Sheepish Gordon Duncan is the messenger for Ally McCoist

Gordon Duncan was the voice of the Ibrox moon-howlers as he attended Martin O’Neill’s media conference today.

Since the post-split SPFL fixtures were announced at lunchtime on Tuesday the hard of thinking have been in meltdown.

Yet another Celtic conspiracy was exposed, similar to allowing John Beaton, David Dickinson, Andrew Dallas, Steven McLean, Nick Walsh and Greg Aitken to influence matches.

The latest ‘crime’ to shame Scottish football is that Celtic have been given three home matches after the split. Not only that but two of them are against their nearest title challengers!

‘They are pure running the game up here,’ bellowed a highly emotional Ally McCoist on TalkSPORT.

And with that the legacy media outlets were happy to share McCoist’s comments. No explanation or condemnation was carried.

McCoist is the Cheeky Chappy. The Court Jester for English audiences.

In Scotland he is as bitter as they come. Just because he delivers his poison with a smile and laugh doesn’t dilute his core message.

GORDON DUNCAN- THE WILLING MESSENGER

Gordon Duncan knows that. He knows McCoist’s claims are ridiculous. Similar to the deranged nutters that pollute Radio Clyde for two hours a night. Plus some of the callers as well.

Wearing his Sky Sports hat he asked O’Neill about how the fixtures had fallen for Celtic. The Sky Sports reporter on Danny Rohl duty never went near that line of questioning.

GD: Now you know what the schedule looks like. Martin, what did you make of the way the fixtures have fallen for you?

M O’N:

They have fallen for us, yeah? I heard a couple of conspiracy theories. I thought that was just our part really over the years. I think that we have the same number of home games and away games for a start. So what’s the argument about?

GD: There is no argument from me. There is a bit of excitement over how that last match could look for example. With Hearts coming to…

M O’N:

Right, OK so we had had the three home games. I think that normally speaking, certainly in my time before, the Celtic vs Rangers game would have been one that they would try to get out of the road first of all, pretty well quickly. So that doesn’t decide anything.

But then I believe there’s that particular weekend, there’s a march that weekend, and that obviously takes precedence. So the Rangers game is in the middle, because it’s not going to be the last one. And unless we want to forfeit the home game, and just play in like Seville or something like that.

GD: You wouldn’t want to go back there would you?

M O’N:

You are dead right, you are spot on.

Celtic have been handicapped this season by playing 17 pre-split fixtures away from home and only 16 at home.

Out of the first 32 SPFL fixtures Celtic have had 17 away and 15 at home. These facts were known as soon as the fixtures were published last June. McCoist and Duncan know that.

Between 1 March and 5 April Celtic were away at Ibrox, Aberdeen, Dundee United and Dundee. With another Ibrox trip in the Scottish Cup included.

That’s life, the way football operates.

Unless you are as paranoid as McCoist or as sinister as Duncan taking those comments to a media conference.

When Barry Ferguson and Kris Boyd are the voices of reason it is time for others to take stock.