Andy’s Sting In The Tale (21/02/25) “Rewriting History and the Art of the Deal”

Another breathtaking week on Planet Earth with Trumpian misguided, mistargeted, and ugly narcissistic aggression.
Truly seismic realignments and a new era where rewritten history is  becoming a transactional tool.

I am a simple enough soul but already preferred the old safer world order we had.
But it’s gone.
We are now all passive onlookers in the dystopian Trumpian age that promises and will deliver constant conflict and unexpected consequences.
The silence from decent Americans is deafening.

And remember, this man is also now best friends with Fifa’s President, Infantino, and the host to the next world cup, and before that to next year’s already troubled and troubling club world championships that I talk about a bit in section 5 below.
It’s Infantino’s New Tournament, that is not actually new and used to be called the Toyota Cup.`

Paying stupid money to A list clubs for a non-event.

When I watch this dangerous Trumpian entity parading like a prize peacock talking more and more outlandish and outrageous balls I’m mindful of how he also went from best pals with Alex Salmond in the early days of his Balmedie golf project to sworn enemies because wee Eck eventually said no to his constant over-demands.

But this is a football blog.

So enough of Trump apart from his role in one of two of Andy’s predictions recently in this blog that have come true.

The first was conferring the Donald with the title ‘King Donald’ of Mar-a-Lago.

Well this week in a letter to his Transport Secretary King Donald said, and I joke not,

“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD and all of New York saved. LONG LIVE THE KING”.

And his blinkered goons in The White House shared this quote on social media with a faked up Time Mag cover showing Kind Donald with his golden crown.

Scary but you read about King Donald here first, and as an aside, if you didn’t know, Scotland has had three King Donalds back in the first millennium.

My second prediction that came to pass was the verdict in the trial of ex-Accies defender Snr Luis Rubiales.

Guilty of a kiss but not the attempted cover up.
A disgraceful fudge with the establishment closing ranks and handing out the severe punishment of a slap on the wrist with a wet dock leaf.

While I’m on a run, I’ll add another wee insight into the future.
Elon Musk will be King Donald’s successor even though he was not born in the good old USA.
King Donald of Mar-a-Lago knows rules are for losers and there to be rewritten and history is there to be repackaged.
(He’s not alone. If you are ever on the new Chinese AI site DeepSeek ask it about Tiananmen Square.
As if by magic, it no longer exists.
So the memories we all have of the lone student stopping a tank are collective figboxes)

Elon will have to wait till after King Donald’s, ‘New Normal’ Third Term.

Anyway, enough of Infantino’s bestie pal Donald.

The biggest story in Scottish football is probably the leaking out of the advanced discussions between 49ers Enterprises and one of our Glasgow giants.
There seems to be more than a degree of truth that Rangers could soon join Leeds United in the 49ers UK football portfolio.
When my pal Dave a lifetime Rangers fan told me about it a week or so ago I said at first, Naw.
Why would Americans want a Scottish club who play most games against vastly inferior opposition and also have one particular historic ‘baggage’ aka concern/problem that doesn’t fit in any way with society and family sport today?

What would I bloody know?

The answer I now think is ‘big fish in a small pond’.
Rangers are serially successful and will deliver a long term full stadium, and crucially are guaranteed some international and European revenues.
And the purchase won’t be expensive in world terms.
And maybe to it is a wee gamble for when the next change in Europe is forced on Uefa by the real top clubs preoccupied with maximising revenue from whatever happens next.

We have just 2 clubs who might make the next jump and one of them is not for sale at present.
So the fact that we have a duopoly so far ahead of the rest is both a problem and an advantage and who knows how they might interlink with other clubs in the 49ers future portfolio?

I am aware getting the fractured Rangers shareholders to act together will be difficult but in a serially loss making entity money talks and a payment today is better than worthless confetti and worrying annual losses.

It will happen.

Andy’s Sting in the Tale

1. Seconds Away
2. A Tough Draw
3. When Both Sides are Appealing
4. Why Not Tell the Copeland Road the Real Cost Guys?
5. World Club Cup Ticket Heist angers German Fans
6. It Does Not Get Much Harder

 

1. Scotland’s Champions League Final

I remember Celtic winning the European Cup final in 1967 as victorious underdogs and as overwhelming favourites losing in 1970.
Set that against the wonderful result in Munich in an attempt to reach the last 16.
It was our cup final and our relative position is well below 1967 and 1970.Changed days indeed.I’ve only seen the highlights but Celtic were good enough to win on the night.
And maybe last 16 is as good as we can ever aspire to be and the good old days when we had 10 or 11 Scottish players at the very top of the very top in our top teams is just a memory, never to be repeated.

I don’t accept that and think we need some honest discussions and a root and branch review leading to a well-funded plan.

It’s kid’s stuff.

2. Welcome to the Special One

I heard he’s never taken a team to Scotland but his Fenerbahçe side are flying now in second place and are not the best draw we could have been given.
And if/when our Scottish team progresses we have the chance of meeting Man U.`

No easy games in Europe.

