Gordon Smith can’t stand watching ‘Old Firm’ matches any more.
Celtic’s back-to-back wins at Hampden and Ibrox have proved too much for the former Rangers (IL) star.
Like many who lapped up the Ibrox successes under David Murray, Smith’s footballing interest is switching to the Spanish game where there are no frequent reminders of how superior Celtic are over a tribute act that is forced to deduct income tax and national insurance from players in the same way as every other club in Scotland.
Smith had the opportunity to make a difference to Scottish football when he was chief executive of the SFA from 2007 till 2010 but did nothing about the incredibly low contracts that Rangers registered with the SFA.
As a former football agent Smith would know the going rate for players and almost certainly negotiated with the Ibrox club when the main incentive to join was a ‘tax free’ Trust fund to transform earnings.
Speaking to The Sun about Celtic’s dominance of the tribute act Smith said: “What I want to see at any level is competition. I’m always disappointed when that’s not there.
“If a team wins a league, especially so comfortably, you have to give that team credit but it takes a wee bit away from the game. You want teams challenging each other.
“That’s why at the moment I’m probably more interested in watching Spanish football. Barcelona and Real Madrid are putting on a great contest for the title. That, for me, is what football should be about.
“It used to be Old Firm games were up there in that respect. Both sides were competing against each other. Now we have a situation where Celtic’s aim is to have this great unbeaten run. There’s just no challenge for the title.
“It was comfortably won and we could all see it was going to be comfortably won.
“I loved it when we had situations where titles were decided on the last day.”
Those last day deciders were created by the SFA and SPL turning a blind eye to the dual contracts being handed out at Ibrox, a matter that deprived Her Majesty of income tax and national insurance.
Perhaps if Smith had acted against those contracts while he was at the SFA Rangers would have avoided administration and liquidation to provide a better challenge to Celtic.
