Danny McGrain is recovering from a minor heart attack, and should be released from hospital today. The Celtic legend , who is not entirely unused to the occasional medical setback, took ill on Wednesday night but by all accounts is getting better by the hour.
The worlds greatest right back has had one or two ailments in his time, and should bat this one away with the courage and determination that has seen him overcome one or two other problems.
We wish him well.
If you are the sort of person who believes in santa claus, the tooth fairy and that Rangers are the same club, ( most of us have at least accepted the possibility of two of those at some point in our lives ) you might also believe that Paul Lambert will quit Aston Villa and replace Neil Lennon-who is off to Norwich-at some point in the next few days.
But the stories won’t go away, and like Santa and the tooth fairy, there is still a desire among some to spread tales of their authenticity.
The Maids Head hotel, which is in Norwich, was allegedly visited by Lennon in the week, and some say it was to finalise his move to the east coast. Others say he was talking to Gary Hooper and/or Robert Snodgrass.
Others say its bollocks.
Paul Lambert has been speaking to Randy Learner, the Villa owner who wants to sell the club, and is reported to be on his way out, meaning he won’t have to run the risk of any new owner deciding he hasn’t got a job.
Owen Coyle is still hanging around on the car park, with his cv in his hand, and its all a bit uncomfortable. He was asked what he could bring to the role, and his reply was “butter “, so there are fears the job could be too big for him.
Now, throw in the Samaras claim that Peter Lawwell didn’t want him but Neil Lennon did, and suddenly there is a story there if you want to make one up. Lennon was fond of the Greek forward, who won the hearts of Celtic fans but never quite the minds. More significantly, if Lawwell has told the manager that he can’t have a player that he wants, then Lennon has no alternative but to walk. If this scenario is correct, then Lennon would have told Samaras he wants to stay, and then have had to tell his second longest servant that it wasn’t actually up to him.
The manager has to be in control, otherwise players won’t be able to trust him.
So, will Lennon head south, and then east ? Former Rangers player and media gasbag Mark Hateley, has all the answers….
“I think it will be difficult for Neil.
“What we have in Scotland, even for players going to England, is the problem of coming from a so-called ‘inferior league’ and that is how they’re judged. Managing Celtic, he doesn’t have a lot to do to win a championship so I think that will be the problem with Premiership clubs looking at Neil.
“He’s done a great job in the Champions League, including the famous win against Barcelona, but I still think we have that problem of how people look at the Scottish League from afar.
“People think ‘It’s not a great league, do you really have to be that good to play or manage up there?’ That is the dilemma we’re faced with, so Neil will find it difficult to find a job in the Premier League.”
Hateley, of course, is entitled to his opinion, no matter how ill informed or misguided he might be. The question is, why would anyone ask him, and why would his views appear in the diary ?
I just wanted to remind people how incredibly lucky we are to have people like him working in the media helping to sell the game up here.
However, thats no reason to be overly critical of him, and its not worth getting involved.
I said, its not worth getting involved, look, leave it….
Can’t help myself. Any excuse.
Now ,as you are probably aware, the huns are dead. They have ceased to exist, and that has created a gap in the market for another ancient tribe to enter the market…
Vandals pinch road sign outside ‘The Celtic Way’ just two
weeks after it opened
A Celtic spokesman said last night: “It is a case of vandalism which is very disappointing.
This new lot are already getting a bad press. When the old clubs fans went on the rampage in Manchester, no-one was allowed to call it a case of “hunnism “, even though it clearly was.
“However, we are studying CCTV images and liaising with police over the matter and hope to identify those responsible.”
Still, the new logo looks better.
Of course, its just another example of not being able to have anything nice at your place because of your dodgy neighbours.
Speaking of dodgy neighbours, why are we encouraging them. I hope no-one goes to this and abuses Andy Goram.
We are above all that. Though why we keep feeding them oxygen is beyond me. In the same vein, I might get a few Germans around, dig a couple of trenches in the back garden, fill them with water and then we can all spend a wonderful afternoon lobbing grenades and shooting off machine guns at each other.
Some things should be left in the past.
Rangers fans urged not to buy season tickets
as board stalls on deal to safeguard
Murray Park and Ibrox
Which is a shame, as we hear that there isn’t enough in the bank to pay this months wages….this time, apparently, its for real.
