April 2005

Sunday 1st Sunday 1st Ray Ryan's exclusive in this morning's News of the Screws is that, 'Celtic have joined the race for Sunderland star Julio Arca. Hoops boss Gordon Strachan is a huge admirer of the Argentinian and is ready to pounce in the summer.' I did check the date but every Sunday is Fool's Day when it comes to this particular chip wrapper.

Monday 3rd Celtic book a place in the final of the Scottish Youth Cup after a 4:3 extra-time win over Aberdeen in the semi-final at Pittodrie (1:1 full-time), goals coming from O'Carroll, McGlinchey and McGowan.

The big showbiz news today is that Jinky's single 'Dirty Old Town' went to No.1 in the charts in Scotland (number 28 in UK) having sold more CDs last week than the UK No.1, despite the fact that a mere seven HMV or Virgin stores in England stocked the CD for sale over the counter.

Wednesday 5th Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, chairman Brian Quinn sounded confident that Roy Keane will continue playing for the club next season. Keane was quoted last month as saying that there are 'no guarantees' he will play on after the end of this season because of a chronic hip injury but Quinn said: 'I think he will. He has made some noises about stopping in the past but I spoke to him after we won the League Cup final on 19 March and he said he would probably go on. He is contracted here next year and I see no reason to doubt that. He has made a significant contribution this season. When he has been playing for us you can see the quality and the class of the player and that spreads to the other players on the field. But above and beyond that, if you speak to the younger players they say he has had a huge influence on them in training. He is a man who has done it all and he is an absolutely first-class footballer. The younger players learn from that - so the influence he has goes beyond the performances he has put in for the first team on the field.'

In the evening's SPL fixture Celtic clinch the title with six games to spare - the earliest it has been done since 1970 - thanks to a goal from birthday Bhoy John Hartson. Hartson later hints that he could be off to another club in the summer, even though he has one year left on his contract: 'I need to sit down with the manager and talk with my family but it would be a massive wrench to leave,' he said. 'I don't know how long I'll be here but I'll cherish the next few weeks.'

'To win by 20 points is scary,' said WGS after the match. 'Nobody could have dreamt that after the start we had. After we got beat by Dunfermline here, we've gone 16 games - 14 wins and two draws - that's not bad going. I don't care who you are, to keep up with that you need to be a good side. These players have been fantastic. We're not saying that we're a great side - far from it. What we're saying is that we are a side that is improving all the time. We wanted to try and get the championship back after last season. And we wanted to get respectability back from the start to the season - and they've done that. Over the season, we've been involved in some great games. It was exciting tonight but not a great game. Hearts did very well and will be great adversaries over the next couple of years,' he added, a quip which surely ranks up there alongside the 'velocity' gag.

Thursday 6th Neil Lennon has been telling hacks how much the championship win means to him: 'I really couldn't have asked any more for the season or from being skipper. I couldn't have asked for a better bunch of lads and I'm very proud of what they've done. This is a great achievement for me to captain the team to a championship. It just cements my feelings for the club. I've had a great ride up here for the past five years and who knows, it might carry on. I am very proud of the players, the manager and the coaching staff. This is one of the most fantastic moments of my career. I am just delighted the title is back where it belongs. I'm delighted for the gaffer. I don't think he has been given the credit he deserves, but he's won the title in his first season and that's something that no one can take away from him. It was pleasing to hear the fans sing his name at the end of the game. Honestly, he spends every day trying to make us better as individuals and better as a group and we've come a long way. I am so pleased for our fans. I knew how much they were hurting last season, but they turned up again this term and got behind us - the backing we have received from them is brilliant.'

