‘Shipyard 5-a-sides’ ‘Southern League Cup’ ‘Glasgow Charities Cup’ Desperation at Ibrox over Celtic trophy count

Celtic’s Scottish Cup Final victory came with a double whammy for Ibrox fans.

Twelve years on from watching their club go into liquidation boosted by the shameful inaction of the SFA and SPL over trophies won by ineligible players a day is fast approaching that those that bought into the Survival Lie never anticipated.

Painted all around Ibrox is the ludicrous claim that they are the World’s Most Successful Club with a total of 118 trophy wins between both clubs.

The criteria is laid out, there are three domestic trophies and a dubiously won European Competition. From backdoor entry, a final that was cut short due to hooligan fans being on the park, no trophy presentation and a one year ban from UEFA competitions.

When Callum McGregor lifted the Scottish Cup at Hampden it was Celtic’s 118th trophy success, 19 of them over the last eight seasons after the bears had completed the journey. Three trophies have made their way to Ibrox in that period with St Johnstone picking up the other two to make them the Most Successful Club in Perthshire.

Over recent years the nerves over Celtic’s growing trophy count has prompted some debate about other trophies and competitions, none of them involving all Scottish clubs.

There is no ambiguity over football in Scotland during the Second World War. The Scottish League and Scottish Cup were suspended. Following the end of the war demand for football and entertainment rocketed creating the League Cup, from 1946 onwards.

While players from all clubs joined the Armed Forces, Rangers players were found jobs in the nearby Shipyards where they were given time off for training sessions before playing matches against clubs that had been decimated by call-ups. In the Southern League.

Guest players were allowed to turn out for clubs near to where they were stationed for the war effort with Stan Matthews turning out for Rangers, the Harry Kane of his day.

Cutting down on travel the Scottish Football League was regionalised with matches put on to give the population a Saturday diversion from the grim news on the war front.

Clubs tried their best to keep up standards but call up papers could be served at any time with the Saturday fixtures put in perspective. Forward planning and team building was non existent.

Next season’s League Cup is going to generate special interest, if Celtic win it for the seventh time in nine years the pain will be felt especially deeply across the city as the hoops quietly celebrate their 119th trophy success.