The Hoops, Celtic and Sevco

I have a confession to make. A shocking confession actually.

When I was young, like early years of primary school young, I wasn't awfully keen on the hoops.

I think it was because almost every other team I knew had plain shirts, I kind of wished the Celtic strip was like the Republic of Ireland strip.

Very quickly though I realised that the hoops make Celtic different. Distinctive. Instantly recognisable. They set us apart.

Like every Celtic supporter, I adore the hoops.

That's what got me thinking again about the imminent (if they survive long enough) arrival of Sevco in the top flight.

That they are allowed to masquerade as a club founded in 1872 is an almighty scandal and probably the single biggest reason why I hope with every fibre of my being that we never have to share a pitch with them.

I fear that is wishful thinking though and that inevitably, one day we are going to have to play Sevco. As long as they are still being permitted by the SFA to pretend they are the Rangers FC founded in 1872 and claim all of their historic honours, I will not be there.

I dread that day. I can feel the weeks' long build-up to it already. "The return of the O** F*** fixture" hype. The McAvennies and the McGarveys being wheeled out to reminisce about O** F*** games in days gone by. It's everything our governing bodies and media are longing for.

And I want Celtic to have nothing to do with it.

What I'd love to see, whenever we have the misfortune to play Sevco, is for Celtic to refuse to grace them with the presence of our beloved hoops.

Sevco, just like Rangers before them, wear a common or garden blue shirt and white shorts. There is nothing distinctive about their kit.

The O** F*** match means a team wearing blue shirts and white shorts attempting to kick a team in green and white hoops off the pitch.

The O** F*** game, to people around the world, would be unrecognisable if the team in blue were playing a team in yellow shirts and green shorts. Or an all white kit with green and yellow trim - take your pick. The great thing is that the "O** F***" match would never evolve a new appearance as we change our away kit every year these days, and usually have a third kit as well. We wouldn't even have to play every game in a season against them in the same kit.

I know this is unlikely to happen, but what if we, as Celtic fans, demand it of the club?

What if we were to say to them that we want to deny the SFA and the media the appearance of the traditional O** F*** match?

Football fans around the world know when they see a team in green and white hoops that they are watching Celtic. When the inevitable happens and we have to see what will of course be marketed as the return of the O** F*** match, let the millions around the world who tune in wonder if they're actually watching Celtic v "Rangers" at all.

Any thoughts?