Celtic Diary Saturday July 6

Gary Hooper may well have dropped a wee hint about where he intends to play football this season. The English striker may not have accepted a new deal yet, but spoke of his targets for the coming year;

” I want to beat my tally from last season, thats the aim because I’ve done it every season. I also have to get 20 or more league goals because I didn’t get it just there, i only got 19. I want to play in the Champions League again, get into the group stages and get that feeling again. I know I wasn’t playing in the game against Barcelona but it was still amazing. We also want to retain the title as obviously the league is still our priority. ”

Manager Lennon also praised the attitude of Hooper;

” I haven’t seen a change ion attitude from Gary and I haven’t had to speak to him. We knocked back £6m for him in January so we won’t be bullied by big money offers for any of the players. We have a team full of prized assets here, we’re comfortable with our valuations and if they are not met we are not in desperate need to sell them. But Garys been brilliant and we’re hoping he gets ninety minutes against Cluj. ”

Celtic will face the Romanian side later today in Germany, Premier Sports start their coverage at 4.55, and precede the game with a re-run of the Sevastopol friendly, which shows you that no-one at the station watched the game first time round. Celtic Tv are also showing it, and google can expect a huge hit round about half past four.

” More than just a club, and more than just a football team ” boasts their official website, which isn’t exactly original, but Cluj, since appearing in the Romanian top league have become the most well known side from their part of the world after recent champions league appearances and endless jokes about their name. Aah, the British obsession with toilet humour.

according to the website, its all down to sound financial management, and buying in foreign stars with experience, on the cheap, before moving them on. Sounds somehow vaguely familiar..

However, this is no team of mugs, and it will provide a stiff test for Celtic today, and it might even turn out to be a good game.

A quick glance at their current squad doesn’t reveal any familiar names, but shows that they do have some familiar haircuts.

Which, of course, you would never see at Celtic.

Whatever happened to the days when footballers were called Fred, Bert and Alf and haircuts were done with a razor blade and a hacksaw ?

Today, the BBC are making a wildlife documentary in Glasgow, and they are out to observe a particular form of life which only emerges at this time of year.

This unique breed surfaces onto the streets, and swarms around city centres emitting unusual and offensive noises whilst  simultaneously doing its utmost to cause as much distress to the natural environment. The male is usually noticeable by the bright orange plumage which is designed to attract the female in a bizarre mating ritual, in which the male displays a combination of arrogance, ignorance and also , when in a state of high excitement, presumably brought on by the unaccustomed physical effort of moving around outdoors, emits a nauseating stench which has been known to induce vomiting in casual observers.

All this , of course, is designed to attract the female of the species, although frankly you wonder why they bother.

Still, theres always the top prize to aim for, which is the Miss Orange 2013 title. The current holder has retired to concentrate on frightening children.

Think I’ll give breakfast a miss this morning.

Theres a walk near you somewhere today. Be careful. don’t antagonise the creatures. Instead, click on this link.

glasgow-city-council-stop-allowing-orange-walks-in-glasgow-city-centre (1)

Total signatures have doubled in the last few days. No doubt after todays marches, a few more will be added.

Remember, its only a short step from this

to this

Know what ? I’m not even sure I got them in the right order. Oops -theres the word they have in common…

Of course, everyone should be allowed the right to express their cultures, their traditions and their history. Thats fine. but not at the expense of  causing distress or harm, or even offence to others.

The BBC will be releasing the documentary soon.

Enjoy your weekend.

Lou Macari was the man who predicted that John Hansen would have a losers medal, which is why he still uses the Racing Post to pick his horses. Well done, amongst others to Pensionerbhoy, and thanks to him for his wee story about the game.

Who only ever heard the first two lines of the sash, because after that “we had usually scored ” ?