{"id":15229,"date":"2020-02-03T08:26:33","date_gmt":"2020-02-03T08:26:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=15229"},"modified":"2020-02-03T08:26:33","modified_gmt":"2020-02-03T08:26:33","slug":"celtic-diary-monday-february-3-seven-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=15229","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Monday February 3: Seven Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

Celtic moved seven points clear of “rangers ” at the top of the league, and although it certainly means there is a little bit of a cushion there now most of us will feel better when the difference in points is more than the fingers their support have on one hand.<\/p>\n

It took until the 78th minute of the game against Hamilton for the hoops to confirm the points, with the home side doggedly holding on to a point despite being down to ten men, but I don;t suppose it matters when the goals come, as long as they do.<\/p>\n

Hamilton had opened the scoring from a first half corner while the latest defensive line up were still introducing themselves to each other. Debutant Stephen Welsh, the Coatbridge lad recalled from loan at Greenock Morton , can;t be blamed for the goal, or indeed anything else he did during the game, but you’d have thought one of the more experienced lads would have picked up the Hamilton forward.<\/p>\n

Leigh Griffiths won a free kick a few minutes later, and Oddsone Edoaurd wisely hit it home before the Scottish forward had time to demand he took it.<\/p>\n

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Then it was all a bit turgid, and there was doubt amongst the support that Celtic could actually find their way through to the points. With “rangers ” dropping points at home to aberdeen , it began to look like Celtic were content to continue making a title race out of the season, but Chris Julien swiped a cross into the net, and after that Hamilton gave up, allowing Celtic to improve their goal difference by another two.<\/p>\n

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Overall, it wasn’t the best performance, and maybe there is an argument that suggests the scoreline flattered Celtic, but then again, in two previous meetings between the clubs this season, Celts had won only by a single goal, so in one sense it was an improvement, and at least we won’t have to go there again this season.<\/p>\n

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Next stop is Fir Park, Motherwell, as Celtic continue their Winter Tour around Scotland, with a disproportionate amount of away games, that interestingly enough, should mean that there will be a bit of an imbalance come the time of the league split, not by design, but by accident,as the way the teams sit right now, Celtic will end up playing most of the top sides 3 times away, and once at home… and guess who will end up with the reverse statistic…<\/p>\n

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But we’ll worry about that if the league hasn’t been secured by then.<\/p>\n

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Thats because I’ve a feeling it will be.<\/p>\n

Allow me , if you will, to explain.<\/p>\n

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First of all, although an App that tells me when Celtic are going to pay well and score would be handy, so that I can either stay in the pub a wee bit longer when I’m up there, or get a few jobs done around the house while I’m down here.<\/p>\n

For example, against St Johnstone, all we had to watch was the first half, as nothing else happened after that.<\/p>\n

Yesterday, ten minutes in the first and then I could have went away and done the ironing until it was time to catch the last three goals.<\/p>\n

If the players are only going to turn up when they feel like it, isn’t it only fair the support should be allowed the same privilige ?<\/p>\n

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Just a thought…<\/p>\n

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Meanwhile, well done to Stephen Welsh, who did what he was asked to do when he needed to do it, and although I’d rather not see a lad recalled from loan to fill in for a lacklustre transfer window, it’s his chance to secure a first team place, and he looks like he could just do it.<\/p>\n

Speaking of which, here’s our squad when fully fit… put together by the 90 minute cynic on Twitter..<\/p>\n

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The problem at centre back is there for all to see, and it’s surprising that no one has seen it.<\/p>\n

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This may become more apparent as the next few weeks unfold, with two games a week being the norm to make up for the winter break and the possibility of postponed matches to help Scotland finally reach a major tournament.<\/p>\n

Injuries will pile up, though as yesterday showed, Celtic can handle that middle to front as Lennon is spoilt for choice middle to front, the changes there yesterday opened up the opponents, but at the back, it’s a different story.<\/p>\n

However, no one will moan until it begins to affect Steven Gerrard’s title hopes, so expect it after Wednesday’s round of matches…<\/p>\n

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During the game, Leigh Griffiths got into a tangle with a Hamilton player and , according to some, stamped on the player. Watching the video, it’s clear Griffiths did everything he could to avoid stamping on the player, but oddly enough, the manager felt the need to comment… according to the headline in the Express, that is..<\/p>\n

Celtic boss Neil Lennon warns Leigh Griffiths over behaviour after stamp flashpoint<\/h1>\n

