John Reid - Scotland's shame

Scotland's shame is generally taken to mean the fans of Glasgow Rangers - particularly by their rivals Celtc (and no that's not a typo). However, Celtc Chairman, John Reid, former Labour Defence and Home Secretary, pro-Iraq War, pro-ID cards, anti-fairer votes and all round attack dog (and ex-Communist), is fast taking over this mantle on his own with his outrageous bullying of Scottish referees and his perpetuation of the most knuckle dragging myths that circulate among those sad enough to call themselves 'Celtc supporters'.

Anyway his antics prompted this rather splendid rant from a disgruntled Dundee Utd fan who according to the Tartan Army message board sent him the following letter:

Dear John

First of all as this letter may contain mild criticism of Celtic FC, please do not assume that I have a hidden agenda (I am aware that this is your normal accusation levelled at anyone who dares question you)- I am a Dundee United fan who has equal contempt and disdain for both sides of the old firm. For too many years I have had to listen and watch while the filth and vermin which attaches itself to both Glasgow clubs brought their vitriolic sectarian bile and hatred with them while polluting the atmosphere of Tannadice Park and environs- with no apology issued from either club. May I congratulate you on achieving the removal of messrs Dallas and McDonald from their posts at the SFA - after all, Celtic have never received an apology for Hugh daring to bleed on your hallowed pitch and I remember McDonald once awarded a throw in to the opposition.

Whilst you are celebrating your success, may I cause a slight rain cloud to pass over the celestial vault of your euphoric schadenfreude by raising a point or two? Fergus McCann made a serious attempt to drag your club kicking and screaming into the 20th century despite the opposition and hatred of a large number of the Celtic 'faithful'. Under his stewardship and the following board the club was moved forward to such an extent that the whole of world football showered praise on Celtic for the exemplary and impeccable behaviour of their fans at the Uefa Cup final in Seville. It was a proud moment and showed promise of great things to come.

Move forward to 2010 and under your regime the knuckle dragging moronic bigots are now steering the club back to the bad old days. We had the dreadful example of the green brigade from section 111 befouling the image of the club with political banners - I know that they saved up their giros, shoplifting, protection racket, housebreaking and drug dealing money to pay for the printing, but surely at least one of them could have learned how to spell correctly? The club claim they couldn't identify those responsible despite cctv and HD television coverage. That is a deliberate and blatant LIE. You know the seat numbers, the section of the ground they slither into, and you have film and pictures. Emboldened not only by the boards protection and clear support they even attacked a home steward during the match against Dundee United recently - United fans were held back for twenty minutes after the game due to the threatening behaviour of your fans. I notice during your recent AGM that you consciously and deliberately stoked the flames of sectarianism, intolerance and paranoia by insisting that Celtic have always been the victims of a conspiracy led by the SFA and referees based on religion (anti catholic and thereby anti Celtic minded) and that these days must come to an end. Come to end? They never existed - the unadulterated drivel spouted by you was a smokescreen to cover up the fact that your football team isn't really very good just now. Would we have heard such demagogic rhetoric if you were top of the SPL and doing well in the Champions league? "Oh no, we are doing badly - quick, pander to the lowest common denominator among the pond life which supports us and blame institutional bias against all catholics in this country for our position". Perhaps your team is not very good because you shaved an orang utang and gave it the managers job? I can only assume it got the job because it was "celtic minded" - whatever kind of mind is controlling Lennon's behaviour it seems, just like the element in your support you are pandering to, not to have evolved beyond the most primitive early form of hominid. Throwing tantrums and jumping around in an uncontrollable rage at every game whilst blaming all and sundry for ones own flaws is not really the behaviour expected of a civilized human being, far less one who is in a position of high responsibility. Oh sorry, it isn't brutish behaviour - it is defined in a "celtic minded" way as simply being "passionate." Did Celtic fail to beat ICT this week because the officials from Luxembourg were also part of an anti catholic conspiracy? Can we expect that you will prove that the referees in charge when your club was knocked out of two European competitions this season (against the mighty Braga and Utrecht, those giants of continental football) were part of the same SFA conspiracy? Is the fact that your club doesn't ever win champions league away games caused by the same SFA conspiracy? Now you want referees to declare which team they supported as a child - did you trumpet your own allegiance when you took the post of Northern Ireland secretary? Your stance is not even politics of the playground - it is politics of the gutter

We have just experienced the first ever strike by Scottish referees - widely acknowledged to have been precipitated by the recent statements from celtic park. The witch hunt carried out against Dougie McDonald was apparently because he lied. Correct me if I am wrong, but weren't you part of a government who took our country into an illegal war against Iraq on the grounds that they had weapons of mass destruction, despite the advice of Hans Blick and the UN expert inspectors? That war was justified by a blatant LIE. I think that I have established that you have no problem with a lie as long as it is "celtic minded". What is worse - a lie by McDonald which didn't affect the result of a game or a lie which resulted in the deaths of hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of mainly innocent Iraqis? Are their deaths justified in your own thinking because they deliberately chose to be born into a culture which was muslim and thereby not "celtic minded"? You question the integrity of the SFA and referees, yet as a former Secretary of Defence, you used that position to obtain a post as an advisor to a security firm currently working in Afghanistan for £50,000 a year. That type of self promotion was regarded as sleaze by new labour when seeking office and used to attack former cabinet members who had taken advantage of their political influence. Do you have any concept of what integrity actually means? All the lower league clubs have been put in an invidious financial position by the strike this weekend through no fault of their own - how much more can you do to alienate your club from simple football supporters? Apart from being a catalyst in this strike you have implied that the whole of Scottish Football is involved in a conspiracy against "celtic minded" people - that is a wicked slur! Keep your accusations levelled at the other Glasgow club and the west coast. The rest of Scotland is happy to live in the 21st century.

To sum up some people might be led to think that you are a moral, social, religious, philosophical and political dinosaur. For my part I congratulate you on achieving high political and football positions along with self enrichment and aggrandisement - you have done well for an atavistic, pusillanimous, parochial, bradyphrenic, hypocritical, mendacious lugubrious bigot of the worst kind. Well done John, Johnny bhoy, St John, newly self appointed spokesman of Scotland's 850,000 catholics - don't know how you sleep at night but I assume the medication helps.

To conclude Jonnysaurus, and to hold a moral mirror up for you - let's look at institutionalised bigotry. Jock Stein, by far the greatest character in celtic's and Scottish football history was denied a place on the board when he retired simply because he was not born "celtic minded". Apparently 7 of the European Cup winning team were not born "celtic minded" - bhoy, did they collude in a hidden "non celtic minded" agenda to bring celtic the greatest moment in their history? Work this one out shouldn't in people glass houses stones throw. Be careful of the splinters! This letter is not anti celtic or anti catholic - it is querying your right to stand in moral judgement on any institution whatsoever. Do a favour to those august institutions Celtic Football Club and the Roman Catholic Church and just stop talking in public. It is better to stay silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and prove the fact.

I will be more than happy to post any reply of his in full...