Victor Wanyama has admitted that there are “some talks ” ongoing between his agent, Celtic and a “top European club. ” SSN, of course, reports it as an EPL side, but didn’t dwell on it in case they missed a glimpse of Jose Mourinho , as he seems to be the entire focus of their output today. He’s gone back to Chelsea, for those who haven’t heard, prompting a “Manic Mourinho Monday” Marvellous.
Wanyama says he is still a Celtic player, and knows little or nothing of any actual details, except that there are some talks taking place, and he’ll find out more when he gets home.
Stoke City are the “credible ” bid, Inter Milan the dark horses, and Arsenal the ones who seem most likely. Can’t help remembering that Barcelona asked to be kept informed after the Champions League clashes last year, where Wanyama was outstanding, but they haven’t been mentioned since.
So, will he stay or will he go? He’s clearly uncomfortable talking about it, claiming once or twice that he doesn’t want to talk about it. There was one thing he said that is either worrying , or comforting, depending on how you want to read it.
“If anything comes up that is good for me and good for the club, then I’ll move on. ”
That can be taken a number of ways, but from where I’m sitting, he could be saying if everyones happy, he’ll go. If not, He’s happy to stay. The deal has to be right and the club has to want to sell him.. Although another way of looking at it is it could be a come and get me shout.
Never mind. He was always going to be the subject of bids this summer. He’s too big to lock in Kris Commons toilet, so we might end up losing him.
Amido Balde has flown in for a medical, according to most sources outwith London. He met his uncle after a late night flight from Lisbon, and the pair of them are off to Ross Hall today. The Portuguese forward, at 6 foot 4, will offer something different up front. Thats the theory , anyway.
Crystal Palace, the quaintly named non-achievers from the English capital, have put in a late bid. For reasons best known to themselves.
There has been no movement on the Johnny Russell rumour, the player is now being forced into a train south so that he can have a look at Derby. The East midlands town is famous for a nearby Toyota factory and an American Adventure theme park. In all honesty, having visited the two, its hard to tell them apart.
If Russell has been “allowed ” to move south a Celtic, it means Lennon has his sights on what he considers to be a better player or two. Amido Balde may fit the bill, but James MacFadden doesn’t. The Evening Times says that Celtic may still swoop for the ageing Motherwell forward, but only if we can’t get anyone else. Right now, anyone else does sound a better bet.
Still, you know a story in the Scottish press is less than reliable when it includes words such as “Swoop “, “crack “, and “Rangers .”
Scotland manager Gordon Strachan will look to keep faith with the players who surprised Croatia ( and the rest of us ) with a 1-0 win in Zagreb last Friday. Alan Patullo in the Scotsman, always a good , balanced read, claims that perhaps now Charlie Mulgrew will regret getting pulling out of the squad when Scotland were playing. Charlie was singled out for criticism, when in the only couple of weeks he has off this year, decided to get married, which was difficult to get out of with all the invitations having already been sent.
With a high profile friendly against England in August, Pattullo suggests that Mulgrew may miss out. Then he concedes that he probably will anyway due to Champions League commitments, but didn’t have time to re-write his article, so sent it in anyway.
Know what? Lets have some good news for a change, a bit of positivity.
“I’d like to stay consistently in the Champions League. There is a big emotional element at this club for me, I’ve been ingrained in it for 13 years. It would be a massive wrench for me to go elsewhere. If you could guarantee me being in the Champions League every year with Celtic I’d have no aspirations to go anywhere else. There would be no better place to be and that would satisfy me absolutely. ”
Neil Lennon, speaking in the Sunday Mail. Which no doubt caused some gnashing and wailing amongst their staff.
He’s settled, and that will make it easier for him to persuade others to stay.
Contrary to popular belief, Thomas Rogne hasn’t left Celtic yet. Although he has admitted it seems that way. He still has a month left, and featured in Norways 3-1 u-21 thrashing of favourites England, who were thus eliminated. ( When I say favourites, I mean they are the favourites in England, like they always are. )
“I am just here to enjoy these Euros, play with my friends, and then we will see what happens afterwards. I am not sure about interest from Britain, I’ve got no idea, my focus is on Norway and that is all I am thinking about. ”
If he has been offered a contract at Celtic, he should take it. No-one else seems to want him.
