> Subject: Letter sent from Dundee United fan to Dr John Reid
>
>
> Dear John
>
> First of all as this letter may contain mild criticism of Celtic FC,
> please do not assume that I have a hidden agenda (I am aware that this
> is your normal accusation levelled at anyone who dares question you)- I
> am a Dundee United fan who has equal contempt and disdain for both
> sides of the old firm. For too many years I have had to listen and
> watch while the filth and scum which attaches itself to both Glasgow
> clubs brought their vitriolic sectarian bile and hatred with them while
> polluting the atmosphere of Tannadice Park and environs- with no
> apology issued from either club. May I congratulate you on achieving
> the removal of messrs Dallas and McDonald from their posts at the SFA -
> after all, Celtic have never received an apology for Hugh daring to
> bleed on your hallowed pitch and I remember McDonald once awarded a
> throw in to the opposition.
>
> Whilst you are celebrating your success, may I cause a slight rain
> cloud to pass over the celestial vault of your euphoric schadenfreude
> by raising a point or two? Fergus McCann made a serious attempt to drag
> your club kicking and screaming into the 20th century despite the
> opposition and hatred of a large number of the Celtic `faithful'. Under
> his stewardship and the following board the club was moved forward to
> such an extent that the whole of world football showered praise on
> Celtic for the exemplary and impeccable behaviour of their fans at the
> Uefa Cup final in Seville. It was a proud moment and showed promise of
> great things to come.
>
> Move forward to 2010 and under your regime the knuckle dragging moronic
> bigots are now steering the club back to the bad old days. We had the
> dreadful example of the green brigade from section 111 befouling the
> image of the club with political banners - I know that they saved up
> their giros, shoplifting, protection racket, housebreaking and drug
> dealing money to pay for the printing, but surely at least one of them
> could have learned how to spell correctly? The club claim they couldn't
> identify those responsible despite cctv and HD television coverage.
> That is a deliberate and blatant LIE. You know the seat numbers, the
> section of the ground they slither into, and you have film and
> pictures. Emboldened not only by the boards protection and clear
> support they even attacked a home steward during the match against
> Dundee United recently - United fans were held back for twenty minutes
> after the game due to the threatening behaviour of your fans. I notice
> during your recent AGM that you consciously and deliberately stoked the
> flames of sectarianism, intolerance and paranoia by insisting that
> Celtic have always been the victims of a conspiracy led by the SFA and
> referees based on religion (anti catholic and thereby anti Celtic
> minded) and that these days must come to an end. Come to end? They
> never existed - the unadulterated drivel spouted by you was a
> smokescreen to cover up the fact that your football team isn't really
> very good just now. Would we have heard such demagogic rhetoric if you
> were top of the SPL and doing well in the Champions league? "Oh no, we
> are doing badly - quick, pander to the lowest common denominator among
> the pond life which supports us and blame institutional bias against
> all catholics in this country for our position". Perhaps your team is
> not very good because you shaved an orang utang and gave it the
> managers job?
> I can only assume it got the job because it was "celtic minded" -
> whatever kind of mind is controlling Lennon's behaviour it seems, just
> like the element in your support you are pandering to, not to have
> evolved beyond the most primitive early form of hominid. Throwing
> tantrums and jumping around in an uncontrollable rage at every game
> whilst blaming all and sundry for ones own flaws is not really the
> behaviour expected of a civilized human being, far less one who is in a
> position of high responsibility. Oh sorry, it isn't brutish behaviour -
> it is defined in a "celtic minded" way as simply being "passionate.."
> Did Celtic fail to beat ICT this week because the officials from
> Luxembourg were also part of an anti catholic conspiracy? Can we expect
> that you will prove that the referees in charge when your club was
> knocked out of two European competitions this season (against the
> mighty Braga and Utrecht, those giants of continental football) were
> part of the same SFA conspiracy? Is the fact that your club doesn't
> ever win champions league away games caused by the same SFA conspiracy?
