july 2005

Tuesday 4th Pre-season friendlies kick-off with a young-looking Celtic team going down 1:0 at Legia Warsaw.

Wednesday 5th Peter Lawwell is once again spurred into action, this time denying reports in the morning papers that Celtic had been busy organising a deal to swap Stilian Petrov for Joey Barton of Manchester City. It had been claimed that Celtic Lawwell has made contact with the Premiership club to instigate the deal but the facts of the matter are that this story is completely untrue: 'Accusations in today's press suggesting that Celtic had contacted Manchester City offering Stilian Petrov are completely false. We wish Stilian Petrov to remain at the club and this story is totally inaccurate. We have had no call at Celtic Park from any newspaper to check the validity of this story.' What's new?

Thursday 6th Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink will not be joining Celtic, to the chagrin of some and the relief of others. His agent said that the striker would have loved to have played for Celtic, but a deal could not be agreed: 'One thing is for sure is we did all we can to do it and Gordon Strachan also tried his best to get Jimmy. It was a move both parties wanted. But we were not able to come to an agreement so that is the end of it. Jimmy really tried to go there and was really willing to get his wages to a level we both thought would make that possible but we were not able to reach an agreement.'

Pre-season friendly number two ends in a 2:0 defeat at Wisla Krakow.

Friday 7th Reserve players Michael Gardyne and Gary Irvine have signed season-long loan deals with Scottish First Division side Ross County.

Sunday 9th Portsmouth have reportedly increased their bid for Stilian Petrov after Celtic laughed off their first valuation. 'It is entirely up to Celtic what happens with the bid and I wouldn't tell them what they should do,' said 'Arry, strongly hinting at what he thinks Celtic should do.

Monday 10th Stan Varga has confirmed he will sign a new one-year deal with Celtic this week: 'Everything's looking good and I will sign a new contract for one more year. I'm feeling lousy at the moment and haven't been at all well but it will be good to get things sorted out.'

Wednesday 12th A tired-looking Celtic team are on the receiving end of a 4:0 goosing in Washington on the first leg of the pre-season American tour.

David Murray has told the Financial Times that he may sell his stake in Mordor within the next three years and has already been approached by potential buyers (A. And H. Steptoe). 'We've had a couple of people speak to us tentatively, but I would only sell the club if it was somebody who could take it to a higher level.' What, higher than third in the league?

Thursday 13th Deportivo La Coruna president Augusto Lendoiro says that Celtic have enquired about signing international striker Diego Tristan: 'It is probable that there will be news in the next few days. He will probably go abroad. The interest from Benfica is certain, as is that from Sporting Lisbon and Celtic. Although, in each case, it would be necessary to negotiate.'

Friday 14th After last Wednesday's 4:0 defeat to DC United in the USA Stilian Petrov has been telling whoever will listen that Celtic not letting him have his way is harming both him and the club: 'We have been flat in our matches and, at the moment, we are nowhere near the form that won us the championship last season,' he said. 'So if we don't start playing well it will be a very hard season. Of course it has been affecting me and my form. We are only two weeks away from the start of the league and we don't look as if we can defend our championship. Right now, my form is poor, definitely. I fear for us in the Champions League with performances like this. Every mistake is punished and it's the whole team who are to blame. This has been dragging on for months. Everybody knows my situation, but it's up to Celtic. They know how I feel and, as soon as they let me talk to someone, I'll be happier... I'm not happy in my situation and so I hope to sort it out quickly. I want it to end. I want to try something else, go somewhere else and I hope Celtic respect my wishes.'

Saturday 15th After downing several Chivas Regals following the DC United debacle, it's slightly more encouraging news from across the Pond as the tour of north America continues with a goalless draw against Mexican side Chivas Guadalajara at Giants Stadium in New York.

Sunday 16th Rangers suffer their first loss under Paul Le Guen as they are beaten by Mamelodi Sundowns (who they? Ed) in Johannesburg. Robin Johannes was sent off in the 68th minute, prompting speculation that a referee had been imported from the SPL specially for the match, but Rangers could not make their one-man advantage count. Looked all over the Daily Record for a cracked crest but there was none to be seen. Maybe tomorrow.

Monday 17th Gordon Strachan insists there is no problem with Alan Thompson after the player left the American tour early. Thompson's agent had claimed that the player is fit but was deemed Òsurplus to requirements'. Tony McGill told hacks: 'It is strange, but what isn't strange at Celtic these days? Unless he has dropped a suitcase on his toe, he is not injured. There is not any problem, and there has been no falling out. Alan wasn't injured when he left America, so I am not sure what has happened. I am going to have to wait and see what Celtic say and see whether they want to offload him. He has done absolutely nothing wrong, which is why I am so surprised and disappointed with what has happened. This is not common courtesy. If Celtic deem him surplus to requirements, then why take him there in the first place? But to send him home a couple of days before they are all due to return is just embarrassing for the lad.'

