Celtic is definitely the Brighton of the two and I will tell you why. Brighton has a more romantic feel about it, it is eclectic in its composition, it has a variety of great little streets and bars, people are more relaxed and their demeanour is welcoming. The architecture is quirky and colourful there seems to be no set plan or order. Iit seems as if a poet and artist created it over a few glasses of great wine and with the help of a few talented builders from an idea scribbled down on the back of a fag packet created something that has a soul of its own. It has beauty because of this and it works. The people who like it, who love it in fact, do so because it is welcoming, it thrives on adversity, it welcomes change and style. Sometimes it doesn't work, but in trying to be a bit different, to do it with flair, to be a haven for all, it sometimes falls, but you love it for trying. You believe in it and your heart is taken from the outset, like all of us with our team Celtic.
Hove, on the other hand is also a great place, it has fine well set out buildings, it has an air of the establishment, it is where they live. It is their place. You can feel it, you can sense their disdain at the upstart along the road, the cheek of it irritates. The fact that Brighton is successful does not sit easy. For Hove sees itself as the rightful leader, the top dog and its people as 'The People', if you will allow me a little latitude with the Rangers analogy here. You can smell the money there, you can see the success in the past that has brought that feeling of superiority, but it lacks colour and energy and passion, because it sees itself as the top dog it cannot experiment, it cannot deviate, it could not be stylish and reckless if it tried.
And through my first and certainly not last visit to Brighton and Hove, I understood a little more about myself and us all really in relation to our team, why we love it. Why the attachment to the Celtic way, the flair, the never say die, the welcome to Tims from every corner of the world, their nations and the faiths are welcome within the Celtic tribe. Our love of style sometimes over substance marks us out as lovers of winning but in a way that pleases the eye and the heart. That we can return to pubs and bars and talk of how beautiful, how brilliant how exciting we played and yes we won too, but did it in style. Hove wins too, but it does not do so with the same flair as Brighton, it does not see the need to welcome all. Brighton like Celtic do, and for that reason people who love beauty and flair will always be attracted to them far more than Hove and Rangers. Go there and you will see what I mean.
Hail Hail