Peter Lawwell was also busy at the post-championship press conference. Looking forward to next season he'll be rooting for Barca in the Champions League final: 'We'll only be there if this year's winners qualify directly from their league. We'll be cheering on Barcelona or AC Milan as they look like qualifying. Hopefully, that won't annoy Arsenal, but we have to be self-centred. It was a great, great feeling to regain the championship, especially to finish it so early, but we understand what's happening at Hearts and we understand what's happening at Rangers so we'll strengthen in the summer as we know we have to get better... Our priority will be to have a squad capable of retaining the title and doing even better domestically. And, if we have got into the Champions League group stages, we want to give a good account of ourselves.'

On the subject of kite-flying surrounding Hartson and Keane Lawwell said: 'We had a bid for John in January and we said he wasn't going and John didn't want to go. We will sit down with John and his representatives in the next couple of months. Roy has got another year to go. There has been a lot of speculation around that, but we're hopeful. He appears to be enjoying it. He loves the club and he enjoys being around here.'

Lawwell summed up the contribution of Gordon Strachan to our success this season by saying: 'There's only one person who should get Manager of the Year and that's Gordon Strachan. If he doesn't get it, there will be reasons other than football. It was a tense night against Hearts and we were not at our best, but it was not about that one game, it was about the fantastic turnaround there's been this season. I don't think Gordon has received the credit he deserves from various quarters. The Celtic job is a massive job, as is the Rangers job. People don't realise how big a job it is until they're working here. The fans demand victory every week and there's a great deal of media pressure too. Gordon also had to cope with following Martin O'Neill, who was a magnificent manager and a legend. He had 10 players up on the board when he arrived as 13 had left. And he had to bring new players in while reducing the wage budget. In terms of blending those players and adding to them, Gordon has done a great job. He went to Bratislava and we had a disastrous start, but I think the game came too early. Apart from that and one or two other blips, Gordon has had a great season and come through an amazing set of circumstances.'

Friday 7th Gordon Strachan says reaching the Champions League group stages without qualifying will mean two extra signings before next season. 'It would mean two more players that we can afford if we go straight into the group stages... Financially that would help. It will dictate what we want to do pre-season and budgets could be changed by one game we are not involved in. Hopefully, we will have a lot more names in the squad, because it needs to be bigger than we have now.'

Strachan also said that John Hartson will be allowed to leave Celtic in the summer if the striker feels his family problems demand a move from Scotland: 'It's up to him. I think players always decide this whether they have a contract or not. We will certainly have to have a look at it and sit down with John and see what he wants to do. Players always decide their own future, whether they have or don't have contracts. If they decide their future is elsewhere and that they can't give it their best for the club, then fine. But nobody has got to that situation yet, I've not had to deal with that yet.'

Saturday 8th The SPL announce the post-split fixtures. Celtic's home games are a real stick-the-boot-in job consisting of a Sunday kick-off against Hibs, an early Sunday kick-off against Rangers and a Wednesday night season finisher against Kilmarnock.

Gordon Strachan says that he will happily rest his top players now the title is won, even if it means annoying anybody else in the league: 'I don't feel obliged to play my best team. With players going away to the World Cup, I have to think about their well-being. Not for the sake of the World Cup, as such, but for our championship campaign starting next year.'

Asked if he was worried about the reaction if he fielded a weakened team (subtitles: affected Rangers' chances of coming second) Strachan said: 'I know, but tough! I don't ever remember this being a country where we don't like upsetting anyone. Have we all of a sudden become a caring society, have we?'

Neil Lennon again paid tribute to Strachan's achievements with Celtic this season on Radio 5 Live: 'Training is good, preparation is good and players respond the right way. Considering where we were this time last year and the start that we made, it has been a great season.'

Some withering sarcasm directed towards Rangers from the unlikely source of Bayern Munich manager Felix Magath. Under the headline, 'Bayern warn Gers off midfielder' the BBC website reports that, 'Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath has told Rangers they have no chance of landing midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger this summer. Paul Le Guen - who takes over as Ibrox boss at the end of the season - is reported to be keen on the 21-year-old. But Bayern would not welcome an official bid for the £5m-rated player. Magath said: 'Have Rangers found a pot of gold? It is unthinkable that we'd sell Schweinsteiger. You never say never, but we don't want to sell... In any case, I don't think a move to Glasgow Rangers would be right for him. It's true that Le Guen has been here many times covering Bayern for television and in this time he has become a Bayern fan.'

