Celtic DNA to explain that. Now we know that lack of Celtic DNA was why Strachan refused to buy into the paranoia he reveals is the rampant culture inside Parkhead. Though he admits that at times, so loud and insistent was that culture, that despite knowing what he heard was all nonsense, he sometimes got caught up in it. According to Strachan, there were people within the club who said some things, that he got a wee bit daft himself and wondered if everybody was really against Celtic. He added that it was easy to be sucked in. His also shrewdly remarked as to how damaging to Scottish football pandering to the lowest common denominator was. And continues to be. His final verdict that he does not believe there is a conspiracy or bias against Celtic, is one in the eye for the dangerous extremists and zealots who operate in the shadows within Parkhead. We can be sure though that these bigots Strachan had to listen to for four years, are not to be found among the cleaners or canteen staff, but that they stalk the corridors of power inside Parkhead. Who knows what poison they may have spread among suppporters when it became clear to them Strachan was not buying into their bitter bile. Now Strachan's honesty has turned him into a hate figure for the many Celtic supporters who have bought into the conspiracy theory nonsense. That much was clear when the first comment on the Record website was a one-word verdict, branding the man who delivered so much success for Celtic, a Judas. There was much about managing Celtic which Strachan clearly enjoyed, not least the success he delivered for Celtic during the four years when I was lucky enough to be able to observe him at close range. Unlike many of my thin skinned colleagues, I liked him. We only crossed swords once. However that wee misunderstanding was soon cleared up, and when Strachan offered his hand I was pleased to take it and wish him well in the San Siro the following week. But now we all know there was also much about his time at Celtic Strachan did not like. Much that he found distasteful, depressing, and just downright wrong. Strachan is to be thanked for his honesty, and praised for confirming what so many have suspected for so long. That there are factions within Celtic, below board level, who preach paranoia, hatred and bigotry. And who plead their hateful cause with acting skills worthy of , if not as Oscar, then surely a Tony. Now it up to that board, and its most senior members, to take note of what Strachan has said, and root out these people who are, at best, misguided, and at worst, downright evil. http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/2011/02/strachan-on-ball.html How's this for putting an entirely new spin on what someone has said? Not content with misrepresenting what it was that Gordon Strachan actually said, Mr Leggat takes it a stage further and makes up completely new tales of fantasy. He also makes a detour off the beaten track of the story to get a wee dig in at MoN too. I read the stuff in the DR that Gordon Strachan said and I don't recall where he "Confirmed as a fact" any of the following : A: There are people inside Parkhead who pour the poison of paranoia, bigotry, sectarianism and hatred into the ear of the Celtic manager B: That there are "dark and dangerous places inside Parkhead". C: Paranoia is the rampant culture inside Parkhead D: Strachan had to listen to the "Bigots" inside Parkhead for four years E: There are people at parkhead who are paranoid, hateful and bigoted, they are downright evil. How did this modern day "Lord Haw Haw" ever get a job in the Press in this country? It really does stagger me that this ****ing bigot (for that is what he is) wrote for the Express and The People (sic), where doubtless he hid his hate under a cowl of respectability. I don't honestly know what saddens me more, the fact that this nonentity actually bothers writing a blog that is so fundamentally biased against one half of the Old Firm, or the fact that he preaches to the absolute bottom of the barrel, knuckledragging, ****brains who lap his ****e up like cream. What is the cause of bigotry in Scotland? I don't know, but I do know arsewipes like David Leggat certainly stoke the fires of hatred, and for that reason alone he deserves to be reviled.
Hello. Is that David Leggat blog for real? I've read it a couple of times before and always imagined it was merely someone pretending to be him; a sly (and rather clever) wind-up. If it really is David Leggat, however, and he truly views the world this way, then it seems probable the man needs help. What a twisted heap of worthless garbage to write, a heartbreakingly stupid waste of everyone's time. It's rather dismal that Scotland still churns out such galling numbers of unreconstructed dimwits. Here's hoping he's part of a dying breed. If I were a Celtic fan, incidentally, I'd be minded not to give him the time of day - and I know for a fact that I would find it simply impossible to care about his views. I'm just saying. Anyway. Interesting read, thanks.
It is him. Sad is'nt it. I'm a glutton when it comes to reading extremist views, there are no "Celtic only" forums I post on but I read all sorts just out of interest on both sides. I'm biased I know but nothing comes close to Leggat's output for sheer vitriol. Some people actually like his guff because it gives credence to their hatred, read some of the feedback he gets, it's truly sickening but enlightening too at the same time. Maybe his followers are all WUMs..I truly hope so or there can be no hope, this country really does have a hard core of bigots who will never stop hating what they do not understand. When all is said and done Celtic is just a football club. So is Rangers.
Hello, Lucifer. Thanks for taking the time to respond. Yes, I agree, it’s sad. And I’m using the word “sad” in the traditional sense, by the way, not in the modern sneery manner. Actually, no, I’m using it both ways. (Damn. I try so hard not to sneer, as well. Ach.) I know what you mean about reading (or listening to) extremist views. I’ve always happily searched out and inhaled that stuff, even if it leaves me feeling dejected or bemused or simply wondering at the vagaries of evolution. The more diseased the output, the more I soak it up. To watch people froth incandescently - with nary a nod towards articulacy or reason - is a kind of sport in itself. I devoured Mein Kampf when I was fifteen, for example, and was excitedly appalled at the sheer heaping quantities of dribble I was reading. Laughing at the singularly demented fans of mere football teams was a natural progression, for sure. Rangers and Celtic have their (minority) share, true, and they poison Scotland’s air with their witlessly ingrained sectarianism, but they are by no means the only twisted culprits on the block. I can’t imagine a day I’ll ever stop laughing at them (whilst repeatedly banging my head against the floor). Sorry, I’m straying from the point and rambling. I’ll get out of your hair. I pretty much agreed with everything you said, though. Take it easy.
Know what is really sad? Grown men getting into a tizzy over some blog that will probably reach the eyes of no more than 100 people.
Does it matter how many people read it Edge? 1 ****nut is all it takes. I'm not in a "tizzy" as I said i'm just genuinely disappointed that people hold these extremist views just because someone went to a different school. There is also the small matter of this guy and the thought that he had gainful employment as a journalist with 2 major newspapers. If he slipped through the net, how many more could be working in the media? That's scary.
"For the first of Keith Jackson's splendid and revealing three part interview in the Daily Record" I stopped reading at that. Most of Keith Jackson's 'stories' should start with "Once upon a time..." Pure Murray toady. "Want a lift to Italy in my jet son? "
That was something Martin O'Neill could not manage, despite having far greater resources than were made available to Strachan. Yet he was never idolised in the way O'Neill was, and was never fully accepted by huge swathes of the Celtic support. Many suspected that also applied to some factions within the club too. Because we are all bigots. If he's not Irish we don't want him.
Dev , my previous humble attempt to emulate the masterful literary ramblings of leggat , for your further edification and entertainment http://www.not606.com/showthread.php/23293-welcome-to-Leggoland
He's a wee bit obsessed with Graham Spiers isn't he, or "Odious Creep" as he calls him. Spiers has got more talent at 5% of his capabilities than this rancid auld bigot has at full tilt. Leggoland and Jeff Winters blog are their level.
Radio Scotland get him on for a referees viewpoint on any contentious decision that goes against us. He's an impartial observer don't you know.
