Well, that was a headline which er, turned the head;
Celtic want hottest youngster in the world
However, it’s Martin Odegaard. Which in a sense is a little disappointing for those of us who still mourning the cessation of the annual Miss world competition.
Though no doubt in whichever alternative world a humourous Rangers Diary exists, that’s their jokes sorted for a couple of weeks.
And it appears we are in the hunt for a Polish striker;
I should probably spend a little time reading the full stories.
The Polish fellow is Lukasz Gilkeiwicz, a free agent who couldn’t get a game for Levski sofia and has therefore been told to get another club.
Gikiewciz, 27, is a free agent after leaving Bulgarian club Levski Sofia last month, following a brief four-month spell which saw him score three goals in nine total appearances.
The 6ft 2in front man has struggled to settle since leaving Poland’s Slask Wroclaw for Cypriot out Omonia in 2013, having had further stints with Kazakhstan’s FC Tobol and AEL Limassol over the past 12 months, and is now being linked with a move across the Atlantic.
Talks have stalled with Nadir Ciftci, his agent Pierre van Hooijdonk uncharacteristically refusing to comment on why, but if he’s involved we can certainly hazard a guess, but if we are to use an interest in another striker to force Ciftci’s hand, perhaps we should have leaked interest in one that’s a little more talented and desirable than Gilkiewicz.
Anyway, van Hooijdonk was pictured outside with a handbag, and you should never trust a man who has a handbag.
From there it’s only a short step for him to spend his spare time watching Eastenders and telling his friends that leggings are very comfortable.
We hear that during talks Ciftci poured himself a drink of water, but overdid it, spilling quite a bit onto the table. Lawwell asked him if he was nervous, but van Hooijdonk intervened and said he always gives 110%.
Looking at that photo it’s a little strange to see van Hooijdonk with all that hair, and it reminded me that there’s a new German solution to baldness, called Alpacin, which offers hope to all us shiny headed people.
However, I have to confess that taking German chemicals into a shower is making me a little nervous.
So, it seems that Ciftci isn’t a definite yet, although the move is “expected ” to go through.
The arrival of keeper Logan Bailly has been confirmed, though.
He seems happy enough;
“I think I’m in my prime just now as 29 or 30-years-old is a great age for a goalkeeper, It’s a great feeling, it’s big team with a big history and I’m very happy I’m here. When you see Celtic from the outside, you know it is a big team but when you are here you realise that it is a lot bigger.
“My manager told me about the interest but when you hear that a club like Celtic is interested in you, at first you don’t believe it, it’s like a dream to pay for Celtic. When you play football you dream of playing on the big stage,”
“I was up at the training complex yesterday morning and I met the players
“Glasgow looks like a great city and I think I’m going to be very happy here.”
When it comes to signing keepers, the club seems to consistently pull out a gem. Although his name suggests he’d be more comfortable playing traditional Irish tunes in the pub after a match, he sounds like he’s been around a bit but lost his way. One thing that is worth noting, Radislaw Czierniek was available on a free, and we’ve seen how well he can play. If the club have decided that Bailly is a better bet, then he must have something about him. Woever found him is likely to have also found Boruc and Forster, as well as deciding Gordon was worth the risk.
For those who are interested, John Guidetti might have finally found a club to score a few goals for before finding something wrong with them. Celta Vigo are favourites to snap up the man who is a legend in his own lunchtime, and we wish them all luck.
Liam Henderson has spoken about his time in Norway, although he could just be speaking in the hope that Ronny remembers he is still here, and there’s no real need to bring in Martin Odegaard, and he says he doesn’t regret it, even though he missed out on a league medal with Celtic;
I went out there, took the opportunity and learned a lot,”
“I’m in line for a medal if they win the league, so that’ll be good and I’ll maybe go back over for that league game.
“Their league finishes in December, so if I can get over I will.
“That’s the chance I took, I missed out on a medal to go out there and the manager says for the long-term it will be great and I totally agree with him as I’ve learned a lot and I’m ready to come back in.
“The long-term goal is to stay here for as long as I can, hopefully I can get in the team and keep working hard and give everything for the team. That’s all I’m looking to do.
