Martin O’Neill has reiterated his desire to lead Celtic into the Premiership, but admits that it is unlikely ever to happen. Speaking with Des Lynam on Radio Five Live yesterday, the Celtic manager admitted it would be ‘an absolute dream’ to manage the club against England’s elite.
‘If there was such a thing as having everything your own way, this place (Celtic Park) playing against the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal and Chelsea would be the most exciting thing of all. It’s not likely to happen in the next couple of years.
‘The club is in the wrong environment. If we are to progress and the club is to achieve the glory days that it did in the late 1960s I think we would probably have to come out of this environment.’
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Calderwood unhappy as Aberdeen draw Rangers
Aberdeen will face Rangers in the third round of the CIS Cup after yesterday’s draw at the Falkirk Stadium. ‘I don’t think it’s a draw that will make either of us (him or Alex McLeish) happy,’ said Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood. ‘I don’t think Alex will be relishing coming up here again, though.’
Holders Livingston will play Dundee in a repeat of last year’s semi-final, while Falkirk travel to Celtic.
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Third-round draw: Hearts v Kilmarnock; Inverness CT v Motherwell; Dunfermline v Partick Thistle; Livingston v Dundee; Dundee Utd v Clyde; Aberdeen v Rangers; Celtic v Falkirk; Albion Rovers v Hibernian. Ties due on Tuesday, September 21 and Wednesday, September 22
Newcastle £5m bid for Balde rejected Celtic have turned down a bid of £5m for defender Bobo Balde, right, from Newcastle United, according to BBC Radio Scotland. The bid was first reported in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle, but it is understood that Martin O’Neill is not prepared to let the Guinea international go ahead of the Parkhead side’s Champions League campaign. Newcastle have also had enquiries for Rangers defender Jean-Alain Boumsong turned away, as they look to replace Jonathan Woodgate, who moved to Real Madrid for £13.4m
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Anderson Scotland sweat
Aberdeen defender Russell Anderson may have to withdraw from the Scotland squad for their forthcoming games against Spain and Slovenia after picking up a knee injury against Livingston at Pittodrie yesterday. ‘We’ll have to assess it, but here’s sore all
up the side of his leg,’ said Jimmy Calderwood, his manager, adding ‘but we don’t want to stop anyone going away with their country’
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Hampden Roar will return, declares Fletcher
Darren Fletcher believes the Tartan Army will be cheering, not jeering, when the World Cup qualifiers come around. A 3-0 home defeat by Hungary in the last friendly saw the storm clouds gather over the head of coach Berti Vogts. But Manchester United midfielder Fletcher says the fans should not read too much into those results.
‘Our friendly results have been terrible,’ said Fletcher. ‘When the qualifiers come around everyone is fit. Everyone is raring to go. When Hampden is full and buzzing maybe teams take a step back. In the qualifying games for Euro 2004 we got results against teams like Germany and Holland. Don’t forget we were only one game away from qualifying for Euro 2004’
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Ball Bhoy McGeady
Aiden McGeady has briefly sampled the Old Firm atmosphere as a player, having come on as a substitute in the final fixture between the two sides last season, but the 18-year-old is actually something of a veteran of the games. While he was a member of the club's academy set-up, the midfielder was often asked to be a ball boy, along with fellow youngsters like Ross Wallace and David Marshall.
‘My favourite memory is probably the 6-2 game, Henrik Larsson's goal, when he chipped Klos. I was down the touchline that day and it was an unbelievable goal. In any other game it would have been special, but in an Old Firm game it was even better’
Williamson suffers first defeat as Brown is booed
Plymouth suffered their first loss of the league season as they fell 3-1 to Watford at Vicarage Road. Bobby Williamson’s side took a deserved lead through Micky Evans on 18 minutes, before Neal Ardley and a Danny Webber double turned events in the hosts favour.
Pressure increased on Preston manager Craig Brown after his side handed Brighton their first Coca-Cola Championship victory of the season. Marlon Broomes’ own-goal after half an hour gifted Mark McGhee’s recently-promoted side a vital win, and inflicted further misery on Brown with Preston fans calling for his resignation. ‘I hear the shouts but I’m a fighter and I’ll fight to help us get the results we need,’ said Brown