Is it time to send for Inspector Clouseau?

WHAT a mystery. Send for Hercule Poirot, Jane Marple and John Rebus himself. Who, precisely, was the ‘prominent chairman’ who urged then-SFA president George Peat not to help Rangers ‘in any way’ with their fixture backlog ahead of the 2008 UEFA Cup final? By not naming the shadowy figure on the other end of the line, Peat is effectively dropping four or five men right in it. Come on. Not many fit the description he gave in a BBC interview. It had to be someone at Celtic, Hearts, Aberdeen, Hibernian, Dundee United. Celtic? If the Hoops were lobbying behind the scenes, it was only a reflection of their up-front and open position on the issue. They’d already publicly declared, in the strongest possible terms, their implacable opposition to any kind of extension to domestic season 2007-08. Chief executive Peter Lawwell memorably complained that the ‘integrity of the (league) competition’ would be damaged by granting Rangers a lengthy add-on to the campaign. Then-Rangers boss Walter Smith poked fun at Lawwell at the time, insisting: ‘Peter would be better coming out and saying he wants Rangers to play four games in a week because it suits his team and helps their quest to retain the title.’ All those still in a froth should note another quote from Smith in 2008 when he declared: ‘If it was the other way about, I would be hoping Celtic had to play four games in a week.’ At least Peat, who raised the subject when asked to name some disappointments from his time at the helm between 2007 and 2011, has provided everyone with a talking point. And left Rangers fans even more convinced there was some dirty dealing going on. There are already demands for a forensic investigation — to prove Celtic gained an unfair advantage to win the league that year. Why, it’s only a matter of time before someone argues that title-stripping is the answer to punishing all past offences. Perhaps another independent review is required. With Jacques Clouseau as lead investigator.