Shut up and take your medicine!

As the title suggests, it's rant time again. What do myself and Graeme enjoy ranting about most? Did somebody say Scottish football? Ah good, we'd hate to disappoint you.

Two things have irked me in recent weeks. And both involve people getting above their stations and complaining where really no complaint is necessary or desired. First of all, rather predictably on my part, is the Dundee situation. Having gone into administration, they have now been docked 25 points and sit rooted at the foot of Division 1, with -11 points, despite going unbeaten since the club passed into the hands of Bryan Jackson. The uproar that has followed - fans are boycotting away games, the "bigwigs" are threatening to sue the SFL and appeal the decision. On what grounds?

The precedent has been set, with Gretna and my own club Livingston. Both went into administration, both were relegated to the 3rd Division. I appreciate that the circumstances were different - the sanctions were meted out in the close-season, so there were no issues of fixtures already fulfilled being voided. And both clubs actually entered liquidation processes, something Dundee have yet to do, but surely will in the not-too-distant future. Some would say Dundee got off lightly. Indeed, our chief executive Ged Nixon has expressed his diappointment at the leniency of the decision. This for me is unnecessary. Our circumstances were different and we really need to focus on continuing to get our own house in order. For once, the SFL made the correct decision about Dundee. There are no grounds for appeal, they are guilty of gross financial mismanagement and in the real world, that is punishable with a winding up order. The footballing equivalent appears to be the hefty points penalty. Complaining about it will not take away the fact that they were very much in the wrong and cannot be allowed to get away with it, much like Livingston and Gretna before them. I very much doubt Dundee will survive to the end of the season to feel the force of their inevitable relegation.

The second point I wish to make is this ridiculous situation at Celtic - playing the victim after a string of "interesting" refereeing decisions. Gary Hooper came out today and said that he felt referees were against Celtic and wanted to rule against them because they're one of the world's big clubs. First, who the hell is Gary Hooper and what experience does he have to make such a claim? Second, what have Celtic acheived in the past 43 years that makes them a massive club? Thirdly, how dare you question the referees of such bias?!

Dougie McDonald and Steven Craven reversed a penalty award for Celtic against Dundee United - Craven was forced to resign after taking the flack for the decision, only for it to transpire that McDonald was the responsible party. This was followed up by Willie Collum awarding Rangers a penalty in the Old Firm match, which Celtic went on to lose. Collum has since received death threats, from some of the finer examples of Celtic fans. The arrogance and paranoia of the players has clearly been passed down to the fans.

Now, I'm not denying that what McDonald and Craven did was essentially lying and against the spirit of the game. However, their reaction and conspiracy to pin the blame on the linesman was one borne out of fear - fear that they would receive a reception similar to that of Collum. Neil Lennon, the Celtic manager, essentially typifies everything wrong in the Old Firm - an inability to see the big picture outside the four walls of Parkhead or Ibrox. His delusion that Celtic are somehow victims of a big SFA conspiracy has been transmitted to his players and hence the outburst of Hooper.

My message to Celtic (and Rangers when it happens to them because the reaction is the same) is this - Fucking Get Over It. Referees make decisions that you will sometimes like and sometimes not like. It will often win you games and cost you games but they do the best job they can under difficult and high-pressure circumstance and they do it honestly and without bias. Get off their backs and respect their decisions and your fans will follow your lead. And let's be honest, since when did you need the help of the referees to beat the likes of Dundee Utd? It's a sad state of affairs that the Old Firm has become so average but they cannot see their own faults and seek to point the finger of blame at everyone else.

It embarrasses me to be Scottish sometimes when these two clubs supposedly represent the nation.
RM