September 2005

Tuesaday 6th More reassurance today that the game is in good hands in this country as Italy's Under-21 side are awarded a 3:0 victory over Scotland after the Scots fielded the suspended Steven Whittaker in last Friday's European Under-21 Championship, a match which ended in a 2:2 draw. UEFA have decided to award Italy the three points after what the Scottish FA described as 'an administrative error'. The SFA has apologised and launched its own internal investigation to be headed by their own chief executive David Taylor. This latest own goal comes little more than a month after the game's governing body chartered a plane for the trip to Austria that wasn't big enough for their equipment. To cap it all (pardon the terrible pun), Aberdeen goalkeeper Ryan Esson was drafted into the senior squad by mistake at the weekend after Celtic's David Marshall was sent off against Italy's Under-21s. Marshall was not suspended as the Under-21 competition is run by UEFA as a European Championship qualifier and does not affect his participation in the FIFA-run World Cup.

Wednesday 7th As Poland prepare to face Wales in a World Cup qualifier, The Evening Times has more good news for us under the headline 'Celtic star in scan shock'. In the article underneath, ace reporter Ronnie Culley reliably informs us that Magic Zurawski is doubtful for the Poland match and for Saturday's Celtic game because of a groin injury which may require a scan, hence the 'shock' I suppose. In the event, not only does Zurawski play, he scores the winner.

Craig Beattie makes an appearance as a sub - coming on for Jackie McNamara - in Oslo where Scotland were busy beating Norway by 2:1.

Friday 9th Some genuine good news today as John Kennedy - sidelined by a knee injury inflicted by Viorel Ganea of Romania on his international debut for Scotland in March 2004 - is given the all-clear to return to training. Kennedy took his latest step on the road to a full recovery when taking part in light training early this week, and is regarded as being three months ahead of schedule in his recovery, although it will be at least the New Year before he can be expected to close a return to the big team.

Saturday 10th A good afternoon's work in the SPL as goals from Maciej Zurawski - 'Ronnie Culley in pish article shock' - and Stilian Petrov give Celtic the points on the 20th anniversary of Jock Stein's death. The occasion was marked with a minute's applause which turned out to be a brilliant success. Banners were also unfurled by both sets of fans in honour of the Big Man.

Plucky cash-strapped Rangers keep up their battle for a top six place with a hard-fought 1:1 draw away to Falkirk, their goal surprisingly coming from the penalty spot. Team manager Alex '115 Years of Dignified Silence' McLeish wasn't happy: 'Suffice to say, I'm extremely disappointed with our performance,' he told waiting hacks in an unusually less than loquacious statement.

Sunday 11th No doubt who wins the exclusives war in the red tops this morning as the News of the Screws' Graeme Bryce breathlessly reveals on the back page that, 'Scotland scoring sensation (Memo to overseas readers: anybody who scores for Scotland these days is a sensation) Kenny Miller is a transfer target for Rangers AND Celtic - with Alex McLeish and Gordon Strachan both putting together ambitious bids to have the 21 year-old back to Scottish football... McLeish's interest will come as little surprise but Strachan's desire to join the stampede for a former Rangers player would certainly raise eyebrows among Hoops fans.' What, like the Antti Niemi story did? It would raise more eyebrows if it turns out there's any truth to Bryce's story.

To trump its back page, page 11's exclusive comes courtesy of Craig Jackson: 'cheeky groundsmen at Rangers have been grassed up after mowing the Ibrox turf to look like an Orangeman's sash.' Alongside pictures to corroborate the story, including one of an Orangeman wearing a sash (with the face pixelated beyond recognition... or was that his real face??), Jackson quoted an 'Ibrox insider' who allegedly told him that when he asked the groundsmen what they doing, 'They said it was coincidence - then winked at me.'

Tuesday 13th Gordon Strachan has told hacks that he will begin talks soon to sign Artur Boruc on a permanent deal. Boruc's agent Radoslaw Osuch will fly into Glasgow in the next fortnight to open negotiations with the club. Strachan said: 'We'll be talking to Artur's representatives very soon and I don't see any reason why we shouldn't look to make it a permanent arrangement. He's doing very well for us, he likes the club, and I think it helps that he has his pal, Maciej (Zurawski), around the place.' Boruc himself has also made no secret of his desire to make a long-term commitment to the club, saying: 'Celtic have first option on me and we will see what happens but I do want to stay. We've got good players here, we can develop this side and reach the Champions League next season. I can achieve my ambitions at Celtic. I want to stay playing for Celtic, if they want me.'

Defender Du Wei makes his first public appearance in a Celtic strip in a reserve clash against Aberdeen that ends in a 1:1 draw, although he was withdrawn before the end of the match after taking a head knock. 'I really enjoyed my first game in Celtic colours,' he said afterwards. 'I felt I coped well. I will be fine after a few more training sessions and I hope I will soon be ready for the first team, if the manager picks me.'

