Apologies for the non appearance of yesterdays diary. After spending a couple of hours on it, I decided that it wasn’t good enough to publish. Actually, thats not true, because if there was any sort of standard to be met with these ramblings, then none of them would have seen the light of day.<\/p>\n
As it was, I had urgent business to attend to in Paisley and had to catch a couple of trains very early, and there just wasn’t time.<\/p>\n
So, what did I miss ?<\/p>\n
Celtic Park will host the League cup final, beating off competition from Ibrox, largely because a) its not falling down, and b) there is no doubt over ownership. The SPFL explained all in a statement;<\/p>\n
\u00a0“The SPFL had to select a venue for the cup final taking into account the likely demand for tickets, segregation and ticket allocation options, the quality of stadia available and a range of other factors.<\/p>\n
“The expected demand for tickets from fans dictated that only\u00a0Celtic\u00a0Park or Ibrox Stadium would provide the necessary capacity.<\/p>\n
“Celtic\u00a0Park was selected after a thorough analysis of the stadium options available and detailed discussions with both\u00a0Celtic\u00a0FC and Rangers FC. The SPFL would like to thank both clubs for their positive participation in the process.”<\/p>\n
I went past Ibrox on the train yesterday, and its interesting to note that from that an theres an awful lot of space in front of it now, and it appears some buildings have already been knocked down. Wonder whats next to go…<\/p>\n
The police are investigating the abuse dished out to Neil Lennon at Tynecastle, when he was spat at and had objects thrown at him, causing him to leave after an hour of the Aberdeen St. Johnstone semi final on Saturday. With unnerving speed , our guardians of law and order have decided just a few days later to look into it.<\/p>\n
They’ve got their top man on the case.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A spokesman said;<\/p>\n
“Following reporting of abuse directed at Neil Lennon during the Aberdeen v St Johnstone match at Tynecastle, Police Scotland is currently carrying out inquiries.”<\/p>\n
\u00a0If \u00a0they though the perpetrator had sung Roll of Honour he’d have been in prison by now. While they carried out enquiries, using the new fangled waterboarding techniques.<\/p>\n
Efe Ambrose has told the Celtic View that everyone should be praised for the current record breaking run of clean sheets;<\/p>\n
\u00a0“The clean sheets are coming not just because of the defence but the whole team, from Fraser to the strikers, because we have been playing as a unit.<\/p>\n
“So this is down to the solid work of the team , the instructions the gaffer has been passing on to us and our style of play.<\/p>\n
“I believe this is what has been helping the team so far.<\/p>\n
“Fraser, Darnell (Fisher), Mika (Lustig), Adam (Matthews), Emilio (Izaguirre), Virgil (van Dijk), myself, the two midfielders, who are important to the defence, and the attackers – everyone deserves credit as it’s a team thing, not just the defence.<\/p>\n
“We also should give credit to the gaffer and the supporters as they have been solidly behind us.”<\/p>\n
And not forgetting the lass in the paper shop down the road from him, and the bloke who painted his fence. Then you’ve got the lad who sorted out his car insurance, he didn’t have time to mention everyone else, because the guy from the View had already left, and Efe hadn’t noticed.<\/p>\n
Manager Neil Lennon went back to praising Fraser Forster, something he hadn’t done all morning;<\/p>\n
“His level of concentration is amazing, and when you add that to his ability, and talent, I think he is one of the best goalies we’ve had here at Celtic, ever.<\/p>\n
“And for him to break the club record, which has been long-standing, is fantastic for him and the team as well.<\/p>\n
“He’s only been here two or three years, but what he’s achieved in that time has been absolutely incredible really and long may it continue.<\/p>\n
“The work he does with goalkeeping coach Stevie Woods is fantastic, they have a great relationship and Fraser would be the first to say what an influence Woodsy has had on him. It’s all about the individual and he sacrifices a lot.<\/p>\n
“He’s one of these players who works incredibly hard on his game day in day out an he’s getting all the rewards for that at the minute.”<\/p>\n
The only worry is that the players will take their feet off the gas, especially this weekend, which is a Cup match against Aberdeen. After all, a cup final at Celtic Park has to be the aim, and it would be a splendid way to wrap up the season.<\/p>\n
Rumours surrounding troubled new club Second Rangers have been flying around, the main one coming from the author of the book which details the old clubs demise, so you’d think he still had one or two contacts that might know something.<\/p>\n
Phil MacGhillabhain tweeted that the latest CEO over there, Graham Wallace , had a speech prepared and was about to quit.<\/p>\n
Very quickly, this was denied by media guru Jack Irvine, in fact , perhaps a little too hastily.<\/p>\n
According to the Herald, theres another crisis facing the new club;<\/p>\n
” IN what may set a precedent, a boys club has made a complaint to Scottish Football Association compliance officer Vincent Lunny about the non-payment of compensation money allegedly owed by Hearts and Rangers. ”<\/p>\n