Anthony Stokes has yet to sign a deal, but expects to when he gets back from his holiday. He is raring to go next season after missing last season, and if, as Neil Lennon remarked last wee, he has “matured ” , then he might surprise a few of us. Stokes has ability, there is no doubt of that, but he has lost his way since exploding onto the scene what seems like thousands of years ago. He has the chance to become a legend, but thats up to him.
Elsewhere, the SFA have signed a deal which is worth around £60m for Scotland games to be shown live on Sky TV. Thats good business, because the whole deal for SPL football is very similar. Ah, no wait. Regan , Doncaster, Ogilvie, three sets of fingers and toes equals sixty.
Figured it out now.
Charlotte and the Fakeoovers has been busy this weekend. More tweets revealing allegedly shady goings on over at Mediahouse, who do the PR for Sevco and the Strippers.
Theres no need to go into detail here, but one thing struck me.
Graeme Spiers, the radio, television and newspaper commentator, featured in one of the emails released. He then went on to twitter to confirm its legitimacy.
Now, any reporter with any pride in his profession, on seeing one of these emails that he can personally verify as true, would surely be all over the rest of them?
There has been no coverage of the Charlotte offerings in the press at all.
Does this mean someone has taken out an injunction? If so, who and why?
Theres a lot of nervous people right now involved with the Sevco scandal. Yet none are being taken to task.
No difficult questions, no denials, no rebuttals, just nothing.
Worth reminding them, though, this isn’t going to go away.
I mean, what kind of idiots stiff creditors, including the tax man, for millions, and then set up again as though nothing had happened, and expect to get away with it?
Doesn’t happen in the real world. Hector will get his man.
It was indeed James Millsop Melrose in Fridays picture, though regretfully, I have no idea who the young lass with the tattoo was in the leader.
She is , of course , welcome to get in touch !
Back to the seventies now, and this guyb was a particular favourite, who is he?
Harry Hood the well known uddingston publican
Harry hood who smoked like a chimney and could have still beat hooper in a sprint.
HH I once saw him nutmeg two players at once with the one pass, can’t remember the game or opposition but the pass was sublime.
weve got someone twice as good weve got harry hood
Pretty sure this picture was taken on his debut at Love Street. I remember it cos it was one of the old Evening Time/Citizen giveaway pictures and I had it on my wall the following week. Celtic won 3-1 and Hood scored along with Jim Craig and big Yogie
Ah memories!!
It also think it was in 68 but could have been 69. Definitely in the 60s though
It’s looking likely Big Vic is for the off (no doubt at the insistance of an agent with a big fee). Some of the teams mentioned, Arsenal and Inter in particular would likely have him in the reserves / on the bench for the first year as they seems to doubt his ability. So here’s a thought then, agree a cash deal with a clause that allows him to be loaned back to us for a season. They get their player, we get some dosh and Vic gets another year development time, everyone’s happy.
Harry Hood who barred a couple of friends and myself from his Bellshill pub at the time “Cheers bar.” Our crime was to sing Hail Gloria St Patrick on March 17th in an empty lounge bar. Honest we were the only ones in it along with a pisssed off grassing barmaid.
Are you sure it’s not Jason Isaacs …
good ol’ sevco ,shite co ,pawnco,lumco , dumco,
Harry Hood – best name ever in professional sports
Reckon we d get another year out the Kenya’s favourite Fenian, and a reduced fee in Jan if the CL goes boobs up.
but lets get serious 10M will never be knocked back these days
This is the doon side we have to get used to
Re: Big Vic. He is definitely off
BTW “Ageing” James McFadden is only 29 but looks 40 odds
Ralph,
You summed up the whole farcical Sevco fiasco (a farce so cringeworthy that it would put your average 70s/80s BBC sitcom to shame) perfectly with:-
“I mean, what kind of idiots stiff creditors, including the tax man, for millions, and then set up again as though nothing had happened, and expect to get away with it?”