Not surprisingly, Gordon Strachan's version of events was slightly different: 'Alan has a thigh strain, which meant he could not train and had no chance of playing in the final game of the tour on Wednesday. He said he'd like to go home, so we arranged that for him straight away. There is not any problem, and there has been no falling out. Alan even thanked me for letting him do this (go home). I really don't understand why this has blown up the way it has. We will see Alan at the end of the week when we return to Scotland.'

Strachan will consider missing out a pre-season tour of the United States next summer to save the fitness of players. 'It is the first time I have been to America for a pre-season and it is definitely not easy. It is good for those who don't have to play but not so good for players. We are just getting our second wind and what we are really looking forward to now is some time,' he added. 'Because of the games, you can't sit down and plan your coaching. So what we'll need to do is sit down and reassess it as the season goes on.'

Derby County manager Billy Davies confirms that he is trying to sign Stephen Pearson. He told BBC Radio Derby: 'We've approached Celtic with regards to the availability of the player. He's one player that I'm very keen to bring to Derby. He's a player I admire and he's got a lot to give to this game and this club.' Gordon Strachan is quoted in the Evening Times as saying: 'We wouldn't let Stephen go, though every player has a price. Stephen knows he has limitations but he has things we can use at times in games. I really feel pleased about him and for him because guys like that I like.'

Tuesday 18th Celtic announce that the launch of the new white kit has been the most successful ever, with stocks of the new Nike 'Pure White' international kit having been temporarily sold out. Sales of the kit are now double that of last season, which had set a previous record for the club and the club thanked the supporters for their continual, outstanding support. According to the official website: 'The unprecedented demand has led to kit shortages and manufacturers Nike have apologised to those supporters who have yet to receive their orders from the club's official online suppliers Kitbag.' This encouragingly positive news was given huge prominence in all of the daily tabloids. Not.

A goal at last (the first in five pre-season games), thanks to Rocco Quinn, but the USA tour ends with a 1:1 draw against New England Revolution, the equaliser coming in the 90th minute.

Wednesday 19th Real Madrid midfielder Thomas Gravesen is not ruling out a move to Celtic after being transfer listed by new manager Fabio Capello. Gravesen's agent, John Sivebaek, told BBC Sport that he is aware of interest from Celtic. 'He would consider a move to any of Europe's top clubs, but his preference is to stay in Madrid. I have an idea of the price Real Madrid will ask for, but I don't know if that would be too much. The ball is in Celtic's court to make an agreement with Madrid. Maybe it will be difficult because of the wages and so on, but you never know.'

Deportivo La Caruna striker Diego Tristan, meanwhile, has ruled himself out of a move to Celtic and at the same time confirmed he is little more than a big lassie's blouse: 'The only thing that interests me is the possibility of playing in Portugal for a side who are in the Champions League. There is absolutely no possibility that I would want to play in Scotland or anywhere in northern Europe as it's too cold for me.'

Bolton's pre- season friendly with Rangers at the Reebok Stadium on 25 July has been cancelled on the advice of Greater Manchester Police, 'on the grounds of safety,' according to a Bolton statement. Greater Manchester Police explained why they felt the match could not go ahead. Chief Superintendent Dave Lea, divisional commander for Bolton, said: 'Given the uncertainty around accurate numbers of supporters attending, and the probability of many thousands of fans without tickets descending upon Bolton, it was not possible to further plan for this event within the margins of public safety that we normally employ.' You can supply your own subtitles to that statement.

Friday 21st Gordon Strachan has been looking forward to the upcoming friendlies at Celtic Park and hinting that he is still in the market for a striker. 'We still need presence up front. That will be our priority. The most important part of your team is the front unit and it is not firing on all cylinders. The defence looks not too bad though it is easier for the defenders to get into the swing of things.'

Sunday 23rd Sub Aiden McGeady scores the only goal as the Hoops beat Everton at Celtic Park. Everton crest cracked in two in tomorrow's Liverpool Echo etc.

Wednesday 26th Not much for the paying public to get excited about as Manchester United win our other pre-season friendly by 3:0. Biggest cheer of the day comes in the 90th minute when Scholes played in Liam Miller who missed a sitter. Gordon Strachan said the biggest lesson from the night was that, 'their second team is far better than our second team. We don't just dismiss it - that would be foolish and naive and not respecting our opponents. What we need now is for our players who think they're back-up players for the last couple of years, that they can't be back-up players. It's asking too much of the mainstays and the names that have been bringing success to the club for the last few years. The back-up players need to really back us up.'