With all the shennanigans over at Ibrox regarding season books, its refreshing to get an assurance from Celtic that they will not use Celtic Park, Lennoxtown or any of the clubs other assets to raise money in the near future.
So, we can get our season books renewed, safe in the knowledge that the club is more than likely to finish the season.
We at the Lennon CSC are going to try to sit together this year, because obviously its not quite enough to get on each others nerves on the bus for five hours each way, and we need another hour and a half of enlightened, thought provoking discussion. The idea behind it is that any new travellers we can bully into coming can sit with us as well, though I’m not sure how that will actually help.
For those unsure, the club is doing all sorts of deals on this years books, and the prices look fairly reasonable
Adults still get a £100 reduction on the normal Season Ticket price which start from £366, they are a bit dearer if you want one facing the pitch.
65+ Season Ticket Prices start from £252, which is the age of the customer, not how many there are.
Under 13 £50 – just £2.38 per match
13-16 £105 – just £5.00 per match
17-18 £186 – just £8.56 per match
This is the bit that should be publicised a bit more by the club, as it is the way forward. Not so sure about this, though;
Student Season Tickets £199 .
It would just be my luck to be sitting next to a bloody student all year. They already get cheap beer, and never actually pay for anything else. They don’t get up before kick off time anyway, so this idea is a non starter.
My own son, at Chester University, will be home for the summer. We’re putting a sign outside the house to welcome him back.
Danny McGrain was the man in yesterdays picture, and again, we wish him a speedy recovery.
Who is this headless chicken ?
Leigh Griffiths?
Is it the guy from the first episode of the scheme that called the shopkeeper a bin ladin bastard?
Griffiths
If Lennon is to go I will be disappointed but bigger and better legends have left the club so we’ll move forward. The only man I would want taking over is Jackie Mc although given how he was treated in 2005 regarding his contract and the shenanigans with Lawell I wouldn’t be too confident. I like the way he’s gone with the young players and if Celtic don’t do this next season it will be a real shame.
do not want Owen Coyle, his track record is not good enough.
I would say Lenny was being a bit mischievous in his comments to Samaras, playing a sort of good cop to PL’s bad cop. If Lenny seriously wanted Sammi to stay it would have been sorted long ago. Surely Lenny saw what the vast majority of the support did and decided it was better to free up his wage to enable us to bring in someone who shines in over 10% of games.
We’re not in a position where we can afford to fund enigmas for 3-4 years, even ones on lower wages like Paddy McCourt.
Wouldn’d mind Lambert in the hot seat. Leeny OK for the most part but certainly lacking in some team selection and tactical nous.
I think Big Sammi was dealt a raw hand in this one…could have and IMHO should have been offered a new contract…shines in 10% of games.who have you been watching over the last few years…he has in some cases almost single -handedly dragged us into CL….sad day when we can let someone wih his talent leave for nothing…
If his consistency merited a new contract it would have been done and dusted long ago. Ok, 10% is maybe a slight exaggeration but I am sure most fans would like to say “Thanks and all the best” whilst agreeing that letting him go is the right thing to do. Enigma was a word made for Sammi. What games have u been measuring his work rate on?
Certainly not consistent enough-but he was big game player who did have the ability to turn a game and we don’t exactly have many who can do this at the highest level and they don’t come cheap either…in terms of his work rate-even when it wasn’t coming off for him he didn’t hide…guess we have to agree to disagree on this one
Agree to disagree is the only fair way to end any debate on Sammi!
I have heard Lenny is off he has cancelled a charity 5 a side football match with the back room staff against the highest bidders in a charity auction which takes place every year. This year it has mysteriously been put back to next year. Even although the people who made and paid the highest bid for the match.the word is Lenny has had enough
Ralph,
I knew this post was a spoof, quoting Mark Hateley, saying Lenny was off to Norwich, saying Lambert or Coyle were maybe on their way and finally the clincher,claiming Chester has a University.
No one is going to believe this if you don’t make some of it less of a Fairy Tsale, by the way how did the crack about the For Sale sign go down with Mrs Ralph?
Don’t slag off students…where would we be without the Sociologists and 12th century historians? Paul Lambert? A bit like Lenny on the pitch….safe, mopped up but did bag some decent goals. I believe it’s time for a change and when you are stable and not facing a crisis, it’s a good time for it to happen.