{"id":12755,"date":"2018-04-12T08:34:11","date_gmt":"2018-04-12T07:34:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=12755"},"modified":"2018-04-12T08:34:11","modified_gmt":"2018-04-12T07:34:11","slug":"celtic-diary-thursday-april-12-fixtures-out-and-its-only-april-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=12755","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Thursday April 12: Fixtures Out and Its Only April 12"},"content":{"rendered":"

The fixtures for the final stage of the imaginatively titled Scottish Premiership have finally been released, giving fans well over a week to organise flights, hotels, tickets and beer, thanks to the high level of efficiency at the SPFL.<\/p>\n

Celtic require one win to secure the title, and the first opportunity will be at Easter road in Edinburgh where they will face Hibernian.<\/p>\n

Don’t put money on a win. Neil Lennon is a wily old fox, and this season in three matches he\u00a0 secured two draws (both 2-2 ) before losing 1-0 at Celtic Park in January. His side still has everything to play for and despite inevitable claims from the dark side that he will instruct his charges to lie down, he won’t.<\/p>\n

Scott Brown is looking forward to it, but he too, is cautious..<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, Easter Road will always hold a special place in my heart as I have so many great memories from my early days there as a youngster with Hibs.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why, on a purely personal level, it would be the perfect place to win a title with Celtic at this stage in my career.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe know we\u2019re going to have our work cut out playing Hibs at Easter Road because Lenny has got them flying this season. They\u2019ve had a great campaign.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut we just want to get this league won at the earliest possible opportunity because we can take nothing for granted.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

And neither should Celtic take it easy, as those of us who still have memory capacity will remember how Hibernian lay down on Black Sunday, and whilst what happened that day was mostly Celtics fault, they didn’t exactly help us, did they ?<\/p>\n

A failure to win means the next chance will be at home to “rangers “, which would be a lot easier, though as long as it is done, I don’t care when.<\/p>\n

The full fixture list is..<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Sat, 21st Apr<\/td>\nHibernian<\/td>\nLadbrokes Premiership<\/td>\n12:30<\/td>\nA<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sun, 29th Apr<\/td>\nRangers<\/td>\nLadbrokes Premiership<\/td>\n12:00<\/td>\nH<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

May 2018<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Sun, 6th May<\/td>\nHeart of Midlothian<\/td>\nLadbrokes Premiership<\/td>\n12:15<\/td>\nA<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wed, 9th May<\/td>\nKilmarnock<\/td>\nLadbrokes Premiership<\/td>\n19:45<\/td>\nH<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sun, 13th May<\/td>\nAberdeen<\/td>\nLadbrokes Premiership<\/td>\n12:30<\/td>\nH<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sun, 20th May<\/td>\nRepublic of Ireland<\/td>\nScott Brown Testimonial<\/td>\n14:00<\/td>\nH<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
The Hibernian game is live on BT Sport, and if Celtic do get a result, then we can all be offended on the 29th when “rangers ” refuse to sing Roll of Honour as the teams take to the pitch before the game.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It took a while for the SPFL to sort out the fixtures as Dave King was difficult to get hold of, apparently he’s refusing to answer the phone in case its a creditor or a bailiff , but he has his friends who look after him.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The final game , against Aberdeen , has led to Ryan Christie asking if he can rejoin his parent club a day early as the sight of him joining the post match party will upset the Dons supporters, but he’s been told to sort it out with whoever replaces McInnes.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The third leg of the treble resumes this weekend, and one man thinks that it may not be a treble after all…<\/div>\n

\u00a0Rangers can follow Manchester United and Roma and end Celtic’s Treble hopes insists James Tavernier<\/h2>\n

\u201cCity had their chance to win it against Man United but, obviously, Man United stopped that happening. It\u2019s one of those stories.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou saw it again last night with Roma and Barcelona. These things can be done in football and in an Old Firm game anything can happen.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Anything except it actually being an Old Firm game…<\/p>\n

Remarkably, Tavernier has managed to mention “rangers ” as though they are at the level of two of Europes better clubs, which should keep the gullibillies on side with season books needing to be renewed.<\/p>\n

Two crushing defeats in the two games against Celtic will almost certainly see “rangers ” collapse on the field and off, and we could be in for a hilarious summer as they desperately try to salvage the assets again to form a third entity.<\/p>\n

If they are comprehensively beaten then the gullibillies will not renew. Certainly not in the numbers required to keep the lights on over there.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

Who is the highest paid player in Scotland ?<\/p>\n

Well, if we include deals waiting to be accepted, its this guy…<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

We’ll get one right one day…<\/p>\n

Can I just offer my condolences to Juventus, who went out of the UCL last night to a late penalty ?<\/p>\n

Actually, no, i won’t.<\/p>\n

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\"Image<\/p>\n

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I feel better now.<\/p>\n

Those of you who have noticed that the SFA complince ifficer appears to be taking a while with his investgation into certain shenanigans revolving around the Hampden Ibrox Axis will be pleased to know that Celtic have indeed asked him for a progress report, and he has told them he isn’t finished yet.<\/p>\n

Celtic will comment when he has.<\/p>\n

Apparently its to do with the wording in the conclusion, to my mind, at least, and how they can say that threre’s little point in punishing the guilty club ( a la Traverso ) as they don’t exist any more and at the same time quelling the inevitable wails that will come from a club trying to stay alive by pretending the opposite.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

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In the meantime, whilst Celtic and their support play down the cup semi final, at least until the weekend, that lot have already cranked themselves full of hallucinogens and steeped over the bridge of dreams…<\/p>\n

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ANDY LACEY\u00a0<\/span>🇬🇧<\/span><\/strong>\u200f\u00a0<\/span><\/span>@knighthawk1970<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
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