More good news again today as Victor Wanyama, the Kenyan Fenian, has made up his mind what he wants to do next season. His agent hinted at this a couple of weeks ago, but now the big man has come out and said it.
“I love it here at Celtic, so I’ll be here next season. I still have a contract with Celtic and I’m happy at the club, so I think I’ll still be here.We want to do better than this season so, if we can get the treble next season, it will be a very good achievement for me. Thats my dream for next season. also, playing in the Champions League again.”
Wanyama was speaking after being nimnated for the PFA Young Player of the Year in Scotland, which is a consolation for being pipped by Michael Higdon, Niall McGinn, Andrew Shinnie and Leigh Griffiths for the Player of the Year nominations.
I know, you work it out. Its beyond me. Wanyama is the only Celt in either list, as the other Young nominees are Gary Mackay Steven , Stuart Armstrong, (both Dundee Utd), and Leigh Griffiths again.
Wanyama was pleased and proud to be on the list;
“It means a lot to me, I’ve had a good season. I’m very grateful and I want to thank my team mates for giving me the chance to be here. For me, as a player, I believe that football is a game of learning. The more you play, the more you learn.”
He did, however , express surprise at being the only Celt to have been nominated;
“I’m very surprised because, looking at my team mates, they have had a very good season, and the team has had a good season. There are a lot of players individually who have had a very good season and I’m just gutted that they’re not here with me.”
“If only we had a strong Rangers in the SPL, they might have been ”
Alright, I made the last bit up.
Thomas Rogne , however, has declared his frustration at not playing regularly, and will use the summers European U-21 championship to put himself in the shop window;
“This is not something I want to talk about ” he sulked when asked about his contract situation.
But he did, nonetheless;
“The last time we talked about an extension was one year ago. Then, we didn’t reach an agreement about something. (his medical bills, presumably). That is not a problem for me,. I am concentrating on playing football, and we got a European Championship coming up, and I look forward to that. There are many good teams, good players and many clubs in the stands. If you play and convince them , doors can open for you.”
Unfortunately for Rogne, the only door which opened for him at Celtic, was the one leading to the treatment room. He won’t miss Celtic, as the only pal he has there is fellow invalid James Forrest, though he did get on well with the doctors.
Rogne is not a bad player, just fragile, and we wish him well.
A late free kick from James Keatings gave the under 20 side a 1-0 win at Inverness yesterday, and landed the youngsters their fourth consecutive title.
Coach Stevie Frail was relieved and delighted, saying;
“If you win any league at any level you deserve it because you have to be consistent over the season, and we deserve it, just like the previous ones we’ve won. ”
So there.
Santos Laguna-Celtics “brother ” club in Mexico, drew 0-0 in their home leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final against a Monterrey side reduced to ten men.
Monterrey were looking for their third straight win in the tournament, so Santos have done quite well. An away goal would help in the return, which is in Monterrey on May 1.
Dundee Utd have told suitors of forward Johnny Russell-i.e. Celtic, that he’s not going to be cheap. The Tayside club turned down a £450,000 offer from one lesser known European side, declaring that they had made a considerable investment in Russell, and deserved to be fully recompensed.
Which is difficult to argue with. Russell has said he wants away, but clubs will have to meet Dundee Utds valuation, and hopefully it will be the first of many times when a Scots club holds out for decent money. The SPL has been a site of plunder for mid level English sides for too long, and whilst the EPL players are ridiculously overpriced, its fair to say that SPL stars are equally underpriced.
Since the Goon Show finished back in the sixties, good radio comedy has been hard to find, but John Brown and Tom English combined on Radio Scotland last night to suggest they may have a future together on the airwaves.
Brown was clearly being goaded by English to talk about the crisis at New Rangers-and he did let a few things out of the bag-whilst English was being blamed for not doing his job properly.
(Where have we heard that before?)
The more Brown ranted, the more people he incriminated in the shady goings on at Scotlands newest senior club, which seems to be carrying on the tradtion of the old one it replaced when it comes to financial affairs.
Brown claims to have told Walter Smith and Ally McCoist what he knew-i.e. Green was at it, though he gave few details, and the two staunch, loyal Rangers men ignored him, staying loyal only to their wallets, it seems.
