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Gary Hughes And The Tall Tales Timothy Tells Himself

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Celtic fans love to build conspiracies – and often they provide the basis of it themselves out of thin air.   Back in 2016 they chose to try and take the edge off Rangers’ win in the Cup Semi Final penalty shoot-out by claiming that the Rangers directors were jumping over seats and high-fiving one another at the final whistle.  It was nonsense then – and it remains nonsense now.

However, the prevalence of Celtic fans with an agenda in the media often means that tall tales which in other cities would remain the preserve of obsessive bar-flies become established fact.  And so it was with the 2016 Scottish Cup Semi Final.

On Friday the 4th of May this year (purely coincidental this was the day of Stevie G being welcomed to Ibrox?) Craig Swan trotted out this line –

“The understandably joyous reaction of Dave King and the Rangers directors in the National Stadium at that precise moment sparked a shockwave which has not stopped rippling through Glasgow.

It certainly shook the boots of Dermot Desmond to such an extent that his contacts book fell out of his pocket and opened at the R page.”

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/how-celtic-star-tom-rogic-12475922

The punchline to this fantasy is that the result of the Rangers directors OTT celebrations was the appointment of Brendan Rodgers and the linear progression to two trebles.  A good tale but the only problem with it is this – it isn’t true.

You firstly have to divest yourself of the disturbing image of Dave King appearing joyous.  Secondly, you have to acquaint yourself with reality.

The Rangers directors, as you would imagine, behaved as they have behaved at Old Firm games before and since – with that old-fashioned polite detachment in mixed company that has existed for over 100 years.

Before and after the match, and at half-time, both official parties mixed in the same hospitality lounge.  No cross words and no bad atmosphere – the Celtic directors politely congratulating their opposite numbers.

And here’s the rub for the conspiracy theorists – the bold Dermot had left the ground long before the penalties.   He was off to the airport to catch his plane back to Dublin long before the final whistle.  He didn’t see the penalties never mind any imaginary directorial oneupmanship.  It didn’t happen. 

Should anyone wish to confirm the veracity of the above then you simply need to ask the SFA independent director Gary Hughes.  Gary was due to be re-elected to the role at Hampden today but has chosen to stand down.

Mr Hughes and his good lady were positioned in the row directly behind the Rangers directors in his capacity as a neutral observer.   This neutrality was somewhat equivocated by Gary looking resplendent  in his green tie (perhaps his SFA one was in the wash?) and his missus radiant complete with a “bright green” bag and a “luminous green” phone.

So, just perhaps, the real victim of untoward partisanship that day was not the Rangers Board but one of Celtic’s own?

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