Rangers recent trophy record laid bare as Celtic fan turns Hotline statistician

The first day of the domestic close season and all is quiet as old adversaries take a deep breath and relax.

Aye, right.

This is the Hotline and there’s no close season of goodwill in this little corner of planet football.

No, it was business as usual with both halves of the Glasgow divide going at it hammer and tongs.

David Speirs, Coalhall, Ayrshire, emailed: “I read with interest on how certain Celtic supporters bang on about their record in Europe. They are only in the Champions League group stage because of Rangers. If it was based on their coefficient points total l doubt if they would have made the Eurovision Song Contest.”

But Colin McArdle, Lanarkshire, said: “Rangers have won one league title in the past 13 years . They have won one Scottish Cup in the past 13 years. They have lost the poor man’s Europa League trophy in Seville last week against a mediocre German team who are about the same standard as Norwich or Watford for example, yet the Rangers fans are bumping their gums in a make believe fantasy world that the whole of Europe are now quaking in their boots. You couldn’t make it up!”

And John Kerr, Airdrie, said: “Can someone remind Joe Graham the best team in Scotland this season is the team that wins the league over 38 games – Celtic.”

Hotline regulars Gordon Ashley and John Bruce got it in the neck as well.

Charlie McKenzie emailed: “Just to remind Mr Gordon Ashley he left out Celtic as the only team in Europe to be knocked out of three European competitions in the same year.”

On a similar theme, Willie Clark from Gifford said: “Gordon Ashley forgot to mention the other treble – getting pumped in three different European competitions in one year! Bet he’s so proud.”

But Martin Leggat co