English perennial underachievers Newcastle United are all over the news this morning. They are “considering ” a move to take Jason Denaayer on loan next season, in line with Manchester City’s desire to see him the player tested in the EPL, but not with them.
Quite how playing for Newcastle will help him is unsure, but for some reason Geordies don’t think Mike Ashley will loosen the purse strings to allow for strengthening, and they will have to look at loans.
Loans….Mike Ashley…we’ll come back to that.
With Newcastle reportedly interested in van Dijk as well, maybe the two buddies will be playing together in the black and white.
If they are stupid enough.
Both are on record as saying they’re not interested in moving to a lower English side, which is pretty much all bar four of them, so there’s no need to give up hope on them yet.
The latest player to be linked with a move away from Celtic is Stefan Scepovic, which is no surprise since he dithered about coming to Glasgow in the first place. The panic signing, designed to pacify supporters who wanted a striker, hasn’t set the heather alight, and has largely played second fiddle to another striker who doesn’t really want to be at Celtic either.
Scepovic’s agent, Mariano Aguilar, said;
“I hope to be able to visit Stefan and also speak to the people at Celtic,I spoke with the club in January but, at that time, they did not want to do anything.”
“If all parties felt that a move would be the best thing, then I have no doubt there would be options for Stefan. He has a good reputation in Spain. But I don’t know if that is the situation. It is too early. Everything will depend on what the club want to do and how the player feels,”
The other striker who doesn’t want to be here, John Guidetti, has been linked with a move to Stoke, which serves him bloody right, after it seems Sporting Lisbon don’t want to pay the money he’s looking for either.
Opinion in Stoke is divided about the Swede. Some feel he is awful and a waste of a jersey, whilst others are convinced he’s worse than that.
With Leigh Griffiths grasping the chance that came his way to establish himself as top dog, simply by getting his head down and going to work, maybe the other two will look back one day and wonder what might have been.
The quotes from Virgil van Dijk, which appeared in yesterdays Diary have been interpreted slightly diffently in London24, which claims;
The opportunity is there’ £10million Arsenal, West Ham and Spurs target admits Premier League ambition
Well, to be fair, if I was a fan of any of those three clubs I’d be looking for good news anywhere I could find it.
Then there’s Sunderland, who according to the Northern Echo, will only sign van Dijk of they stay in the EPL. Apparently that’s the one condition. There’s another one i can think of, which involves van Dijk losing all the power of rational thought, which would be necessary for him to even consider such a move.
Tom Boyd, who led the men that stopped the ten, wants van Dijk to stay at Celtic, and he rates them as highly as the defenders he played alongside, whilst modestly admitting he could have improved the dutchmans game;
“He’d have got into the team and I’d have made him a better player!
“It would have been an easy time of it playing behind him.
“I’ve worked alongside some of the best Celtic centre-backs in guys like Mark Rieper, Alan Stubbs and Johan Mjallby. They were some tremendous footballers and I’d rank Virgil up there.
“I know that you would class him as a Dutch player who certainly likes to get the ball down and play.
“I’d certainly rate him as highly as some of the players I played alongside.”
He added: “I certainly think he’s capable of playing at top clubs down south from what I’ve seen. There’s no problem there.
“Selfishly, I hope he doesn’t because I want him to stay at Celtic for a number of years. He gives everything in every game and he has performed exceptionally well.
“That’s why he has come to the attention of sides like Arsenal. He has everything in his locker to go down there. He has pace, power and he can score goals.
“There have been a couple of blips along the way, of course. But he is just a young boy who is still learning. It takes experience to get all of these notches out of your system but he will do that.”
And someone needs to help him see that Celtic is the place to do that.
Anthony Stokes, who allegedly assaulted an Elvis impersonator, which is what I thought you were supposed to do with them, will now have to wait until January 20 for his case to come to trial, after no judge was available to hear it yesterday.
So a Dublin Criminal court judge ( Nolan ) who was available told him he would have to wait. It won’t help Stokes to have this hanging over him, so perhaps his next move should be to a club in a country which doesn’t have an extradition treaty with Ireland.
Derk Boerrigter-remember him? -started for and scored for the under 20 team on Monday, in their win over St. Mirren. The news has given Ronny Deila food for thought, as it frees up a space in the treatment room. Boerrigter has been at Celtic for a while now, and this injury problem hasn’t gone away.
Males me wonder if that’s really the problem, because surely if it was he would just be sent away free to a good home.
The club clearly want to get some money back on him, and if he passes a medical at another club, we can be fairly sure that the problem lay somewhere else.
