It’s been a difficult fortnight for certain segments of football supporters in Scotland. In Glasgow, Celtic partisans are still smarting over their side’s latest derby defeat—at home no less—one in which their heroes were a no-show for at least the first half. They also possibly face an extended period of time without starting goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who was injured on international duty.
The Full Scottish
Served by Brian P. Dunleavy
Meanwhile, their rivals, Rangers, though victorious on the day on March 16th, sit 13 points back in the table—and Ibrox denizens have been told they may need to be patient as potential new owners, the 49ers Group, evaluate managerial candidates to replace current interim Barry Ferguson.
And those who consider themselves members of the Tartan Army must be feeling bewildered and betrayed after a crushing 3-0 home loss to Greece (a two-legged tie the Scots led 1-0 after the fixture in Athens) left their team relegated to League B of the Nations League, and with a lower world ranking than they had even after the fruitless adventure in Euro 2024.
Lennon Sinking
In other news, speaking of fruitless adventures, Neil Lennon’s career in management isn’t exactly trending upward. The former Celtic midfielder, captain and manager finds himself taking charge at Dunfermline Athletic after ridiculously short stints in dugouts in Romania and Cyprus following his 2021 departure/dismissal from Celtic.
Now, we’re fans of Lenny in this space, but taking a job—with a contract until the end of this season, which has just seven matches to go—with a club in the relegation mix in the Scottish Championship seems like at least another step down the ladder of success (or lack thereof). With all due respect to Dunfermline, a club with a great history. Here’s hoping the Irishman’s fortunes, as well as those of his new employer, turn around.
Phoenix Rising
Finally, in the even lower leagues of Scotland, the Glasgow World is reporting that a consortium behind a possible takeover at Albion Rovers are hoping to appeal to Celtic supporters in a bid to reinvent the club, which was once a SPFL mainstay. The so-called Project Phoenix consortium is seeking to rebrand the club as Shamrock Rovers Coatbridge, a move opponents (including some in the support) have described as an “embarrassment.”
The change makes sense on some level, given the Irish population of Coatbridge, but it was initially rejected by the club board when first proposed in 2023. Since then, though, Rovers have been relegated from the SPFL. Last month, the club announced they will no longer be able to pay players and staff, starting with next season.
We’re tempted to make a joke about Neil Lennon’s next managerial destination here, but Scottish football fans have clearly suffered enough.