As usual, Keevins cannot recognise that only one side is engaged in “baloney”, and it ain’t Celtic

Every time Hugh Keevins speaks about Celtic and the Ibrox side, he seems incapable of separating the the two.

It’s almost as if he’s fixated on the way it was, that the “Old Firm” is still alive and well.

That we are two sides of one coin.

Somehow he cannot recognise that we are nothing like the Ibrox side in terms of the way we behave.

The man who says he grew up with a picture of Charlie Tully in his living room seems to forget, or at least conveniently forget, the ethos on which Celtic was built.

Yes, today he decided to reference the recent banner at Celtic Park, which was unfurled in honour of Douglas Ross.

I’m not sure if Keevins is in any way politically inclined, nor do I care, but if he dared to delve a bit deeper, he might understand the sentiments surrounding that banner.

Today, in his column in the Record, he is saying that the Glasgow Derby is a separate life form, an alternative universe.

He reckons that alternative universe turns the rivalry between good teams into a joyless experience.

I would challenge Keevins to point out where exactly Celtic have contributed to making the rivalry a joyless experience?

I would ask him to name one thing, other than Ange Postecoglu’s body language, in the last week that Celtic has contributed to making the rivalry a joyless experience.

One thing.

The fact is, he wouldn’t be able to.

But he’s also incapable of acknowledging that Celtic have conducted themselves to the class and standard that is expected from a club like ours, all throughout the week.

No sniping, no jibes, nothing.

Only one side has engaged in that.

But what is worse, is that Keevins attempts to dilute that and make out once again that we are paranoid conspiracy theorists with the following statement:

Likewise, the idea of someone pre-programming Fashion Sakala to refer to Celtic as the “other mob” when he spoke to the broadcast media this week was an exercise in questionable behaviour. We can only be thankful no-one put the young Zambian up to using one of the more colourful names the fans have for either club and leaving him with a media storm to face.

An exercise in questionable behaviour?

I’ll go one better on that, in fact, I’ll even hazard what I think is a fairly accurate guess as to who put Sakala up to saying what he said.

He’s 41, one extremely petty and bitter individual, and he has previous for much worse.

Zander Clarke will attest to that, although I’m sure at the time he didn’t give a shit.

Keevins is definitely an advocate of the three monkeys, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

Or more to the point, he chooses to be like them.

Rather than being a real journalist.

But it gets better:

Celtic and R*****S thoroughly deserve to contest today’s Viaplay Cup Final. Some fans should try harder to acknowledge that fact. Celtic and Rangers thoroughly deserve to contest today’s Viaplay Cup Final. Some fans should try harder to acknowledge that fact. I understand the concept of there being a deserved winner in an Old Firm game left town a long time ago.

Which fans are not acknowledging that fact?

I don’t see any Celtic fans not acknowledging it.

I understand the concept of there being a deserved winner in an Old Firm game left town a long time ago?

Yes you’re right there Hugh. It left town in 2012.

What is being contested today is called the Glasgow Derby.

But since you’re the one who is stuck in an alternative universe, I can understand why you’d come out with a statement like that.

This next statement pretty much sums up that fact:

But it’s not right to criticise Beale’s principled move to right a wrong against Partick Thistle and imply you’d be happier if he cut corners and investigated what he could get away with on a regular basis.

What he could get away with on a regular basis?

If Hugh chose to be a decent, hardworking, investigative journalist, he would acknowledge what both clubs playing out of Ibrox have gotten away with down through the years.

However, in his mind, nothing has ever happened at Ibrox that could be described as sinister or underhanded.

That’s all in the minds of us, the paranoid conspiracy theorists.

I’ll put it this way, if nothing sinister or underhanded happens during today’s Viaplay Cup final, I promise to never criticise Hugh Keevins again.

I’m that confident that VAR or the match officials will attempt to screw us over in some way.

Every Celtic fan feels that way.

And with good reason.

However, I’m confident Celtic will still do the business today, despite the odds being stacked against them.

The fact is, nobody outside of Celtic Park wants Celtic to win this final.

There is a desperation for the Ibrox side to win it, because most people know the writing is on the wall if they don’t.

The pendulum will swing further Celtic’s way if they don’t.

The floodgates will open on Beale.

Sakala will look like the twat that he is.

But Celtic will be the deserved winner, despite what Keevins says, because they will have done it with the class and dignity they always do.

The Ibrox side will never change their ways.

They will always be petty and classless.

Like death and taxes, that is a certainty.

Enjoy the game to day folks.

I’ll see you on the other side.