In the afternoon, Rangers beat Motherwell 1:0 at Ibrox but after the game the Eckmeister is forced to publicly back Ronald Waterreus - booed incessantly all afternoon by the Orcs - after the Mullet was quoted in a newspaper as alleging key players of deliberately disobeying McLeish this season and slagging Murray for not giving McLeish any money. Waterreus was also alleged to have said that he was looking forward to leaving the club in the summer, despite claiming that Pepe Le Pew wants him to remain at Mordor. The Eckmeister responded with a highly original excuse: 'His remarks were totally mistranslated.'

Sunday 9th More transfer news from Ray Ryan in the Screws this morning as he exclusively reveals that, 'Blackburn Rovers are set to make a summer swoop for Celtic striker John Hartson... Hartson has a year left on his contract but wants to be released from that so he can be nearer his kids who live with their mother in Wales.'

The Sunday Mail runs a story on page 25 by Robert McAulay which reports that Rangers' second-largest shareholder, Dave King, 'is set to lose his £10 million private jet after judges ruled it should be sold to pay tax debts approaching £235 million ... Last year King denied 322 criminal charges, including racketeering, tax evasion, money-laundering and exchange control infringements... King said he was bankrupt and was being supported by his mother who still lives in Scotland.'

To enter this month's diary competition simply answer the following question: what page of the Sunday mail would this story have appeared on if the same criminal charges were being levelled at Celtic's second-largest shareholder who had now lost all his money and was relying on his pensioner mammy to help him out with a few quid?

In the afternoon Celtic beat Kilmarnock 4:1 in the SPL at Rugby Park, with an inordinate amount of attention being given to a Kilmarnock goal disallowed for offside. As usual, Jim Jefferies was full of praise for a dominant Celtic: 'Decisions like that can change the course of a game. He was clearly onside and the linesman was right in line with it. You look at the incompetence of that decision, but they get away with it. There should be a form of punishment.' Castration Jim? 'Celtic scored with every chance they had,' added Mr. Grumpy. 'We had plenty of chances ourselves and had a perfectly good goal chopped off.'

Earlier in the day Neil Lennon was the subject of a BBC radio current affairs programme on the subject of bigotry during which he claimed that: 'There are areas where I've witnessed bigotry even more severe than it is in Glasgow. The bigotry thing is not going to go away, it'll be here a long time. To me, that was the most shocking thing about Scotland because I had 14 years in England where I got away from it all and never really experienced it. But there is no doubt about it that it is alive and kicking to the detriment of the majority of the people here. You can't pull any punches when it comes to Rangers and Celtic. It is an intense hatred, but I would like to see it just for the 90 minutes. I don't mind people calling me this, that or the other as long as it doesn't spill into my private life, but that's the problem, it has. I've kept a level head and I haven't got carried away. There have been plenty of times when I've just wanted to throw the jacket off and get involved. In the incident with the two students, I had the guy lying on the ground after he headbutted me and there was blood pouring out of my nose. The only thing that was holding me back was the press reaction, they would have had a field day with it. So I walked away. The ironic thing was, one of the guys was from Aberdeen and it was two students, who you would assume to be intellectually very clever. So if that is the effect bigotry has then it's not just in the working-class, it's running right through society, through the middle-classes to the upper-classes as it were.'

Monday 11th With the UEFA verdict on Rangers imminent, hacks have been hounding the governing body's representative, William Gaillard, to promise an investigation into Celtic should things turn out badly for the Orcs. In reply Gaillard said: 'Celtic in the past have a good record in European competitions and their supporters were awarded the Fair Play trophy after the UEFA Cup final in Seville. But nobody is above the law. They'll be scrutinised just like every other club in Europe.'

