"Every Circus Needs a Clown, Step Forward Dougie"

[Joe O'Rourke]

[SIZE=3:1ab73476]Every circus needs a clown, step forward Dougie Mc Donald, you are the unanimous choice of the Celtic supporters, and if there is an appropriate venue for him to show us what he’s made of then it’s at the home of Scotland’s Shame. [/SIZE:1ab73476]
[SIZE=3:1ab73476]Where do we go from here? I haven’t a clue!!! We have tried different tactics to try and solve this problem with referees but are no further forward, I wonder what the Great Jock Stein would have made of the present referees, I know we had similar problems in Big Jock’s time but refereeing has moved on to a new level technically since his time but we still have the same bias against us, is it just honest mistakes? There would appear to be too many to support that argument..[/SIZE:1ab73476]
[SIZE=3:1ab73476]The sending off of Scott Brown was just another example of cheating as far as I’m concerned, and the most worrying thing for the establishment is that Dougie Mc Donald doesn’t have the brains to be a referee at the highest level, all he had to do to cover himself was first of all to consult his assistant, then show a yellow card to Lafferty for his part in the incident, but not Dougie, he couldn’t wait to get the red card out for Scott, just what Lafferty has over them I don’t know, but this Muppet has been involved in incidents every time he plays against us, (did I say plays there?), his tackle on Andy Hinkel at Celtic park was as bad as I’ve seen, but the real story is his hatred of everything Celtic, and it shows on his face every time you see him, it was very evident yesterday.[/SIZE:1ab73476]
[SIZE=3:1ab73476]Mc Donald’s lenient treatment of Bougherra was also baffling, he got booked early doors for going through the back of Robbie Keane then makes exactly the same tackle about another five times, his little wink told it’s own story, he was involved in the tackle on Kamara that should have been a penalty, but then that would have meant an ordering off as well.[/SIZE:1ab73476]
[SIZE=3:1ab73476]What is the answer we might ask ourselves? we have tried taking it on the chin, failure, we have now tried highlighting it before the match, again failure, we have tried to get out by applying to join the English League, again failure, so where do we go to get a fair deal? Join the League of Ireland !!! refereeing standards this season have been worse than usual if that’s possible, even the Supervisor Hugh Dallas has remarked on it as has SFA Chief Gordon Smith, but when Celtic comment, it brings a rebuke from another half-wit George Peat. We don’t want a referee to favour Celtic, we just want an honest one, which has proved impossible up to now.[/SIZE:1ab73476]
[SIZE=3:1ab73476]I think the time is right for Celtic FC to state their position quite unambiguously, and by that I mean John Reid, Peter Lawwell and Tony Mowbray making an official statement on the bias been shown by officials against Celtic FC, there is plenty of evidence to support that claim, I think it should be out in the open so that the fans know that we will not take this treatment any longer, not some cosy meeting at Hampden with tea and coffee on offer but no justice.[/SIZE:1ab73476]
[SIZE=3:1ab73476]There are serious times ahead for us from now until the end of the season, I haven’t given up just yet, but it would take a turnaround of the quantum variety for us to win the League. I don’t count the Scottish Cup as a meaningful trophy, its only worth winning if you have already won the League. Numbers attending matches will drop even more, and that means both home and away, how many do we expect to turn up at Kilmarnock for the Scottish Cup Tie? Celtic are going to lose big time here, the people in the commercial department must be having nightmares with two new strips due out this year, and what about season book sales for next season, we should be looking for a significant discount, but I would suggest we’ll get another freeze on the price.[/SIZE:1ab73476]
[SIZE=3:1ab73476]Everyone has to ask themselves are we doing the best we can? I think only the fans can honestly answer yes to that question, there will be a natural depression amongst the fans, so we need the people who can influence the situation to do so, we need to rise above what happened at the circus that is snake mountain and start improving on all fronts, we have been in worse situations in the past and came through the other side. Keep the Faith. [/SIZE:1ab73476]

[Oglach]

[COLOR=black:c0ae6730]The Ref was only a side issue yesterday. Celtic has always had to face such bias and dare I say it outright bigotry however we historically field a team that can battle and win regardless of the MIB influence – The Lions, Wym Jansen and Martin O’Neils teams for example. Sadly this is no longer the case our team is shambolic. We need to look within ourselves to find the real reasons for our defeat and the disaster this season has turned into. I apportion the majority of the blame with the manager. [/COLOR:c0ae6730]
[COLOR=black:c0ae6730]His ability to put out a team capable of beating any team in the SPL let alone RFC has been found wanting game after game. His substitutions border on the surreal as do his formations. Yesterday for example when we were being over run in midfield he takes off McGeady and replaced him with Sammy when it was obvious to all we required a proven midfield player not a striker with little confidence. Why Crosas can not even get a place on the bench should be explained.[/COLOR:c0ae6730]
[COLOR=black:c0ae6730]Let’s stop blaming the establishment refs for all our ills. With our financial means we should be playing every team in Scotland off the park – why we can’t is the real question we should be asking. [/COLOR:c0ae6730]
[COLOR=black:c0ae6730]The recent statement from CFC regarding the Refs is all smoke and mirrors, yes we know bias exists but are the board mearly trying to deflect attention away from the real issue – why we are so poor with the talent we have available in our squad? [/COLOR:c0ae6730]

