While the Celtic Fan Collective gathers precision, well organised, and constructive momentum, Ibrox descends into Civil war

Last night on the Trinity Tims podcast, we discussed in depth both the Celtic board, and the challenges faced by the new board over at Ibrox.

Now, I need to point out the contrast between the two campaigns launched against each respective board.

Our campaign has been launched on the back of what we consider 20 years of poor governance.

Theirs has been launched on the back of one thing, and one thing only, hatred.

Hatred and a complete lack of tolerance for anything that differs from their beliefs.

I don’t need to go into detail when it comes to their beliefs.

We’re all crystal clear on those, as they’ve been rammed down our throats for generations.

However, after yesterday, and especially after the weekend, the campaign against Russell Martin was elevated from unhinged, to obscene.

I stated last night that in all my years of following Scottish football, I have never witnessed such a vitriol infused campaign against any individual at Ibrox prior to now.

What Paul le Guen endured nearly 20 years ago was tame in comparison to what to what Russell Martin is enduring now.

And enduring with dignity and integrity, I might add.

Ironically, a lot of the attacks from the media on Russell Martin, I suspect, have been orchestrated by the same individual who made life extremely difficult for Paul le Guen back in 2006.

Some of the abuse directed at Russell Martin on Saturday was disgusting.

As Celtic fans, we all know how despicable the Famine song is, but to use the same tune towards the current manager of the Ibrox club, well, that descends to a new low even I thought was beyond them.

For the first time in my life, I want someone to succeed at Ibrox.

But not to get the support onside.

I want him to succeed to spite them.

I don’t mean to succeed to the level they’re able to challenge us, but to a level that reaches the KPI’s set out for him by the Americans.

So that they, in turn, will keep him in place.

I’m led to believe that his KPI’s involved qualification for the Europa League, finishing second in the league, and a deep run into both Cup competitions.

He has delivered one of those KPI’s already, and he has made it to the Semi-final of the League Cup.

Although I doubt he’ll make it beyond that stage as it’s us he faces in that Semi-final.

As for second in the League, that looks to be out of reach as well already.

But if he did start getting it together in the League and surged back to finish in second, then that would 100% be in spite of their horrible support.

Can Russell Martin survive this incessant onslaught from all angles though?

The media will not let up, and it’s clear the klanbase will not let up either.

But where is all of this going to end?

Obviously, the endgame for the Klanbase is Russell Martin gone, and Patrick Stewart gone.

But after Saturday, you begin to wonder if the Americans are going to adopt a zero tolerance towards the Ibrox support.

There is civil war erupting within that club, and it’s completely different to what’s happening at Celtic.

And the reality is that it could result in a serious dilution of their support.

I firmly believe there is an element of that support that the Americans want gone.

During their negotiations to buy the club, they made their stance clear on some of the aspects of the Ibrox support.

It was clear they weren’t going to tolerate a lot of the behaviours they witnessed in the build up to their much vaunted takeover.

What they witnessed on display on Saturday last could only have served to galvanise their point of view on that.

I believe the fan protest on Saturday, or hate rally, whatever way you want to look at it, achieved the exact opposite result the klanbase were looking for.

The whole thing was a haphazard hate-fest.

Compare and contrast that to the Celtic protest at Firhill the following day.

Well organised, coherent, balanced, and delivered with absolute precision.

The Celtic Fans Collective has been coolly and calmly put together.

It encompasses all of our diverse support.

It allows for open and honest dialogue when it comes to change at our club.

Not through “hysteria” or “un-Celtic like behaviour” as has been suggested in some quarters.

The Ibrox protest was put together through hysterical hatred and undignified behaviour.

From the American’s perspective, they are now at a crossroads.

The question for them now is not do we give into fan pressure and sack Russell Martin, but what do we do to show them we are in control, and not them.

Because that’s the crux of the issue here.

For too long now, the Ibrox support have dictated how things run at Ibrox.

If they call for a manager to be sacked, then generally, the manager is sacked.

This has always been the way.

Especially since 2012.

But there is now one fundamental difference to all of this.

The new board and owners are no longer emotionally invested in the club and all of it’s supremacist guff.

In fact they want to break free of that.

What this has descended into is a battle of wills.

I think that the klanbase will soon find out that the Americans have the stomach for that battle.

And that they will not be browbeaten into meeting their demands.

Which are insane, by the way.

Compare and contrast our situation.

We want a board gone that has stagnated over the last 20 years.

They want a CEO who hasn’t been in the job a year gone, and the sacking of a manager who has only been in charge of the first team for a couple of months.

To anybody on the outside of Scottish football looking in, they must really think that club is batshit.

But there’s a strange reality in all of this.

And this reality might hit home for the Ibrox fans sooner than they think.

The Americans might have decided that they’re moving with the times.

They might have decided that regardless of what the Ibrox fans do or say, they’re going to give Russell Martin time to turn things around.

Andrew Cavenagh may also feel he has a duty of care towards his employee.

Especially as a result of what Martin has had to endure since he arrived at Ibrox.

On a human level, nobody, and I mean nobody, deserves that.

Russell Martin might just be the man to change the culture at Ibrox.

Because sticking with him could result in a lot of Ibrox fans doing that thing they don’t do, walking away.

And maybe that’s exactly what the Americans want?

This one has some distance to go before it plays out fully.

But if it results in a cleaner, more respectable Ibrox operation?

Who am I to argue?

The Ibrox fans are at war with their board and their new owners.

The Celtic fans have formed a movement which is pushing for change.

We are not driven by hatred or vitriol, just a desire for change.

Therein lies the difference…