Friday 16th Gordon Strachan expresses his delight at Celtic's compromise with Japan regarding the use of Shunsuke Nakamura after the player returned from his country's 5:4 victory against Honduras in Miyagi last Wednesday tired and injured. With Japan head coach Zico originally insisting that he would continue to use all his European based stars in preparation for his side's 2006 World Cup campaign in Germany, Strachan is pleased that the Japan Football Association have now agreed to consider the negative effects Nakamura's overseas trips seemed to be having on the 27-year-old. Despite his tiring schedule, Nakamura has been quick to reaffirm his commitment to Celtic - hinting that he would welcome an extension to his current three-year deal. 'It's definitely possible of course. Glasgow is a very good city and I like it here. It is just a bit cold and wet but I have no regrets about leaving Italy. But who knows what can happen - maybe the club will sack me.'

With Neil Lennon's appointment with the beaks fast approaching Strachan has also called on the Scottish Football Association's disciplinary committee to maintain a sense of perspective when they sit in judgment on Tuesday afternoon. WGS has shown great support for Lennon and has dismissed any notion of stripping him of the captaincy. While Strachan accepts Lennon was in the wrong with his actions, he believes that the player deserves a degree of understanding from those who will decide his fate on Tuesday. 'We will wait and see what the result of the hearing is,' he said, 'but I hope the people who judge it will judge it on the case itself and not on the mass hysteria which went along with it. Put it this way, if I said I was going to sign Patrick Vieira, people would be absolutely delighted. Yet he is a guy who has spat on the face of another footballer [Neil Ruddock] in the past. People wouldn't be saying 'oh no, you can't sign him' because of that. Roy Keane is another great player who has crossed the line on the field of play, but principles seem to go out of the window depending on who you are and what team you play for. I crossed the line myself a couple of times on the pitch. Sometimes you don't like yourself for it, it's not nice when it happens but it cannot really be explained. People can change on the football pitch. Some guys who are normally quiet can become monsters and I don't know why it happens at all.'

Sunday 18th This morning's Sunday Mason leads with an exclusive by Gavin Berry under the headline 'You're a Thug' in which the Porto skipper Pedro Emmanuel lets rip at Dildo Rso having been stretchered off with a broken nose during the previous week's Champions League game at Ibrox after having been headbutted by the Croatian: "Prso had to be sent off. It was the kind of attack you'd expect from someone on the street and not on the football pitch. I didn't like the reaction of the Rangers players either. They were complaining and trying to make out I was wasting time when I was badly hurt. I won't speak about revenge but I can safely say we will win at home against Rangers. It will be the match of the season for us and we will go for many goals for personal satisfaction. Rangers were physical but they are not a technical team. We only lost because the referee allowed them to play in a physical manner." The Huns' favourite was booked for the incident and joked after the game that he had given Emanuel a "Glasgow kiss". Thank goodness it wasn't Neil Lennon involved, there might have been a stushie about bringing the game into disrepute like this.

In the afternoon Celtic pick up another three points with a 1:0 victory against Hibs at Easter Road. WGS said after the game that the players were guilty of a 'weak mentality' in the opposition's penalty box. 'I was very happy with the first 35 minutes, but Hibs got a second wind when they realised we weren't going to finish them off. We were guilty of a weak mentality in the box, but I was happy with a lot of things. We kept a clean sheet again. The longer we keep that going the better.'

Strachan was also pissed off at some late tackles on Telfer and Nakamura that went unpunished by ref Craig Thompson: 'I went to a meeting about the rules at the start of the season and was the only manager there. I was there with about 150 referees who discussed what was going to go on this year and went back and told my players. Since then, things that were never going to be allowed have been allowed, so what a waste of a Sunday that was for me.'

The previous day the Huns had kept up their fight for a place in the top six with a win against Kilmarnock at Ibrox, this week's helpful penalty starter coming courtesy of ref Calum Murray.

Monday 19th With their AGM due on Friday Rangers announce a shake-up of personnel at the Death Star. Alfred Hitchcock lookalike John McClelland stands down as vice-chair, while fellow board member Campbell Ogilvie relinquishes executive duties while remaining a 'consultant'. George Adams, who was director of youth football, has been 'offered a new role relating to recruitment of players' whatever that means. Rangers chief executive Martin Bain told Rangers' website: 'During the last six months, the club has undertaken a number of key internal decisions in order to move towards a more integrated structure and modern club approach.' In other words, we're skint and we have to cut costs.

