They say hindsight is a wonderful thing and Rangers fans will be left wondering if a Daily Record journalist pair will be cursing it after a somewhat arrogant clip resurfaced this week.
Seemingly frustrated that former Rangers chairman Dave King had called a press briefing without them, Daily Record writers Keith Jackson and Gordon Parks discuss the South Africa-based businessman.
More pertinently, they’re clipped discussing King’s now-infamous comments about Celtic folding like a pack of cards should Rangers take one title away from them.
The premonition is now the stuff of legend amongst Rangers fans with our rivals across the city in a desperate mess as the Gers romp to a 55th league title
Firstly, here’s what Dave King said:
“We appoint a manager who can win games, with more resources, and we take one league away from Celtic,” said King [Herald].
“We only need one league. We don’t need two or three. We need one. Once we take one away, it’s a pack of cards.
“Celtic’s costs structure is more like we were 10 years ago. We needed Champions League football and if we went into the Europa League we were in trouble because the cost structure was so high.
“Take that away for one season and it will change the numbers in the Celtic side very, very quickly.”
Following the comments, Keith Jackson and Gordon Parks got together to do a video for the Record on 08/05/18 which is full of zingers and is one the two probably won’t want to see again.
Describing the comments as “fantasy”, calling Gerrard a “showbiz coup”, claiming the Gers needed £30m to catch up with Celtic, it’s all gold and it pretty much sums up the immense press arrogance Rangers fans had to put up with for a decade whilst the club was rebuilt.
They even call Dave King “delusional”.
Genuinely, enjoy this Bears, it’s wonderful stuff, and bravo to @scottberwick for finding it:
https://twitter.com/scottberwick/status/1364587734845841412
https://twitter.com/scottberwick/status/1364588914774855690
KJ: “Yesterday morning Dave King selected a handpicked bunch of journalists for a media briefing.
KJ: “But the glaring headline – which is splashed across our back page today – is this line that Rangers just need to win one title and Celtic will collapse like a house of cards.
KJ: “What’s your thoughts on that, do you have any?”
GP: “Auch, you’ve got to give the man credit for trying to spin a positive.
GP: “Delusional. He’s £30m away from being right. Rangers need to stabilise, not make bold statements, they need to lower the expectation level.
GP: “They’ve got a fantastic showbiz coup, they’re trading on the Steven Gerrard factor, they’re trying to get their season tickets sold which from a business point of view of course he has to talk up.
GP: “But it’s fantasy to me. Dave King’s credibility as a spokesman for Rangers, when you put it under scrutiny, it’s never backed up.
KJ: “So, he’s not right? If Rangers win a title that throws a massive spanner in Celtic’s works, you don’t think that’s correct?
GP: “There’s two ways to look at it; I don’t think Rangers are even remotely close to being in any position to challenge for a title and if that does come to pass, Celtic are only going to get stronger, let’s be honest about it.
GP: “And if that did happen, Celtic have got the financial clout, they can go and bring in the marquee signings that it takes to go that extra level.
GP: “Maybe Rangers putting that challenge to Celtic will stimulate Celtic into doing that quicker, it’s a dangerous comment and I don’t think it’s based in any reality.
KJ: “Seems like he’s just poking a big stick into a nest of wasps, doesn’t it really? Here’s the bottom line on this, Celtic’s last set of account it was revealed there was £34m sitting in the bank, and there will be more coming in this summer, Celtic are cash rich.
All the writers and commentators who tried heaping on the misery as Rangers were forced to the Third Division are certainly looking pretty damn foolish now.
Rangers are on their way to becoming the premier force in the country again and these guys have all burned their bridges with the biggest news story of the day.
How about that?
Neil Lennon was the latest card to fall from Celtic’s shoogly pack with the Parkhead club now in desperate need of a squad revamp with Rangers, quite clearly, a level above them.