> Now you want referees to declare which team they supported as a child -
> did you trumpet your own allegiance when you took the post of Northern
> Ireland secretary? Your stance is not even politics of the playground -
> it is politics of the gutter
>
> We have just experienced the first ever strike by Scottish referees -
> widely acknowledged to have been precipitated by the recent statements
> from celtic park. The witch hunt carried out against Dougie McDonald
> was apparently because he lied. Correct me if I am wrong, but weren't
> you part of a government who took our country into an illegal war
> against Iraq on the grounds that they had weapons of mass destruction,
> despite the advice of Hans Blick and the UN expert inspectors? That war
> was justified by a blatant LIE. I think that I have established that
> you have no problem with a lie as long as it is "celtic minded". What
> is worse - a lie by McDonald which didn't affect the result of a game
> or a lie which resulted in the deaths of hundreds upon hundreds of
> thousands of mainly innocent Iraqis? Are their deaths justified in your
> own thinking because they deliberately chose to be born into a culture
> which was muslim and thereby not "celtic minded"? You question the
> integrity of the SFA and referees, yet as a former Secretary of
> Defence, you used that position to obtain a post as an advisor to a
> security firm currently working in Afghanistan for ÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââ¬Â âââ‰â¢ÃÆÃââââ¬Ã ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢ÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¡ÃÆÃââââ¬à ¡ÃÆââ¬Å¡ÃâïÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââ¬Â âââ‰â¢ÃÆÃâÃââÃÆââââ¬à ¡ÃâìÃÆââ¬Â¦ÃâáÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¡ÃÆÃââââ¬à ¡ÃÆââ¬Å¡ÃâÿÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââ¬Â âââ‰â¢ÃÆÃâÃââÃÆââââ¬à ¡ÃâìÃÆââ¬Â¦ÃâáÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¡ÃÆÃââââ¬à ¡ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâý50,000 a year.
> That type of self promotion was regarded as sleaze by new labour when
> seeking office and used to attack former cabinet members who had taken
> advantage of their political influence. Do you have any concept of what
> integrity actually means? All the lower league clubs have been put in
> an invidious financial position by the strike this weekend through no
> fault of their own - how much more can you do to alienate your club
> from simple football supporters? Apart from being a catalyst in this
> strike you have implied that the whole of Scottish Football is involved
> in a conspiracy against "celtic minded"
> people - that is a wicked slur! Keep your accusations levelled at the
> other Glasgow club and the west coast. The rest of Scotland is happy to
> live in the 21st century.
>
> To sum up some people might be led to think that you are a moral,
> social, religious, philosophical and political dinosaur. For my part I
> congratulate you on achieving high political and football positions
> along with self enrichment and aggrandisement - you have done well for
> an atavistic, pusillanimous, parochial, bradyphrenic, hypocritical,
> mendacious lugubrious bigot of the worst kind. Well done John, Johnny
> bhoy, St John, newly self appointed spokesman of Scotland's 850,000
> catholics - don't know how you sleep at night but I assume the
> medication helps.
>
> To conclude Jonnysaurus, and to hold a moral mirror up for you - let's
> look at institutionalised bigotry. Jock Stein, by far the greatest
> character in celtic's and Scottish football history was denied a place
> on the board when he retired simply because he was not born "celtic
> minded". Apparently 7 of the European Cup winning team were not born
> "celtic minded" - bhoy, did they collude in a hidden "non celtic
> minded" agenda to bring celtic the greatest moment in their history?
> Work this one out shouldn't in people glass houses stones throw. Be
> careful of the splinters! This letter is not anti celtic or anti
> catholic - it is querying your right to stand in moral judgement on any
> institution whatsoever. Do a favour to those august institutions Celtic
> Football Club and the Roman Catholic Church and just stop talking in
> public. It is better to stay silent and be thought a fool than to open
> your mouth and prove the fact.