3. Jenni Fights Back
Yes the ex-Hamilton defender Luis Rubiales was found guilty.
But a paltry fine of 10,800 Euros and with his fellow co-conspirators escaping Scot free is disgraceful and plain wrong.
The case has rocked Spain and Jenni has said she will appeal.
So it seems will Luis in his version of a tit for tat.
I hope the outrage in Spain proves to be a fair wind for Jenni and she should sue the Spanish FA for the personal damage the sexual gesture from the president and the outfall has caused.
While writing this I now have the nasty picture of the ex-Accies star playing air guitar with his genitals in front of the kids in the Presidents box.
Twat.
I wonder if Murray my wonderful picture editor can find a link so it spoils your night too?
Yes he has and it’s below

(Here if you are interested – Murray)

https://x.com/perendinador/status/1693602785642606643?s=46

4. Fans Deserve Honesty

As part of the takeover talks at our big blue club I’ve read in my research that getting rid of the current manager will cost £1.2 million and this is not the reason for the non-dismissal to the baying crowd.
All the papers printed this nonsense too and not one questioned it.
My pal a Rangers fan and partner in a top accountancy fan says he knows differently.
He reckons getting rid of the man and his team will be more likely £1.2 M per annum for the rest of his contract.
Yes a deal will be done so he can work again but why treat fans like mushrooms?

5. Uefa Shenanigans Hurts Loyal Fans

Fifa launched first phase tickets for Infantino’s new-spangled version of the old Fifa Toyota Cup.
They were expensive (between $1773 to $3926 for 4 matches.
But in good faith some (rich) Bayern fans bought briefs only to find now that Fifa is now selling tickets cheaper and if they want to change there is a 10% penalty.
A commentator wryly said, “Interest in the competition seems limited”.

Austria ranked 18, away and without Erin, then Netherlands ranked 10 next Tuesday, and Germany ranked 3 on April 4th.
All will be tough for Scotland Women.
Interim coach Mile McArdle is doing a good job and we have a great team spirit, but nobody can get away from the very cold fact that Scottish football is failing our kids at grass roots.
Tonight we have a disturbing 10 players missing from our close Euros defeat to Finland and a young side so 1-0 wasn’t a disaster..

Tougher than tough games lie ahead.

Deep down we all know we need a better conveyor belt from grass roots to elite and at least in the Women’s sides our teams are playing mostly Scots.
It’s boring asking the powers that be to put kids as a number 1 priority but it really is crucial and one day they might see the light.

 

Andy’s Sting is:

A weekly column, back home in sunny Morningside where my new German stem cells are already fighting the good fight.
Just 80 more rocky-road days and 12 or so Stings till quasi normality might just start to return.

Sting is Sting.
Because football needs long-term thinking and vision beyond who’s playing for any of our teams next week.
The reality is the white noise behind results and players coming and going dominates the agenda and stops the right questions being asked.
Like why is football not free for kids?
As for the wee stories I share, I just try to find stuff that our mainstream media doesn’t spend enough time on in their rush to tell you about our only two clubs they care about.

That is constantly devaluing our game big time.

As always any opinions are mine and are just that, opinions.
And as a proud Keynesian, I’m like JM himself and reserve the right to change my mind if I get new information.
Yes the Rangers USA Takeover, the Celtic result in Munich, the fight at the top of our Championship, the Freeport land in Inverness that’s never talked about, and other great stories capture our short term attention but we need a new visionary road map and constantly check where we are on our journey.
Scottish Football and the clubs who, believe it or not, run it have collectively allowed our game to be caught up and confined to and in the short, short term without a map, and a proper plan. (Apart from ambition fuelled by an insane predilection to gamble.)

This overwhelming short termism and inherent gambling is why Dumbarton, and my club ICT are going through pre packs, and why a long list including David Murray’s Rangers, Dundee, Livvy, Hearts, Aberdeen, et al brought financial and fiduciary trouble into their boardrooms.

(And no apologies for more Elvis Costello links, that man has indeed been seminal)

The Pogues : Rum Sodomy and the Lash

I first heard this album playing as background but loudish music in an expensive product photographer’s studio in London who specialised in beer. Product shoots are so boring but the music lifted the atmosphere.
I loved it instantly.
‘Rum, Sodomy’ been called ‘a fever dream of a pub session’ but back then I’d neither heard of the punk/folk/pub band before nor Shane MacGowan, the rebel genius behind it all.
I didn’t know that it was produced by Elvis Costello and this was after he had showcased The Pogues as an opener for some of his gigs.
(His girlfriend, Cait O’Riordan was actually bassist in the band and lead vocalist on one of the album tracks, ‘I’m a man you don’t meet any day’).

I actually have two copies of this album because there was a reissue in 2005 with 6 bonus tracks including an old Scottish Farewell Song ‘The Parting Glass’ so I’ll talk about the album with 18 tracks rather than just 12.

I loved how traditional music was given an energy-laden kick up the ass by these quasi punk thugs who weren’t taking the piss out of their roots but bringing it to a higher level.
It was a revelation and screams ‘Live at the Barrowlands’.
Not bad for a studio album so well done Elvis who let the band breathe.

As for my favourite tracks, ‘The Sick Bed of Cuchalainn’ still erupts with energy 40 years on, ‘Sally Maclennane’ just works and Shane’s take on ‘The Band Played Waltzing Matilda is peerless and moving.
And ‘The Parting Glass’, on the revised pressing is an old Scottish Farewell and drinking air and was maybe always a punk song.‘Of all the money that e’er I had
I spent it in good company
And all the harm I’ve ever done
Alas it was to none but me
And all I’ve done for want of wit
To mem’ry now I can’t recall
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be to you all’