Celtic Diary Sunday April 27 : Celtic v Inverness Preview

Theres four games left of the current campaign, eighty-nine points in the bag, and Charlie Mulgrew wants the magic ton as a going away present for Johan Mjallby.

Which has annoyed the big Swede, who has ran out of aftershave, having used up the ones he got for christmas.

The quest for one hundred points starts today, and utility man Mulgrew is up for the ton;

“That would be great, that would be the aim,” he said. “We’ll just need to do our best to win all the games but we will take each game as it comes and hope to win that first.

“Inverness have been good this season. They are always tough and strong and I’m sure they will be ready for it on Sunday again.”

He went on to acknowledge Mjallbys contribution to his own game;

“He had a big influence on me when I first played at centre-half after not having played a lot of football there in my career, He was such a great centre-half himself so he was a big help and passed on his advice. And he’s always involved. He’s always at the training pitch taking sessions and passing on his ideas, especially to the defenders.

“It’s disappointing [that he’s leaving] but I’m sure he thought long and hard about it and it’s the best decision for him. It’s a big job, and whoever comes in will have a big role to play. But I’m sure the manager will pick the person for the job and I’m sure he’ll be ready to come in and help us out.”

Rene Mullenstein, once of Manchester United is in the frame to replace him.

He’s been around a bit, most recently at Fulham, but has never excelled as a manager. He may well bring some fresh ideas to the table. But its not an appointment to get the juices flowing.

Mulgrew is back in the squad today, and with the inevitable dip in form the side has endured since securing the league he wants to put us back on track.

Well, so he should.

Manager Neil Lennon has Mulgrew and Adam Matthews available after injury, but the usual suspects of Derk Boerrigter and James Forrest are both still out. And Beram Kayal is fit as well, despite playing last week.

Lennon said;

“We’re playing well,” he said. “We’re playing with a bit of verve and particularly going forward, we’re looking very good.

“We’ve got four games to go and we need to win all four. It would be a nice marker to finish the season with.

“We’re playing a good brand of football and most people would agree with that, even our harshest critics.

“We scored 92 goals last season and we’re on 85 this year with four games to go, so even the 100-goal target is not beyond us.”

Inverness boss John Hughes dropped a hint that his side will play ten at the back when he admitted Inverness had been too open in previous meetings;

“We felt at that time that we were in good form and could go down there and play an open game.

“It backfired on us, so we have to be more cautious in our approach and how we go about the game, in order to keep ourselves in the match.

“But I have to say, although Celtic beat us by five and they were worthy winners, some of the goals we lost that day were poor goals, very uncharacteristic of us.

“Hopefully, we have had our shot of giving away sloppy goals and we will be more solid, resolute, and try to let Celtic know they have been in a game.”

Sounds like the referee will be busy.

There will be a minutes applause before the game in respect to  Tito Villanova and Sandy Jardine, who both died last week. For anyone who doesn’t want to participate, its their choice, but it kind of makes you look like a bigot;

And I’d like to think we are all above that.

John Hughes, the man known as Yogi Bear to supporters in the late sixties and early seventies, has spoken of his five year battle with cancer, and how only after he had beaten it, his son told him just how close he had been to death;

“It came as a real shock to find out how close I was to death. I was more than a little astounded.

“It’s the first time I was totally aware of the severe state of my condition. It is very humbling to be here to be able to relate this story today.”

He added: “My son Martin is a consultant at Glasgow’s Royal Infirmary and it’s only recently that he told me how slim my chances were of pulling through.

“He was aware I had a survival chance of 25 per cent but decided not to tell me.

“I remained positive throughout my treatment and, thankfully, made a full recovery.

“But I may not have been so optimistic had I known the complete truth. Martin did me a huge favour by keeping me in the dark.

“Who would react with positivity if you thought your chances of pulling through were so slim?

“Had I been informed at the time, I’m not sure I would have had the strength or the stubbornness to survive. Martin made the right call.”

“I’ve had my fair share of heartaches and disappointments but this was something else.

“I tried to take it all in as a fog settled on my brain.

