{"id":3738,"date":"2013-10-12T10:47:55","date_gmt":"2013-10-12T09:47:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=3738"},"modified":"2013-10-12T10:47:55","modified_gmt":"2013-10-12T09:47:55","slug":"celtic-diary-saturday-october-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=3738","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Saturday October 12"},"content":{"rendered":"

Theres an international break again this weekend, as FIFA desperately try to drum up support and excitement for their own World Cup tournament, which takes two years to complete, or if you are a Scotland fan, about an hour.<\/p>\n

Scotland didn’t have a game this weekend, they don’t play until Tuesday, when Croatia are the visitors, and Gordon Strachans men will be playing for pride and a place higher up the World rankings for when the nations are arranged again for the European Championships. Scotland do have a chance of progressing in that one, as nearly everbody will qualify as the game becomes more and more distorted for the watching millions on television.<\/p>\n

In fact, there is talk that Brazil and Argentina are among those who could be invited into the European tournament, which further makes a mockery of the event. Although most of their players do play in Europe with their clubs, its more about \u00a0showing the power and influence that UEFA hold over the world game.<\/p>\n

UEFA could benefit from FIFAs short sighted idea to hold a World Cup finals tournament in the heat of Qatar during the summer of 2022, an argument created purely so that world footballs highly paid executives could have something to talk about for the next eight years or so.<\/p>\n

One player who did make a return to international football was forward Anthony Stokes, who according to the Irish Examiner, put in a more than decent shift against Germany for Ireland last night;<\/p>\n

” This was a rare opportunity for Stokes \u2014 just his fifth cap and first involvement in a competitive game \u2014 and he will have felt that he could have contributed a lot more. Although a quick glance at the possession stats would have reminded him how little of the ball Ireland actually had.<\/p>\n

Rather than pout, Stokes kept on going. If Trapattoni was watching on TV from Milan, he would have not recognised the player as the one who he publicly criticised for failing to turn up to the Carling Nations Cup two years ago.<\/p>\n

Stokes has grown up since and is now a key player for Celtic with five goals in 14 games this season. He should have hit the target before half-time last night, but he flash a shot wide after the interval and forced Manuel Neuer into two saves late on.<\/p>\n

Apart from maturing off the pitch, Stokes has finally realised that being a goalscorer is simply not enough in the modern game as the team must always come first ”<\/p>\n

Well, we could have told them that….<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, back in the real world, supporters of Scotlands newest club have hit a few teething troubles with their new club shop website. Although the younger offspring of their support are expected to become Celtic supporters, it was still a shock to those of them who could read when they saw this appear on their laptops;<\/p>\n

\"Celtic<\/p>\n

The Daily Record claimed that Rangers websites went into meltdown when they found out, and quoted a few comments by distinctly unhappy bears;<\/p>\n

On Rangersmedia.co.uk, Carsons Army posted: \u201cSelling your main rival\u2019s merchandise? That is just daffy.\u201d<\/p>\n

On supporters\u2019 website Follow Follow, Gers fan Marsh said: \u201cI would trace the culprit and fire them. That is not an accident.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Gladbear posted: \u201cIf you click on the drop-down menu for colour, you\u2019ll see lots of other teams like Man City and Chelsea.<\/p>\n

The list is in alphabetical order and Celtic happen to come first. Lets not make a drama out of nothing, no need to alert the beaks.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Rangers spokeswoman said: \u201cWe\u2019re not trying to duck the issue but this was due to an error by suppliers and has been rectified.\u201d<\/p>\n

Obviously , they were keen to show off a newly discovered sense of humour, which is often associated with them whenever they receive adverse news.<\/p>\n

Well, sense of humour in perhaps the loosest sense of the term. They did miss a couple of other comments though…<\/p>\n

” Never thought I’d see the day when our stores would sell those Bastards merchandise, get them to fuck.\u00a0\":(\"\u00a0”<\/p>\n

” This is right up there with the fkn Aiden keyring! Grrrrr “, and my favourite<\/p>\n

” This is what Mike Ashley brings to Rangers Retail. Fucking sectarian ducks. “<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u00a0Or zombie ducks;\"\"<\/div>\n
Photoshoppers appear to have gone crazy;<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/div>\n
Well, its not like they ever had one of their own…<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u00a0Manager Neil Lennon, presumably bored out oif his skull this weekend, took time to comment on the season so far;<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“Our league form has been good, we’ve set our players targets and so far they are achieving them. I’m delighted with the start we’ve made and the football we’ve been playing,” he told Celtic’s official website.<\/p>\n

“The worrying thing now is a lot of them are away for 10 days and we hope they will all come back fit and okay.”<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
“We’re in a good place at the minute, I don\u2019t want it to be a short-term thing, though, I want it to be there until May.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u00a0He needs a hobby.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u00a0Tam Cowan, the Motherwell fan who wanted to burn the ground down after some women played a game at his beloved Fir Park, will be back co-hosting his Off The Ball show on Radio Scotland today. The BBC, in a statement said;<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had several discussions with Tam following his newspaper column and he has made it clear to us that he made a serious error of judgement, for which he has apologised.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has also been reminded of his responsibilities as a broadcaster for BBC Scotland and on that basis, he will be back co-presenting Off the Ball this weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

James Traynor, who quit the BBC and the Daily Record, where Cowans controversial but tongue in cheek article was first published to a bit more of an outcry than it probably deserved, could also be sniffing at the Beeb to get his old job back, especially with the civil war at his new place of employment beginning to get a wee bit nasty.<\/p>\n

The BBC are believed, ( only by me ) to have already drafted a statement should this circumstance arrive;<\/p>\n

” Fuck off, fatty . ”<\/p>\n

The three men in yesterdays link-a tim competition were Joe Jordan, Frank Connor and Sean Fallon, who all were assistant mangers who had to step into the breach as first team bosses when their gaffers were unable to continue. In Fallons case it was due to Steins car crash, while the car crashes that were Liam Brady and Lou Macari allowed the other two to step in. In Jordans case, he stepped in and immediately stepped back out again after taking training one morning.<\/p>\n

Can you spot what these guys have in common ?<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0\"\"\u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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