Fortune, Fergie and Beale make Celtic roar, with laughter and rage
It’s been a week of strange controversy with a variety of outages which have had Celtic supporters on their knees, and with differing reasons.
First, on home soil. The numbing news that Liel Abada has sustained a quad injury which effectively rules him out of the squad until at least January/February has had us shake our fists in the direction of the fortune gods.
The Israeli flyer apparently went into overtime in a bid to up his fitness and sustained a tear. Personally, I despise international week for just that reason; a chance of losing a gun for the sake of another team which is not Celtic.
However, I cannot be angry at Liel. He is young and enthusiastic and was genuinely trying to further his own ambitions in a bid to have a sterling season in both camps. Fair play to him, but it leaves Celtic bereft of another major player for a massive chunk of the season.
It does, however, leave the door wide open for the other wingers who may have struggled to displace Abada in the first team. With the exciting Yang breaking through and looking extremely positive, together with Palma, Tilio and several other wide candidates, it is possibly the best position to lose at this stage of the game. I wish Liel a full and speedy recovery.
This morning I received a meme from my mate, Bruce Smyth from the Melbourne Celtic Supporter’s Club. It highlighted the under-siege, theRangers manager, Micky Beale bemoaning the injury to his fragile starlet, Todd Cantwell, embedded with that wee Spanish guy who’s throaty studio laugh has me in stitches every single time.
The coach who reckons he has Celtic on a string was head down and lamenting the likely month’s absence of his ribboned warrior, due to…a last ditch, last-second tackle from Odin Holm at Ibrox.
This had me scratching my un-ribboned head. The only ribbons I like are on the Champions trophy! I remember the tackle as it was the last touch of the ball before the ref heralded a 1-0 victory at Ibrox for the Bhoys in Green at a booing, cacophonous graveyard.
Holm skelped ‘im!! Outstanding work!!
💪🏼🍀🍀🍀💚 pic.twitter.com/5c8yJ9KX6I
— Wee Fergs! 🍀 (@Michael38166809) September 15, 2023
However, I cannot remember any mention of the tactical genius’ balletic wonderboy being carried off, or subsequent press releases regarding his international career chances being in mortal danger.
Being peeled off the ceiling of the Brisbane Celtic Supporter’s Club by Lisbon Lion Willie Wallace who was in attendance may account for my amnesia, but to hear, a puzzling two weeks later that Holm was the culprit afforded me a muffled chuckle, at least. We may have a baller in our midst, as if we didn’t know it!
And finally…being a Manchester United admirer since the days of Best, Law and Charlton has given me some great days, and currently lesser ones. I respected and fawned over Sir Alex Ferguson as he took the Reds to great heights, winning the Champions League twice, several Titles and Cups. However…
This week, I read his ‘opinion’ of the demise of the original Rangers (1872-2012), and the fallout which ensued.
Ferguson reckons that clubs who stood up to the fiscal cheats and outed their scurrilous Title grabs shot themselves in the foot. The legend in his own wine-cellar has ventured that we got it wrong. The ex-Ranger who had problems of his own at Ibrox after the old club’s directors discovered that he had a Catholic girlfriend, (now wife), states that he “cannot remember” the circumstances of their administration and subsequent liquidation, but it was all a big mistake!
@Candy06003540 pic.twitter.com/0T8Y0Nf6aZ
— samantha haddow (@cfcsammie7) May 7, 2021
Fergie’s watch must have stopped for once when the ‘big house’ was occupied by a brand new club formed by founding father Charles Green. His memory went the same way as he tarnished the challengers to the theft and corruption which was presided over by Sir David Murray, the man who took a knighthood from his Queen before robbing her treasury.
In his opinion, dense Scots clubs shot themselves in the foot by refusing to be conned any further, changing the landscape of Scottish football forever.
Apparently, it was because they ‘missed the crowds’ who brought havoc and violence to their towns and cities at least twice a season. They should have counted the thirty pieces of silver and turned a blind eye to institutional graft, aided and abetted by the Scottish footballing authorities.
Personally, I no longer hold the man in high regard, instead, I find him contemptible and short-sighted despite his joy-bringing to Old Trafford.
My friend, Steve Killackey down south has been at pains recently to highlight other aberrations which may or may not have flown under the radar from Ferguson in recent years. However, I’ll leave that to the Stretford End attendees to put in print.
Celtic were denied several Titles, Cups, AND Champions League spots which have cost us multi-millions in revenue and could have brought us players who now reside on other shores. That is beyond contempt Mr. Ferguson.
However, we have risen from those dark days and have become stronger whilst others may not be able to say the same. My brother-in law, Michael Welsh always stated that “There’s no glory in cheating!” He was right.
With an unbroken history of European Cup glory, two Nine-In-A-Row Championships, untarnished and purchased with ‘pure, inventive football’, rather than underhand, deceitful deception and secret handshakes, Celtic Football Club supporters and members can hold our heads up high with the knowledge that we did it our way, not theirs. The Celtic Way!
Enjoy the season Bhoys and Ghirls – you deserve it!
Hail Hail!
Eddie Murray
READ THIS…Exclusive Photos (Part 5) – Main Stand extension completed, Celtic legends train at Barrowfield
I’m quite guarded about who I comment about in public, but it appears it took a pundit🤮 whom for many is more than unpalatable for many folk within certain clubs rank and file to question why a certain individual hasn’t spoken out about the merits or otherwise of the ownership of a club he supposedly loves. Plenty of time since retirement to move to either side of the fence….. unfortunately it’s now the time to decide which side.