“Martin and Mr McKenzie were having a discussion but I didn’t have a clue what was being said. All I knew is that I had been diagnosed with cancer. But I was determined to beat it.”

That was in 2008. He had an intensive programme of chemotherapy – losing all his hair and teeth – and also had to endure lengthy stays in hospital.

John underwent several surgical procedures including an operation to widen his throat to allow him to eat – as it had narrowed during his chemo and radiotherapy.

He recalled: “Those were five long and harrowing years. I had radiotherapy five days a week over the course of almost two months. That was absolute torture.

“I had to wear a mask moulded to fit my face while the docs concentrated on the affected area. Eventually, I lost all my teeth.

“That was the least of my problems. I also shed over four stone. Yet, in my ignorance, at no stage did I believe I was on the way out – not even at my lowest point.

“I had a belief I was going to survive. I can’t put it down to anything else other than inbuilt stubbornness.

“My life turned upside down in those five years. However, the kindness of my family and those in the medical profession will never be forgotten.”

He’s got a book out, “Yogi Bare “, which sounds like one of the more honest biographies.

Meanwhile, the fallout from the release of financial figures over at Second rangers continues.. Neil Lennon has been accused of taunting the new club, but to be fair, he only pointed out the obvious;

In the report, Ibrox CEO Graham Wallace outlined a plan to be SPL champions within three years.. Honest, he did.

Lennon , when asked, because journalists seem to think any of us give a flying feck about the new kids on the block, was honest in his assessment;

It’s certainly ambitious.

“If they do make the SPFL in a year or two’s time, maybe they will be looking to mount a challenge.

“Whether they can do that or not, I don’t know.

“I’m not really up to speed on the review. I’ve not seen it. I don’t know what state their finances are in at the minute.

“But they’ll certainly have a bit to go to catch us because we are pretty strong.

“We’re not in any rush to relinquish the title just yet.”

Soon be time for Dave King to make an appearance-or perhaps he’s a little too busy at the moment. The Herald slipped this in, but didn’t elaborate;

the tax guys in South Africa are now chasing Mr. King for his previous 12 years tax returns, which are still to be submitted and nothing paid to date.

Reports in the South African press last weekend indicate that the tax authorities there are losing patience with Mr. King, and seem to feel he is reneging on his promise ( at trial ) to submit his outstanding tax returns for the past 12 years. These remain outstanding despite his lawyers’ promises of these being submitted ” expeditiously “. Given past experience the amount required to be paid will be very substantial or it will be back to the courts again. 

And then the Sunday Mail today has this…

A police probe has been launched after Rangers chief executive Graham Wallace was accused of ­misleading shareholders over the club’s finances.

Only the shareholders ?

Banker Phil Maher, an Ibrox shareholder, complained about comments made by Wallace at the club’s annual general ­meeting in December.

He claims Wallace insisted the club had enough funds in place to operate until May – but the board took out a £1.5million emergency loan two months later.

Police Scotland are now looking into whether the Companies Act has been breached. Rangers yesterday said his
complaint “has no grounds”.

Ironic. Soon Rangers won’t have a ground either.

Yesterday, Glaswegian Maher, who is managing director of the investments arm of a multinational bank, said: “I can confirm I have made a complaint that is being investigated by police.

“As a shareholder and lifelong Rangers fan, I’m appalled at the financial ­mismanagement we continue to witness and extremely disappointed that I have felt the need to take this course of action.”

He implies that its still the same club. Not an investment manager I’ll be using, as he doesn’t seem to understand liquidation.

Many of the club’s officials were booed and jeered at the AGM, which was held in the open air at Ibrox on December 19 and attended by almost 2000 shareholders.

Finance director Brian Stockbridge bore the brunt of fan fury for presiding over losses of £14.3million while taking a salary and bonus package of about £400,000.

Stockbridge, who left the club the next month, was booed every time he spoke.

Or applauded. Depending on where you were sitting.

Despite Wallace saying there was enough money to last more than five months, secured loans were arranged in February from two parties – £500,000 from shareholder Sandy Easdale and £1million from hedge fund firm Laxey Partners.

