Derek Johnstone - You have got to love him.
The jolly cheeky japester of Scottish Football punditry has become something of a National Institution with his wisecracking, bell ringing routine on an afternoon show which is as bearable as a frontal lobotomy (albeit more painful) and he always promotes himself as the voice of Rangers. This I have no issue with apart from his usual 'drum beating' during the transfer window and his unwillingness to expand on the phrase "know what it means to play for the jersey" comments that welcomed the signings of such hatchet men as Alex Rae et al.
BFDJ doesn't normally inspire much complaint from me. His comments regarding Celtic are usually not too controversial given his usual stance of keeping his comments mild and very rarely talking about the inner workings of our club. On the subject of his beloved Rangers however DJ is always there to wave the flag of tolerance and comment on how much the 'support' has moved on since the bad old days.
It wasn't until I received an email from a friend regarding a comment that Derek made during the Rangers V Falkirk match recently that I felt inclined to comment on the Clown Prince of Radio punditry.
When Peter "what is your real name?" Martin asked DJ if he would be selling the photos of his Daughters upcoming nuptials he replied "Yes, Ive already had offers from Hello magazine, or rather Hello Hello magazine!
The silence that followed his remarkably stupid comments defined the idiocy that had ensued, and also highlighted a problem within not only Scottish Journalism (sic) but also Scottish Society as a whole.
On the face of it DJ has just made a comment that has allied him with a Club anthem of the team that he supports. Nothing wrong with that comment, apart from the fact that the anthem in its popular form has nothing to do with football and everything to do with the sinister side of Glasgow Rangers and its Followers.
This is the problem in Scotland, for too long Scotland's shame has been fair game to all and sundry to have a wee laugh and a joke about and I for one think that this is wholly unacceptable. To laugh and joke about that song (and therefore the content of the lyrics) highlights the struggle that Catholics have had to face for over a hundred years in this backwater of a Land belittles the plight that many have had to endure.
The very fact that it would appear to be acceptable to poke fun over this issue highlights that it is as apparent now as it ever has been. It as taken until this century for the sectarianism that has been rife in Scotland for generations to be exposed; to laugh and joke about it is not acceptable in my humble opinion!
So what is the likely outcome of this flagrant idiocy and potential sectarianism? Ina word, nothing. It will be ignored and added to the long litany of hate that Celtic fans have had to endure since the inception of our great club, a hatred that we will have to endure long after My grandchildren's grandchildren have passed!
Yours in Celtic
Clydebuilt