The SPFL fixture list was released yesterday, and as expected, Celtic will play most of the teams they played last year with the exclusion of dundee Utd and the addition of “rangers “.

Instead of listing them, here at Etims we’ve decided to let you know who we’re playing on a week to week basis to give us something to talk about. Well, this diary doesn’t write itself, you know.

The biggest surprise was that Celtic will have two home games against newly promoted “rangers”, and only one away if, as expected the Ibrox club fail to make the top six.

Which makes me wonder what Motherwell and Partick are actually moaning about…

Partick Thistle threaten to chase SPFL over compensation after club is handed just one home game against Rangers and Celtic

• Partick Thistle says they will be left £120,000 out of pocket due to fixtures
• Particle accuse SPFL of handing them financial and sporting disadvantage 
• Motherwell have joined the Firhill club in expressing ‘extreme anger’
• Dundee, Inverness and Hearts will host Rangers and Celtic twice at home

Well, dare I say that they should have thought of that four years ago when there was an opportunity to clean the game up ? 

Of course I dare, this is Etims . We can say what we want.

If, of course, the threatened league reconstruction had occured in time for next year, then there would have been no bother at all, but with “rangers ” winning their division, the desire for change evaporated.

Which brings me back to my initial point, there was a time when it all could have been sorted, and it wasn’t , so bollocks to all the clubs who didn’t fix it.

When Turnbull Hutton died, a large chunk of the games integrity went with him. In fact, it more or less all did.

Anyway, I don’t know what all the fuss is about.

And I’ll tell you for why…

Over in Hong Kong, their equivalent of Wonga Loans is demanding repayment of £6m, plus interest,  a story now approaching Etims from so many different angles that even the most flexible of adult industry actresses would have to pause for breath.

We have no idea if its true, but it would be funny as fuck if it was.

I mean, its not as if their manager has gone missing, or their signings have been limited to freebie has beens and young never was’s , is it ?

And neither Paul Murray or Dave King has been speaking in public for a while either… even with the signing of Clint Hill, whose parents had to be really careful when asking the bakers to put his name on his birthday cakes

The Record sprang to the clubs defence, after nasty comments were made about the players advanced age,

No, he’s Clint ” Can’t even get up the side of the” Hill , and one wonders of the Ibrox coffers can withstand the added expense of installing a stairlift to assist his ascension of the famous marble staircase.

Some reports insist he could be the new Davie Weir, which promises to be fucking hilarious;

However, the policy of bringing in experience to help the club cope with the rarified air in the top league hasn’t stretched far enough for one former player, much to his disappointment

Never mind, the ground looks “stunning “,

, though presumably not as stunning as their credit file…

The ground, of course, is not to be confused with the indoor training centre at Auchenhowie, where we managed to get a sneak preview some of their new players hard at it in pre season training;

One other thing, before we leave the realm of the undead. Todays the day the hacks have been led to believe  will see a return of Mark Warburton, fully refreshed and ready to take up the reins and lead the club forward.

We’ll see….

Back to the good guys, and Carlton Cole has issued a cheerio and a thank you to Celtic fans;

“It was a difficult season in terms of getting enough game time, I really wanted to help the boys on the field.

“The support I received from the fans will give me great memories, to hear them singing my name even when I wasn’t on the pitch was special.

“So a big thank you to the green and white family. I wish everyone associated with Celtic FC all the best for the future.” 

Here at the Diary, we’d like to issue a cheerio and a thank fuck.

There is a little more sadness to see the departure of  Anthony Stokes, and a lot more in the way of well wishes. He’s put pen to paper on his three year deal at Blackburn, and seems to still be in shock;

Hang on, is that a crown on his shirt ?

He never quite gets it right , does he ?

Good luck, Stokesy, and thanks for the memories. He told the Lancashire Telegraph;

“I’m delighted. I had a good chat with the gaffer during the week and was very impressed with him.

“He had only positive things to say about me and I’m just looking forward to bedding in, getting a good pre-season under my belt and just looking forward to the start of the season.

“For myself, having a manager that believes in me gives me a lot of confidence and as a striker you need that, but it’s going to be down to how I perform.

“So I’ll need to put in the hard work, try to get a good pre-season under my belt and really kick on this season.

“But I have to say, I’m really looking forward to it.”

Remember that Kilmarnock game that delayed the departure of Neil Lennon ?

I sat on the Runcorn-Widnes bridge all through it in traffic, listening on Radio Scotland medium wave, and believe me, that journey would have been a damn sight more unpleasant had the Bold tony not saved the day.

Every time I cross that bridge from one drab northern town where most of the pubs have been closed down to another where you kind of wished they were never open, I’ll think of Stokes.

Which is as good a send off as any, I suppose.

Victor Wanyama, who left Celtic a few years ago, is set to join Tottenham , and Brendan Rodgers can open his warchest to allow just over a million pounds to drop in, as the canny Peter Lawwell added a sell on clause when he sold him to Southampton back in the day.

A nice wee bonus for the club, which should also go some way to seeing Lawwell getting his nice wee bonus.

Whilst Lawwell has been the subject of a lot of criticism for his somewhat bloated remuneration package, its only fair to praise him when he does something thats beneficial to the club, so well done, Peter.

Now, about that Resolution 12 statement….

Of which there could well be some news soon.

Yesterdays article did get a reaction, and there may yet be something in the pipeline.

Well, yes.

But I’m a little more confident this time.

Tell you what else I’m confident of.

Next weeks Knob of the Week.

The fuckwitted football chief has put in an entry already that is almost impossible to beat when he looked forward to what will hopefully be his last in Scottish football.

“Already we’re seeing people not just talking in the UK about the game, but around the world in all sorts of markets. It’s massively important for the game in Scotland that the [Old Firm] game returns and we’re delighted to see it back. There’s huge excitement and huge anticipation.

“There’s no question the arrival of Brendan Rodgers and Joey Barton is box office. It’s been a while since people were talking around the world about the Scottish game but the arrival of people like that is massive and testament to the ambition of the clubs.”

Joey Barton never has been and never will be box office.

The Old Firm game has not “returned “. One of the clubs died.

We really should have nailed this clown when we had the chance.

Last night, I sat down and watched this film..

Its about two reporters searching out the truth, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, and an editor , Ben Bradlee, brave enough to go with the story, which eventually led to the resignation of Richard Nixon, the then President of the USA.

It does seem a little dated, as its about two reporters searching out the truth and an editor brave enough to publish it, but its worth a look, although most readers beyond a certain age will have seen it already.

Never mind that, watch it again and weep for the loss of a once noble profession, now cowed into submision by the very people they should be exposing, and for what ?

The spineless Scottish sports media are worried about someone, and when you think that Woodward and Bernstein had the CIA-amongst others -on their backs, it kind of puts the SMSM into perspective.

Another topical winner of the Caption competition yesterday…

Quinnus June 17, 2016 at 9:40 am · Edit · Reply →