Football in Glasgow never ceases to throw up the unexpected and who would have predicted a spat between Celtic and Rangers over Tony Blair and Rory Bremner?

That joke about the former Prime Minister and the impressionist by Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell at the club’s AGM last week came in response to a shareholder’s question on sections of the media refusing to refer to Rangers as a new club post-liquidation.

Lawwell responded by saying “Rory Bremner can pretend to be Tony Blair.”

As intended this got a laugh but, importantly, the quip also shut down the actual substance of the question. It was deflection straight from the politician’s handbook.

While it tickled the Celtic legions, Rangers and their fans went straight for the berserk button.  Officials issued a statement saying they were “disappointed with the comments” and indicated they plan to complain to the SFA, where Lawwell recently joined the board.

Was this a wise move by Rangers? Well, it ensures his remarks receive yet more oxygen. Not a peep out of Ibrox and this would have been a here today, gone tomorrow gag.

Yet they were genuinely peeved about this at the top of the old marble staircase. You see there’s has always been a certain — albeit arms-length — respect from one boardroom to another.

This is not at all unusual in the great derby cities, Arsenal and Spurs have long enjoyed similarly fraternal relations. What really itched them in Govan was that Lawwell’s words suggested the equilibrium of old no longer exists or applies.

The Celtic chief exec perhaps overplayed his hand (he is human).

It was a joke sure, but it is also an insight into the true feelings of possibly the most powerful man in Scottish football about the financial calamity at Rangers.

The real sadness is that this ballyhoo overshadowed a far more substantial story, the rejection of an enlightened proposal from the floor that all of Celtic’s employees should be paid (at least) the living wage of £7.45 per hour.

The board’s decision to veto this is already causing some soul-searching at Celtic Park, I am told. We may not, it seems, have to wait too long for a change of heart.

One simply has to consider the various proclamations about charity and social responsibility Celtic have made down the years to realise there was much more headline making to be had over this parsimony.

Strangely then it was Rangers (via Lawwell’s humour) to the rescue — and you can bet they won’t be happy about that.

Leader of men Butcher is the right man at the right time for Hibernian

Hibernian have got their new manager in Terry Butcher and it’s hard to argue that he’s anything other than the right man at the right time. “One outstanding candidate” was the way the big Englishman was described by the club’s chairman Rod Petrie.

His arrival at Easter Road — where he posed for the cameras with fists clenched and eyes bulging to convey his zest for the job — will be a real shot in the arm.

He arrives with Maurice Malpas, both having done tremendously well at Inverness Caledonian Thistle since 2009. He departs with his former side second in the Premiership and in the semi-finals of the League Cup. Not bad going on meagre financial rations.

Hibs are in the same financial ballpark but represent more of a challenge for the 54-year-old than his Highland assignment. His new side are a distinctly mid-table bunch as things stand and the expectation levels among the faithful, as ever, remain high.

That undoubtedly means greater pressure, more scrutiny and less breathing space. Bear in mind that Butcher the player — at Rangers, Ipswich and for his country — was a fine leader of men but his record is somewhat more patchy as a coach.

He will be all too aware that he is the 10th boss in 16 years to pitch up in Leith brimming with hope. On his side he has a thorough knowledge of the Scottish scene and the brilliantly Butcheresque motto of “stamina, style and steel.”

Hold tight. Hibees could be in for some fun over the coming months and years.

Scottish rugby fans deserved better than meek display

The SRU should seriously consider refunding customers who came to Murrayfield on Sunday to see South Africa triumph 28-0.

The fans are entitled to half their money back since Scotland had been soundly beaten before the break.

A bit unfair perhaps but only because the Scots don’t make a habit of recording blanks — their last was against New Zealand back in 2007. Here too they faced fine opponents intent on playing “total rugby.”

Scotland now meet Australia at the weekend in what will be the last of their autumn internationals. There is a mountain of work to be done in every single department if that is not to turn into another ignominious affair.

Some of these guys now find their international careers on the line if the stinging comments of interim coach Scott Johnson are any indication.

In the aftermath of that Springbok steamrollering he said: “This journey is about finding out about people and we found out about a few today.” Ouch.