Transfer speculation dominates the Celtic headlines today with the Hoops being linked with Dutch striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Ukraine midfielder Anatoliy Timoshchuk of Shakhtar Donetsk. Donetsk general director Sergei Palkin told the Daily Record: 'There was a call to express Celtic's interest, they have not yet made an offer. Peter Lawwell called me. We are now waiting for them to send us an offer in writing. If we get an offer which meets a real valuation of our captain's worth, we will not stand in his way.'

Van Hesselink's old man said: 'We have had a meeting with Celtic. Both parties know what is on the table and I think it looks good. Personal terms will not be a problem and it is up to the clubs to agree on a fee.'

David Murray has been forced to issue a humiliating public statement to the effect that the Orcs must not be heard singing the Billy Boys inside Scottish football stadia: 'The supporters need to show a certain level of integrity and behaviour in the grounds. But, if they don't, be prepared for the consequences. We are creating initiatives for match days, we've been meeting supporters' groups, we've been meeting editors of newspapers, we have been pleading with the fans to show respect... You can only receive so many warnings and we will receive a stiffer penalty (if this goes on).'

Thursday 27th Jose Mourinho has been reminiscing about the UEFA Cup back in 2003 with his muckers from the press in anticipation of the coming friendly at Stamford Bridge in August: 'I've played Champions League final, I've played big matches and I've won things with Chelsea, but it was the most exciting game of my career. The game was amazing and the stadium was full of Scottish supporters. We scored, they scored, we scored again, they scored again. We went to extra-time and in the end, with everybody waiting for penalties, we scored the winning goal, which was an amazing goal. I have great memories. From that time I can say I fell a bit in love with Celtic, because the atmosphere was amazing and the crowd was magnificent, the way they behaved with the Porto fans. I look forward to meeting Celtic again. They are a big club and they have a good relationship with my country, because they were European champions in Portugal many years ago and they play a UEFA Cup final against another Portuguese team.'

Friday 28th Bulgaria left-back Ivalyo Petkov has told the Daily Rectum that he expects to sign for Celtic by the end of next week. 'Celtic want me and I want to go there. That's why I believe a deal will be done in a couple of days. I think I will travel to Scotland after Celtic's match with Yokohama.'

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp looks like dropping his interest in signing Stilian Petrov after Celtic rejected his latest £5m offer. 'As far as I'm aware, Celtic have turned down our £5m and I think that's it over,' he told The Sun. 'I have a high regard for Petrov's talent and I'd have been delighted to have signed him, but enough is enough. I couldn't honestly recommend to the club to pay any more for the boy. I believe we were the only club in for Petrov and I reckon Celtic might find it difficult getting better money than that.' Brian Quinn is still insisting there is a possibility that Petrov will remain at Celtic Park: 'We hope to resolve the situation to the satisfaction of both Celtic and Stilian Petrov. Maybe he will stay at Celtic. He will certainly remain part of the team until anything else happens.' On Petrov's decision to demand a transfer at the end of the season Quinn said : 'I'm puzzled rather than disappointed. It was a radical change of his position in such a short time when this was all settled in January after he signed a new contract.'

He also defended Celtic against accusations of penny-pinching in the transfer market: 'We're spending more this close season than any other club in Scotland. We're going to the limit of our ability and any money we make will go straight to the manager.'

Gordon Strachan was busy playing down suggestions that Petrov wasn't trying a leg. 'In the last three matches, he has been absolutely huge. He was not meant to be here, but here he is playing his heart out for Celtic.'

Mitre launch a new golden ball to be used by Celtic in the SPL. The Pro 100 T Reigning Champions SPL football will be used at all of Celtic's home matches in the league this season as a reminder to the opposition who the champions are. It's the first time a personalised club ball will be used for all home games in any football league in the UK. In the traditional spirit of Scottish football we can only hope that the ball still leaves a permanently imprinted 'ertim' when it comes into contact with any exposed human flesh on frosty winter mornings.

Saturday 29th A League flag unfurling to celebrate along with a 4:1 win against Kilmarnock. After the match Strachan turned his attention to the football media: 'We are the only club in the history of football who can be the champions by 20 points and be under pressure in the first game of the season. So we just laughed at that pressure and produced some stunning football. It was an excellent performance. The only people who were criticising us are those with no knowledge of the game, because what matters is what you do when the meaningful games start.' Jim Jefferies was full of praise for the home side after the match and left the stadium with a big smile on his face, satisfied that his lads had been beaten by a far superior team. But seriously folks...

 

Diary compiled by SAMUEL PEPYS-SHOW and HACKWATCHER

 

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