[Joe O'Rourke]

Does that mean we have just to accept bias against us? I am not suggesting for a minute that we deserved to win yesterday, but i dont think we deserved to be beaten either. i heard Martin O'Neill last night lambasting a referee for not giving the right decision, sure his teams and the Lions overcame the bias. But what about Tommy Burns, his teams were brilliant football teams but could't get past the referee to get at Rangers, would they have equalled 9 in a row without the help of the establishment? There is much wrong with our team, but what chance would a boxer have if you broke his jaw before a fight started, at least lets have an even playing field then we will have no-one to blame but ourselves.

[Tosh7]

The only other conceivable way to out them Joe is for someone to infiltrate them and gather hard evidence. Easier said than done but what other way possible can it be done???

[gert/canada]

This bias is not only against our team but everything we the Celtic support stand for. It is ingrained in the very fabric of Scottish society . Hard evidence is their for all to see . Over the last few years i,ve been watching the games on satellite with people from diffrent backgrounds. They have even commented on the atrocious decisions that are going against our club. The coverage that tv and the internet , satellite has brought to the wider audience has inhanced our views of bias cheating . It is now time for U.E.F.A to step in and do something about this. Boycotte all away stadiums go to Celtic Park to watch sat coverage of our away matches. Celtic should then refuse tickets for away matches.Hurt them all in the pocket as all of them treat our fans with disdain, yet for years our fans have kept them all afloat.
It is now the time for the Celtic Support to show solidarity in our efforts to bring this corupt , bigoted, bias regime to it,s knees.

[weecheekyman]

:sick:Hello Joe.
I notice that Mr. George Peat President of the SFA and Mr. Gordon Smith
were guest of the Rangers Football Club at the old firm game on Sunday,
they must have had a very good view of the Scott Brown incident from
there seat in the directors box, I would like to here there option on the
ref handling of the game:-
PS:- I dont think that Peat and Smith durning there term in office have
every been to a Celtic V Rangers game at Celtic Park "REASON ???"

Thomas K Donnelly NYCSC

[irish eyes]

Why oh why am I not in the least bit surprised that the appeal on the red card was rejected? Could have predicted that one eh? As for attending away games, I don't, coz I wouldn't pay one penny towards any other club here. I don't support them and so I wouldn't dream of supporting the financially.

It stinks here but hey imho it always has and nowt changes.

[Joe O'Rourke]

Tommy
I just heard about Peat and Smith today, it doesn't come as a surprise though. I intend to phone Peter Lawwell tomorrow, i wont be leaving it like this, it's time for us to take a stand, first of all i think Celtic should take the lead, i will be asking Peter to refuse to co-operate with the SFA and SPL, i will be asking him to confirm that Celtic will take part in anything they have a contract obligation to do and nothing else. I also think we have to be cute about the referee situation, it could be by the time we play the huns again the league will be over, i would invite a top referee from all over the world to every hun match in the future, someone like the italian Collinni, we must start to be smarter than them.

[Tosh7]

Tommy
I just heard about Peat and Smith today, it doesn't come as a surprise though. I intend to phone Peter Lawwell tomorrow, i wont be leaving it like this, it's time for us to take a stand, first of all i think Celtic should take the lead, i will be asking Peter to refuse to co-operate with the SFA and SPL, i will be asking him to confirm that Celtic will take part in anything they have a contract obligation to do and nothing else. I also think we have to be cute about the referee situation, it could be by the time we play the huns again the league will be over, [B:55e84954]i would invite a top referee from all over the world to every hun match in the future, someone like the italian Collinni, we must start to be smarter than them.[/B:55e84954]

That is a must and something that Celtic should have thought about years ago!

[irish eyes]

Yes I have said this on a number of occasions, in fact as recent as 13th Feb I posted the following:
"I would dearly love someone in the CELTIC family or perhaps some totally independent body, to "employ" [B:3aebbc06]Pierluigi Collina[/B:3aebbc06] the Italian ref to sit in front of replays of some of the incidents in question and stop the tape at the crucial moment and then as him "what happened next". I for one would find his views and comments very interesting indeed."

I would be most interested to hear his comments on some of the "decisions".