{"id":8725,"date":"2016-03-06T10:17:18","date_gmt":"2016-03-06T10:17:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=8725"},"modified":"2016-03-06T10:17:18","modified_gmt":"2016-03-06T10:17:18","slug":"celtic-diary-sunday-march-6-group-hug","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=8725","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Sunday March 6: Group Hug!!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Prior to the game today, instead of the traditional huddle in the centre circle, how about all the squad, all the managment and coaches, in fact everyone including those who normally sit in the boardroom and take selfies to send to their pals-well, i don&#8217;t see any other reason as to why they are there- should get into a big group hug.<\/p>\n<p>This will wash away all the little niggly ( it&#8217;s okay-I&#8217;ve checked. I can say that word. ) doubts and fears that everyone has within themselves and each other, and then we can get the show back on the road.<\/p>\n<p>Celtic host Morton at lunchtime in the Scottish cup, and run of the mill tie against a lower league side is fast becoming a potential banana skin.<\/p>\n<p>How anything can be potentially a banana skin is beyond me. Its either a banana skin or it isn&#8217;t. Same with apple peel, orange peel and coconut shells. Hailing from the west of Scotland , you&#8217;ll have noticed that fruit isn&#8217;t my speciality.<\/p>\n<p>Theres still time to decide on nipping down to the ground for the game, if, \u00a0of course you live close enough, and theres a whole world of pre match entertainment before kick off to help sway those who are still to make their mind up.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><strong style=\"font-weight: bold;\">9:00am:<\/strong>\u00a0<strong style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Celtic Superstore opens.<\/strong>\u00a0Pop in before the game and relive some \u2018goal\u2019den Celtic memories with \u00a310 off our classic range of retro Celtic shirts.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>When the Bhoys score today, you can get the goalscorer\u2019s name and number on the back of any new 2015\/16 New Balance Celtic shirt at no extra cost.* This great offer is available immediately after the final whistle and ends when the Celtic stores close on Monday, March 7.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>Adult home, away or third 2015\/16 New Balance shirts are available from \u00a329 and from just \u00a319 for children.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><strong style=\"font-weight: bold;\">9:30am: The Ticket Office at Celtic Park opens.<\/strong>\u00a0Supporters can buy or collect tickets for today\u2019s game right up until kick-off at 12 noon. You\u2019ll find all the latest Celtic ticket information\u00a0<a style=\"font-weight: bold; color: #009850;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eticketing.co.uk\/celtic\" target=\"_blank\"><strong style=\"font-weight: bold;\">here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><strong style=\"font-weight: bold;\">10:30am:\u00a0<\/strong>Stadium opens.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>The official matchday programme will be available around Celtic Park and for a special combined price of just \u00a34 fans can also get their hands on the latest issue of the Celtic View.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>There will be no Paradise Windfall this Sunday but you still have a chance to win a \u00a35,000 jackpot with our \u2018Captain Edition\u2019 scratchcards. Keep an eye out for the famous yellow jerseys in the North and South Stands.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><strong style=\"font-weight: bold;\">12:00pm:\u00a0<\/strong>Kick-off. The main event, come on the Hoops!<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><strong style=\"font-weight: bold;\">1.45pm:<\/strong>\u00a0On the final whistle, the Kerrydale Bar opens and we\u2019ll have live Scottish Cup action with Hibernian v Inverness Caledonian Thistle showing live on the big screen before the bar closes at 3pm.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">No paradise windfall !<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">Right, I&#8217;m putting the helicopter away and watching it on the telly.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">If ever there was an example of the penny pinching , money grabbing , biscuit t tin hiding mentality making a return its not holding the already downsized paradise windfall because it won&#8217;t make any money.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">Due to licensing laws, you can&#8217;t even get a drink before the game.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">When you look at todays attendance, its worth taking other factors into account as well. Turning up at Celtic Park at nine in the morning to get a tenner off a shirt they probably already have isn&#8217;t going to draw the crowds in.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">What would draw the crowds in, not today, granted, but for the rest of the season, would be a swashbuckling performance of attacking and entertaining football.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">With that in mind, lets look at the probable line up for this afternoons game&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">Craig Gordon will be between the sticks, Mikael Lustig, Erik Svaitchenko , Dedryck Boyata and Keiran Tierney will give a little continuity in defence, and Scott Brown will be one of two holding midfielders , probably alongside Tom Rogic. There could be a place for Kris commons in beside Stuart Armstrong and Patrick Roberts, or maybe even Scott Allen.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">Leigh Griffiths will be expected to add to his haul of goals in his role up front, and if it all goes to plan, Celtic should win comfortably.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">What we need from the players is a lot more focus, a lot more fight and a lot more effort. If they do that, the result won&#8217;t be in any doubt.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">They all know what they have to do, and they simply need to go out and do it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">Just stick to the plan.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/Cbj-shyVAAARvKk.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">Oh, and if you are bored you can always go along to this event next month&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/Cc0TqkYW4AE0XkF.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">I&#8217;d just like to remind everyone of the backing that these two have given the club in recent weeks, and how they are fully behind the manager and in no way adding to any unrest that may or may not be currently an issue behind the scenes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">Still, if you want to go , you go.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">I&#8217;d rather nail my bollocks to the dinner table and hit them with a lump hammer.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">In the cup yesterday, an exhausted Dundee failed to lift themselves for a tie against a lower league side, and as a result, crashed out of the competition. as a tribute to the new club who beat them, we present the Ibrox 2016 Lady Of The Month for March.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/CcxE0veXIAEWEud.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">It&#8217;s refreshing to see lower league sides have a crack at a major trophy, and fans of the Ibrox side must thank Sir David murray for leading Rangers into liquidation to allow a wider spread of big days out for lower level clubs, as its always nice to see a club believe it can win \u00a0its first major trophy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">Right, I&#8217;ve a lot to do before the game starts, and befiore i go, i&#8217;d just like to congratulate a couple of old pals on their wedding anniversary;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/Cc2oa4GXEAAq3D9.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">Enjoy the game, and don&#8217;t worry, we&#8217;ll be fine.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">Meantime, amuse yourself by coming up with an appropriate and witty rejoinder for this picture..<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/Cc1w4ZzWAAArSpn.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Prior to the game today, instead of the traditional huddle in the centre circle, how about all the squad, all the managment and coaches, in&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":8726,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/etims.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/group-hug.jpe","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2J7If-2gJ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8725"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8725"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8725\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8727,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8725\/revisions\/8727"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}