Celtic Diary Tuesday August 16: Aye, Aye. Whats Really Going On?

The talk of Bastian Schewiensteiger joining Celtic has spread far and wide, appearing in newspapers , on websites and even getting a mention on a couple of radio phone ins.

Radio phone ins are the cruellest of medium. Sure, they allow people with limited communication ability a chance for their voice to be heard, those who might not be able to handle a more sophisticated medium, who then invite listeners to phone in and debate the issues of the day   This often ends in tears as the hosts cannot handle debate, and cut the listener short with a cutting remark, taken from a book presumably called “How To Sound  A Lot Cleverer Than You Really Are “.

But if you get relax them first, you can get your dig in before they realise whats going on.

I did it a while ago when James Traynor, whose television career was ended once he went in front of the camera for aesthetic reasons, had his Saturday phone in. We were on the way back from a game, and at the time , the original Rangers weren’t doing too well. I rang in and told Tubby Tum Tum that the reason was the use of foreigners who were blocking the talent coming through from Murray Park, and taking up money that could have been used for development and so on.

Looking back, its an astonishingly right wing almost racist look at employment issues, but Chubs went for it. His guard down, I finished off by telling him things had started to go bad “ever since we started signing catholics ”

It surprised me to an extent. We’d both just riduculed and condemned foreign labour, yet once you start on the tarriers we’re in trouble.

Maybe there is a conspiracy after all….

I’m waffling again.

To return to the original point, the Schweinsteiger story is growning legs, which could either mean there is something in it, or we’ve all been thrown a bone by the club to divert attention away from the real target, who is looking to return to these shores after his disappointing venture into the world of movies, where despite his best efforts, he didn’t get the lead role in The Hobbit trilogy;

We’ll see, shall we, what happens, because we’ve been told a few names, others have been told a few names and no-one can verify anything, mostly because Peter Lawwell is spending all his time ringing the banks automated line as he waits for the ICC money to be deposited, which we hear is around £8-9m, hence yesterdays headline.

When it goes in, he’ll be in a position to get the big name in, whoever he is. The ICC money is a bit of a windfall into the club accounts, and like most of us when we get a few extra quid, we can;t wait to spend it.

Like I did on a new outfit last week when I got a few quid back on the lottery. It was either that or get the kids new shoes or something.

All of this , of course , depends on qualification for the group stages of this seasons UCL.

Should Celtic fail to qualify, the ICC money will make up the shortfall.

Should Celtic qualify, then there’s a few quid thats going to be burning a hole in someones pocket…

whoever comes in, let’s hope they “get ” Celtic in the same way the other new guys have. In fact Scott Sinclair not only gets celtic, but his wife Helen Flanagan appears to have turned into a real Tim, as her tattoo shows;

Note the tattoo on the inner thigh, which says…

Looking ahead to the game, and Erik Sviatchenko, once touted as a future Celtic captian, is back in training, and Patrick Roberts is sort of back training, he’s been doing some running, but the game looks to have come too soon for them.

New keeper Dorus de Vries won’t start either, but may make the bench. Don;t forget to keep your eye on the Etims twitter account for any early team news, as Brendan says he’ll give us a bell when he knows whats what. In which case we’ll leave the team tittle tattle until tomorrow.

Butterflies residing in the tummy yet ?

I think theres a couple in mine, but it could just be indigestion.

The idea of a protest is still worrying me a little, as repercussions could be more severe than we think, because its not just about waving a flag, or supporting thise who are oppressed, its about taking politics into the sporting arena, which is against the rules.

The spirit of protest is in the air, but there is a right way to do it;

A woman was questioned by Olympic security staff after holding up a sign during a men’s volleyball match in Rio.

Darya Safai, founder and creator of a campaign ‘Let Iranian women enter their stadiums’, said officials pushed her to leave the Maracanazinhi arena when she held up the banner.

But she refused to move from her front-row seat at a match between Egypt and Iran, where she stood holding up the sign and wearing a T-shirt branding the same message.

“They said us they didn’t want the sign in front of the cameras and they asked us to leave. They even tried to impress me with military people. 

“This is not the first time I had this experience, but I won’t give up because that’s what Iranian women do, they keep fighting for their rights.

“The Olympic Spirit, which is against discrimination, is what Iranian women need in their country. 

