Friday night football, which frees us all up to help the wife with whatever women do at weekends finally gets its grip on Celtic on this historic date.<\/p>\n
Television had secured the soul of the beautiful game long before this, but it still seems fundamentally wrong to play a game on a Friday. Like snow in July.<\/p>\n
After Celtic put on the performance of the season at Tynecastle last week, cruising to a 7-0 win over Hearts and playing the game as it ought to be played, Virgil van Dijk is looking forward to a repeat;<\/p>\n
“It was a good result, of course, and we were very happy to go through to the next round so it was a good day,” van Dijk said of the Hearts win.<\/p>\n
“In every game we want to play like that and win the game like that, but every game is different.”<\/p>\n
And they don’t come any more different than Motherwell at Fir Park.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Stuart McCall side will be hurting after they were knocked out of the Cup by a team other than Second Rangers, when Albion Rovers put them to the sword last week. They will be out for revenge, and if you consider that their usual tactic is to kick anything that moves, and if its not moving kick it until it does, then Celtic will need to be on their toes.<\/p>\n
Neil Lennon has decided to introduce another new strip for this game, which makes good marketing sense just before Christmas, and the players will be attired this this rather fetching little number<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The game starts at 7.45, and is live on BT Sports – the BT in this instance standing for Bruised Torso, as Adam Matthews will testify.<\/p>\n
Celtic will be without\u00a0Tom Rogic, Adam Matthews, Beram Kayal, Steven Mouyokolo and James Forrest, while Nir Biton and Georgios Samaras have come down with a virus, which makes them doubtful.<\/p>\n
Steven Maclean is tonights referee, which means that the unbeaten run will be just that little bit harder to prolong, esoecially as manager Neil Lennon didn’t endear himself to the refereeing community yesterday either.<\/p>\n
Stuart Dougal, a shy retiring ex ref who doesn’t want to be in the news, has called for the men in the middle to consider industrial action after Dundee Utds Nadir Ciftci wasn’t given a life sentence with no remission for his attack on a referee.<\/p>\n
The refs don’t want to go down this line-mainly because the replacements from Europe last time round showed then up to be a little more incompetent than they would have liked- but they are annoyed that Ciftci only received a two match ban.<\/p>\n
Of course, you will remember the outrage from Dougal when Madjid Bougherra carried out his assault , which resulted in the Algerian being sent to his bed early without any tv, and Lennon has made a point of the double standards that the masons , sorry, men in the middle employ.<\/p>\n
The Celtic boss \u00a0took Dougal to task over his call to arms and insisted referees cannot speak out only when it suits their agenda.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cManagers would love that but then referees leave themselves open to a lot of criticism.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand why they don\u2019t do that because (referees\u2019 boss) John Fleming wants them protected. That\u2019s fine by me but they can\u2019t have it both ways.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen things don\u2019t go for them, they can\u2019t say we want our side to be heard. But then, when managers want an explanation, things are not forthcoming.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked about Dougal\u2019s strike call, he said: \u201cIt would be a bit over the top to go on strike, a bit extreme to do that.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe some people felt the suspension was lenient but you have to take each case on its own merits.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t lay a hand on officials. They are there to be respected and protected and maybe they think the ban is unjust.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019m sure there are other ways for them to make their feelings known rather than going on strike.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wouldn\u2019t be good for the game. Two or three years ago they were upset about a lot of things. It caused chaos last time and in this case it would be way over the top.\u201d<\/p>\n
” And they are a bunch of cheats ” he didn’t add. I put that bit on.<\/p>\n
So, I’m off to the bookies to place a bet on a couple of Motherwell penalties tonight, and a booking for at least five Celtic players.<\/p>\n
Hopefully, though, the standard of football will be similar to last week, and it won’t matter what the referee does, and another big win would offset the miseries of the weekend ahead, which looks like consisting of trudging round shops to buy presents for people that I don’t know, \u00a0with money that I haven’t got,who don’t want them anyway.<\/p>\n
I’m getting a new Christmas jumper, which says “Ho, ho, fucking ho ” on the front.<\/p>\n
Friday used to be rumour mill day on Etims, and with our usual source now allowed back into the community, theres one or two things we can share with you, if only because theres nothing else to talk about today.<\/p>\n
Aaron Taylor Sinclair looks like he’ll be moving across Glasgow to cover for Emilio Izzaguerre at left back, \u00a375,000 has been mentioned, and Jags boss Alan Archibald says he isn’t staying at Firhill.<\/p>\n
Hiroki Yamada , a Japanese playmaker who has just broken into the national team, should arrive on trial at Lennoxtown. Thats according to the Herald, and the name Valmir Beresha keeps cropping up.<\/p>\n
Who ?<\/p>\n
The Swede who just scored seven goals in seven games in the Under 17 world Cup, thats who.<\/p>\n
According to Sky Sports, \u00a0\u00a0Sunderland, Tottenham, Celtic, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Villareal, Sevilla, Inter Milan \u00a0Juventus and Liverpool-who are favourites to get him-are all after his signature.<\/p>\n
Yet the lad wants first team football. So, which of the above clubs is he more likely to get that with, and which of them offers champions League football as well ?<\/p>\n
