Reposting this piece from 2016 as a tribute and thank you to Scott Sinclair for his wonderful contribution and professionalism to our Celtic cause.
Best Regards
Etims
The Little girl sat patiently on the rug as the CBeebie show came to an end.
“You ready to see Santa?” asked her mum.
The little girl stared back up at her mother and smiled.
Her mum had told her how Santa would be in town that day and all the kids would be going to see him, get a picture and a present and get to tell Santa what they wanted for Xmas. The little girl would get to see the nice old man in his big red suit and see all the kids tell him about all the toys they would love for Xmas.
As she waited for her mother to fix her coat, the main door of the house opened and her father entered.
The man was tall, slim and athletic and he immediately bent down to see his baby girl.
The man, who had a tired look upon his face, hugged his beloved daughter and lifted her into his arms.
“We’re off to see Santa” said the little girls mother before asking “Fancy it?”.
“Cant, I’m going to see if anything doing for over the holidays” sighed her dad before turning back to his daughter. “You have a great time with Mummy” and the father kissed his little girl and said “Let me give you a hand out”. The 3 of them then headed outside to the car.
Father placed the little girl in the car seat and she looked on as her mother and father spoke outside. She could see her father stance was slightly slumped and he had been looking so sad lately despite the smile he wore whenever he saw and played with her. “It hadnt always been like that” was what her mother had said during bath-time one night. The little girls father had been so happy and joyful but then he had problems at work and had been under a cloud for so long now.
The little girl watched as her mother patted her father on the shoulder, kissed him goodbye and came into the car to join her.
“All set?” asked Mother smiling down.
The girl smiled up at her beautiful loving mother.
The car reversed out the driveway and the rest of the day was a blur. The visit to Santa went without a hitch and as her mother held her for a picture, Santa had promised to make all the little girl’s dreams come true. After Santa, the little girl was amazed at all the sights and sounds in the department store and then her mother had taken her on visits to be with her friends and family. It had been some day.
Next thing the little girl knew her father was lifting her out the car and taking her up to bed.
“Okay, time for sleep, Santa’s little helper” said the little girls Daddy as he laid her down and pulled up the covers.
The girl suddenly squeezed her all tiny fingers around her daddy’s thumb and then let go and relaxed in the bed.
The little girl’s father looked down at his thumb and smiled. He then tucked his daughter in and kissed her goodnight before stepping back and leaving her to sleep.
Xmas day came and Santa had left a mountain of wrapped presents for her and the girl, with the help of her Mummy and Daddy and friends and family opened them all with glee. With each gift the little girl, her mother and her father all smiled and every toy was played with before the end of the day and every outfit held up with a smile and a nod towards future wearing. By early evening the little girl was again tired out and once again her father was lifting her up and taking her to bed.
As the father lay his daughter down, he softly said to her “I hope you got everything you wanted for Xmas sweetheart”. The little girl yawned widely before again hugging his thumb tightly with all her tiny hands might. The man looked down, smiled and put his daughter once again to bed with a kiss.
Soon winter came and the snow fell. The little girl watched as older kids enjoyed playing at snow angels and making snowmen. Mother and Father noticed that each day their growing girl seemed to sit further up in her chair and seemed to almost hesitate for a few seconds as if looking for something but then almost shrug and just carry on as normal.
Eventually the snow stopped falling and Spring arrived. The sun started to shine a little higher in the sky and gradually the days got warmer, the landscape got greener and the little girl enjoyed being outside more and more. Each morning she did her sit up check and each day found her repeating her shrugging and carrying on action.
Spring then passed into Summer and it was now a summer morning when the little girls father gently placed her into her new high chair.
The little girl as expected began her stretches and her father smiled and said “If only you talked and you could tell us what your up to eh?”.
The girl smiled back at her father and then she suddenly looked sharply to the left.
The phone began to ring.
The little girl’s shocked Father stared from the phone, then to his daughter and then to the phone again.
The little girls Mother entered the room and lifted the receiver and said “Hello?”.
The little girl watched as her mother nodded her head, spoke softly into the phone and then reached out towards her father with the receiver. “Its for you” said Mother whilst raising her eyebrows and looking rather excited.
The little girls father stood up straight and as he stepped over to take the receiver, her mother passed him and then lifted the girl up out the high-chair and held her tightly in her arms as both watched as Father raised the headset to his head
The father paused to compose himself and then cautiously said “Hello?”