.@MarkWarburton9: “There’s such a weight of expectation because there is such a magnificent history.”
The old Rangers, of course were the closest rivals of Celtic. These days, they have a new rival;
@RangersFC @MarkWarburton9 Magnificent Mark, though you’ll have to buy it off Charles Green.
Which gives me a chance to link you up to the origins of this rivalry…
Now then, just to prove that the Scottish MSM doesn’t have a monopoly on publishing piss poor opinion pieces on football, bwin, a betting site, offers us this.
After years of unchallenged dominance, selfless Celtic appear willing to risk their status as the sole powerhouse in Scottish football, or so their recent transfer activity suggests.
No, I’m not sure how he comes to this conclusion either.
Essentially guaranteed the Scottish Premiership title before the start of each and every season to follow Rangers’ exile from the upper echelons in 2012, the Bhoys seem keen on levelling out the discrepancy in quality existing between their squad and those of their trailing rivals.
Or this one.
The foundation upon which this assumption is built is the Old Firm outfit’s new-found obsession with buying players from Dundee United, a team only good enough to finish fifth last term.
Possibly because Celtic took their best two players in January ?
Nadir Ciftci is the next Terror earmarked to make the Parkhead switch, with a £1.5m bid for his services accepted by Jackie McNamara’s men.
The Turkish striker has found the net 33 times across two seasons in Scotland, 14 of which were registered in the league last season.
He’ll be the third Tangerines favourite to join Celtic this year, with highly-rated Stuart Armstrong and fellow forward Gary Mackay-Steven recruited in January for a combined sum of £2.75m.
The former was part of a lauded raft of youngsters harvested from the Dundee United academy, alongside Ryan Gauld and Andrew Robertson (who was signed from Queens Park as a teenager), who were sold to Sporting Lisbon and Hull for a sum just shy of £6m.
So, it’s not just us raiding the team who finished fifth , then ?
Auctioned off before the season began, neither of the pair kicked a Scottish Premiership ball in 2014/15, but their three former colleagues to feature on this page were heavily involved.
Until January, at least.
Yet, despite stocking millions of pounds worth of talent, United were unable to finish higher than impoverished outfits St Johnstone and Inverness in 2014/15.
Inverness won the Cup, St. Johnstone are now in their fourth succesive European campaign.
With Celtic intent on siphoning off a mediocre Scottish Premiership side’s , perhaps devolution is their primary objective this summer.
It’s a brave, but necessary move.
Rangers’ expulsion from the top tier led many to fear for the future of Scottish football, with a dearth of competition for honours diverting fans elsewhere in their search for intriguing title tussles, an eventuality that would, inevitably, have a disastrous impact from an economic perspective.
Er, expulsion ? and as for competiton, how many clubs have landed silverware since the er, expulsion of Rangers ?
Similarly, a league not worth winning is not conducive to attracting the best players, preventing Celtic from improving on a continental scale.
Fearing for the long-term prospects of the Scottish game, the Bhoys have taken drastic, yet benevolent action to revitalise the nation’s top flight, even if that prevents them winning a 47thtitle next term.
They’re 8/1 to relinquish their crown in 2015/16.
And this guy is 5/4 to land a job at the Record or the Herald. Or the Scotsman, the Sun etc….
If he can prove he can adapt when he is reintroduced to society
Who is he ? It’s a chap called James Middleton.
According to the site, he’s “contributed to a variety of sports based journalistic mediums” .
Though presumably not in any productive way.
Compare and Contrast time again. Four headlines;
The Scotsman;
End season sooner to help clubs in Europe – Wright
And the Herald;
Celtic as much to blame for poor coefficient as rest of us says St Johnstone manager Wright
The Express;
Perth gaffer Tommy Wright raps Celtic’s John Collins
The Mail;
Hurrah For The Blackshirts !
Alright, the last one wasn’t yesterday. Eve the Mail felt it a step too far when celebrating Geroge Osbornes budget which redistributed the wealth of the nation, giving more money to those who least need it.
The story concerns Tommy Wright, the St. Johnstone manager who said, in response to a traditional leading question about the comments of John Collins re Celtic having to face three qualifiers, a few weeks ago;
“That’s unfair. The coefficient is the same for everybody. Other teams could say they have been let down by Celtic and Rangers when they’ve been in Europe.