And so to developments over at Ibrox, which look set to help us while away many more chuckle filled moments.
Whats the cleanest part of a Rangers fan ?
His brain. It’s the only bit thats been washed.
Mike ashley, the big bad guy who has kept the new clubs head above the water, whilst earning himself a bob or two in the process, has written to the Ibrox board demanding a meeting ;
In effectively what is a “what the fuck have you lot been arsing about at ” letter, Ashley wants to ask some serious questions of Dave King and his muppets, which could see him forcing administration or worse by using a winding up order to get back the £5m he lent them to pay the £1.5m he loaned them previously.
The reaction of the three bears will be interesting;
Whilst Dave King has already made his stance;
The board has also decided to take down the picture depicting the “new pioneers” which was on display in the stadium. Presumably it’s weight was putting unnecessary stress on the aging infrastructure. The picture features the most recognisable contributors to the new clubs early years;
who did so much to get the club where they are today.
Of course, cruel photoshoppers have got their hands on it, and cartuja from KDS gave us a more realistic slant on it;
Someone else added the man who made it all possible to the picture;
And if that isn’t bad enough, it looks like Peter Reid has gone public with some news so that he can be certain he’ll never be asked to be their manager;
The SPFL announced today, after just a few years of telling everyone that no-one would sponsor the Scottish League, that they have finally found a sponsor for next season.
Which, co-incidentally, was supposed to be when Second Rangers got into the top division to save the game from extinction.
League chief Neil Doncaster said;
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Ladbrokes to the SPFL’s growing family of key sponsors and partners and look forward to working with them from season 2015/16 at this truly exciting time for Scottish football.
Good. about time. so, er, how much ?
“As an established and respected leading brand in its very competitive marketplace, Ladbrokes is a perfect partner for the SPFL and we have a shared vision of a positive future for professional league football in Scotland. Ladbrokes’ backing of Scottish football is hugely valued and appreciated and I say that not only on behalf of the SPFL but also for all 42 member clubs.
Good. about time. so, er, how much ?
“Today’s announcement is the result of significant investment of energy and effort and further strengthens our optimism about the future health of the game in Scotland.
Good. about time. so, er, how much ?
“With all that positivity comes an opportunity to tell the story of a modern, engaging and exciting Scottish football environment and we look forward to doing just that with all our partners including new title sponsor Ladbrokes.”
Good. about time. so, er, how much ? Maybe Ladbrokes will tell us…. Jim Mullen, CEO at the betting company said;
“We love football so we are delighted to be working with the SPFL on one of the best opportunities in British sport.
“This partnership will help to propel Ladbrokes and the SPFL to new heights and will put us at the heart of Scottish football throughout the year. Getting people engaged with great sport and making sure they share our passion is at the very core of everything we are about.
“Our customers support clubs at every level of Scottish football from the professional leagues that we sponsor to the local Sunday League stalwarts. The Scottish game deserves a committed supporter and our financial backing will help to ensure every level of the game benefits from Ladbrokes’ involvement.”
Nope. It’s a secret.
Had it been a good deal for the game, Doncaster would have been shouting the amount from the rooftops. I’m suspicious, given his track record in closing deals, and have a feeling he’s undersold it again.
Although i’m happy to be corrected if he wants to let us in on it.
Yesterday we put a picture of Andy Walker, Sky tv pundit and , according to Jamie Langfield , bell end.
He’s wearing an unfamiliar strip, and we asked what club it was.
The link didn’t work, so I’ll have another go.
If it’s not here when you read this, check back later, as I’ve called for expert help.
Desimond to the rescue….with Andy “Never ask him about his time at Trinity Secondary School,,its really dull hearing his memories” Walker..namthe Club. from the Kit…
great diary as usual, brightens my day! Links still no workie
Celtic cannot afford to let Van Dijk go. He is under contract till 2017 and he must be here for the cl qualifiers. If the Tic don’t make it then he can go to the land of milk and honey in the winter. Players come here knowing the league is not the best quality then when they supposedly find there’s interest in them they can’t wait to get away. The Celtic support deserves better, they give the team their superb backing but I’m afraid the lure of the big bucks is too much for some. Of course the money on offer is so much better but at the end of a player’s career surely it’s a proud thing to look at the medals won in the green and white.
HH
Hey Tam, hows it going. Miss the old banter from MTH.
St Mirren development team beat Celtic development team 4-3. Other than that a great Diary as usual, brightens my day. I could not stop laughing at the one the other day about you boy and the yogurt from the fridge, pure class. HH
Andy Walker in ”the buffs” strip. Kilwinning Rangers I think.
