It's Not Over Yet, But, Maybe Celtic Should Sign A Sherpa For Their Uphill Battle

THE avoirdupois-challenged lady hasn't even begun to practice her scales, but, after last night's scouring in Amsterdam, the odds have lengthened on Celtic making the last 16 of the Champions League, while even the consolation prize of a run in the Europa League looks less-certain than it did as the troops headed for Holland.

 

But, hey, that's where we are in Scotland right now. Without Scott Brown, and with the gamble on Kris Commons's fitness not paying off, this current Celtic squad, though pre-eminent in Scotland, just isn't up to the standard the Celtic Family demands of their team in Europe.

 

However, dark though the forecast seems right now, you never write-off Celtic's chances prematurely. After all, the faith of their fathers has long sustained the Celtic Family through darker days than these.

 

 

 

I NOTE delusion on a grand scale continues to surround the other Glasgow team with a huge support. They have asked the SPFL to postpone their upcoming fixture with Forfar Athletic, because they have players on international duty.

 

I have long felt this particular rule is a bit of a nonsense. Fair enough, if a table-topping team, holding a very narrow lead, was due to play their closest challengers and they found themselves weakened by international calls; then a postponement would be fair enough.

 

But, 14 points clear at the top of the table and with, according to the club's official website, a 27-strong first team squad, backed-up by a 29-strong professional youth squad - that's 56 full-time players, to ask for a postponement, because four players, just seven percent of the total full-time playing staff, are on international duty - well, they're arvin a larf, innit.

 

 

 

I NOTE that Old Red Nose is doing a sort of Ole Blue Eyes first farewell tour at the moment - a whistle-stop trip round Briitain, aimed at shifting as many copies as possible of his latest autobiography.

 

Books about Fergie are a major sub-species to the backbone of British sports books publishing - books about Manchester United, and this is the latest in a long line of tomes.

 

I notice, however, that while the publisher's price for the autobiography is £25, Amazon are offering it at £12.90, WH Smith and Waterstones at £12.50 and my local Tesco at £12 - much bigger discounts than are being offered on another recently-published book in the same genre, by one David Beckham.

 

I shall, as usual, wait for the book becoming available in my local charity shop at £2.50 or better.

 

This is, of course, the time when a lot of books are published, in the hope of capturing a large share of the Christmas market. I have been ingtrigued by another facet of the divisive conflict down Edmiston Drive way, with two different biographies on Bill Struth currently vying for the attention of those Loyal Bears who can read.

 

The first out of the traps was written by my old press box pal David Leggat - honorary Past Master of the Lap Top Loyal. Wee Davie's book is, if you like, a red top take on Struth, written by one of the LTL. Lots of anecdotes from the guys who played for Struth, plenty of re-heated legends, but, sadly for me - because I have always liked Davie and wanted his book to be good, it is a bit short on insight and detail.

 

I haven't done more than flicked through the other Struth biography, written by Rangers historian David Mason and endorsed by the Struth family, but, from what I have seen, prior to a more-leisurely read, once I have feigned surprise at my grand-son buying it for me for Christmas, this one is stronger on fact and previously unpublished facts, but, not as breezily well-written as the Leggat-penned rival.

 

I still, however, feel some judicious re-writing of history has gone on in both books. 

 

 

 

THEY cremated Davie MacFarlane this week, at the obscenely-young age of 46. The name might just ring a bell to one or two, as he was one of the 13 players who secured Graeme Souness his first trophy as Rangers' manager, when they beat Celtic 2-1 in the League Cup/Skol Cup final at Hampden, in October, 1986 - beating Celtic 2-1.

 

Davie Mac came on for Cammy Fraser with 17 minutes left, but, this cameo was  one of  just 14 first-team appearances he made in four seasons as a full professional with Rangers.

 

He then went via a loan spell at Kilmarnock, another loan-out at Dundee to Killie (for £100,000), before, less than 40 appearances later, being shipped-out to Partick Thistle, then off to Australia.

 

Returning from Oz, Roughie recruited him to Glenafton Athletic, where he enjoyed his best spell in Scottish football. He was a key player in the Glen's only Junior Cup win - setting-up John Miller for the only goal of the game, against Tayport in 1993, and over the whole five-year roller-coaster under Rough's managership.

 

Davie also featured in the following season's Game of Shame - the Junior Cup final against Largs at Ibrox during which referee John Underhill seriously strained an arm, holding up so many cards, then writing-out names. However, the free-for-all in the penalty area, during which Archie Halley and his best mate, Alex Kennedy, exchanged Glasgow kisses, is a classic in junior football.

 

Sadly, for Davie, things went downhill rapidly thereafter. He struggled to cope without playing - he fell prey to the most-commonly-available legal drug, his partner went down the road of illegal substance abuse, they split-up and his life spiralled downwards, out of control.

 

His end was sad, but, as someone who enjoyed his company on a daily basis as fellow commuters into Glasgow over a number of years, before his fall from grace, I shall remember him as a bloody good midfielder, a smiling, friendly man who always had time for the fans. I am saddened at how it ended for him, and even sadder that I missed his funeral.