A soft voice on the other end said “Hi, Scott, Brendan Rodgers here, how do you fancy coming to Celtic?”
The daughter watched as her father smiled and his face lit up with unbridled joy.
The little girls mother hugged her tightly while her father spoke into the phone with his head nodding relentlessly during the conversation.
After a few minutes, the girls father said “See you soon” and then replaced the handset. The girls father then turned and strode towards them, arms outstretched and with the broadest of smiles. The father hugged his wife and child tightly for what seemed like an age and then when he went to break the family huddle, the little girl reached up and held his thumb tightly with her hand.
Both father and mother looked down as one at their beautiful child. The world seemed to be on pause.
The little girl looked up at her loving father and mother and then she whispered her first word…”Santa!”
DESI MOND
Had me guessing till the denouement,ya sod.
Hope Santa’s guid tae ye.
HH.
P
I
S
H
Bah,humbug(!)
I’ll try to arrange a beer with you via our mutual acquaintance next time I’m home. When I say beer,well,you know…
Not a one for ignoring minor misunderstandings and would rather explain in person than electronically.
I’ll be the one in hobnail boots wi a baseball bat and some rentathug mates on their night off.
The last line was lie,btw. They don’t take nights off.
Wooooooooo
Lol lol
im over for hamilton away, you?
Hey,hey we`re the money.
Och i!ve got a draught in ma een,give me a mo to dry it.
That was GGRREEEAAATT, well done Desi,tale writer extrodanair.
YOO are Da Mahn.
How i wish apon a star,
Monti would pay his roond at the bar,
If he did then much suprize,
Then xmas wid be good even withoot mince pies.
Desi,
You must have the sweetest dreams. I can remember wishing that about my da but the only thing he ever gave a good kick was my rear end. Unlike Scot, HE NEVER MISSED!!!!!!!
You are a big soft teddy bear at heart – now there’s contradiction if ever there was one 🙂
H H
Sinclair,first season,brilliant.Rapidly went downhill till even the bestest Celtic fan ever,Rodgers,listened to the howling from the stands and dropped him.Neil and the coaches didn’t rate him either.He scored goals but so does that misunderstood,picked on guy,Moreorless and he is awful.Thanks for being professional Scott,especially when you were pocketing £33k a week and still looked as happy as the happy Columbian does…
Not sure the stats back that “rapidly went downhill” claim but to each their own
id have Sinclair all day long over MJ and morgan
were screaming out for experience and goals yet we let the guy who has had one of the biggest impacts over the last 3 years walk?
bizarre
PL pulling the strings, exactly why he appointed Lennon
WTF.
No, Best wish’s to Scott and his family, all the best at Preston North End, Whatever happened to the South End?
Mind you he has a lot to live up to at Preston, Tom Finney’s team, born not to far from the ground another outside left. Shankly said of Tom Finney, “he would have been great in any team even if he was wearing an overcoat”. “Tom should claim tax on his 10 dependants” or my favourite from Shanks, when comparing Tom to a modern player, “yes he is as good as Tom. mind you Tom is nearly 60 now”.
My favourite Scott Sinclair was his hat-trick against Hearts when we beat them 0-5. to win title number 6, I think. Scott is a model Pro. player, yes, he was paid extremely well but he was always there and rarely injured, he played his part. Its funny how its always the wide men who get criticised the most, its not an easy position to play, is it?
Is Ein- Stein related to Jock Stein? I think he was. RIP. we owe you so much big man.
C S that could be James Forrest your talking about except for the stat that Sinclair wouldn’t hide for 88 mins a game. That’s what I don’t get Sinclair’s form dipped from his first season but was quickly dropped. How does Forrest get away with hiding for the majority or the whole of a game and still keeps his place?
You stated earlier that you didn’t agree Sinclair didn’t go downhill then point point out that he stopped taking on defenders and Rodgers kept playing him,which was nearly every week,when he wasn’t contributing much.To rest my case,first season,brilliant,then downhill,with howls of get him aff etc from the fans until Brendan took the blinkers off and dropped him.He then proceeded to point out to reporters about how good he was,mentioning assists,goals etc until a senior player told him to sexual intercourse off!
If you look at his stats over in Celtic by numbers he clearly prefers to play with certain types of player inside him. When playing with a box to box midfielder to his right he did exceptionally well, but put any type of sitting midfielder LCM and he was on his own losing the ball all too often. When Tierney was bombing down the left Sinclair was often working well with him and be especially with Ntcham at LCM, but with Wee Mac getting more defensive Sinclair ended up missing for long stretches of the game.