Musselburgh Windsor FC, who celebrated their 60th anniversary last year, say they have taken the stance to alert boys clubs throughout Scotland that they are due money from professional clubs. Their own complaint relates to an under-15 goalkeeper who joined Hearts, and two younger outfield players who were released to join Rangers.<\/p>\n
The club president, Scott Robertson, says his club is spending more money pursuing the complaint than it will actually get if Hearts and Rangers are forced to pay up. That is because boys clubs are due just \u00a310 every time a senior club takes one of their registered players – a situation Robertson calls “disgraceful”.<\/p>\n
As some 2700 boys, from the age of 10 upwards, are registered with senior clubs, boys clubs are frequently plundered for their best players. The compensation is set at just \u00a310. Yet within the senior system, clubs can demand between \u00a3600 and \u00a315,000 for a boy who wants to switch to another team.<\/p>\n
Explaining why Musselburgh Windsor have decided to take a stand over the \u00a310 the club say is owed to them by Hearts, and \u00a320 by Rangers, Robertson said: “To be due just \u00a310 for a promising player we have probably nurtured for many years is bad enough. For that sum not to be paid, and for us to have to spend time and resources pursuing it, is really adding insult to injury.<\/p>\n
“Since the compensation rule -known as the training fund contribution – was introduced by the SFA in 2006 it has been almost completely ignored by the professional clubs. There must be hundreds and hundreds of cases of non-payments to boys clubs.<\/p>\n
“I came across the rule completely by accident – I don’t think other boys clubs are even aware they are due money from professional clubs who have taken their players since 2006.<\/p>\n
“The onus is on the pro clubs to make the payments to the Scottish Youth Football Association who should then redistribute the money to the relevant boys clubs. I don’t blame the SYFA or the SFA for this. It’s the clubs who haven’t been making the payments.”<\/p>\n
Musselburgh Windsor, for whom former Scotland striker Kenny Miller once played, believe that not only should the senior clubs pay all the compensation they are due – which could run into thousands of pounds – but that the \u00a310 should be replaced by something more realistic.<\/p>\n
“Boys clubs are facing escalating costs for facilities, kit and mandatory SFA coaching courses,” Robertson pointed out. “Sponsorship is tailing off and some clubs are really struggling to make ends meet. Yet despite increasing difficulties, and the fact that almost every boy in Scotland starts his football career with one of our clubs, there is no money trickling back down from the top.<\/p>\n
“What you have to bear in mind is that once a boy is taken from us and joins a professional club he can be subject to what has been described as a ‘children’s transfer market’. The senior clubs receive sums of between \u00a3600 and \u00a315,000 when boys as young as eleven move between clubs.<\/p>\n
“Meanwhile we get \u00a310 – or not as has been the case. That figure is far too low.<\/p>\n
If it was even raised to \u00a350 it might make<\/p>\n
so many of our players. At the moment they are like kids in a sweet shop. They pick and choose our best players and take as many as they want.<\/p>\n
“The reason our club has made a complaint to the SFA’s compliance officer is because we want to make all boys clubs aware that they haven’t been receiving<\/p>\n
the payments they are due – paltry though they are.<\/p>\n
“We believe all the money owed to the boys clubs should be paid retrospectively.<\/p>\n
A debt is a debt, whether it’s owed for a week or seven years.”<\/p>\n
Last night an SFA spokesman said: “We cannot comment until such time as a notice of complaint has been issued. However, the compliance officer does investigate all matters referred to him to determine whether there is a case to answer.”<\/p>\n
This could be the one that finishes them. For anyone who thinks that they have no debt, I’ll wager theres a lot of these little bills that haven’t been paid-in fact there were stories about finding quite a few of them in Brian Stockbridges desk after he left.<\/p>\n
With Stefan Johansen already looking the part, Joe Ledley has tweeted about how much he loved it at Celtic, presumably before we all forget who he was;<\/p>\n
” \u00a0thank you so much to all the fans who’ve been so supportive during my time at Celtic, a truly amazing club, an unforgettable 3 and a half years thanks again. Best fans ever, will miss you all. ”<\/p>\n
So, he’s had a good look round at Crystal Palace now, and now has the air of the drunk who wakes up in the morning hoping he didn’t do anything stupid last night…when he knows full well he did.<\/p>\n
The picture in Tuesday diary was Jimmy Johnstone being held aloft by Tommy Gemmell after Celtic had secured a 0-0 draw in Prague to book a place in the 1967 European Cup final. The tactic of wearing the oppositions shirts during a match was banned shirtly after, as it gave an unfair advantage to the team doing it. and if everyone did it, it would be too confusing and spoil the game.<\/p>\n
Heres another…<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/media2.apnonline.com.au\/img\/media\/images\/2009\/01\/27\/Lynch_500x500_t460.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Who is he ?<\/p>\n
And theres something else you might be interested in….<\/p>\n
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