Celtic Diary Thursday August 15

Fraser Forster would fit in at Benfica, according to advice he has been given by Amido Balde, while they were in the shower. Well, I guess a couple of naked blokes showering together would be desperate to find anything to talk about.

One or two websites/ newspapers/ taxi drivers are claiming that it went further. The conversation, that is, and Forster was more or less told he should sign for the Portuguese side by the forward, all of which shows that you really have to take these things with a pinch of salt.

Neil Lennon will have an anxious few hours this morning as he waits for all his international players to report back for domestic duty, and he couldn’t have enjoyed watching  Scott Brown running around around the Wembley pitch last night like a dog chasing a ball on the beach.

Brown, James Forrest and Charlie Mulgrew featured in the 3-2 reverse against England last night, which actually proved to be quite an enjoyable competitive game. Forrest kept Evertons Leighton Baines quiet, and Mulgrew, when he came on, looked fairly composed in midfield.

Forrest was tripped when he looked like he would surge clear on goal, and hopefully he won’t have any repercussions, whilst Brown will probably ache a bit this morning.

Scotland look a much improved side under Strachan, and it was nice to see the old zonal marking in use at set pieces again, if only to prove its not the players, but the system, that make a team vulnerable. Other than that, the idea of placing four men at the corner of the penalty area at corners , ready to storm the six yard line , looks set to catch on, but not with anyone who wants to win games.

Something else that became apparent last night was exactly why Mark McGhee and Stuart McCall are involved with Strachan. At least after hearing anything those two have to contribute, Strachan will know his ideas are the best they have.

Incidentally, Second Rangers boss Ally McCoist wanted to know why his left back, Lee Wallace, wasn’t picked for the national side. Especially when he realised Stephen Whittaker was in the team.

Thats easy, its because he’s shite.

Something else that could be described with that word is the attitude of BT towards those of us with BT email addresses who have not got BT Broadband. Whatever that is. The company now want to charge us £1.60  month, or half a pint of beer in real terms, to continue using that address, unless we subscribe to their  broadband package.

I’ve not  decided whether to subscribe  to the BT Sports channel yet, but fair play to BT, they have helped me make up my mind.

Another tough decision we may have to make was pointed out to us by the Holy Poet, who was looking at Money Saving Expert.com , whilst he was searching for a broadband provider.

Get free BT sport

It hasn’t helped me. Look at the respective  prices. I’m not going to buy anything that costs £16.90, but have to rethink on BT at £19.67.

There was praise for the MSM yesterday, as Ken Smith in the Herald Diary quoted from Tuesday Etims Diary, and didn’t get any of it wrong. This quality reporting unfortunately puts him out of  the running for Journalist of the Year, unless he can find a billionaire who wants to buy and set up Third Rangers, and he’ll have to move pretty quick.

Thats because with the amount of “saviours ” already touted to be in the frame with chequebooks ready, there can’t be many left.

But, not to be left out, I’ve sent an email to Jim White of Sky Sports, and Sean Connery of  James Bond fame to ask if they would consider a fund raising “Rock for Rangers ” telethon,  to try to save this once grand institution from bankrupcy.

They’ve not replied, and I hope they don’t think I’m having a laugh at their expense. Oh no, I’m doing it for free.

Back to the football, and Celtic have made a bid for a Finnish striker called Teemu Pukki , currently with Schalke. As opposed to a Wolves striker who is finished.

Teemu has already had his Wikipedia page “altered “by Celtic fans

Teemu_Pukki

There have been one or two reports that the links in the diary don’t work properly. a bit harsh on the author, as I only learned to type this week, and Rome wasn’t built in a day. Though it would have been if Charles Green was on the job. Even if most of the contractors wouldn’t have been paid.

Anyway, Pukki looks the bizz. Just look at these stats.

His agent, Charles Green of Yorkshire, assures us that all the figures quoted are genuine.

Jack Irvine and his company Mediahouse have ended their seven year association with the various incarnations of  Ibrox based clubs . He now has a PR position with the Easdales, who own a bus company, and are trying to get involved with Second Rangers.

Draw your own conclusions. You’ll probably be right.

Anyway, we had a bit of a scare in our street yesterday. The little old lady who lives a couple of doors up hasn’t been seen for a while, and when the wife and I walked past, we detected a rather disgusting stench coming from the house. She persuaded me to have a quick look, and see if she was okay, so I looked through the letter box, and it was worse than I thought.

It looks like Rangers fans have moved in.

Johnny Cash had a hit with a song about a mining disaster called ” Big Bad John, ” which in turn suggests John Hartson was the answer to yesterdays puzzle.

Another easy one today. Who do these pictures make you think of ?

Finally , thoughts have to be with Roy Hodgson today. He’s been rushed to hospital, we hear. Something to do with a dodgy hart.

Watching ITV last night, I noticed the panel was an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman. There has to be a joke here somewhere, I thought, and lo and behold, on came Adrian Chiles.