Scottish defenders resort to hobnail, rugby tactics and that’w what happened to Sinclair. They kicked the shite out of him without punishment. Too skilled for our league. At his best, he was wonderful to watch. Not so much a dip in form as desperate defenders, who mostly go unpunished in our league. Think Motherwell at the time. Fare thee well Scott and many thanks for your efforts on our behalf. You are a good skilled player and some of us think you got a raw deal up here. When Morgan or Mikey score their 50th goal then I may have a re-think. Shame on Lawwell, shame on Lenny.
Sinclair’s form dipped when Dembele left. They had a good thing happening he couldn’t muster the same thing with Edouard who is in his own world. I think eddy is hard to play with for others he doesn’t make runs most conventional forwards make so he is hard to read.
I think what you are seeing is a result of losing Armstrong, and never being replaced with a similar player, Ntcham linked up fairly well at the beginning of last season with Sinclair the stats are out there to prove it, but he never had that creativity on the inside after the Leipzig game. I also agree with the Dembele observation. For some reason I find watching Edouard painful 87 percent of the time, but I loved watching Dembele. Personal opinion mind.
Yes,rapidly downhill,tell D.Mond…..
In his last 2 “failing seasons” Sinclair scored/assisted 60 goals.
Its a shame that those who have such high demands of players don’t also have it for those such as Griffiths who has done nothing like it in the past 3 and a half seasons.
Great post
Don’t think the comparisons btw Griffiths and Sinclair are appropriate as far as Sinclair’s legacy is concerned. He isn’t in Lennon’s plan neither is rogic. It must be an anxiety ridden life when managers are changed. Players aren’t people theyre commodities. But I suppose getting money we could only dream about puts you in this situation. Managers always want to put their imprint on teams and it may be to the detriment of the team. I watched Sinclair in the last Cluj game. Knew he was leaving. He cut a frustrated figure. Trying but with none of his old swagger of cutting in and putting one in the top corner
Conversely,’managers are under more pressures than players. Getting it right with players they can trust to play their way and follow instruction. We’re clueless to what’s going on in the training ground and can only put our trust in the current manager. He’s done ok Lennon has another animal in rangers that Rodgers didn’t have. His job is much harder. Sinclair may be seen to be an expensive luxury. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. I don’t expect a marquee signing. Where is he going to play? I expect a young work in progress striker and maybe a left back. I’d rather see the Israeli play instead of Frimpong. He ain’t the finished article.
You are correct that when the new manager cames him, Sinclair was out of the picture but Celtic extended his contract after this.
That’s what makes no sense.
Blaming Rodgers for Griffiths mental state hahaha
He’s not half the player of Moussa or eddy. That’s why he didn’t get picked. And that’s why we won’t get 20+ million for him. What a balloon you are
Unfortunately for the soft lad’s delusions, Griffiths has gone on record many times to thank the club and especially Rodgers for the support he’s received during his mental health struggles.
If dropping down to the pecking order played any part then that’s sad but the club need to play the superior player and provide support for those who fail to do that.
The club did that to the approval of all relevant people including the player.
What is clueless is suggesting Griffiths’ mental health was affected when neither him or anyone of import suggested this.
That’s the very definition.
So if we had signed Suarez we don’t drop Griffiths?
All 3 are different types of players. Loyalty aside, I’d pick Moussa any day. Between Edouard and an on form Griff? Griff, but he’s not on form he has been ruined. His 6th sense has been destroyed by medication.
Rapidly downhill,cough…..
Agreed
“Griffiths meanwhile is currently bursting his arse to play for Celtic”
This is getting embarrassing.
He was back for the last 11 games and if he was “bursting his arse to play for Celtic” it was unknown to anyone, especially the manager, who actually played him less and less.
Calm down soft lad, your hissy fit is embarrassing.
Griffiths has done next to nothing for 3 and a half years and you lionise him as some current superstar.
Meanwhile you pour scorn on the likes of Dembele and Edouard.
Do you actually know what hypocrisy is?
hahahahaha
Why are you laughing?
Dembele & Edouard are mere journeymen compared to Griffiths.
and that’s a FACT!!!
I’m laughing at soldier boy. Not you
Haha sorry I didn’t pick up on the sarcasm
No problem.
