The post split fixtures have been announced, and it looks like we will have to wait until the last day of the season to see the presentation of the League trophy.
The full list of games is:
Sat, Apr 19 Motherwell (A) 12:45pm
Sun, Apr 27 Inverness Caley Thistle (H) 3pm
Sat, May 3 Aberdeen (H) 3pm
Wed, May 7 St Johnstone (A) 7:45pm
Sun, May 11 Dundee United (H) 12:15pm
The Motherwell and Dundee Utd games will be live on Sky, and although its not official yet, the odds are that they will want to cover the ceremony, and so it will have to be on May 11, nearly two months after the Celts actually won the thing.
The players will need a rest after all the laps of honour they’ve had to do.
Well, it had to happen one day, a good article has appeared in the Record, from gordon Parks, who points out the stupidity of the SFA where the charges against Leigh Griffiths are concerned.
The article also points out the double standards at the SFA;
There are far too many double standards in Scottish football. Somehow, the conviction of St Mirren’s Paul McGowan for assaulting two policemen escapes Lunny’s attention yet the sensibilities of the SFA are breached by Griffiths’s daft sing song.
Finally, the rest of the football world is waking up to what we’ve known all along. The rules are different for Celtic players.
There is talk that Celtic could make a move for 35 year old Damien Duff in the summer, as the Fulham veteran is out of contract, and will miss the rest of the season through injury, which makes you wonder why anybody, let alone Celtic, would gamble on him.
Jack Beresford, writing on the Ladbrokes site, thinks differently;
” Duff would most likely operate as cover for Neil Lennon’s squad and given his history of reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League with Chelsea, his experience could prove useful, with the Bhoys eager to improve their performances in Europe.
Acting as a Ryan Giggs-like figure at the club, Duff may represent a short-term solution for the Hoops, but it could prove an astute move for a club keen to show financial restraint where possible. ”
As the transfer window gets closer, there will be more stories and speculation, but its going to be hard to surpass this one for being complete and groundless fantasy.
One that might have a bit more to it comes from the Herald;
” THE Argentinian Fernando Monetti is one of several goalkeepers being monitored by Celtic in the knowledge they could lose the England internationalist Fraser Forster in the summer.
THE PROFILE FOR FERNANDO MONETTI
 © unbekannt |
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The Parkhead side had a scout at the Argentinian Premier Division match between Gimnasia and Velez Sarsfield to watch the highly-rated 25-year-old. The Gimnasia goalkeeper has been linked with a move to Boca Juniors, but would prefer a move to Europe. ”
The dual nationality would help him to get a work permit, and he is apparently third choice keeper for Argentina. Probably about to be capped to stop him playing for Italy. Which sort of knackers the work permit theory.
Ally McCoist has leapt to the defence of “Elbows ” McCulloch, who Beram Kayal described as a dirty player in an interview with an Israeli paper-mentioned in yesterdays diary ( probably the only thing we got right yesterday, after Lawwells comments on season book renewals were revealed to be a cruel hoax. Its a good job the diary hasn’t got any credibility to destroy. )
Mccoist countered with;
“Anybody who knows Lee, knows he is not a dirty player.
“I don’t think he is a dirty player at all. I can’t even remember the tackle or the incident.
“I defend my player and my skipper against any comments like that.
“With the greatest respect to Kayal, I would have the Old Firm games down as quite tame in comparison to some of the previous Old Firm games.
“I am not sure he would have enjoyed playing with Bertie Auld (former Celtic midfielder) and John Greig (former Rangers captain) in some of those Old Firm games, that would maybe have been a wee eye opener for him.
“But as I say, I would need to defend my player. He is not a dirty player at all and we are delighted with the skipper, the way he handles himself on and off the park.”
This young fellow looks delighted to meet him;
McCoist , as usual , defending the indefensible by saying he can’t even remember the tackle. Adding “to be honest ” to the beginning of a sentence usually means honesty is the last thing that will be contained within.
As does adding the name Ally McCoist to a statement.
His club are preparing for the Ramsdens Cup final-which is part of a possible “unprecedented treble “-( Matt Lindsay ) , and have appealed for supporters to get behind them. In fact, they need a few to push the team bus over to Edinburgh as they can’t afford to put diesel in.
Having failed to shift Neil Lennon from his post as Celtic manager, the press have shifted their campaign on to assistant boss Johann Mjallby. Well, the Express has, which doesn’t really count as the press;
Mjallby keen to boss in Sweden
JOHAN MJALLBY wants to step out of the shadows of Neil Lennon at Celtic and become a manager in his own right.
The 43-year-old has been Lennon’s assistant for four years and helped steer the Hoops to their third consecutive league title this season.
Mjallby is content to remain at Parkhead in the immediate future but would eventually like to have a crack at being a boss, especially in his native Sweden with the nationally or former club AIK.
Which, of course , would have made a far less interesting story.
He said: “It would excite me in the future to lead my own team, but right now I’m satisfied with the situation in Celtic.
“I would move back to Sweden to work as a head coach of a team.
“I can always imagine working for the national team. I follow them very carefully.
“So if I were to be asked I would definitely consider it.
As, indeed, I would consider spending an evening with pop songstress Shakira, if I were to be asked.
“I would also definitely be able to imagine managing AIK. But I would not say ‘yes’ today.
“I’m always associated with AIK but many people forget that I have worked longer at Celtic.
“But if you work as a coach you have to be ready to work anywhere.”
Yet again, it sems like a few loaded questions to try to get a story, and when that didn’t materialise, writer Scott Burns just went for it anyway.