“I look after my own club. I think we have done alright in terms of coefficient.
“We have won away and that gets you more points, and we’ve drawn away with teams that are better.
“We’re a small club and it’s difficult to win games in Europe.
“If you are looking for people to help you, our season continued to May 24 and our players were back within three weeks.
“I don’t think there is enough done in terms of working with the clubs.”
What he appears to be saying is that the SPFL could be doing a little more, and that’s an excellent point. He gave a one line answer, which certainly wasn’t a rap, and then moved on to his own point. A good point, well made, as they say.
You can understand why the smaller clubs feel there is a tendency to ignore their achievements, and certainly little support from the pres when all they want to talk about it what a Celtic coach said when your club is facing a season defining match in July.
Still, that doesn’t fit in with the agenda, and let’s face it, the headlines were already written, so they needed a few words to kind of justify them…
speaking of agendas….I have one.
Billy McNeill to raise the flag on august the first.
Tweet it, post it on your facebook. email the club, whatever it takes.
Dave king is absent again, but we at Etims have it on good authority he’s at wimbledon watching the tennis.
Meanwhile, it appears that her majesty’s finest have found a new place to get breakfast before heading out to arrest a few kids for singing the wrong songs…
Adam Matthews might have a job on his hands to get back into the Wales team, with the news that broke yesterday;
So…Wales are now 10th in the Fifa world rankings… above SPAIN, URUGUAY, ITALY and FRANCE?
And Chile, who are South american champions.
Still.going to Sunderland should help.
Dariuaz Dzeikanowski and Tommy coyne were the two strikers in the picture yesterday, both of whom will be remembered in different ways. Coyne was a fantastic player, vastly underrated, whilst Dzeikanowski, it has to be said, was a bit of a player as well.
Anyone have any particular memories or stories about this ?
H
“which redistributed the wealth of the nation”
The nation has no wealth. Unless you think the people are the nation and so everything that’s theirs is the nation’s? In which case, since we own everything collectively, there is no such thing as theft.
BTW. Don’t be paraphrasing the title of my book without attribution!
It never ceases to amaze me the people who read this diary.
I love the phrases the media use when they think a player is signing for another club. “Expected to” is one “According to sources he is set to sign”. Why don’t they shut up until the player has officially signed and playing in his new clubs colours. For too long now I’ve listened to and believed a player has signed for Celtic only to see him go elsewhere, of course most famous example is a certain Mr. Maurice Johnson,sorry for bringing that back, I’ll believe it when I see it when a player signs for Celtic
Wool-polyester blend twist loop brady beige-blue mix, or something to do with carpet burns? (no relation to Tommy) 🙂
So that’s what the Police are doing, instead of reacting to a report that could have saved a life and leaving an injured women in a damaged vehicle. You couldn’t make it up. Fucking scum.
I respect that you have the right to an opinion.
I respect that your opinion is not something grasped from thin air.
However I am proud that last night I was the scum pig who turned up at the front door of a 6 year old who had called in because his intoxicated father was thumping the living dayligts out of his mother and he knew who was next in line.
For those interested the wee man is in custody and the big man is better and back with his mum. He also told me he wants to be a scum pig when he grows up.
I am also proud to be a scum pig lifelong Tim.
Have to admit though that I also had a wee chuckle at the photo in the article.
HH
I married a copper.
She is also a blue nose.
My cousin served 15 year with Strathclyde and my Sister is in the Met.
I am myself an ex soldier and have the upmost respect for any man who puts boots on the ground to protect the innocent and endangered whilst putting their own safety at risk.
Some walk the walk bud and some just talk the talk.
(normally shite btw).
Many tims might not like any of that but I personally don’t give two fucks on that score bud.
You keep doing a fine job my fellow Jungle Jim all the best sir.
Oh and HH
Good on you mate
I can’t understand this ACAB nonsense. I have plenty of friends and family who are policemen/women (all Celtic fans BTW) – they aren’t perfect, but they aren’t all B’s /scum.
No idea what happened with the crash, but I’ll wait to the facts emerge before apportioning blame.
Who are we to judge andy?