“It should the right of everyone, men AND women, to attend a sports game. It is a pity that women have to travel to Brazil to watch and cheer for their national team.” 

A straightforward issue about womens rights, and she got to stay in the stadium. UEFA will not allow this kind of protest, rightly or wrongly, it’s their tournament, it’s their call.

Tirnanog on twitter explains in more detail the issues surrounding a possible protest here, and its well worth a read…

Light In A Dark Place

Maybe there are more effective ways of doing things..as the Independent reports..

Usually, the aisles of Sainsbury’s on Hackney Road in east London on a Saturday evening are filled with shoppers quickly grabbing dinner and bottles of booze for the weekend. But on 13 August the store was packed with dozens of activists kissing in protest after a same-sex couple had been escorted from the premises for holding hands.

A security guard at the supermarket forced Thomas Rees, 32, and his boyfriend Joshua Bradwell, 25, to leave on 8 August after a customer complained about them “touching inappropriately”.

Sainsbury’s apologised and offered the couple a £10 voucher to spend in store, but activists said that the gesture “doesn’t cut it” and urged protesters to gather for a mass kiss-in. 

Mr Rees told The Independent at the “Big Gay Kiss-in” that he and Mr Bradwell were initially uncertain about attending the protest but were “blown away” by the “unreal” response.

“I feel amazing, elated, overjoyed and I can’t stop smiling. It’s undone everything,” he said. 

“It realigns our faith in our community. We felt let down, but to see this turnout is incredible,” added Mr Bradwell. 

Protesters, who blared “Kiss Kiss” by Holly Valance from a portable speaker in the store, cheered when Mr Rees and Mr Bradwell joined the crowd to kick-off the event at 6.30pm. Cars driving past the supermarket beeped their horns in support. 

All it takes is a wee bit of thought, and the effect is multiplied.

For tomorrow night, the idea of light to register a protest is far and away the bets I’ve heard yet…..

There’s a game today that might interest you.

Don’t know about you, but the thought  of an unprecedented five  domestic trophies kind of appeals to me – the Glasgow Cup being the other on top of the traditional treble- so if you can get down to the game and support the lads , then its as good a way of taking your mind off tomorrows game as any.

Of course, any talk of sweeping the board domestically is extremely premature. Hearts and Aberdeen haven’t got going yet, but they will. St.Johnstone will provide another tough test this weekend-seriously, we couldnt have got three tougher opening games, as Aberdeen at home is after that- and if they last the season , there’s signs that “rangers ” might even be aiming at a top six finish.

Although the papers are hinting at a little trouble over on the dark side, and the love in between “rangers ” and the SFA chief Stewart Regan may be coming to an end.

In fact, he might even have to buy his own drinks at the lodge this week, which might not seem much, but its a major slur in that insulated world inhabited by the handshaking community.

Striking at his integrity ? Job on the line ?

After what he’s been up to over the last four and a half years, ” now “his jobs on the line ? 

What has he done ?

Pissed on the John Greig memorial ?

Evacuated his bowels in the Blue Room ?

Nah, we’ve all done that. It must be worse, much much worse…

The report, written by Gary Ralston in the Record, is an eye opener as to what the media as see as really damaging to the image of the game up here;

RELATIONS between Rangers and the SFA are in disarray over claims Stewart Regan misled the Daily Record about a Scottish Cup meeting. 

Which, of course, is nowhere near as bad as misleading the rst of us about a new club being the same club and all the rest of it..

Record Sport can reveal there have been angry exchanges after the SFA chief executive cancelled a get together scheduled for yesterday he tried to deny was even taking place. 

Read that again. Go on. Then let me know what its supposed to mean.

The issue strikes at the very heart of the integrity of one of Scottish football’s most influential figures and puts Regan’s reputation – and maybe even his £250,000-a-year job – on the line. 

Yeah, Regan, Stick to corruption, collusion and fear tactics. Stick to condoning massive tax fraud, alleged money laudnering, and don’t forget to welcome in a convicted criminal to help fleece thousands of honest football fans into parting with their money to finance the purchase of a basket of asstets. and a big house in France for the guy who masterminded it. for fucks sake don;t cancel a meeting.