Correct……Sinclair,to be honest,didn’t have the mettle to deal with the rougher elements of Scottish football.As one of the coaching staff told me the other week,he was an overpaid pansy who thought he was the real deal whilst others were getting stuck in doing the donkey work….
Based on the last 2 years form is Griffiths going to east Fife?
But you are saying based on form it’s no surprise, what is it then?
Wow, just wow. I don’t remember this post at all, but my goodness, poignant? The wording (some of your best, Ralph) as it brings together a lovely family that just fits so well with The Celtic Family and our outgoing and inviting nature. The wee ghirl on Daddie’s thumb, tear-jerking and beautiful. Scott Sinclair was, and is, a breath of fresh air to football in general and Celtic FC then, Celtic FC now and Celtic FC forever.
We’ll treasure your memory, Scotty, and thanks for ALL yourself and your family brought to Paradise.
Scotty, please forgive our club, sorry PLC (PTL) for the vile treatment you received, but didn’t merit, from one of the biggest, greediest, scummiest bastards in UK football, Peter Thomas (TB) Lawwell.
All the best to you and yours in Preston and beyond.
I’ll try to come and support you one day this year; you’ll know me instantly (amongst the Preston fans) as I’ll be wearing my Celtic FC scarf and probably displaying a wee placard of gratitude from this Tim. Hail! Hail! Scotty, you understand what it means to be Celtic FC. Good Luck always.
TicToc.
So, new eTims, how can one ‘converse’ on here in your new,shitey (not a typo) format?
For example, I commented in response to Monti on another thread; I did it around 16 hours ago, as of today, 10/01/20 @21.30 and it’s STILL not arrived yet!!
Anyway, some may agree and some WILL not, and that’s okay. But, sans direct debate, seriously good Tim points are lost forever…..just like the SMSM would LOVE it to be. I hope my desired point is both understood and considered.
FC not PLC. (I’ll re-state this is not MY construct but one which I came across many years ago and to which I fully subscribe, and many thanks to the Tim who coined it.)
Old eTims, not new! (that’s mine 🙂 )
Build a bonfire, build a bonfire put the Lawwell on the top, put his acolytes in the middle, and we’ll burn the fukkin’ lot!
HH
I note my comment above has one minus vote. Strange on a Tim site to disagree with my comment, but each to their own, I suppose.
HH FC not PLC
Lawwell o’er the Kingston Bridge, but if it’s too busy, Erskine will do!
Ahhh, ayehaa, ahayaya…..SPLASH. SPLATTER. Too good for him.
HH
FC not PLC
All the best and thank you to Scott and Lewis.
I see it
s, 'and so and so who we've interest in is compared with so and so.'Fictional BS in January again.
If we purchase an umbrella, does that mean were Mary Poppins?
List and a pin panic transfers?
Jesso,our faith is to be kept in Lawwell.
Drink.
Charlie Saiz, your feelings about Griffiths are exactly mine. He is a natural goal scorer and master of the spot kick. Every winning club needs someone like him. It is still possible he will be a big factor in bringing us 9 in a row. I can now forget about Sinclair but I still believe Leigh can help us win. He needs to rise to the occasion but I believe he will. I still wonder if he can somehow link up with Edouard. They can feed off one another. The HUns found that they could isolate Edouard. With someone like Griffiths, they won’t be able to do that because he will always be lurking. Good post Charlie Saiz.
Dudu,the kid from outer space has a player lined up.
Yonatan Cohen.Looks good for the price for Pedro
s income.Does Peter Lawwell hold a grudge,even to his own in the corner?
Do we have a good warm up before training and a good warm down after training?
Or is it left to ones own?
This Sport Scientist
s discipline? Carn,Ffs!When Ryan Christie comes back from his injury,John Kennedys to throw him a ball and tell him he
s to find a brick wall for foot to foot close control.Catered with a skipping rope and a beam to run along for your balance.Ryan, youre no training with the team again till you burst that ball.
Morelos, Morelos oxen free.
Come on, run on home with me.
Ain’t no bears out tonight.
Alfredo,can I have your autograph?
It
s difficult,thy Celtic cult.Greg Taylor,acid etching can stamp.
Hed play twice a day and make a winger cover for him.
Hail Hail the short-arse.
There you go.
I don
t rate Mohamed Elyounoussi being better than a player youve played against down the street.sevco thanks for the patience FC.
Do they need this?
Stop giving it to the special of.
Boogie fever on.
That
s us issued icy all.Behave. Curtsy Cath.
All shook up.