There may well be mitigating factors involved that the media are unaware of.
Or is often the case not privy too during an Investigation.
Tommy coyne was very average player if we had any money he would never have been signed
“If we had any money he would never have been signed”.
That sounds familiar, are you sure it’s Celtic you are referring to?!!
Tommy Coyne did a good job and scored goals at all his clubs during his career, a good finisher.
You on the other hand are just a cunt!
Has anyone seen Dave King?
Yeah, he is in California, megabucks sponsorship deal with Google about to be be announced.
He was seen at Wimbledon sitting in Centre Court watching the tennis in Court No 2
At the same time!
Well, he cost 500k. A pretty tidy sum for the biscuit tin hoarders in them days.
When I saw the headline I thought we had signed Hope Solo, but we already have a new goalkeeper. And anyway, with her disciplinary record, we’d be better off going for someone like Nadir Ciftci.
Mock granite work surface. Design very popular in the mid 90s.
Aha! I need to get my eyes tested. I thought it was a rug 🙂
So was it Brady & Jordan, in a mock “Cascarino” granite kitchen, with a lead pipe?
Slightly off topic,I have been searching for this video for ages.
Saw it a few years ago and I was just wondering if anybody new any of these rascals?
An 0891 number for full match coverage!! HOW MUCH?
If Van Hoiijdoink is involved in these negotiatians I think I can surmise what the hold up is about: ££££
I wonder if the number 7 appeared anywhere in the holdup negotiations?
Der Bomber “fantastic”? catch yersel on. Suffered in comparison to the superior strikers he came after and did a decent job without hitting the higher heights. Slower than a week in the jail but had an eye for a goal. The most offside striker since Frank “who me?” McGarvey.
Ralph
I am about to post a piece copied and pasted from Word. However, I get the feeling it may be spammed for its verbosity. So, I am informing you in advance 🙂
H H
I was spot on!!!!
H H
LOL @/with PB…
“spammed for it’s verbosity .. ” …. “scanned for it’s sesquipedalianism” … “deleted for it’s verbal diarrhea”
🙂
Ralph
Get out the garlic. The man with the fangs is now in Parkhead. I would suggest always wearing a scarf when you go to the games from now on or till he is found out to be what he is not – a footballer. They say when one dies another is born. Maybe that is why the Good Lord called Christopher Lee to his bosom recently. I do not think Van Hoodwink will be able to pull any wool over Peter Lawwell’s eyes even with all his tantrums. I think the old brain is seeping out from the look of that photo. That is what comes of hairy ideas. On the positive side, I have read a few bits and bobs on Logan the performer and he seems to have the potential to at least cover for Craig Gordon.
If exaggerated hair is the sign of a brain storm yon Mr. Middleton must have an head that looks as if it has just exited a tumble dryer full of nits(wits). I know the NHS is under great pressure but surely something could be done for the poor bugger. A few hours in Carrickfergus up a fleg pole might just cure or kill him. It looks like we must resign ourselves to bollocks here and bollocks there, bollocks every bloody where.
Yes, Mr. Spaghetti Hoops finally looks like getting a club, one that fits his talents, Celta Vigo. Wow! Good luck to them if they take him and a fall before the pride for Spaghetti. It might help if he grew some Van Hoodwink hair to hide his blushes. I can’t believe I am showing interest. Time for some hair restorer…….. Just as I write this, I hear somewhere that Sampdoria are possibly looking at him. The guy has had more viewers than a naked transexual dummy in a Harrods’ front window.
Don’t you just love Alloa. What is good about this comment is it comes from outside the Celtic fraternity. In fact it is outside the “big boys” league so no accusations of bullying can be levelled. Not being level is a familiar experience at Ibrox, of course. It just might seem a bit odd to anyone there that the slope is somewhat against them these days. Aye, even the wee guy can be pushed too far and might retaliate by using his wee loaf against the thick sliced “breed”. All the best to the wee yins next season. I see they are top of the Championship right now. That must be causing the blues around Govan some consternation.
Aren’t the headliners are really making a song and dance these days with any little crumb of nonsense they can lick up? Before we know, it will all be twist and turn until their favoured chorus girls are doing the Lambeth Walk. Oh sorry, they don’t do walking, just marching.