Try explaining this, and the very basics of what liquidation entails, to a bun and you will be met with a stiff-upper lipped response of “we arra peepul, no surrender, peter liewell, god save the queen, ftp, etc.” as if that wins the argument for them.
Before the days of liquidation, when administration was in progress, a blogger (forgive me for not being able to give due credit as I can’t remember their name) gave a simple and frank summing up of their situation which goes thus:-
“Pay your debts, or f*ck off and die!”.
Very simples indeed.
If it all works out let’s hope the next Balde will strike as much fear into the opposition as his previous namesake to don the Hoops. He could be just exactly what we need right now to erase the memories of seeing Chris Killen and Daryl Murphy in a Celtic jersey.
as long as he doesn’t strike as much fear into the red column of the books as his namesake
I don’t think the sharp suited one will ever let that type of situation arise again!
Ralph
Evening edition as I have been putting on the white stripes all day. The green ones get done tomorrow and then the kitchen will be fit for a kick-about with the wife. How could you? Yes I am using a ball too.
If only some fitba would come along to rid us of the summertime blues – oh, I forgot about Charlotte, so there’s hope yet. Transfer rumours have always abounded around Celtic players, both inward and outward. I see no reason why we should not have two or three months of nervous anticipation in 2013 any more than any other year and I am only talking about McFadden. The thought terrifies me and probably has completely done for the club’s accountant. I would pay for Murderwell to keep him. It would be less of a loss than him coming to Celtic. Now we might as well bite the bullet. Victor is on his white charger all the way to London, Barcelona, Manchester or some other major European city. He has stamped his passport for them all so that he is ready whichever one pays us peanuts. I have no problem with him leaving. That is the way of things for us these days. If our scouts are successful in the hills ahead of the column, we should have a reasonable replacement for him for the start of the season. What gnaws at my craw is the money we might accept for him, like £10m. When you think of the crazy that is offered for he who might be or already has been elsewhere, it is time to do a bit of snarling and tell these spivs from across whatever border that we want a fair price (£25m in this instance, perhaps) for our products. I guess somehow, as usual, I will be grinning and bearing rather than rubbing hands.
It seems you wrote the diary prior to the reports on oor Anthony having a barney in a night club in Dublin’s fair city. I suppose it was the Elvis impersonator claiming there was only one king that did it. Anthony would not take kindly to that, of course. Mind you, it could be the straw that broke the centre’s come-back. We await the outcome with some apprehension and the media’s mass frenzy.
I missed the story about Charlie’s marriage versus Scotland. That seems to me like turning down a burnt McDonalds for a feast at Caena – imagine the booze at that, especially if it was at the Old Mill with all they buckets of water. Sorry McDonalds, I am not a fan but I know you are not really as bad as Scotland. It was inevitable our impartial and in-depth press would seek the worst offender. Imagine, he never even had a sore toe. He could have been picked just to sit by the swimming pool if he had made that excuse – and without criticism. Oh no, he wouldn’t. Oh yes he did, did Gough.
Anyway, enough guff. The photo is most definitely Harry Hood. I remember him with his tash too in his snazzy days. Mine had a goatee for a friend. It was real cheesy. Get it? I was royally entertained in his hotel down Falside way on a number of occasions. It was a favourite of mine for “business” lunches, you know, the ones that start at 11am and go on till 11pm. Those were the days and Harry gave us a good few Saturday afternoons to remember as well. I can still hear the chant “Harry, Harry, Harry Krishna!” I always thought his talent was somewhat curtailed by the start of a decline in the early to mid 70s when the Lions were gone and the kids were splitting up. Having said that, he won a fair few leagues and cups and left his mark at Parkhead. I have fond memories of his fine dribbling, pin point passing and some great goals.
H H
Used to have that exact photo framed and on our mantle piece in the 70’s.
Thanks for the wonderful flashback Ralph..night da.
HH
Colin, Colin, Colin Stein. The biggest mug you’ve ever seen. Half the price and twice as good we’ve got Harry, Harry Hood.
Colin, Colin, Colin Stein. The biggest mug you’ve ever seen. A hundred thousand down the drain, you’d be better off wi Lex McLean.