Trading while insolvent? They have form for that sort of thing.

Maher said: “Mr Wallace stated the company had sufficient working capital to see them through until the end of the season, when season ticket renewals were received by the company in May.

He might have been a little optimistic with the season book forecasts. One source says they have sold just over a thousand so far…

“Ten weeks later, the ­company announced they had raised £1.5million in the form of loans from two parties – Laxey ­Partners and Mr Easdale – both of which were secured against property.”

Maher claims the chief executive’s ­statement misled shareholders and breached section 172 of the Companies Act 2006.

He added: “Given my financial background, I am astounded that a chief executive would ­represent to shareholders that the company had sufficient ­working capital in December and ­subsequently need to raise ­emergency finance in February.

“If there was any ambiguity about the cash flow of the business, it was his responsibility to inform shareholders at the time of the AGM.”

Ah, but then you would have all shouted at him.

One month after the loan was taken out, Wallace and the Ibrox board switched the Laxey loan to Rangers shareholder George Letham at a ­heavily reduced interest rate.

Laxey stood to make £150,000 in either interest or shares. That payment dropped to £45,000 with Letham.

It doesn’t matter how much it is. The poor sod is unlikely to see it. Still, he’ll get a car park.

The loan, to help cashflow issues, is secured against Edmiston House and Albion car park, next to Ibrox stadium. Easdale’s loan is interest free.

The police investigation can be revealed days after Rangers admitted spending £70million in just two years.

The investigation into Maher’s ­complaint is being carried out by the Police Scotland economic crime unit based at the Scottish Crime Campus in Gartcosh, Lanarkshire.

A force spokeswoman said: “We can confirm we have received a complaint which is currently being assessed to establish if there is any ­criminality.

“It is an allegation of a ­contravention of the Companies Act.”

On Friday, Wallace revealed that cash-strapped Rangers spent almost £70million in the last 18 months and must raise £30million more to survive.

He also admitted the club could go to the wall if fans refuse to buy season tickets.

And they are only taking cash….. surely the writing is on the wall even for the most gullible fan.

The situation is so serious that fans must now pay for the passes up front with cash only after payment providers First Data Solutions demanded full ­security in return for their services.

Why not offer Ibrox as security-oh wait, they can’t. Its obviously not theirs.

Supporters won’t be able to pay in instalments or with debit or credit cards because Rangers refused the firm’s
demand for guarantees, which, it’s claimed, was first raised in January.

But Wallace claimed on Friday, in the wake of his 120-day business review, that the firm had made the demand after businessman Dave King, who wants to take over the club, called for a season ticket boycott the following month.

The shock news came in a “business review” produced by Wallace for the Stock Exchange. Staff redundancies are expected to be part of the savings ­package but directors have refused to say if they have pocketed bonuses.

They don’t need to say it. I think we can guess.

Rangers said yesterday: “Mr Wallace has no knowledge of a complaint, which, if put to the club, has no grounds.

“The outcome of Mr Wallace’s business review gave a comprehensive overview of the circumstances surrounding his arrival at the club and the financial assumptions made at the time.”

Technically , he could argue that he was telling the truth at the time, anything else would be difficult to prove. But the cracks are appearing, and it won’t be long before the place falls down. 

Chris Eagles, who has been left out of the Bolton team for a couple of months , will be available on a free in the summer, and his is reportedly interesting Celtic and Burnley. Eagles, who was once of Manchester United has seen his career stall, and would probably be interested in coming to Glasgow.

His career has stalled , however, because he’s no bloody good,and hopefully we give this one a wide berth.

We keep sending scouts to Benfica, but nothing concrete has emerged yet, and if we don’t hurry up, nothing will.

Wayne Rooney was at Ibrox watching his pal Roy Keane, completely incognito and minding his own business. He gave no clues as to whether he fancied joining Celtic, and to be fair its unlikely now. His wage is roughly the same as our transfer budget, which sort of rules out a move.

Who is this sitting in the dug out with one of the Laudrups ?