Regular readers will know my opinion of the notoriously formidable Ben Banks and the terrible publication he writes for, Glasgow World. Yesterday they published one of the most ridiculous clickbait articles I’ve come across, and honestly, I read it with a certain amount of disgust. Not that there’s much to read.

The so-called “article” was one of those boring clickbait gallery-type contraptions disguised as a story, purporting to tell us where Dermot Desmond ranks among the 92 richest sports owners. It was riddled with inaccuracies and contained only a few brief paragraphs. I didn’t even bother to look through it to find out where Desmond ranks.

Which is not to say that I didn’t analyze this information for this blog, because of course I did. I just didn’t get it on their disastrous site.

Let’s get to the crux of the matter: the blatant lie at the heart of the article. Dermot Desmond is not the owner of Celtic. This is categorically false. Only illiterates – or perhaps deliberately deceivers – could have written and published such nonsense. He is not even the majority shareholder, let alone the owner of the club.

And really, who cares where he ranks on a meaningless list? Are Celtic in financial trouble? No. Does his position on this list reflect the club in any way? Absolutely not. The fact is, we don’t have a sugar daddy running the show. Desmond does not invest his personal wealth in Celtic, and he rarely dips into his own pocket for the club. He doesn’t need it either. Celtic are autonomous. This is not a luxury that the city’s clubs can claim.

Furthermore, even if Desmond was inclined to invest money in the club, UEFA’s financial regulations would not allow it. This “story”, even if it were accurate, would therefore be totally useless. Celtic fans are not calling for irresponsible spending.

We want our transfer budget to be used wisely and efficiently. We want quality players to be identified and signed based on manager feedback. Living within our means is not only necessary but preferable. We are proud of the fact that our club operates sustainably, especially at a time when financial mismanagement has sunk so many others.

Back to the piece: Banks claims Celtic fans are demanding the club spend more. This is simply not true. Most of us understand the financial restrictions we operate under and we are proud of how the club has adapted to these challenges. UEFA’s increasingly strict regulations ensure that reckless spending is a thing of the past, at least for those who wish to remain compliant. Banks do not know or care about this reality.

His item, like much of his work, is recycled waste.

The original information appears to come from the Online Betting Guide (OLBG), which ranks Desmond 82nd with a net worth of £3.2 billion. For those at Ibrox, watch this carefully. This is real money. This is the real deal. A real billionaire on the Celtic board.

But, as I said, it doesn’t change the way the club is run because that wealth stays in his pocket – and thank goodness for that.

Unlike other clubs, we have learned to maximize our resources and live within our means. We adapted and thrived under these constraints. This has forced us to be smarter, more precise and more efficient. Maybe one day the Ibrox club will understand that too. But as long as people like Banks spout nonsense about sugar daddies and fantasy finances, that day won’t come anytime soon.

What Scottish football needs is a serious discussion about real issues – like how clubs are funded sustainably – and not more of this empty nonsense.