He also told James Traynor, former sports editor at the Daily Record, what he knew. And he was ignored again, which is hardly surprising, as just days later, Traynor waddled off to a job in PR for the new club.
Brown, like him or loathe him, is at least honest. He obviously loves his club, and feels let down by people he thought were of the same mind as him. He isn’t the brightest bulb in the box, but he could yet prove to be the man helps bring down the Second Rangers FC, which should be fun to watch over the summer.
Worthington Group, who have now done some due diligence on the club, have called in the Serious Fraud Office to look at one or two things they have discovered. The SFO, unlike the similar sounding SFA, will actually do something about this rotten, corrupt entity that is threatening to destroy the game in Scotland. Meaning Rangers, of course, not the SFA, though the description fits both.
Charles Green has disappeared, Craig Whyte is nowhere to be found, and the dynamic duo of Smith and McCoist are hiding under the table hoping it all goes away.
It won’t. This is the nuclear bit we were all waiting for.
Sean Fallon was the only one of the four captains listed yesterday who didn’t win any silver ware during his tenure.
Danny McGrain, Pat Bonner, Paul McStay and Bobby Lennox. Four more stalwarts, but three of them differ from one in one respect. Who is the one, and why?
Easy, Pat Bonner is the only goalie!
Bobby Lennox won the big cup.
ones irish ?
ones fae saltcoats ?
and ones got a beard !
Bobby Lennox never played in a World Cup
lennox is the best player we have ever had
Lennox less than 50 caps
Paul McStay – he played for Celtic during 2 different decades whereas the others all played for the club in 3 different decades.
Paul McStay is the only one who doesn’t have a double “N” that is nn in their name ?
Bonner never scored for Celtic ?
They all captained their country but Lennox never captained Celtic ?
They all broke their leg apart from Pat Bonner whilst playing for Celtic ?
Oh I dunno !
Bobby lennox is the only one not to have played his whole career at Celtic.
Summit to do with testimonials? Packie’s was the only one played against a country (the Republic obviously). I always recall this game as it turned into a farewell for Paul Elliott who was practically dragged into the Jungle in a last-gasp attempt to keep him at the club!
Never mind jelly & ice-cream, it is an eternal buffet we shall be dining out on when the Fraud Squad and BDO really get stuck into the zombies (oops, I might have made fat Sally privately seethe with that jibe).
Some brilliant answers again, but nobody has got it yet.
Lennox was the only one not signed up to the club by Sean Fallon?
Bobby was only one not managed by Big Billy ?
Ralph
The diary was a cracker today AND SO WAS MY COMMENT. But guess what? Ye’re right. I have had to call in the FSO to investigate my missing treasures. You had better get running, mate, and leave that bag of intellectual and witty swag you nicked behind, please.
This could be my epitaph:
“Here lies a constant trier.
Whose comments were quite dire.
Ralph’s blogs he often smeared,
So his posts just disappeared.”
Quiz: Bobby never properly recognised at International (10 caps) level just like Jinky (23 – what an insult) and many other Celts of that era. The rest had 50+ caps.
H H (Here’s Hoping)
Gotcha!!!!!
Lennox is the only one that owns a town n Dunbartonshire!
Just got letter from celtic to say there moving a load of us from our seats in sections 141,142,143,144 the back 2 rows to put in a disabled section this is the people that took up season books when first section of stadium was built and have remained loyal. I know the disabled need a space but makes you mad when you see this season the empty spaces that’s been in the stadium. Just off phone to them and can’t give 4 off us that sit together all the time other seats together just told to wait till after deadline they wii contact us. Think it will be 4 fans lost.
Sorry 141 not included
Lennox, McGrain and McStay all had their testimonials against Manchester United.
Now that is what I call a well thought out answer, Andy. If it is wrong then Ralph deserves to be sent to the SFA. Why? No justice there either.
H H
Bonner was the only one who didn’t begin his career at Celtic. The others came through the youth teams.
The Maestro was the only one not signed by Mr Stein
pensioner bhoy…i ask you were you Davitt???? eh eh eh eh eh cmon nooo!!!!!!!!!!