Its about time we had another prolific Swedish striker, and even as we speak, Mikael Lustig and Johann Mjallby have added him to their facebook list.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, as the AGM over at Ibrox draws near, someone who has been following the events there has hinted that there may be a touch of Queens evidence being prepared.<\/p>\n
Barcabhoy, who tends to be right about these things, posted this on Kerrydale Street yesterday. ( The forum, not the little road next to the ground, That would have been silly. Theres no game till next week. Unless they move that one as well. )<\/p>\n
”\u00a0Tis the season to be thinking about whether you can trust your former partners in crime\u2026.<\/p>\n
As Flo-rida says<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you blow my whistle baby, whistle baby
\nLet me know
\nGirl I\u2019m gonna show you how to do it
\nAnd we start real slow
\nYou just put your lips together
\nAnd you come real close
\nCan you blow my whistle baby, whistle baby
\nHere we go \u201d<\/p>\n
There are 2 types of whistleblowers.<\/p>\n
The first type are the ones who have been outraged by the actions of their peers or governments. Clive Ponting, Mordechai Vananunu, Harry Markopolos, Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden are all well known examples. Agree or disagree with their motives, they felt a need to make public what was being hidden. Their crime, in legal terms, was to breach their contracts or a confidentiality agreement.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sure we can all think of information which was important in the context of Scottish Football , which would have remained hidden from public scrutiny if it wasn\u2019t for the actions of individuals who took some risks to expose cheating, corruption and worse.<\/p>\n
The second type of whistleblower is the guy who has been waist deep in dodgy dealings . He has either been the leader of immoral and\/or illegal activities, or he has been a significant cog in the wheel . Important enough to be able to prove a case that would bring jail sentences and the destruction of reputations.<\/p>\n
Barclays Bank just saved themselves \u00a3hundreds of millions by turning in their accomplices in crime. They probably felt it was only a matter of time before the truth came out, and best to be outside the tent p*ssing in rather inside the tent being p*ssed on.<\/p>\n
Sammy the Bull Gravano, was guilty as sin. He was complicit in just about every crime John Gotti committed. He cut a deal, he effectively got a slap on the wrist for nailing Gotti.<\/p>\n
Why did he do it ? Simple really , he realised Gotti was about to turn him in . He was going to be traded for a lighter sentence for Gotti. The instinct for self preservation is usually stronger than the instinct for loyalty.<\/p>\n
The UTT will be sitting down early next year, late January, to determine whether MIH ran a tax scam. The Aberdeen Asset judgement must have sent a shiver down the spine of those at the heart of this . What is absolutely certain is all concerned will be considering their options.<\/p>\n
Will The Rangers Gotti sell his foot soldiers down the river. Will The blue nosed Sammy the Bull get in first and save his own neck. Will anyone from the various lawyers , accountants, tax advisers and journalists have a crisis of conscience and feel compelled to expose the bad guys.<\/p>\n
The question they all have to ask themselves is self preservation or loyalty to someone who may be preparing to save his own skin by setting them up to take the fall, worth the risk.<\/p>\n
Et Tu Brute<\/p>\n
\u201cHe that has eyes to see and ears to hear may convince himself that no mortal can keep a secret. If his lips are silent, he chatters with his fingertips; betrayal oozes out of him at every pore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sigmund Freud ”<\/p>\n
The implication being that one of those involved in the biggest scandal in sporting history might be about to break ranks and spill the beans.<\/p>\n
Thing is, after thinking about it, who is sleekit enough to dump on their friends and save their own skin from that lot ?<\/p>\n
Hang on, perhaps it would be easier, and quicker to ask, who isn’t ? You wouldn’t want to be in court with any of them.<\/p>\n
Brian McClair, recently elevated to legendary status amongst the Celtic support after this story from Gorbalsbhoy yesterday;<\/p>\n
” when Brian played for Motherwell, they went to Portadown to play a freindly in the winter of 80 or 81. the card here had been wiped out and the manager, jock wallace(horrible man), arranged the game to keep the squad ticking over.the half time entertainment was an orange band incidentally. anyway, after the game there was food and refreshments provided and the young Motherwell players filled their boots( if you pardon the pun) they were sitting on the bus waiting to depart for Bonnie Scotland, when the manager appeared, \u201d eh, sorry tae keep yeez laddies but am not travelling back with youz. ah\u2019v got somewhere tae go, so ah\u2019l see youz at the park oan monday\u201d. At that. he turns to walk of the bus and our hero Choccy shouts,\u201d away yae go ya big orange bastard\u201d. Everybody dived under the seats and wallace stopped dead in his tracks, paused for what seemed like an eternity and proceeded to walk off the bus.thats when I found out Brian was a Celtic fan. true story, my brother was sitting beside him when it happened. HH ”<\/p>\n
-was the man who was top scorer every season he played in the hoops.<\/p>\n
Right, still on a Motherwell theme, whats the connection between this bar<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
and this flag ?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Finally, yesterday saw the passing of one of the true great statesmen of our time. Nelson Mandela, ( 1918 -1013 ) died at home, and an era has come to a close.<\/p>\n
Sepp Blatter has said that there will be a minutes silence at all games this weekend, and I suppose he’s quite relieved there are no Champions League games taking place, as , of course , they would not have been allowed to bring politics into the game.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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