Filed under: Scotland, The Scotsman, football, humour, jokes, politics, sports, stories | Tags: Bertie Vogts, Celtic, European football, Falkirk, George Burley, Hibees, Hibernian FC, International football, Lichtenstein, Rangers, Scotland manager, Scottish Football, SFA, Wales, Walles v Scotland, walter smith
I am not, and never have been, a fan of George Burley. The performance by Scotland against Wales on Saturday defied description in the first half. At 3-0 down we gave away a stone wall penalty that wasn’t given and Marshall, the goalie, should have been sent off. So that would have been 4-0 with ten men. We’d no doubt have shut up shop at that point and sloped off with a four goal defeat. As it was we lost to a bunch of schoolboys by three.
He had to go. And go he has.
Our game is a mess. I mean, let’s face it, Hibs are within a win of topping the league despite a makeshift team in parts and having sold 11 internationalists in five years. How is that possible? I’lll tell you how. Because everyone else is shit. And if you want proof of that look at Rangers’ and Celtic’s positions in their European groups. Both bottom, neither with a pot washed.
Investment in Scottish football’s youth (outside of Easter Road) is lamentable and that’s why that old saying “There’s no easy games in international football” is true once again. Scotland is an easy game. Fuck sake, Falkirk went out of Europe to a team from Leichtenstien.
Lichstentsien!
In the past, had a Scottish team drawn a team from Lichstentsien we’d have needed a fucking calculator to work out the aggregate score.
So back to Burley. Cheerio and good riddance I say. We’ve had two clowns in charge both utter pish (Burley and Vogts) a sort of shit sandwich in reverse. It seems remarkable that the rose between those two thorns was dour old Walter Smith who got the team playing again, reaching unheard of heights.
He leaves? Splash, right back in the poo.
Smith is sitting in the Ibrox ejector seat so I suspect the SFA (pricks that they are) will make the predictable decision to send him a parachute. Indeed this may all be part of a “plan”.
As for Burley? He can get back to looking really, really creepy and doing dodgy stuff that no-one can write about, out of the glare of the public eye.
See ya. Wouldnae wanna be ya.man tommorow. You’ll like it.
By the way. Check out 60 Watt’s topical Scotsman.com ad in The Scots
Filed under: Scotland, books, family, life, stories | Tags: Carlisle Utd, Celtic, England manager, Glenn Hoddle, John Gorman, Northampton Town, spurs, Tampa bay Rowdies, Tottenham, Wycholm Wanderers
Hmmm.
John Gorman is my late Father’s cousin and has a reputation in football that is considerable.
As I child I was besotted with the rubbed off fame that he bestowed upon me in the playground. My most vivid memories are of him as captain of Carlisle United. Top of what is now the premiership.
Football is a fickle mistress though.
Carlisle’s early season winnng streak soon ran out and with that so did John, to Spurs, and injury.
After that Tampa Bay.
Most pros gradually fade away, but not John. Through his association with Glenn Hoddle he rose increasingly to managerial prominence, culminating in his Assistant managership of England, as a Jock.
So, I was looking forward to this reading with enthusiasm. There is however, a dreadful back story that permeates the book, the early death, through cancer, of his beloved wife Myra. This element of the book is truly tragic and it is really quite poignant.
Despite this the book is not something I could recommend to the casual reader I’m sorry to say. It’s ghost written by journalist Kevin Brennan. Sadly Kevin Brennan is to literature what Michael Winner is to film making. It’s not good.
It’s illuminating though and demonstrates ably how thin the line is between success and failure. John goes through a job or two per chapter and there are 17 of them, so it demonstrates how grim a reality football management is, especially in the lower leagues.
One for the family and the collectors only I have to say.
Filed under: Scotland, humour, life, photography, sports, stories | Tags: Celtic, Celtic Park, hamilton accies, parkhead, Scottish Football, SPL
Tom and I went to Parkhead to watch the most boring 4 – 0 victory in the history of 4 – 0 victories
At one point Celtic adopted this interesting 11 – 0 – 0 formation.
Filed under: Scotland, football, humour, jokes, life, sports | Tags: Celtic, Champions League, EUFA, eUFA champions league
That makes pretty embarrasing reading when you look at Celtic’s ongoing Champions League away record. Next stop. Away to Man U. Think that will read p19 w0 d1 l18.
Tough at the top bhoys.
Filed under: Rants, Scotland, football, humour, jokes, life, politics, sports, stories | Tags: Carlos Cuellar, Celtic, Champions leaguer, Cuellar, hoops, Rangers, rangers fc, Scottish Football, SPL, the bhoys
Ok, so they won’t be winning the Champion’s League and Carlos Cuellar won’t win Player of the Year this year.
But they might have an outside chance of winning the “Whatever else happens if we beat the fenians it’s all OK league.”
Filed under: Scotland, football, life, sports | Tags: Celtic, celtic fc, tommy burns
I can hardly believe that Tommy Burns has passed away. Tommy was not an old man (only 52) and was First team coach and head of the Celtic Youth Academy until he was taken ill. Tommy was certainly worthy of the title “Celtic legend” and was a thoroughly decent man. Who can forget him going a whole season undefeated (or maybe he lost only one game?) and yet not winning the title as Celtic manager during the reign of King Walter
It was well known that he had been suffering from cancer but I was unaware of how serious the situation was. What a terribly sad piece of news and it renders reports on last night’s Rangers match versus Zenit St Petersburg redundant.
Filed under: Rants, Scotland, football, humour, jokes, life, politics, sports | Tags: bigotry, bollocks, catholic, Celtic, Rangers
James McLaughlin!
You are a very naughty boy for sending me this awful link and I warn you, dear reader, that this is a nasty, obnoxious and bigoted piece of communication that nobody, but nobody should watch. So don’t. Especially if you, like me, are a Catholic.
Unless, of course, you want a laugh.
Aunty Margot - you’ll hate it, so don’t bother; you’ll hate it too Mum oh, and Father Tony, best watch Corrie.
I hope this doesn’t condemn me to a life in purgatory.
Intrigued? If you end up offended don’t say I didn’t warn you…
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Filed under: Rants, Scotland, football, life, sports | Tags: Celtic, scott brown, tackle
I think this is the worst and most disgusting tackle I have ever seen. The guy should be banned for life. How on earth Scotty got up is beyond me. And in his interview it’s like, whatever!
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Postscript. The Portugese Eejit got a six match ban. reasonable justice I’d say.
Filed under: Scotland, football, life, sports, videos | Tags: Aberdeen FC, AC Milan, Celtic, Champions League, Dnipro, Eufa Cup, Lyon, Rangers, Scottish Football
Aberdeen 1 – 1 Dnipro
Aberdeen qualify on away goals for group stages (surely not; we always go OUT on away goals.)
This video is the best I could dredge up. not good…
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Celtic 2 – 1 AC Milan
Magnificent performance to beat the Champions of Europe. The match was only marred by the idiot who came on at the end to celebrate, but what about the goalie’s reaction?
Two words…Cheating scumbag.
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Lyon 0 – 3 Rangers
I think it is particularly enjoyable to watch Lyon’s humiliation in French. Sacre Bleu, Quel Horror, Horrible, Merde. So here you are.
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Saving the best for last; sure, Rangers rode their luck, but to beat one of Europe’s leading teams 3 – 0 away from home is quite extraordinary and from front to back the Rangers team can hold their heads high.
Masterful.
On the back of the Scotland victory v France we are a nation again.
Wait until the Cabbage play in the Champions League next year. The Champions of Europe may reside in Scotland.