Celtic boss Neil Lennon has issued a stern warning to Leigh Griffiths about his behaviour after a \u2018stamp’ incident overshadowed their win over Hamilton.<\/h3>\n
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By\u00a0LLOYD JOHNSON<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In the report, the first words from Lennon are…<\/div>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t think Leigh stamped on him,\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Then the manager commented on something else entirely, something which was worth the yellow card, but note how the media are ignoring that and making it about the “stamp “<\/div>\n
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\u201cHe pushed the guy in the chest and that\u2019s not what I want.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not a red-card offence but he shouldn\u2019t have done it. We\u2019re big on discipline and I don\u2019t like to see things like that.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe lost his temper but we need discipline. We can\u2019t be doing with losing men on the pitch.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Thats a fair point, but the narrative remains with the stamp, which didn’t happen and wasn’t the reason for the yellow card..<\/p>\n

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Ally McCoist, speaking on wodescreen BT sport said that if Morelos had done that, he’d have been sent off.<\/p>\n

Quite rightly, I suppose, as Morelos shouldn’t be on the pitch during a Hamilton v Celtic game.<\/p>\n

Of course, what he really meant was that had Morelos stamped on someone he’d have been sent off.<\/p>\n

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Actually, Morelos is possibly the only person who has stamped on someone that hasn’t been sent off, so perhaps the flabby funster is getting all mixed up again, and it’s only fair not to criticise a man who spent a considerable amount of time heading a football during his career.<\/p>\n

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As for Morelos, things aren;t going his way, his wife has now denied she put a private investigator on his tail, which means that those long winter nights at home must just be flying past for the little Colombian.<\/p>\n

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I’m curious though, as one or two things about this whole story don’t make sense.<\/p>\n

First, there’s the bit where his car was tampered with…it doesn’t look like the sort of place a millionaire footballer would live, far less park his expensive motor…<\/p>\n

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I’m basing that on the other cars not being expensive and the presence of a staircase down to where they are parked…<\/p>\n

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Of course, the image and reputation of the forward has been shattered, and despite the denial from his wife that she has placed a private investigator onto him to see what he is up to, there is little evidence that he’s been at it.<\/p>\n

Apart from the occasional picture,such as this one.<\/p>\n

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Later today, on Sky sports, you’ll see an interview with the man as the Fat controller tries desperately to paint him as the victim, but one fears the psychological damage to him has already been done.<\/p>\n

In the interview,where he has clearly had help with the words,Morelos comes acoross as a little boy lost, which is designed to elicit sympathy, but it may be too late…<\/p>\n

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As a player, I guess he’s finished,and that means their title challenge is as well.<\/p>\n

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There were no bids, and no rumours of bids for him in January, which tells me that he is not worth the risk for anyone else to take on, and maybe we are now seeing that.<\/p>\n

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One thing of note, Celtic are ignoring the claims that the support is racist,or contains a racist element, but thats not entirely surprising ,as its not so long ago our own board accused us of the very same thing…<\/p>\n

(Planet Radio, November 2015…)<\/p>\n

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Celtic chairman Ian Bankier has described some fans’ online treatment of a fellow director as ”criminally racist” at the club’s annual general meeting.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Lord Livingston, a Conservative peer and former minister for trade and investment, recently voted in favour of the UK Government’s tax credit cuts policy in the House of Lords, which prompted a section of the Celtic support to start an online petition calling for his removal.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Almost 10,000 have signed it but the proposal to re-elect him is likely to be carried when the votes are counted.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One shareholder was given a rousing round of applause when he claimed Lord Livingston’s ”role in society is contrary to the ethos of the club”.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr Bankier rounded on some of the Glasgow-born peer’s critics but his speech was met with calls of ”shame” from some in the hall at Celtic Park.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr Bankier claimed the former BT Group chief executive – whose full title is Lord Livingston of Parkhead – had been ”subject to a torrent of utterly base personal abuse conducted over social media over recent weeks”.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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”The messages posted in quite a few cases are criminally racist and in all cases the vocabulary chosen is base and highly abusive,” the Celtic chairman added.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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”What sickens me to the core is that the campaign is conducted in the name of (Celtic founder) Brother Walfrid.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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”Ian Livingston is a consummately able business executive. We are grateful that he is prepared to devote his time and considerable talents to the affairs of this club.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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”The fact that he also happens to be a member of the House of Lords creates no conflict of interest with the business of Celtic.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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”We are a football club. We play football – and we are good at it.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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”Our fans come from every quarter of society and share the common bond of supporting the team.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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”We are not a conduit for political statements and campaigns. No fan or section of fans has the right to set up a stall that proclaims political intolerance in the name of what they invariably cite as their club.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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”Our club is not available to anyone for that purpose.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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”I condemn this activity and appeal to you to see it for what it is because intolerance soon leads to hatred and hatred leads to a lot worse, as we well know.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Perhaps we are on the point of spotting why the club won;t defend the support against these accusations…perhaps they think there’s something in them…<\/p>\n

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Yesterday,we had this…<\/p>\n

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Owen Mullions<\/em><\/div>\n