>
>
> Dear John
>
> First of all as this letter may contain mild criticism of Celtic FC,
> please do not assume that I have a hidden agenda (I am aware that this
> is your normal accusation levelled at anyone who dares question you)- I
> am a Dundee United fan who has equal contempt and disdain for both
> sides of the old firm. For too many years I have had to listen and
> watch while the filth and scum which attaches itself to both Glasgow
> clubs brought their vitriolic sectarian bile and hatred with them while
> polluting the atmosphere of Tannadice Park and environs- with no
> apology issued from either club. May I congratulate you on achieving
> the removal of messrs Dallas and McDonald from their posts at the SFA -
> after all, Celtic have never received an apology for Hugh daring to
> bleed on your hallowed pitch and I remember McDonald once awarded a
> throw in to the opposition.
>
> Whilst you are celebrating your success, may I cause a slight rain
> cloud to pass over the celestial vault of your euphoric schadenfreude
> by raising a point or two? Fergus McCann made a serious attempt to drag
> your club kicking and screaming into the 20th century despite the
> opposition and hatred of a large number of the Celtic `faithful'. Under
> his stewardship and the following board the club was moved forward to
> such an extent that the whole of world football showered praise on
> Celtic for the exemplary and impeccable behaviour of their fans at the
> Uefa Cup final in Seville. It was a proud moment and showed promise of
> great things to come.
>
> Move forward to 2010 and under your regime the knuckle dragging moronic
> bigots are now steering the club back to the bad old days. We had the
> dreadful example of the green brigade from section 111 befouling the
> image of the club with political banners - I know that they saved up
> their giros, shoplifting, protection racket, housebreaking and drug
> dealing money to pay for the printing, but surely at least one of them
> could have learned how to spell correctly? The club claim they couldn't
> identify those responsible despite cctv and HD television coverage.
> That is a deliberate and blatant LIE. You know the seat numbers, the
> section of the ground they slither into, and you have film and
> pictures. Emboldened not only by the boards protection and clear
> support they even attacked a home steward during the match against
> Dundee United recently - United fans were held back for twenty minutes
> after the game due to the threatening behaviour of your fans. I notice
> during your recent AGM that you consciously and deliberately stoked the
> flames of sectarianism, intolerance and paranoia by insisting that
> Celtic have always been the victims of a conspiracy led by the SFA and
> referees based on religion (anti catholic and thereby anti Celtic
> minded) and that these days must come to an end. Come to end? They
> never existed - the unadulterated drivel spouted by you was a
> smokescreen to cover up the fact that your football team isn't really
> very good just now. Would we have heard such demagogic rhetoric if you
> were top of the SPL and doing well in the Champions league? "Oh no, we
> are doing badly - quick, pander to the lowest common denominator among
> the pond life which supports us and blame institutional bias against
> all catholics in this country for our position". Perhaps your team is
> not very good because you shaved an orang utang and gave it the
> managers job?
> I can only assume it got the job because it was "celtic minded" -
> whatever kind of mind is controlling Lennon's behaviour it seems, just
> like the element in your support you are pandering to, not to have
> evolved beyond the most primitive early form of hominid. Throwing
> tantrums and jumping around in an uncontrollable rage at every game
> whilst blaming all and sundry for ones own flaws is not really the
> behaviour expected of a civilized human being, far less one who is in a
> position of high responsibility. Oh sorry, it isn't brutish behaviour -
> it is defined in a "celtic minded" way as simply being "passionate.."
> Did Celtic fail to beat ICT this week because the officials from
> Luxembourg were also part of an anti catholic conspiracy? Can we expect
> that you will prove that the referees in charge when your club was
> knocked out of two European competitions this season (against the
> mighty Braga and Utrecht, those giants of continental football) were
> part of the same SFA conspiracy? Is the fact that your club doesn't
> ever win champions league away games caused by the same SFA conspiracy?
