Veteran midfieider Niko Kranjcar, one of a number of elderly players working in semi retirement for a club they think is Rangers, called for calm ahead of Saturdays first league meeting between Celtic and newly promoted “rangers “.

It’s a one-off game, and it’s a game that obviously is massive,” he burbled, reading out a script prepared by a helpful fat chap who said “put it on the bill ”

“It hasn’t happened for a while now and anything can happen on that day, as you guys are probably more aware than I am.

“The important thing is to remain calm, stay focused and treat it as just a football game.

“If you want to get drawn into the atmosphere then you will. If you go to training, go home, you don’t read the papers and you hang out with the people you do, then you make it as big as you want it to be.

“I played in Croatia against Serbia, and I don’t think it gets more feisty than that.

“At the end of the day it’s a game of football for us on the pitch. We know what it means to the fans, and we really respect that, but for us it’s another three points we can win.

“I’m a person that doesn’t like the hype, especially if there’s hatred involved. I think there is no space in football for that, probably because I experienced that side of it back home playing for Dinamo Zagreb and Hadjuk Split.

“I love the fierce rivalries, as long as there is no violence or hatred.” 

No, no violence and no hatred from our side, at least, because to hate something you have to have feelings about it, and i can honestly  say its difficult to hate something you don’t give a toss about.

Though I’d miss the endless seam of rich comedy material they provide.

Presumably, when their hideous flesh eating abominations they consider to be their support wreak havoc in Glasgow before, during and after the game, they can say they tried to keep it calm.

Meanwhile, at least one Celtic player has called for excitement and interest from Celtic fans ahead of the same game, as he fears the Celtic support will not be able to get themselves up for the game, as it comes amidst a run of difficult games, including league matches against Hearts, Aberdeen , and St. Johnstone, with high pressure champions league qualifiers behind us, and the glamour of the group stages ahead.

Me ?

I took advantage of the international break and a game against one of the leagues weakest sides to get away from it all in Wexford. After trying to smuggle the dog on the ferry-I didn’t know you couldn’t stay in the car during the journey, I’ve only ever been as a foot passenger before-we got down here early morning yesterday, and I have to be honest, if this part of the world had the weather of some of the usual tourist places, then the rest of them might as well shut up shop and concentrate on developing another source of income.

I’ve never met so many friendly and attractive women, although as charming and attractive as I am, I should be used to it by now. And I was only in getting cigarettes, and later a takeaway.

I think I’m on the verge of understanding why there are so many Irish people around. They’ve worked out how to be nice to each other. Or , at least, remembered how to be.

They’ve even retained a sense of humour, with local attraction the Drumbody Famine Ship doubling as a restaurant, though I’m not entirely sure that they thought it through the way I have.

I also ignored the Scotland game yesterday, and true to form they scored five times against Malta, just a few weeks after the champions of this country beat the champions of ours, which shows how far we’ve come.

I’ll ignore the rest of the games if it helps, but the trouble with Scotland is that once they get your hopes up, they tend to dash them somewhat brutally, which brings me neatly back to Irish women, I suppose.

While Niko Kranjcar calls for calm ahead of the game, the rest of histeam enjoyed a jawdropping photo opportunity with a Loayalist flute band, quaintly called the Shankhill Road Defenders Flute Band, presumably because their own defenders are so bad, they were hoping to pick up a bargain basement free signing, but it appears someone got the meanings mixed up.

A cynic may add here that the new club, short on funds, are appealing to the lowest common denominator among their support, in order to raise a few quid to keep the lights on, and as I am that cynic, I think that the new club, short on funds are appealing to the lowest common denominator among their support, in order to keep the lights on.

Or just to try to keep themselves relevant.

The newspapers, which recently covered the case of Craig Reid, (who ?) with a little more enthusiastic venom than it merited..

Reid is the “former Celtic footballer cleared of attacking ex-girlfriend in his flat before Christmas ” , which appeared as a headline in the Evening times, enticing you to you look at the story to see which one it was, and to be honest, you were none the wiser when Reid was named as the ex Celt, largely because he had never played for the team, and had been at several other clubs since. 

Or the “idiots ” tag used by a journalist on twitter to describe Celtic fans who waved Palestinian flags, a demonstration which would lead to raise thousands of pound for Palestinian charities, whilst putting the plight of Palestinians on the front pages, where it should be, and earning world wide admiration for the fans as well.

Former Celtic players such as Anthony Stokes have been known to mix among Irish republican sympathisers, and he was cindemned in the press, yet , I’m struggling to find similar condemnation of a football club actively engaging with a group linked to paramilitaries who then went on to sing about the murder of an innocent catholic civilian.

Strange one, that .

Anyway, to help those maybe too young to get a feel for the game at the weekend, and perhaps understand what the media claim its all about, here’s the tale of the clubs, stolen shamelessly from the twitter timeline of Inside the SPFL;

Leaving that aside now, theres been a travesty, if true, at Old Trafford, and its a sign that whilst some clubs desperatley cling on to the history of their predecessors, one massive global corporation can’t get rid of its own history, or the people who made it , quickly enough;

(From the Daily Mail )

Manchester United remove Sir Matt Busby’s plaque from his old director’s box seat and relocate his family’s season tickets

• After his retirement, Sir Matt Busby was awarded a plaque on his seat in the Old Trafford directors box along with season tickets for his family
• The club have now taken down the plaque from their late manager’s seat
• The Busby family’s tickets have also been moved elsewhere in the stadium 

Be careful what you wish for… it looks like roy Keane was right when he spoke of the prawn sandwich brigade.

Eighty five years ago today , the prince of goalkeepers was fatally  injured playing for his beloved Celtic

Thats history, and we should continue to honour it in memory of those who came before us.

Some former players live forever, whilst others undergo cybernetic surgery to try to achieve this…

Right, I’m away to the John F Kennedy Arboretum this afternoon. a local lass tells me the man himself is turning up for the opening.

On Saturday, we had this picture..

commented on by winner

Today, have a look at this..