Yesterday turned out to be a long day. A truck on the M62 shed its load of chickens and caused havoc. Apparently they were on their way back from Anfield where Brendan Rodgers  had been counting them for a few weeks.

The first move in the expected -by the press, anyway-bidding war for Virgil van dijk was made yesterday. Dynamo moscow have seemingly told Celtic to name their price for the Dutch defender, and as soon as the board stop singing , dancing and cutting the hair off the lad who serves the drink, we might well come up with a figure…

Normally, a move to Russia wouldn’t appeal to any player, especially with the Russians making noises about moving deeper in Europe themselves, but with Dutch international Douglas, born in Brazil, hence half a name, already occupying one of the centre half berths at Dynamo, it might actually turn van Dijks head.

Money, international football….

Or it could be bollocks, as it was in the Express.

But they picked it up from the badly spelt Voetbal International, which is a little more respected than the Express, who in turn, its almost certain, will have had the nod from Henk Maarten Chin, who is the big mans agent, currently planning an extension to his house and a heated pool.

Its going to be a long summer…….

Neil Lennon is still the subject of speculation around the Norwich job, despite the sensible money being on Malky Mackay being named as boss -possibly even this week.

Unless you believe the Daily Mail, that is, who just in case there was something in the Mirror story yesterday, don’t want to be left out;

Neil Lennon open to Norwich switch… but Celtic boss

wants Canaries to approach him

• Neil Lennon keen to test himself south of the border
• Caretaker manager Neil Adams would return to academy role
• Malky Mackay would prefer to stay in the Premier League         

‘There’s going to be a bit of to-ing and fro-ing over the next few weeks,’ Lennon said. ‘When I’m asked I say I am pretty happy where I am. I’m pretty stable.

‘There has been no offer, there has been no concrete phonecall or anything like that, so I haven’t really had a decision to make on it.’

 Perhaps a decision to stay at Celtic made public would put an end to all this nonsense, and stop me worrying about Owen Coyle being offered the job. If Lennon is even considering moving to Norwich then something must be going wrong at Celtic.

 We tend to dismiss press speculation when its something we don’t agree with, and when something comes along that we would find encouraging, we sort of suspend disbelief. Inside Futbol, another badly spelt source (why don’t they take a little bit of time to check these little things?  asked the author of the Celtic Dairy  ) has this;

Iceland striker Alfred Finnbogasson has put Celtic and Newcastle United on high alert after he revealed that he is planning to leave Dutch side Heerenveen this summer. 

” I do not think a top club in the Netherlands can pay what Heerenveen want, so I think I’m going to go abroad, ” he said.

 Can or will ? If he’s interested, then we should at least try to get him. But if Newcastle are the only other club looking at him seriously, then he’s probably shite. That lot have absolutely no idea what to look for in a player.

All this pontificating and rumour could actually be a part of a cunning plan. See, the summers just beginning, and I’m still the kid who runs out early in the morning with a ball tucked under my arm knowing that six or so weeks of playing football is all I am going to be doing. Theres no optimism like the early summer optimism, and maybe, just maybe mind, Neil Lennon is using the Norwich non offer to prompt Lawwell into making Celtic a big club on the field again.

 We’ve a more than decent squad at the moment, and with a couple of additions, assuming no-one leaves, there is a chance to make a real mark on Europe.

 Maybe Finnboggasson, and perhaps Snodgrass are going to be Lennons price to stay….and who knows, maybe thats what will happen.

 The club also have their eye on an attacking midfielder;

Celtic target Nancy midfielder Jeff Louis

Just to clarify, Nancy is his club, and not a reflection on his social life. and it wouldn’t matter if it was.

Bearing in mind how close one or two of the Sevilla players seem to be, after winning the Europa League last night;

Louis is described as an attacker by some, and a midfielder by others. Make your own mind up from this, Nancy v Le havre , back in February.

perfect hat trick

Mine is made up. Alfred who ?

Another friendly has been announced, this time its against Tottenham and it will be in Finland, which has links to both clubs. If you look hard enough and are prepared to tell a few fibbers. Tottenham. Have they got a new manager yet ?

The game kicks off at 3.30pm local time-1,30 in Scotland, and is subject to change, depending on if they can find a league game they can shift to accommodate it . Its on August 2, so it might be a week too early.

Over on the other side of the city, piss poor season book sales have prompted Ibrox CEO Graham Wallace to strike a deal with rebel supporters over the security of the few remaining assets the new club has.

 Wallace isn’t actually going to give them any actual legally binding stuff, but might sign something saying he promises not to sell Ibrox, which of course, he can’t.

 Because its not his.

 I cannot see the enlightened followers of the new club being as dumb as the old one, so this will probably fall flat on its face.

We await a statement.

The only thing that can be in any sort of doubt is how much the spivs will trouser when they bump the new club in the style that they are accustomed to.

Today marks  the anniversary of the passing of Bobby Murdoch ( 2001 ) and of Tommy Burns (2008 ) . The official club website has fitting tributes to them both.

 On a worrying note, the official Charlie and the Bhoys twitter line claims Danny McGrain had a heart attack last night. I hope he’s okay.

Dom Sullivan was the former player in the picture yesterday.

For some reason today, I’ll have this lad in my thoughts. Who is he ?