> Now you want referees to declare which team they supported as a child -
> did you trumpet your own allegiance when you took the post of Northern
> Ireland secretary? Your stance is not even politics of the playground -
> it is politics of the gutter
>
> We have just experienced the first ever strike by Scottish referees -
> widely acknowledged to have been precipitated by the recent statements
> from celtic park. The witch hunt carried out against Dougie McDonald
> was apparently because he lied. Correct me if I am wrong, but weren't
> you part of a government who took our country into an illegal war
> against Iraq on the grounds that they had weapons of mass destruction,
> despite the advice of Hans Blick and the UN expert inspectors? That war
> was justified by a blatant LIE. I think that I have established that
> you have no problem with a lie as long as it is "celtic minded". What
> is worse - a lie by McDonald which didn't affect the result of a game
> or a lie which resulted in the deaths of hundreds upon hundreds of
> thousands of mainly innocent Iraqis? Are their deaths justified in your
> own thinking because they deliberately chose to be born into a culture
> which was muslim and thereby not "celtic minded"? You question the
> integrity of the SFA and referees, yet as a former Secretary of
> Defence, you used that position to obtain a post as an advisor to a
> security firm currently working in Afghanistan for ÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââ¬Â âââ‰â¢ÃÆÃââââ¬Ã ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢ÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¡ÃÆÃââââ¬à ¡ÃÆââ¬Å¡ÃâïÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââ¬Â âââ‰â¢ÃÆÃâÃââÃÆââââ¬à ¡ÃâìÃÆââ¬Â¦ÃâáÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¡ÃÆÃââââ¬à ¡ÃÆââ¬Å¡ÃâÿÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââ¬Â âââ‰â¢ÃÆÃâÃââÃÆââââ¬à ¡ÃâìÃÆââ¬Â¦ÃâáÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¡ÃÆÃââââ¬à ¡ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâý50,000 a year.
> That type of self promotion was regarded as sleaze by new labour when
> seeking office and used to attack former cabinet members who had taken
> advantage of their political influence. Do you have any concept of what
> integrity actually means? All the lower league clubs have been put in
> an invidious financial position by the strike this weekend through no
> fault of their own - how much more can you do to alienate your club
> from simple football supporters? Apart from being a catalyst in this
> strike you have implied that the whole of Scottish Football is involved
> in a conspiracy against "celtic minded"
> people - that is a wicked slur! Keep your accusations levelled at the
> other Glasgow club and the west coast. The rest of Scotland is happy to
> live in the 21st century.
>
> To sum up some people might be led to think that you are a moral,
> social, religious, philosophical and political dinosaur. For my part I
> congratulate you on achieving high political and football positions
> along with self enrichment and aggrandisement - you have done well for
> an atavistic, pusillanimous, parochial, bradyphrenic, hypocritical,
> mendacious lugubrious bigot of the worst kind. Well done John, Johnny
> bhoy, St John, newly self appointed spokesman of Scotland's 850,000
> catholics - don't know how you sleep at night but I assume the
> medication helps.
>
> To conclude Jonnysaurus, and to hold a moral mirror up for you - let's
> look at institutionalised bigotry. Jock Stein, by far the greatest
> character in celtic's and Scottish football history was denied a place
> on the board when he retired simply because he was not born "celtic
> minded". Apparently 7 of the European Cup winning team were not born
> "celtic minded" - bhoy, did they collude in a hidden "non celtic
> minded" agenda to bring celtic the greatest moment in their history?
> Work this one out shouldn't in people glass houses stones throw. Be
> careful of the splinters! This letter is not anti celtic or anti
> catholic - it is querying your right to stand in moral judgement on any
> institution whatsoever. Do a favour to those august institutions Celtic
> Football Club and the Roman Catholic Church and just stop talking in
> public. It is better to stay silent and be thought a fool than to open
> your mouth and prove the fact.