“The Sound Of Drums” CHAMELEON CICUIT
“Can you hear them?
They’re coming
They’re in the signal
They’re in my head
Is it only me?
Am the only one to be called?
This pounding in my ears
Is calling me to rule the world
Rule the universe
As the Master of your fate
Can you hear the drums?
Don’t try to fight them, it’s too late
Each time lord child
Approaches the eye
Forced to behold the vortex
To be inspired or run
But as I gazed into the vastness of time
I heard the sound of drums
Can you hear them?
They’re coming
They’re in the signal
They’re in my head
(Repeat)
In professor’s guise
Oh, Doctor, Doctor
You have healed me
You are not alone
It took you far too long to see me
Now I lay in your arms
Mortally wounded in your care
I’ll leave you here forever
Last of the timelords once again
(Don’t leave me now
Think of all we’ve done together
Think of all the vanquished foes
Think of all that we could be)
It would be hell for me
Imprisoned here forever
With you
(No, please! You’ve got to, please!
We’re the only ones left!
Please just… Regenerate!)
Can you hear them?
(In my dreams they’re calling)
They’re coming
(And every waking moment)
They’re in the signal
(I hear the vortex calling)
They’re in my head”
(Repeat)
I just want to say to BondiBrian (he posted in the early hours and I did not get the chance to reply before now) that I do realise racism is a major, major problem in Australia. I have relations there who tell me and I also listen to their own unwittingly racist comments on it. They are often far from encouraging especially when it comes to the Aborigines. However, the fleg thing is much more than racism. It embodies every hate filled ideology imaginable.
I wish Adam Matthews all the very best as I really liked him. Like you, though, I think he made a poor choice – or Celtic pushed too quickly for the shekels. He is not alone in players moving to diddy clubs down south under the illusion they are stepping up. It is a total misconception cleverly portrayed by the media and UEFA that England is football paradise. Hey you Cyril (no, don’t ask me why), there is only ONE PARADISE.
Some of the photos lately have been fantastic and the humour attached to several has been outstanding like the Lech Wałęsa and the baby ones today. However, I find nothing attractive or humorous about the one of Brady and Jordan. It reminds me of the start of Tale of Two Cities,
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…………..”
I think this is not a bad summation of what we were all going through back then.
H H
Memories? More like nightmares, especially after one of the Kellys telling us that it had been a successful year after our winning of the Tennents Sixes
Yet another fantastic blog with usual quality pics.
The ’55 yr. old wean’ “ARE YOU SERIOUS?” is a classic.
(If I may ‘use’ it, I’ll give ETims full credit for producing it.)
So Nadir Ciftci signed for 4 years. Well, I wasn’t keen on the gamble but now that he’s here I, for one, believe he should get all the backing we can give him. It’s then completely up to him and the staff to get it all right. No doubt about his potential. No point in mentioning the rest. The SMSM will be all over that. Bhoy do I fucking hate them, but they don’t cost me a penny as I chucked them years ago, just like Murdoch’s Sky.
On a positive note on Ciftci, I’m sure Zig and Zag will have been asked some questions and if he’s good enough for them, end of.
Anyway, I can’t wait to get into proper football. Pre-season games are generally just a frustrating mystery to me, so bring on Stjarnan. Ronny will have us prepared. (I nearly used an alternative to “prepared” but, for some reason, I’m not keen on the word.)
HH
Now he has signed, Cifti is exactly the kind-of-player we needed (apart from the fangs) – we needed a bully up-front; and that is exactly what he is. Italian defenders eat-up Pukki like players for a pre-lunch snack. Not sure is he is worthy of the number 7, but time will tell.
All that is required is a left-back, and we are in great shape for the season ahead.
Tommy Coyne was a great poacher – wish the biscuit tin had looked after him better. Probably ejected due to not being “sexy enough” or a big enough draw for the punters, like the Jacki’s of this world.
Loved the Dave King tennis pic. I guess Police Scotland are still looking for him.
Looking for advice on what is best buy for android boxes to stop this sky shite 100 quid a month for pish,
go onto amazon and type in android boxes – you’ll get a lengthy list of boxes with plenty of endorsements from the buying public.