Tuesday 20th Neil Lennon is given a three-match suspension for his behaviour towards the match officials after the defeat at Ibrox. The SFA disciplinary committee decided, after a three-hour meeting, to add to his automatic one game suspension 'for misconduct of a significantly serious nature'. A Celtic spokesman said: 'We are satisfied with the process, today's outcome and pleased that common sense has prevailed.' Lennon's ban will begin with Wednesday's CIS Insurance Cup meeting with Falkirk, followed by league games against Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Livingston.

During his hearing Lennon received representation from the Scottish Professional Footballers' Association. SPFA assistant secretary Fraser Wishart believes previous good behaviour worked in the player's favour. 'Neil wants to put this incident behind him and one of the stressing facts is that he has never been sent off in an SPL fixture or been over the top of the threshold for yellow cards,' he said. 'And his previous record has been taken into consideration.'

Wednesday 21st Stuart Dougal says he is disappointed at the leniency of the ban given to Celtic captain Neil Lennon 'This was about the future protection of Scotland's referees and that's where the feeling of disappointment comes in,' he told the Daily Rectum. 'To be honest I have not had enough time yet to fully absorb the decision but it is fair to say I am disappointed. I'm not disappointed for my own sake (of course not - gullible ed) because this was never about Stuart Dougal versus Neil Lennon or Stuart Dougal versus Celtic Football Club.' Retired (thank heavens) referee Willie Young - another great whistler - also believes Lennon's three-match ban is too lenient. 'In such circumstances, where there is physical confrontation with an official, they should be considering a five-match suspension,' he said. 'I am surprised that that is not what they went for. I think officials will not be over the moon about the outcome,' he said. 'Not that they have anything against Neil Lennon.'

The Scottish Senior Referees Association has begun canvassing its members over possible industrial action. 'In the wake of recent developments relating to the safety of match officials during games, we are currently canvassing the opinion of our members,' the SSRA said in a statement. 'Feedback we will receive will allow us to formulate our next steps.'

SFA chief executive David Taylor defended the decision. 'Zero tolerance is exactly what we practice and a three-match ban on top of an automatic one-game suspension is a clear sign that this kind of behaviour is not tolerated,' he told BBC Sport. 'That's why we introduced a five-match guideline for physical assault of an official, but we did not consider this to be in that category. I am on the UEFA disciplinary committee and, to go from one to two, while giving Neil Lennon a total of four games, is entirely in perspective. The SFA are 100% behind referees on the park, but after the match, it is out of the referee's hands,' he said. As for the idea of strike action, I heard that Stuart Dougal has dismissed the notion and that says it all.' Doesn't all this back sass from the refs about the decision constitute dissent?

Another brilliant referee, Craig Thomson, has outlined why he showed only yellow cards to Ivan Sproule of Hibs and Celtic's Paul Telfer during Sunday's match. 'Both players became locked together with aggressive movements of the heads and arms towards each other. My reaction was their actions fell short of being violent and I cautioned both for unsporting behaviour,' he told the SFA's Whistleblower website. 'Sometimes, there is a fine line between behaviour which is aggressive and that which is violent and I took the former one.' On Bobo Balde's caution Thompson said, 'If players are trying to act as peacekeepers. It is essential that they do not exacerbate the situation. Bobo Balde, was excessively aggressive and therefore he too was shown the yellow card.' Excessively aggressive peacekeeping?? There's one for all you violent pacifists out there to get angry about.

In the evening's CIS Cup tie, John Hartson comes off the bench to score an extra-time winner against Falkirk. The previous evening at Ibrox plucky cash strapped Clyde were within fifteen minutes of going through to the next round before being hauled back and eventually beaten 5:2 by plucky cash strapped Rangers.

Friday 23rd WGS insists there has been no fall out between Celtic and referees in the wake of Neil Lennon's altercation with Stuart Dougal. 'I spoke to Donald McVicar (SFA referees boss) and he's delighted with the relationship I and my staff have got with referees and fourth officials. There has not been a negative report from a referee so far this year and the behaviour of the dugout has been fine. I am delighted with our relationship with them and I hope that continues. I have said to the SFA we've got our disciplinary code into line from the under-10s right through and everybody knows how we should be behaving. Everybody knows what is expected and what will happen if they step out of line so we're happy.'

Lottery chiefs have today pledged money to save the church regarded as the birthplace of the club. St. Mary's Calton, the second oldest Catholic church in the country, will receive a £120,000 share of Heritage Lottery funding. Celtic was formally constituted in St. Mary's church hall on November 6th 1887.

Saturday 24th Another comeback victory for Celtic as Craig Beattie scores a brace in the 2:1 win against Inverness Caley. Tabloid headline writers can relax again for a while. Elsewhere, in the 'top of the table showdown' at Tynecastle, plucky cash strapped Rangers narrowly fail to manage a point as they lose to 1:0 to Rangers Lite. No penalties this week from Kenny Clark, although Bammy Ferguson is booked for diving while trying to get one and they are denied a strong claim for handball in the box. Hearts are also denied one of the stonewallers of the season. A hundred odd years of dignified silence comes to an end as the tactical genius that is Eck declares: 'we should have had a penalty. If the ball hits a hand on the way to goal it shouldn't need to be deliberate.'