That’ll be the straw that breaks the camels back…

Ibrox managing director Stewart Robertson and Regan last week arranged a meeting for “early next week” to discuss the aftermath of the publication of the Bowen Report into the chaos that followed the cup final in May. 

Ah, i rememebr. The independent report into the beatings suffered by the “rangers ” players as reported by the, er,  Record…Trouble is, it turned out to be unlike any other independent report by insisting on being independent.

However, Regan subsequently told Record Sport no such meeting had been agreed because the judicial process had to be seen to take its course and he was mindful of the reaction of Hibs, in particular. 

He’s hiding under his desk. The last friends he has in Scottish football have turned on him. Lets hope nothing happens that might hint at him desperately seeking allies on the other side of the river….by the way, don’t forget, Not The View , tomorrow night, on sale at the game….

 ” rangers “are furious at Regan’s version of events and the questions it unfairly raises over the trustworthiness of Robertson. 

Yeah, Fancy hinting that someone at Ibrox might be untrustworthy.

A club spokesman said: “Rangers have written confirmation that such a meeting was to have taken place early this week.” 

Note it says “early next week “, and not, for example, monday  at ten, which is surprising, because in my experience most meetings have an agreed time and place a little more specific than “early next week “.

After verbally agreeing the meeting last week, it was formally put in the diary by the offices of both men on Thursday afternoon, to take place yesterday at 10am. 

Oh. There it is. So, did someone not turn up ?

However, Regan claimed he was unaware that admin task had been completed between personal assistants and scrapped the get together, accusing Rangers of trying to score points. 

Again, the language used here is a bit vague, so its unclear what has actually happened.

Rangers had released a statement on Friday August 5 demanding urgent talks with Regan, Bowen and McGlennan because they felt the independent report missed the point in several key areas.

Robertson and Regan held discussions over the phone last week and Rangers were told a meeting with Bowen and McGlennan was out of the question.

However, he agreed to an “informal” get together with Robertson, in the presence of the SFA’s chief operating officer Andrew McKinlay. 

Reading between the lines, Regan has told “rangers ” to do one, which means he must now have the full support of the other clubs.

One wonders how he has done that, and one wonders how he intends to continue with that shift in policy.

Our pish stained source, and this is hard to believe, tells us why, or what he thinks is why, so its more than likely bollocks, and I would skip this bit if I were you, but it appears things are bad over at ibrox, and Regan knows he won;t get away with trying to form Third Lanark, even though the rules were altered to allow a second new club to stay in the top division when the first reincarnation folds….

 Could the old Rangers , now five years dead, be about to become the Third rangers, with some familiar faces on board, claiming they were duped again ?

Nah, of course not. They can’t be directors of another business, can they ? Not for a number of years, at least…

Well, if Regan is about to detach himself from the new club, and try to make new friends out of those he tried to buy four years ago, he;ll need to think of something…

If i was him, I’d be doing it pretty quickly as well.

Anyhoo, enough about them.

Except its not really about them, its about the SFA, its about trying to get our game back onto a level playing field, a chance that was missed when Rangers turned out to have been cheating  and were, as a comsequence when the bills got too high, placed into liquidation-they’re still in liquidation, so i don’t know who that lot playing out if ibrox are- but the SFA have told us that its , er, Rangers, having solved the puzzle that has plagued science since the dawn of time and mastered omnipresence.

The endgame has begun.

Resolution 12 was just the beginning.

If after all he’s done in the past, Regan now feels his job is on the line, then something is going on we don;t know about yet.

Sooner all later the pieces of the jigsaw will fall into place. Keep an eye open for even the smallest piece of news, hidden away in the back pages, because I get the feeling something is about to go down.

The SFA , hopefully, Regan, and his imbecilic grinning mate at the SPFL, if we’re lucky.

Though if I were them, I’d be trying to remember exactly where I saw those bodies were…

Did I mention something about an NTV collectors edition tomorrow ?

Oh, good. I said i would.

Wouldn’t want to let anyone down.

Caption competition, and this picture yesterday,

gives us this picture today, by charlie Saiz,

and it makes me wonder what you can all do with this one. A wee note , all entries will be judged on the quality of the comment, and not the photoshop.

After all, Ralph is an honourable man,,as Shakespeare would have said.

Todays picture, then…