In response, Peter Lawwell released a statement saying: 'We welcome Mr. Gaillard's comments which acknowledge that every club in Europe will receive the same treatment from UEFA. We have heard nothing from UEFA and, indeed, the last time we were in direct contact with UEFA was when they presented the Celtic supporters with the Fair Play Award in recognition of their behaviour at the UEFA Cup final in 2003, something which, as a club, we are rightly proud of. There appears to be an attempt in today's press to drag Celtic into a debate and a situation in which we are not involved. However, as a club we are not complacent and will continue to remind supporters of their responsibilities in following the club, whether here in Scotland or anywhere in Europe. We do accept that we have our own issues, particularly with a section of our away support, and we will continue to tackle this and take action where appropriate. Celtic Football Club views all forms of sectarianism or bigotry as totally unacceptable and, we will continue, as our Social Mission Statement says, to 'promote Celtic as a club for all people, regardless of gender, age, religion, race or ability'.'

Tuesday 12th At last, the long-awaited UEFA verdict is announced by M. Gaillard: 'They have been fined 20,000 Swiss francs for smashing the window. And they have been found not guilty on the case of the chants. We had individual reports of such chanting. But, having looked at the evidence, Rangers fans were found not guilty of racist or discriminatory chanting. UEFA might have a more elaborate explanation when they reveal explanations on both counts on Thursday.' Sound of lower jaws scudding off floors everywhere.

Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric tells reporters he's still pursuing John Hartson: 'We love players with a big heart and enthusiasm. He is definitely on Harry Redknapp's list. Whether we can sign him or not will be a different thing. But, if it was my choice, I would like to bring him to Fratton Park.'

Hartson's agent, Jonathan Barnett, was still insisting that BBJ is ready to see out his contract at Celtic Park: 'He has got two years remaining on his Celtic contract, so why wouldn't he see that through? He is enjoying his time up there. I have been reading and listening to speculation for the last 10 years or more. But, if I believed everything that I read, heard and saw then I would be mad,' he added, sticking two pencils up his nostrils while placing a pair of y-fronts on his head.

On the subject of transfer speculation, Gordon Strachan is confident Roy Keane will still be playing for the champs next season: 'I think I will have Roy next season. He loves it at the club and I can't see him leaving. I see people bowing to Teddy Sheringham and quite rightly because he's 40. It's fitness that counts. At my club, if you get to 33 or 34, you've got to move on. Why? It's just fitness that counts. Fitness, speed, motivation - if you've got that then fine.'

In the evening Celtic play in a testimonial against Coventry for the benefit of Richard Shaw in front of a crowd of 25,000 - a new testimonial record attendance for City - the home side winning 3:1. Celtic fans numbered around 10,000 at the game and speaking after the match, Shaw took time to thank them for their support and for making the evening such a memorable occasion: 'It was a fantastic night and I am quite overwhelmed really, particularly with the turn out for a Tuesday night after it had been raining all day. To get over 25,000 is just amazing and I am very touched and Celtic were fantastic bringing so many fans. If I could go round and thank each and every fan I would do.'

Wednesday 13th UEFA's explanation of Tuesday's statement turns out to be a savage indictment of Scottish society: 'In examining the alleged discriminatory chants, the control & disciplinary body admitted that the nature of the song concerned - 'Billy Boys' - related to a social problem in Scotland. The body also believed that the disciplinary decision in this case had to be taken in the context of Scotland's social and historical background. Given this social and historical context, the control & disciplinary body said it considered that UEFA cannot demand an end to behaviour which has been tolerated for years. In view of the above, the control and disciplinary body ruled that, despite the behaviour of its supporters, Rangers FC had not infringed Article 5 of the UEFA disciplinary regulations and cannot be punished according to Article 6.'