Poor tongue tied there in Wales.
PM, Scott Morrisons (A different person that died.) so concerned,tourism`ll save.
His family and fire are there in Hawaii.
Drongo.
Aussie PM,he meant.
Ain’t Rod Stewart a French brandy?
See this.
Chupa Chups… `cause
Half price for those that canny drink at the game though,though those.
Telt.
wan fur bgbhoy or any other smartass is sinky the only players tae win all he competed for wae celtic …..apart fae hayes frimpong julian moussa toure de vreis ha ha ha ha
Wingers are, cut in.
Lola.
Said dear Bhoy,why.
Selt, sevco FC, Captain.
Well you don`t know.
For i
ve headed into the middle from a wide position.t believe I still get away with it.And I can
The sevco Captain.
We`re fucking soft.
Mammy told me not to.
Light Blues,just,no you don`t.
sevco creationism paste FC,Par.
haha
burke, weah
wingers-r-wankers.
Of course you have to ask;
Rod are you going to take on the Boss?
Why staged?
Stopping at the Savoy?
The spine of ours is not ours.
Inviting a defeat.
Just who got paid?
Would Trump shite it if someone said
“Jesus Christ you cunt, i`m to deck you.”
Show me the way to St.Louis.
Oh, it
s up in the air.What is it?s the ball heading to your keeper.Duck.It
Taken to ground is dusty.Games`s played by the whistle.
Crowd.
They Bus along side . Hey we`re guests.
Point him out.
From the Beeb:
“Christie guilty of ‘brutality’ – Scottish FA”
“The three former match officials, following a review of the video footage, had each separately confirmed that the alleged act amounted to a sending-off offence for violent conduct. Two of these former match officials believed that brutality was also evident.”
When Morelos kicked the Aberdeen player at the start of last season, he got off with it because only 2 out of the 3 deemed it brutality and a unanimous verdict was required.
So have things changed so that its now a majority verdict or is the Beeb, yet again, spinning “brutality” that wasn’t part of the verdict?
I’m not so sure.
Taking in isolation is this decision really that bad?
As far as I can see the problem is our failure to previously challenge perverse decisions.
We complained about the referee a year ago but this was all sorted out with a private word between Lawwell and Beaton.
Its all very well to complain about this decision compared to previous ones but those should have been challenged a year ago not now.
I agree that Lawwell & Co are to blame due to their appeasement of bad decisions in the past.
Lovely news. Stuart arms train ng scores in a 2-1 win against the poison dwarfs team little opportunist buck teethed cunt
Armstrong by god
Aye
Have we signed anyone yet? These January sales are bogging, it was said by a brave man, that we would like to bring signings in so that we could bed them in, in Dubai, that boat has sailed, perhaps they meant for the World Cup. Celtic have so much adversity to overcome, the press, the radio, the BBC. the press, the press, the press. The SFA. The SPFL. The Huns. Its time to bring out a new record, The 5Way contortionist string band, bend it, shake it and make it up as you go along, another new single by the chuckle brothers at the SFA.-with a side letter thrown in by the SPFL. An anonymous agreement running the Scottish game with an anonymous three man ex referee judicial panel making public decisions that the BBC presenters have spotted on slo-mo tv. speedied up for any games involving coke heed. The very last thing that we need is the enemy within. That picture ” The Enemy Within” coming soon to a blog near U
Yes,we have,don’t worry.He’s not related to Sinclair…….
Early start this morning.
The floorboards are a new colour I can
t even pronounce.Well,at least the walls are sugar soaped.
Decorating and dogs do not mix.
Shes going to kill me. 🙂
Bad time to ask for a raise I suppose.
Enjoy.
They
re Khids. Were forever cleaning up after them.Maryhill Magyars 1-0.
COYBIG
The Trinicon tube:
SFA
s VAR.Referees are negotiating for extra weight pay.
Collective bargaining, man-at-arms Scottish Football.
Trying to convince a Woman that it works…the gift of the gab is over lads.They
re onto us!Ill put a second coat on after lunch didn
t go down too well either.ve been told to bell for help. 🙂I
Beautiful Sunday.The fridge is full.
Make sure you take someone with you.
sevco brutality bloos FC.
For those who might be interested.
Reds v linfield match Live on sky sports main event at 19.30 tomorrow night 13 January
Cheers for the heads up and good luck.
Confident?
Linfield have had an indifferent few weeks… Anything is possible but quietly confident
Any chance of a ticket?…..