Celtic Diary Friday October 9: International Idiocracy

Scotland won a game.

On penalties as well.

You could cut the tension with a knife, if you hadn’t already slashed your wrists with it whilst watching.

It means that for the first time in a genration the national team could well take part in the latter stages of a tournament, even if they couldn’t exactly be described as a team that would grace the latter stages, or, indeed, as a team that would grace the earlier stages.

I watched the highlights, if thats the correct term, on EBT Sportscene, and coincidentally, Stephen Thompson and Chris Iwelumo played a part in the last Scotland game I took any notice of, and it was re-assuring to note that their contributions to the game on the field are matched entirely by their contributions on it.

The only reason I stuck with it was to see if the referee would decide at full time that both teams were shite and they should both be dismissed from the tournament by preventing extra time and penalties.

International football is a pain in the arse, further evidence for this came when two backroom members of the Irish staff tested positive for Covid 19, and there is talk that the SFA are examining cctv footage to see if they were in close contact with Shane Duffy.

If they can’t find any, they’ll concentrate on seeing how close he was to Aaron connolly and Adam Idah, who had to go into self isolation as they had been in contact with the backroom guys.

Failing that, they’ll pay just find someone at the hospital with a WATP tattoo and send him up to Lennoxtown with his hugging jacket on.

With Ryan Christie negative and set to miss the Glasgow derby, and Oddsone Edouard positive but showing signs of fatigue recently likely to miss out as well, Neil Lennon doesn’t need any more worries about his players health or availability, especially as both Nir Biton and Hatem El Ahmed spoke to Calum MacGregor during the game, who probably texted Christie to see if he was alright.

Celtic should simply say no to releasing players for these games. They have a duty of care to them, and the SFA cannot be trusted to look after them.

Bear in mind that SFA chiefs refused to travel on the last international break due to health fears, but somehow its okay to put players at risk….

James Lietch, the National clinical Care director, explained how it all works…

“The local health protection team in the Lothians treats footballers the way it treats workers in call centres or you in your media job or me.

“We phone up the positive case, we ask the positive case their history, where they’ve been for two days prior to their symptoms beginning.

“That’s sometimes very straightforward but sometimes, particularly in football, it’s slightly more complex. 

“And then they make a judgement about who they have been in close contact with.

“They understand the nature of hotel rooms versus houses versus cafes or diners or buses.

“The health protection team in Lothian have decided who the contacts are and those contacts have been asked to self-isolate.

“I cannot intervene or second guess what that process is. That’s exactly how the process should work and footballers are not treated any differently in that bit of the process than any other member of our society.”

So, they phone someone up after he tests positive and he tells them who he has been around, and then they get told to isolate.

Sounds foolproof.

Almost no chance of it being abused.

Unless there is a complete and total lockdown again, there can be no end in sight to the curent global health crisis, and this was shown when reports emerged that “rangers ” fans were trying to organise a day out to Blackpool, and this rather classy establishment…

…on and around October 17 so they can watch the game against Celtic.

Am I the only one who thonks the Record could have been a little more critical in their reporting….

A Rangers pub in Blackpool has been reportedly bombarded with booking requests from Scottish fans desperate to watch next week’s Old Firm derby.

Bosses at The Gallant Pioneer say they have received 48 messages from supporters north of the border since new restrictions were announced on hospitality yesterday.

Licensed premises in the central belt will close for 16 days from tomorrow, while tougher measures were confirmed on pubs and restaurants elsewhere in the country.

It means that the majority of fans from both clubs will have to watch the first Old Firm clash of the Scottish Premiership season from their home. 

Tha last line implies that watching the game with your pals is more important than trying to curb the spread of a virus that has already caused thousands of deaths and done considerable damage to quite a few who survived it.

Then again, what self respecting virus would go anywhere near that rancid lot ?

Some diehard Gers fans appear to be seeking alternative ways of securing a date at the pub for the occasion.

The Gallant Pioneer has insisted that it will host supporters, but only on a first come first served basis. 

They are indeed the People. Incredibly fucking stupid people, but people nonetheless.

Happily, Lancashire Police will now be fully aware of the possibility of the hordes rampaging south, and after their behaviour in Manchester will undoubtedly be turned back.

Which will no doubt cause embarrassment when it’s doscovered just how many of their northern brothers will be on those buses….

Note also that the fans who are flagrantly breaching the rules are described as “diehard “.

Surely the correct term is “fucking idiots ” ?

Earlier in the week, we mentioned that it was a straight head to head for this weeks Etims

Knob of the Week 

award, and it was a close call between David Tanner, the former whatever it was he did, and charlie nicholas, who still does wht he did despite being told he isn’t getting paid for it any more.

I cannot choose between them, as both fully deserve the award for their comments, not only because they were ridiculous comments, but because you felt they actually believed what they were saying, like when Donald Trump tweeted that his blood was the vaccine that would stop Covid.

So, in the replies, you can choose.

In older people , dementia is the most common sympton of covid, according to the Tracker App Zoe, which records that sort of thing, and I’m not exactly sure about how that works.

For instance, if an elderly man, such as hugh Keevins was to contract the virus and display signs of becoming symptomatic, who would notice ?

Or should we ring up Radio Clyde and warn him to isolate…..in fact, they’d all have to isolate.

This has been a

on behalf of the entertainment industry.

Yesterday, we had this…

R. St. Parsley 

Caption

Thick Hun comes last in dog sled race 

Today….