Celtic Diary Monday December 24

Ross County found out on Saturday that Celtic can adapt their style of play and move up a gear when neccessary to combat teams who just try to kick them. The devastating four goal second half, inspired by Scott Brown who scored the first, sent out a message to all the pretenders that this is Celtics title, and we will do what we have to to win it.

Yeah.

Gary Hooper scored two headers, and James Forrest took time away from the treatment room to score as well, although he hurt his leg again and will spend the festive season lying down.

It all means that Celtic are five points clear of second place Inverness with a game in hand. Theres only nine points separating them from ninth place Kilmarnock, who’s televised draw with Hibs yesterday had more people in my living room than at the ground, which must give everyone hope for the new year.

New Year, Christmas…

Funny who you bump in to at the shops.

Peter Crouch, who recently saw his wage packet jump to £70,000 a week at Bawchuckers Stoke City, is not coming to Celtic. Trust me on this one, I know the girl who looks after his family at home games. The lanky multi millionaire was suitably embarrassed when his old man gave her a christmas tip of forty notes. Well, he will be when I see him.

What is worrying about the Crouch rumour is that a lot-an awful lot-of mid table wasters are eyeing Celtic, well okay their agents are, for a short term loan move and European football.

And heres my Christmas message to them.

fuck off.

Seriously, even charlie “slower than a week in jail”  adams has mentioned it. But we got away with it because no-one knew what he was talking about.

Darren Fletcher as a makeweight if Vic doesn’t fancy Barcelona? Don’t be silly. Alex Ferguson was just passing Lennoxtown and figured that he should nip in and have “some tea and pancakes ” with Neil Lennon, although he was told there was nobody here by the name of John Park. Don’t know what was in the pancakes, but it prompted the old drunk to claim one of his players could have been killed when the ball was hit off his head.

visits like this start all sorts of stories, and with only Celtic these days being newsworthy, we are just going to have to get used to it. After all, its not like a major sporting and financial scandal has happened just up the road to keep hacks occupied, and even if it did, it would not surprise me if the comapny in question simply sidestepped it by hiring the editor of the sports section of a national newspaper. Fair play to traynor though, at least he had to be bought off. The others are still doing it for buck shee.

Anyone remember the old movie “Midnight Express”? About a guy smuggling heroin into Turkey? Where his heartbeat going through customs provides the soundtrack?

Well, a business acquaintance of mine usually chucks a ten pound Marks and Spencer voucher into his card this time of year, but yesterday somehow he put £140 worth in. Like any true friend, I rang him to point out the mistake, but like any true friend i hung up as soon as he answered, my conscience appeased because at least I tried.

Anyway, fast forward to the queue at the till in M and S , me there with £140 notes worth of food and delicacies, not knowing whether the vouchers were genuine, and a huge line of middle class people in front and behind me…

That guy in Midnight Express had it easy.

All part of a day spent buying gifts for people you hardly know who didn’t need what you got them anyhow. The magic of Christmas.

So far, I have been got an ELO cd. Merry Christmas.

A visit to the Nike outlet proved fruitless as there appears to be one guy buying up all the Celtic stuff round here and sticking it on Ebay. Can’t fault him for that, but he could at least have left me one or two away tops.

Borges , the guy we mentioned a while back has now made the MSM, so there might be something in that one. Credibility, you see, when the nationals copy what they read on sites like this.

Anyway, I’ve got more shopping to do, the wife is still drunk from last night and is being affectionate, ie, she hasn’t hit me yet, so I’m away for another day of drink and debauchery.

And so should you.

Merry christmas. See you on Boxing Day.

The teaser on Friday concerned Jock Steins determination to be the best team in the world, as he shouted down Bob Kelly to play the South American champions Racing Club in a decider in Montevideo, Uruguay. Of course it all backfired, but there will be other chances…

Today, heres an easy one-thats if anyone is actually reading this when its Christmas Eve and the pubs are open, Bob Kelly was what you would call a Celtic stalwart, as was Willie Maley. Maley was Celtics first manager, and he lasted over forty years.

How many managers have Celtic had? you will be surprised when you add them up, and even more surprised that some of them actually got the gig.