A spokesman for Nil By Mouth, described the UEFA decision as, 'bizarre and outrageous'. 'This is a shaming judgement for the whole of Scotland,' he said. 'The overwhelming majority of people in Scotland... think it is completely unacceptable to sing songs about being 'up to our knees in Fenian blood'.'

Thursday 14th As the SFA announces that it would comply with a new FIFA directive concerning the singing of offensive songs and chants at football games and the possible deduction of points for offending clubs' supporters, big cuddly Eck warns the world's governing body that this might be a bad move: 'You open a can of worms with this. Where does it stop and where does it start? I think it's a wake-up call. The warnings are there and we'll have to achieve this goal of political correctness.'

Hacks immediately demanded to know what he meant by these remarks and why he regarded FIFA's directive as mere political correctness and wouldn't stop their grilling of the Rangers boss until he provided satisfactory answers. Not.

The SFA is likely to alter its constitution next month to dock points or relegate clubs for racist or sectarian chants by supporters. John McBeth said: 'If we want to stay in FIFA we must comply with what they want and will discuss it at our AGM.'

Under FIFA Circular No.1026, which takes effect immediately, wants clubs to be deducted three points for one offence of discriminatory behaviour, six points for two offences, relegated for three offences and kicked out a cup competition for one offence. The circular adds that a national association will have its team banned from international competition for two years if it does not comply. McBeth said there was a 'very real possibility' that points could be deducted from Scottish clubs next season if they fall foul of the new regulations. 'It will mean that the SFA will have to monitor games more closely.'

Friday 15th The Celtic under 19s tie up the Youth League title by beating their closest rivals Motherwell 1-0 to seal this season's championship.

Saturday 16th Alan Dick, the SFA's observer attending the Rangers v Aberdeen game at Ibrox, is reported as having mentioned two instances of 'prejudiced chanting'. The Orcs couldn't have been in very good voice today.

Sunday 17th Sunday red top readers in a good mood on the way to the title presentation party are treated to front page stories in both the Screws and the Mason about Neil Lennon's love life and an exclusive by Gavin Berry of Masonsport: 'Atletico Madrid are set to offer Shunsuke Nakamura his dream chance of a crack at La Liga by swooping for the Celtic star.'

The game itself finishes in a 1:1 draw.

Billy Connolly presented Neil Lennon with the SPL trophy at the end of the game and had a quick word for the fans: 'Incidentally, I am immensely proud of you. All this shit. All this sectarian bullshit. No one has taken the time to congratulate you on what has been achieved here in the last five years. It's breathtaking. You deserve congratulations. Well done.'

The only sour note in what was otherwise a joyous post-match celebration was Stilian Petrov hanging about with a face as long as a Lurgan spade before disappearing up the tunnel instead of taking a lap of honour with his team mates.

Monday 18th UEFA's disciplinary inspector is to appeal against the decision to find Rangers fans not guilty of discriminatory chants. Austrian Gerhard Kapl, who compiled evidence during the two matches against Villarreal, has challenged last week's ruling by UEFA's disciplinary body. He had recommended a £25,000 fine and the closure of a stand at Ibrox. Kapl has 10 days to detail his reasons for the appeal to UEFA, with a hearing likely to be held in May or June. Chairman Dave of Dignity FC would only say that, 'Our lawyers are standing by to scrutinise the written reasons behind this appeal'.

Neil Lennon tells the Daily Rectum that allegations about his love life published on Sunday will not influence his intention to stay at Celtic Park: 'My personal life and career are totally separate and I continue to be passionate about my team and have no intention of leaving. The past six months have been a nightmare from start to finish, but it has not affected my game or the way I feel about Celtic. Everyone has been very supportive throughout this whole sorry affair, including the team manager, the team and supporters. The reception they gave me when I lifted the trophy was second to none and I want to thank everyone for that. The Champions League is a great carrot for me to stay. I've had some great European nights with the club against the likes of Juventus, Lyon and Bayern Munich - the cream of Europe. I've been around the world and there is no better atmosphere than Parkhead on a Wednesday night to get the blood pumping.'