Peter Latchford was the correct conclusion drawn from the pictures on view yesterday. Today, who is this former player ?
Barney Battles.
Pensioner bhoy taught the fella at high school so he did
tlt
Hey, there weren’t high schools when I was teaching. I just sat on a mount and gave lectures before going for a walk on the Firth of Clyde for loads a’ fish. It was a heavy cross to bear for a young fella but Simon was aye around to give a hand on the Roman roads.
H H
Barney battels
Ah …I see what you’ve done there………………… it’s Lee McCoulloch
Gay Dinosaur Bannockburn?
I’ll admit I fell big stylee for that so-called PL statement yesterday and vented my rage forthwith. But, the fact of the matter is that it is a reality (without the public PL endorsements) which is highly likely to occur next year come August or whenever. Is there some kind of plan of action for Celtic fans to be allowed to air their views on this matter? I’m quite sure a lot of folk (including fans of other SPL teams) would be more than interested in some kind of boycott action (at Ibrox,not at your own ground silly).
We can’t just roll over and have our tummies tickled on this issue. The SFA and the meeja have turned a blind eye to the financial doping shenanigans of the last 25 years or so. That’s not going to happen with supporters and, if Regan & Co want to talk about a real ‘crisis’ for Scottish football then I am sure we can help deliver the armaggedon scenario they so confidently predicted 2 years ago.
Fat Salle defending Elbows.
Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
One sleekit coward defending another sleekit coward.
Suckered into yesterdays blog, how gullible eh, but still nowhere near as gullible as your everyday sevco zombie monkey bstd. I’m naw being caught oot today tho with that utter pish aboot Damian Duff coming tae CELTIC, please tell me its utter pish..HAIL HAIL, KTF+
I have read somewhere that D. Duff is extending his contract at QPR.
Thank God.
HH
Good diary,Ralph.
Talking about April fools,did Kayal get the dates mixes up.He should be appearing at the Comedy Club,if he thinks he can get
a move to liverpool or man u.
The only truth he talks,is elbows two footed lunge on him.Kayal
is not good enough to get a game in our midfield.So he will be no loss.Here’s hoping somebody wants him.
Latest player Celtic are monitoring,is a spaniard called soriano,
who plays for Salsburg.His goal stats for last 2 seasons,amounts
to a goal a game,and has scored a few in Europa league.
Could this be our 5M striker?
Good April fool. Hook, line and sinker. Does anyone think that Duff will have more of an impact than Ljungberg?
Based purely on the last photo. Lee McCulloch
I remember after that ”tackle” him rolling about looking for the medics in order not to get sent off. WHAT A MAN. Hold on a minute though, it’s the Tic he was playing so no red or yellow for him. Just the big line down the back of the dirty bastard.
HH
Fat Sally and Elbows – 2 sleekit cheeks on the same cowardly arse.
Doc,
Duff would have more of an impact than Boerrigter.Which wouldn’t be hard.For 2 seasons Duff could do a job for us.Especially as Forrest cannot shake off injuries,which puts
his future in doubt.
Duff’s experience ( like Giggs ) would be invaluable for our
young players.
Duff is experienced but I think we’ve been stung too often paying top money for seasoned Premiership guys that aren’t up to scratch. Maybe it’s the perception, down south, that the SPFL is a diddy league that these guys think playing for Celtic will be life on easy street/semi-retirement.
Lennon has to have a serious word with Boerrigter (or a kick in the backside). He still looks like he’s just arrived, there’s very little interaction with the rest of the team, he plays within himself and just doesn’t seem aware of his team mates, whether the’re running into space or stepping off a defender, Boerrigter just can’t seem to link up with them which is a shame because he hasn’t looked bad, technicslly, in the little game time he’s had.
Purpleheided warrior
“I can’t even remember the tackle or the incident” says fatboy Mccoist and he then says “I defend my player and my skipper against any comments like that”.
So he didn’t see it but feels perfectly capable of defending the player, this is from the same school of thought that demanded to know who were on the decision making panel when he already knew who they were! Feckin eejit
???
Duff is duff. endof.
HAIL HAIL N aw that !!!!!!!!
Ralph
I think it is time for my agent to get Celtic to sign me. I would be invaluable to the young players teaching them how to get pissed and bring the game into disrepute. What the hell is this Duff thing. I grant you it could never be disputed he is a left footer as he doesn’t even know he has a right one, but to turn Parkhead into a care home and a residence for the terminally wounded is taking the Walfrid ethic a bit too far.
Pitty McCulloch didn’t elbow his manager. What a mouthful he could come out with then. Either that or it might help block the absolute tripe that gushes out his orifice. One can imagine a clash between the two could only improve looks all round – though Ally already is all round.
I was too late to comment on yesterday’s diary and could not have done so given your embarrassment. Imagine thinking Peter Lawwell could ever say anything like what you printed. After all, we are talking of a man who respects the fans, is right behind the GB, has been unequivocally vociferous about the corruption that dogs, sorry rules, Scottish football, openly and unyieldingly stood against any deals with a new club and makes incomparable offers to supporters while capping his bonuses. But Peter is an honourable man – and I am Mark Anthony. Ach, it made for good reading and another chance to be just myself – an angry old man! The leg pulling was a bit on the sore side mind. At my age, it is sore trying to pull anything.
As for the player of my generation, at least according to tlt, I do remember my father talk about him just after I got my teacher’s diploma. Apparently he was a “battler”. However, he could not battle a illness that took many young lives in the early 20th century, pneumonia. Sadly he was only 30 when he died. May he rest in peace.
H H