Saturday August 4 2012 saw the start of a new experiment in world football. The kick off for a top tier championship in which the race for the runner-up spot is the main aim for the majority of sides rather than the mounting of a championship challenge.
Surely there cannot be another league where a team is declared definite champions before a ball is kicked by managers, players, pundits and fans alike.
Celtic will surely stroll to a second successive title, as with no Rangers on the scene, no club will be in a position to launch a proper challenge. It is a sad indictment of the game in Scotland, that the Old Firm will always be champions, indeed Aberdeen were the last club outside Glasgow to become top dogs way back in the dim and distant days of 1985.
The Dons were the first team to take on the prospective champions as Celtic Park was filled to the rafters with the fans witnessing the spectacle of legendary former Celtic assistant manager Sean Fallon unfurling the League flag before the match started.
Now there is a prevalent sense of optimism amongst SPL supporters that this will be a good season as the Rangers saga has now abated. But without wanting to put a damp squib on top of that positivity, I feel I simply must revert back to my Victor Meldrew character and admit that I do not share that view, especially on the viewing of the game at Celtic Park.
For those of you who did not have the misfortune to witness it, you must have enjoyed a better weekend than I.
It was a poor, poor spectacle. The home side failed to break down a resolute Dons defence until the 79th minute when Kris Commons low shot somehow managed to hit the back of the net, evading the clutches of Aberdeen keeper Jamie Langfield whose woeful attempt to stop it leads us back to the days when the fumblings of Scottish goalkeepers were considered a long running joke amongst the English press.
Langfield’s nickname is ‘clangers’ so his latest blunder should not have surprised anyone.
What may surprise people though, was Neil Lennon’s assertion that one of the main reasons for Celtic’s lacklustre showing was because his players were ‘leggy’ following their midweek match against HJK Helsinki.
Surely after a summer of recharging their collective batteries the last thing any professional footballer should feel is ‘leggy’ on the opening day of the season.
That aside, it is abundantly obvious that Lennon will have to freshen up his squad as there was a real lack of flair on show from his troops whilst Craig Brown’s main concern will be what do with Langfield.
Elsewhere from St Mirren Park, Paisley was the place to go for excitement as the 4104 spectators were treated to an old fashioned rip snorter of a match in which the Buddies rescued a point in injury time against Inverness Caley Thistle but did lose new signing Lewis Guy, who had opened the scoring, to a red card.
There was also a good atmosphere generated at Tynecastle as goals from Sutton and Templeton secured the three points for Hearts with St Johnstone manager Steve Lomas later bemoaning the ordering off of new signing Gregory Tade.
The First Division flag was raised at the newly named New Energy Stadium, Dingwall as last season’s First Division champions Ross County held Motherwell to a 0-0 draw with the same result signalling the return to top flight football for Dundee who took a large travelling support down to Kilmarnock.
And Sunday saw the final match of the opening SPL campaign taking place at a sun drenched Tannadice, where Dundee United shook off the hangover of losing a last minute equaliser in their Europa League tie against big spending Dynamo Moscow to humble hapless Hibernian 3-0.
On this showing United will indeed, along with Hearts, be the most serious challengers for that much coveted second spot while the odds on Hibs making a managerial change yet again before Christmas have shortened considerably.
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More sevconian trolling – you’re in the Third Division – dry your eyes and deal with it!
So Celtic are DEFINITELY going to run away with the league, but lack flair and struggled to beat Aberdeen? And there were exciting matches elsewhere?
What a confused article!
You, good sir, are a cretin and a pishmonger.
cyberteds maw.
Ahhh, tThe good old days when Scottish goalkeepers were a joke amongst the English press. How you must look back on those days with a fond tear in your eye when you watch the calamities made by the likes of David James, Rob Green, Paul Robinson, Scott Carson, Joe Hart and latterly Jack Butland for Team GB.
How you must wish the likes of Craig Gordon and Allan McGregor (both Scottish and both top drawer keepers) were English.
Great report Sidney (not). It was the first game of the new league season. Celtic were poor, as many teams are on opening day. I look forward to reading your report towards the end of the season when you congratulate Celtic on steamrollering their way to the league title with a record number of points.
You ridicule our game as being a one horse race, but this is down to one side being punished for cheating. I must point out though, that the great EPL is merely Man Utd V one other for the title EVERY season since its inception. There are no way three or four way charges, there are merely Utd steamrollering all in the path with lacklustre performances, but grinding out the required win. Chelsea will challenge one year, then drop away allowing Arsenal to challenge the following, but they the drop away allowing Chelsea back in. Now Man City will stamp their authority and make the EPL a one horse race every year. Claims of the EPL being the most exciting and most compeitive league in the world are merley a fallacy, much like England being favourites for every tournament they enter.
What a joke , The first game of the season and the pro sevco ( No History Club ) hacks have a go at Celtic , Celtic can only play what is in front of them ,Celtic were rusty like most teams are for the first few weeks of the season , Sevco should stroll the 3rd division so at least you will get an untainted trophy for the first time in years.
Rangers Cheated so I blame them for all the ills of the game in Scotland , Open your Sevco eyes.
Oh the pretence that you are casting a cold eye on the game here when in fact you are festering that your beloved cheats are reaping what they sowed and awaiting the first of their punishments. Entry to league 3 being normal for new clubs, not a sanction. A poor spectacle, indeed.So sorry we didn’t entertain you but we had europe to worry about and if we freshen the squad we have to actually pay the fees and declare all wages. Imagine
Oh Robbie you are one bitter hurting tax evading referee manipulating PAYE avoiding joke of a writer , why not just write about your own team SEVCO and eave the champions well alone you muppet !!!!
Pish
What utter drivel. I was at the game and indeed Celtic were poor but with having a European game(yes Sevite, European game) We look jaded and not as sharp as I know we can be. Celtic will win the league this year and not every performance will free flowing, Celtic way football. Teams will come to CP and do what they usually do and sit in and try and break. This can look to the “untrained” eye as dull and boring, but as mentioned before, you can only play whats in front of you. I am writing this after a good away european performance which has guaranted European football (did is say European again?) till Xmas.
Keep the Faith
Hail Hail