The reserves make it another clean sweep of honours for the club at every level in 2006, having clinched their fifth consecutive league title. The reserve league trophy will now join the Scottish Premier league championship and Scottish Youth League in the Celtic Park trophy cabinet.

Tuesday 19th Celtic have been given detailed planning permission for the proposed new training facility and sports academy. A club spokesman announced: 'This is a significant step towards the realisation of Lennoxtown as the new training facility. However, we still have to resolve several issues before we give the final go ahead.'

Shunsuke Nakamura is quoted in the Daily Rectum as saying that he has no plans to leave Celtic after just one season with the Scottish champions. Reports have claimed that Naka has failed to settle in Glasgow and he has been linked with a switch to Spain. But he was quick to state his happiness with Celtic and was delighted to win the SPL title: 'Coming to Scotland was a big adventure for me, but I've established myself with a very big club and now I'm the first player from my country to become a winner here. I think you can only really judge your achievements at the end of your career, but, so far, this would be the best thing I have done with any of my clubs. In Italy I was fighting relegation most of the time and, although there was satisfaction in keeping my club in Serie A, every footballer dreams of winning trophies and playing in cup finals. Doing that with Celtic has been a special experience for me, something I'll always remember and I'm happy to have played my part in the happiness of the fans. What's happened has shown I was right to come here. I moved to Scotland to improve myself, but I also came to improve the team and I think I have achieved those things.'

Thursday 21st Having signed a contract in January committing himself until 2010, Stilian Petrov has officially told Celtic he wants to leave, despite the club turning down his transfer request. Anxious to leave, despite the club turning down his transfer request: 'It's my wish to leave at the end of the season. I hope Celtic are going to respect my wishes. The manager told me he knew exactly how I was feeling. He said he is going to respect my wish but he is going to fight to keep me at this club. I want to test myself on a different level and learn what I can't here. I can't do that here. I have always been loyal to Celtic and I hope they recognise what I have done. I have given Celtic the chance to get money so they can be active in the transfer market. If I hadn't signed a new contract, the club would not have got a lot of money. Now they are going to have enough money to go and buy a player. I told them when I signed I had thoughts about playing somewhere else. They knew this could happen. We could have let it go on but it wasn't right. I have given my best here but I am the type of guy who wants to learn and better himself all the time.'

Petrov dismissed stories of a fallout with the manager as 'a big lie'. Gordon Strachan said: 'Ultimately, we have the power to decide how and when he leaves. Despite him wanting to move on, we are relaxed about it. You are talking to someone who asked Alex Ferguson for a move in 1992 and I was told to go forth and multiply. I was there the next two years, won a few more trophies and just got on with it.'

The BBC's website is straight in there with news of Stan's replacement: 'Celtic will make another move for Hearts midfielder Paul Hartley if Stilian Petrov leaves the Scottish champions, BBC Sport understands.'

Sunday 23rd On the morning of the Glasgow derby the News of the Screws features another story about Neil Lennon and his ex-girlfriend on its front pages and an exclusive on the back by Kenny MacDonald which claims that, 'Furious Celtic have BANNED from Parkhead (sic) the agent they feel is responsible for Stilian Petrov's transfer request. Geordie Mr. Fixit Tony McGill has been told he is no longer welcome because they feel he muscled in on Petrov after the Bulgarian signed his new long-term contract in January.'

