One of my all time favourite shows is The X-Files. As a Celtic fan, blogger and keen follower of the strange goings on in the world of Scottish football, it is fascinating to spot the similarities between the conspiracy program and our national sport. Fox Mulder is the main character on X-Files. A truth seeker trying to expose a group of men who use the mainstream media as a tool to further their agenda and keep the unsuspecting public from hearing the facts. Sound familiar? It should because there are many Fox Mulders out there trying to expose similar things in Scotland.
From Scottish politics and put downs from Sky to BBC bias and Scottish football lies. These brave souls are fighting on the front line to bring the "truth" to those who get their facts and figures from rags like the Daily Record. It's slow, painstaking work. Taking a flashlight into the darkness to illuminate that which those in power would rather be hidden requires real dedication. Where does it end though? At what point do these guys realise that for all the hard work, the masses may not be interested in listening.
Indeed Mulder himself has such a sobering realization in the show at one point. Speaking to his boss Walter Skinner, he once again re-iterates that his quest for truth will have ended when he has proven to the world the existence of a shadow government and the secret they conspire so hard to keep. Skinner hits him full force with something he doesn't want to hear.
"You could bring home a flying saucer and have an alien shake hands with the President but what it comes down to is.... they don't like you"
What Skinner is alluding to is the fact that even when presented with all the evidence people still won't believe it because of the source. Bloggers trying to get the message out there about Scottish Football face the exact same challenge every time they cover a story. In our own backyard the mainstream media put together a plan pretty quickly to cripple the credibility of bloggers everywhere. Internet Bampots??? Make no mistake that this tactic worked on a large section of the public. Some would rather believe a lying hack from "Scotland's Champion" than a well researched, groundbreaking story from a mere blogger.
Parallels between X-Files and Scottish football do not end at the main character. Our game has the same self serving group of men as the program in question. In the X-Files they are known as "The Syndicate" and like those in power at Scottish football they faced a crisis which threatened to rock the status quo forever. Both chose to do a deal with the devil in order to save their own sorry asses and protect their own interests. In doing so they thought they could sleep with the enemy. Only to awaken another enemy.
I am of course referring to the underhanded tactics used in 2012 when Rangers Football Club - the darling of the establishment lost it's fight for life and ended up on the mortuary slab. Panic set in among those who populate the corridors at Hampden and a course of action was taken that might have protected their own jobs, but set our game on the road to becoming a laughing stock where the idea of consequence doesn't exist for one team. Continuity myths, 12 way agreements and walls of silence were constructed at a moment's notice as the men in power jumped into bed with the establishment club and it's legion of bigoted, knuckle dragging fans. What they didn't expect was to awaken the bloggers. Nor did they expect the rise of "alternative news" to be a constant thorn in the side of their blatant false narrative.
That false narrative centred on the idea that Rangers not existing would bring about Armageddon for our national game. At the time the idea was absurd. Looking back it was downright reckless and dangerous. Armageddon for Scottish Football won't come from admitting Rangers died. It will come from pretending they didn't. We are constantly bombarded with mainstream media guff assuring us The Rangers are the same club that stopped breathing in 2012. It is to their eternal shame that journalists insult our intelligence with this falsehood. No wonder sales at national newspapers are falling at a rapid rate. Even on social media those very journalists peddle the same club myth and are constantly telling us
"It's you who are the problem... why don't you get it?"
How long can they keep that up for? How long before they are the ones to finally "get it" There are ordinary fans out there disgusted with the whole situation and are quite vocal about their temptation to chuck Scottish football altogether. Only loyalty and love for their club keeps them hanging in there. What kind of choice is that for someone to make? How could those in power force those who pay their wages to even consider making that call? Whilst decent fans are outraged at the sheer arrogance shown, there unfortunately still exists those that prefer the sugar-coated version of events and are too ignorant or not open minded enough to get their info from a source that isn't sold in the newsagents.
In Fox Mulder's case he eventually does expose the truth after 9 long years of toil and sacrifice. No one believes him anyway. What is really remarkable is that the course of action taken by "The Syndicate" ends up being the wrong one and faced with Armageddon they are left with no other choice but to stubbornly claim they stand by their decision. Right now the SFA does the same. Blinkered to the damage they have caused and like "The Syndicate" probably hiding when it all comes crashing down amongst the innocents who had no part to play in the decision making process. At least Mulder gains a little joy in his ability to say " I told you so" and can hold his head high that he fought so hard to tell the public what they needed to know.... and so can the many voices who have did a similar thing for Scottish football. You all deserve our gratitude.
Hail Hail
Do you agree with the article? What are your thought's on the subject. Feel free to leave me a comment below.
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