Thought Ladbrokes had no money??
They have put their Irish business into examinership a couple of weeks ago
Heard that it is to be 2 poxy million between 42 clubs” what a dick that c- nt is. Hh
I have little doubt that SPFL sponsorship has been undersold. I’m surprised that potential sponsors missed the chance to pay a pittance and sponsor the league (s)prior to this year. What I fail to understand is where are all the big Scottish brands? Banks, Whisky, Brewery, Insurance, Oil and Gas and so on. Seems a bit odd to me that these Scottish or at least Scotland based companies would pass up on the chance to sponsor the SPFL. I wonder what the commercial benefits are of having one Sponsor for all four leagues? Could have been a better deal and more diverse league by league, allowing more than one company to sponsor and benefit. Current incumbents at Ibrox could have sponsored their own league ” SEVCO Championship” since that’s where they will be for a few years/
Ha, ha, Mike Ashley: He did the MASH…he did the Monster MASH. It just gets funnier.
Great diary. See big Mike wants his money back. We could soon have a painting of the 3rd Pioneers!
Ralph
They say if you repeat something often enough, whether true or false, you will eventually start to believe it. I am beginning to get worried you are on the verge with the Jason Denaayer and V. Van Dijk stories. Life would simply not be worth living in this north east vale of tears if they went to any of the two clubs here but especially the peppermint striped balls of St. James’. My one consolation is seeing Big Mike owning two teams in their respective second divisions next season. That is not to say I have not made many good friends among those who subscribe regularly to the Ashley income – well I had before writing this. I could well be adding to those three brown arses in the picture. By the way, I thought it most appropriate for the three of them to be shown bare faced and full frontal.
Now if Stoke were to come into the picture, then my vale of tears would be dried up by the flames of hades. Then I would only have to listen from afar to your weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth and I think I could cope with that provided I can stuff enough cotton wool in my ears. My sincere wish is we can both smile for another season as JD and VVD continue to develop properly at Celtic. Of course there would be icing on that cake if a whole host of failed baggage, including the spaghetti hoop, was claimed from our left luggage department by other clubs. Sometimes it is most definitely best to cut one’s losses than shoulder the burden of hopelessness. With some luck there could be prime vacancies for some worthwhile prospects even if only short term.
See! you have managed to drag me into considering rumours and me a confirmed “only when” man. You are definitely dangerous. Not half as much as a raging Ashley, though, and Big Mike seems to be on the rampage. I get the feeling the bold King could become a whimpering queen quite soon. I feel he might wish he had let the South African judge send him to prison. Mind you, there he would have discovered a whole new meaning to the term “being shafted”.
Now to the wizard of Hampden Halls. Only a man of his stature could turn potential gold into basic metal. He simply could not find a haystack in a needle. But, in the final analysis, he is not ultimately to blame. That lies with those who employ him and who, for the most part, have stood back and watched Scottish football being kicked further and further into oblivion for the last decade or so. That includes our own whose voice should have been the loudest. Even without the figures, I am certain the Ladbrokes’ deal will be at best an each way bet. But one sure bet is Doncaster and his cohort of incompetents will continue to reign supreme season on season. If only there was a transfer window for governing bodies.
Anyway, the Diary was a beauty today even if I discovered why you have always predicted 7-0 throughout the season. Quite easy when you can glibly turn a 4-3 defeat into a win. And you criticise referees for honest mistakes :). Your heading for a top place at the SMSM beanfeast, roast lamb followed by wind.
Walker – no longer worthy of a first name – in his Rangers’ days – the wee ones from Kilwinning. The Fullerton advert gave it away.
H H
Ralph
Great Diary today again. My comment was fab too if you could only see it.
H H
Not sure if this has done the rounds before but I laughed out loud at the clip at the bottom of this link. You need the volume to be on. Thanks to videocelts
http://videocelts.com/2015/05/blogs/latest-news/sevco-staring-at-administration-as-ashley-asks-for-his-5m-loan-back
Morton.
I actually managed tae get on early today…I’m usually prowling around at night here, which means it’s very late with you guys. I really enjoyed the Diary today (as everyday) and look forward to reading it and the comments from the other faithful followers.
As for sevco (aka The Bad News Bears),even during the bleak days of a Tory election win, they still give us something to chuckle about. Now big Mike says “Gives my money…..or else” and the scuttling is about to start. Is that the scuttling of cockroaches…or the scuttling of the good ship sevco? H.H.
ive seen some dumb lumps a wid in ma life but see they new gallant pione4rs they take the cookie COYBIG