The Sunday Mason, whose ace reporter Swoop Guidi happened to ghost Stan's 'autobiography' (aren't you so glad you parted with that fifteen quid now, eh?) runs with two exclusives about the player. On page 4 we're told by Norman Silvester how SP saved a wee girl from choking to death on an Easter egg (although the article doesn't mention when this happened) while Swoop himself get the exclusive interview for the Masonsport pages, wherein You Can Call Me Stan 'opens his heart and reveals the truth behind his shock decision to demand a transfer from Celtic': 'I want to test myself at a new level. I'm in a comfort zone. I want to play in England. This is not about trying to get more money - this is about my career. There has been interest in the past but I don't know if any side will come in for me. To ask to leave one of the biggest clubs in the world isn't a decision you make without a lot of soul-searching. I have no idea where I will end up. I have not been tapped. I keep in touch with Martin O'Neill and I'd like to work under him again. I hope things can be sorted out with Celtic. To ask to leave one of the biggest clubs in the world isn't a decision you make without a lot of soul-searching. It was also difficult to tell manager Gordon Strachan. He doesn't deserve it because he is a good man and a good coach. But I have to look after myself. I wanted to let him know and that gives him time to plan. I hope the supporters understand. I need to find out what I'm capable of. I don't want to be sitting 20 years from now full of regrets.'

The big match ends in a tame 0:0 draw, a result that practically sees the Orcs doing a lap of honour in front of the baying hordes who kept up an incessant stream of their full repertoire throughout the afternoon. Plenty of writing as well for the SFA's Bigotwatcher.

Monday 25th Neil Lennon has some sage words of advice for Stilian Petrov on his prospective move to the English Premiership: 'I can understand why he wants a new challenge but he has got to be pretty careful which club he goes to. I am not sure leaving for Fulham or Bolton is in Stan's best interests at this juncture in his career. Apart from the top four or five clubs the rest are a bit of a mish-mash really. Some of the games have bored the pants off me. I said a few years ago that I would not mind having another crack at it down there (England) but I am not so sure about that now. Hopefully we will be in the Champions League group stages next year and that is a massive carrot for me. It is prestigious with an unbelievable fan base and he will get more success with this club than going down south. Personally I don't want to see him go and I will try to change his mind. But I have not had a chance to nail him yet.'

Tuesday 25th Stan's persona non grata agent insists that he'll be for the off just as soon as humanly possible:'Stilian (you can call me Stan surely?) is not going to stay. He has been thinking about this for six months now. Obviously, Gordon Strachan wants him to stay. But now Stan (that's better) has put it in writing, it is a weight off his shoulders. The club will have to let him go. I have had contact from other agents representing various clubs all over Europe and these have been directed to Celtic. I have not done anything wrong and it's out of my hands until - if and when - Celtic accept an offer from a club. There were clubs in for Stan in January when he had nothing to do with me at the time. I wasn't his agent then but it doesn't matter who his agent is if he decides to leave.'

Wednesday 27th Shaunaldinho will be named Player of the Year by the Scottish Professional Footballers' Association.

Roy Keane's testimonial against Manchester United at Old Trafford on 9 May is a 68,000 sell-out. 25,000 Celtic fans will travel to the game - the biggest away support at a British game - and we have been allocated the entire North Stand. The match is expected to break all records for receipts in benefit games. Keano will donate the profits to charity.

Thursday 28th Previewing the coming weekend's games in the SPL, Neil Lennon insisted that Celtic will give 100% against Hearts: 'If I score the winner, it might be the first time the Rangers fans have shouted for me in my career. But, if we do Rangers a favour, so be it. We did Hearts a bit of a favour last week by drawing with Rangers. It's first versus second so we want to show everyone that we are still top dogs. Whether that means spoiling Rangers' party or spoiling Hearts' party, it doesn't matter, it's not our fight. We have our own agenda, to be professional and try to win the game on Sunday.'

Gordon Strachan was in agreement: 'The players have become Celtic players by having determination, a great attitude, great character, motivation and a will to win, so you can't really tell me that they are going to discard all these things when we play on Sunday. It just doesn't work that way. Only a non-footballing person could think like that.'

Diary compiled by SAMUEL PEPYS-SHOW and HACKWATCHER

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