In he draw for the quarter finals of the CIS Cup Celtic are drawn to play a home tie against one of the middle of the table teams. Rangers.

Sunday 25th The Mason plumbs new depths with a front page story by Russell Findlay claiming that, 'Celtic's new Chinese star Du Wei has been befriended by a feared triad gang boss.' The back page is hardly much better. Swoop Guidi's exclusive is that, 'Controversial former Celtic and Rangers striker Mo Johnston has revealed he would manage either Celtic or Rangers. He told the Sunday Mail: 'I've never said 'never' about anything. I'd go back to Scotland in a heartbeat if the right job came up. If the chance arose to manage Celtic or Rangers I'd do it.'

He could always say he's coming back to manage Celtic then get a job as manager at the Death Star. After all, there's every chance of a vacancy coming up soon.

Monday 26th Scottish clubs are to be denied the cash bonanzas they have enjoyed from glamorous UEFA Cup ties because of new regulations opposed by Celtic but supported by Hearts, according to the Daily Telegraph. Celtic have long complained about the disadvantage the club suffers from being a big club from a small country in the Champions League, and were adamantly against the same system being applied to the UEFA Cup but they were outgunned by those who voted for the change - which comes into force next season - including Chris Robinson, in one of his last acts as outgoing Hearts chief executive. In the Champions League group stage all teams earn the same money for every point they achieve. However, broadcasting revenue is distributed to clubs according to their country's percentage contribution to the central pool, which in Scotland's case is very small. Under this system, a poorly supported team like Bayer Leverkusen would earn three times as much as Celtic even if the pair were to finish on the same points total in Champions League groups. Celtic took an estimated 80,000 fans to the UEFA Cup final in Seville in 2003 while Leverkusen could not sell even 10,000 tickets for the European Cup final against Real Madrid at Hampden in 2002. By contrast, UEFA Cup revenues - apart from the final itself - are not pooled and Scottish clubs have done well from encounters with clubs from major leagues such as England and Germany. The biggest windfall of all was scooped by Celtic when they met Liverpool in the UEFA Cup quarter finals in 2002. The broadcast fees paid for Celtic's home leg are understood to have been around £2 million but if the sides were to meet in similar circumstances under the new format the club would have to settle for a sum much nearer £500,000. The proposal to bring the UEFA Cup into line with the Champions League horrified both Celtic and Rangers but John McClelland could not vote because he was in the chair of the committee which looked at this issue and Peter Lawwell alone spoke out against the plan. Lawwell was said to be angered and frustrated when Robinson voted for the change, which has now been approved by UEFA's executive committee.

Tuesday 27th On the club's official website Shunsuke Nakamura has once again denied reports that he's looking for move to Spain after next year's World Cup: 'I had reports saying the same thing when I was playing in Italy with Reggina as well, and even in Japan, too. People there asked me what league I would like to play in and I told them that I would like to go to Spain one day. Just now, though, I am happy here at Celtic and I am enjoying it. I am getting used to living and playing in Glasgow now and it is getting better here every day.'

Wednesday 28th The Cat in the Hat pronounces himself pleased with a good night's work which saw plucky cash strapped Rangers only lose by a single goal against Inter in the San Siro. 'I can't believe Pizarro meant to put the free kick under the wall for the goal, but whether we deserved a point is for others to decide.' If you don't count the perfectly good Inter goal disallowed for offside, the missed penalty and the open goal they missed then a 1:0 scoreline is probably a fair reflection of the game.

Thursday 29th Teenagers Darren O'Dea, Diarmuid O'Carroll and Michael McGlinchey have all agreed new contracts with Celtic. Republic of Ireland U19 internationals O'Dea and O'Carroll have signed until the summer of 2008, while McGlinchey's deal runs for a further year. Reserve team coach Kenny McDowall said: 'Each of these lads has the potential to achieve a lot. I am sure that during this period, they will be doing their very best to make an impact at the club.'

Friday 30th WGS finds himself having to field questions about a non story concerning Roy Keane joining Celtic. The Manchester United captain has said he expects to leave Old Trafford in the summer when his contract expires which has led hacks here to put two and two together and come with 43. Strachan said:'If I say anything at all there will be headlines all over the place. I've never spoken about anybody at any other club. I'm not going to change it now. I want to concentrate on Livingston,' he added. 'It's not fair on the player or the club. It's as simple as that.'

Over at the Death Star David Murray has given the genius that is Eck the dreaded vote of confidence.

Diary compiled by SAMUEL PEPYS-SHOW and HACKWATCHER

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