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Celtic Diary Monday December 3

Celtic continued their policy of lulling Spartak Moscow into a false sense of security on Saturday by drawing 1-1 with lowly Arbroath, and not letting any supporters into the ground. A comedic own goal gave celtic the lead, but it was equalised late on after the defensive wall failed to move out of the way quickly enough, and the ball was deflected past stand in keeper Lukasz Zaluska to mean a replay next midweek up at Gayfield.

The manager, not overly pleased with the result or performance, said it will not affect the crucial midweek game against the Russians.

“It will have absolutely  no bearing on Wednesday whatsoever. It will be a different team, a different opposition, a different atmosphere and a different prize at the end of it so the players will be fully focused and I am hoping to get a different scoreline.”

Actually, Lionel Messi has promised to beat Benfica because without  the Celtic fans, he reckons, the latter stages of the tournament “will be a quieter place” Cheeky wee sod, angling for a move like that.

Lennon continued; (though we wish he hadn’t, he just sounded petulant)

“I wanted to use my squad today and I learned some things about some players. I learned that I can’t have a couple of people in the wall because they want to jump out of the way. That annoyed me more than anything else. If they stand their ground that doesn’t happen.”

It does sem he has made a decision or two lately, as Miku, according to Matt McGlone, is about to depart by mutual agreement, and with the stories about the Iranian forward, that kind of makes sense.

Couple of things from Saturday, first, yes, its close to Christmas, yes, the support have to pick their games for financial reasons, but instead of shutting the top tier, why didn’t the club give away some freebies to schools or boys clubs? At least then the ground would have had some atmosphere.

Also, Lennon may have blundered in picking his favourites thus far with such regularity, despite lack of form or fitness, that the fringe players may be feeling that no matter what they do, they won’t dislodge them from the team. His mentor Martin O’Neill was famous for that.

Still, Wednesday is a different ball game altogether. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Or fall off it.

Due to extensive tv coverage this weekend, a a whole lot of ironing to do, I managed to see three games in the cup, the first being an entertaining highland derby, the second an all third division kickabout, and the third an enthralling all Edinburgh clash.

They were all immensly enjoyable, and instead of arguing how to best shoehorn Rangers newco into the top level, the beaks should work out how to best sell a product which has produced the most exciting and entertaining season for decades, and move the game forward, instead of backwards.

The media in Scotland, shamed over its woeful lack of application when the old Rangers crashed and burned, has already, albeit quietly and without much fuss, started a clearout of its own. Darryl King, who hosts a radio show where football fans can phone in and talk about Rangers is off to the USA, no doubt to work on tie ins between wealthy Americans and his beloved Rangers, and the man responsible for some of the worst reporting-both personally and via his staff, James Traynor has written his last newspaper column in the Record today.

Traynors paper, which coined the phrase “succulent lamb”, carried the “wealth off the radar” story about Craig Whyte, and headlined “Thugs and Thieves” about the Celtic players on a night out, has finally done the right thing and allowed the bitter, twisted egomaniac to leave, probably to live in the same retirement institution as that other loon David Leggat.

Traynors last article, strangely enough, doesn’t list his journalistic triumphs after thirty seven years. It fails to record his campaign against the racist, sectarian bile eminating from Ibrox during the home clubs life span, it fails to note his bloodhound like pursuit of the perpetrators of the biggest sporting scandal in Scottish football history, and it doesn’t mention his ruthless campaign to expose and bring to justice those who cheated the taxpayer. Most shamefully, he forgot to mention his campaign to convict all those who threatened Celtic boss Neil Lennon and his family.Funny that.

 

He does, however, praise the Rangers fans, who , in his words  “saved their club”

Er, they didn’t. Its dead. Like his newspaper career.

Actually, thinking about it, I could go on and list his achievements for hours. but he’s gone now. and best forgotten.

If Radio Scotland dump him as well, it will be the best Christmas ever.

Two down, and Hugh Keevins and Keith Jackson must be anxiously checking their wage packet for signs of a P45.

Perhaps someone can put me right on this one. Chuckles Green is about to launch his share issue. didn’t he say money had to be in by the 17th of this month? If so, where is the prospectus?

The Yorkshire Terrier continued to harp on about not joining the SPL, presumably he’ll change his mind when they are asked back, but you get the feeling his wittering is mainly due to the fact that if he didn’t keep on, people would forget all about his club, and just continue to enjoy the new dawn of Scottish football.

Perhaps he has given up? This new video, seems to suggest he will release a Christmas hit instead to raise funds.

CHUCKS  VIDEO

Well done to Desi Mond for that one.

Elsewhere, Anthony Stokes has got himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. He has ended up in a war of words over his visit to an IRA fundraiser, and Tom English, the one good article three bad journo at the Scotsman has challenged him via twitter to sue him if there are any inaccuracies.

Time to step away from the phone, and leave it alone, Tony. Let the clubs legal people deal with the inaccuracies, and stay out of the limelight.

There is , of course, absolutely no suggestion that English wrote the piece to balance his article on Andy Goram a few weeks back. No, none at all.

If you’re looking for a christmas pressie for one of the kids who plays computer football games, why not try Football Manager; Chelsea edition. You get to play it for a week then send it back.

 

Carousel, of course, featured Walk On for the first time, before Gerry and the Pacemakers made it a huge hit. Liverpool fans argue that they sung it first, and we stole it from them. Fancy someone from Liverpool claiming someone else stole something.

Still on songs, where is the tune from “Willie Maley” from?

 

 

 

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Tommy
11 years ago

Matchstick men and matchstick cats and dogs. A song about the painter LS Lowry.

Barga bhoy
11 years ago

Brian and Michael sang it, about lowrys’ style of painting. (matchstalk men and matchstalk cats and dogs)

MarkyBhoy
11 years ago

Mibbees cos I’m an auld —-!

A few of my mates try to go too as many away games as they can. That way they get supporting the team and are generally accompanied by other football obsessives. Therefore in expected scientific fashion I have concluded that, the common denominator is the home support or the distinct lack of it. After much debate it’s clear to me, at least, that the Green Brigade have completely made their point. That being, can we really do without them? We might get away with it if it’s a celebrity night because then you can be assured of a full house. But if OK’s not there then, guaranteed, thousands will be in the house watching the game via frontrowsports. Preparing their complaints and getting ready to agree with Chic and join Jabba’s wingeathon.
I still love going to Paradise to see the tic but once I’m inside I find myself surrounded by greetin faced towie types that I could easily stab in the face!

11 years ago

Roman Ambramovich: Proof that (real) wealth off the radar does not lead to common sense. The waiter now Oh-fer-three …

Lenny Bruce
11 years ago

Ralph. Saturday’s diary’s snidey swipe. was way out of line. You know the one I mean. Very poor.

Estadio
11 years ago

As we all know L S lowry was born on 1st Nov 1887. Celtic were born on 6th November 1887. Willie Maley outdates and outlives some tuneless mancunians that stole his song, originally sung in 28th August 1901 in a visit to Manchester by TGFITW and commemorated in Lowry’s ‘football match’ two years before he died.

Hail hail

Estadio

scholzybhoy
11 years ago

cheers for that video. av just after two months of hummin that bastardin tune aw day an aw night managed to shake it and then come on tae catch up wae the diary and boof heeeeeeyyyyy sexy laaaadyyyy ! away a go again !

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