The SFA were quite content to let the story run. They knew the facts, they knew the media fantasy. It took a further statement from Hearts on Wednesday to force the SFA into action.
Allan Preston, Ryan Stevenson and Tom English didn’t hang around long after the final whistle to get the ball rolling with the fabricated allegations of Celtic fans assaulting Hearts players. Five days later the evidence remains elusive.
A very visible Irish Catholic managing Celtic is extremely difficult for a large portion of the Scottish population to be at peace with.
MacIntyre, English and Keevins have no great love for Hearts. They do all detest Celtic, Celtic success and most of all Celtic supporters.
With legacy media naturally siding with the Celtic board to remain in the news loop the organic growth that has brought over 400 Celtic supporters together has been sneered at.
English was in the shed of his wife’s home, plodding through another predictable reaction from afar to a massive Scottish sporting achievement. Dull, predictable waffle from afar, a trademark English contribution, inferior to that of a fourth year school pupil working on their Standard Grade.
I’m told, by somebody with a very good understanding of the deal, last week, and it is going on, progressing nicely. They said that there was no way that they new owners would have had that walkabout at Ibrox, if it hadn’t been going, errr, according to plan.
Billy Dodds, another respected Sportsound voice, is a part of the temporary regime too. Like McCann, he’s been outspoken on where Rangers have been going wrong under Clement. Of the four coaches, he has had the most success by far.
Without a worthwhile news story in a career of mediocrity English generally produces puff pieces from afar, with his background he ticks a number of boxes for BBC Scotland where he is affectionately known as House Paddy, a nickname he takes great pride in.
Last night’s 3-3 draw at Dundee led to the inevitable dog-whistle tweet from English, when you have never got close to a decent story in your career Twitter offers the attention that you crave.