sherm Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 Authors Note ; I don't have any specific plans for this story. In fact, I never intended to turn it into a story. I just found it my most enjoyable game to play, and I wanted to share that enjoyment with the avid readers of FM Stories. The game is pre-patched, version 8.0.0, with Scottish leagues up to Division 3, English Premiership and Championship and Spanish Primera Liga Hopefully you will enjoy reading it as much as I have playing it. Nick (Sherm) --- Rain pelted down against the pavements, dripped down into the gutters and slid down the roof tiles. It was a typically cold night in London's East End, but the damp and dismal conditions made it as equally difficult and dangerous to get a taxi home. This being the case, several people braved the almost monsoon like conditions and risked a walk home. One of these was Sharon Hunter. The 23 year old had been out with friends to celebrate graduating from Oxford university, and with a long drive back to Manchester the following morning, had decided to head back home for a few hours rest. She never normally made her way home alone, and on this occasion she had refuted her friends offers to come with her. They were clearly enjoying themselves, and she didn't want to ruin that. She left at 12.30, saying goodbye to her friends, before heading on the 15 minute walk to her student flat.. -- I could stay awake, just to hear you breathing... Barry Hunter shot up with a start. Cold, sticky sweat dripped down his back and his brow. It had been a long time since he had gotten a decent nights sleep. He had never been a great sleeper, but in the last five years he had got worse. Every night, he thought about what would have happened had he not agreed to let her stay for an extra night. It wasn't his fault, but he blamed himself His sister, Sharon, had been so close to him. He still remembered the time that the police knocked on his door like it was yesterday "Mr Hunter? Detective Inspector Jack Frost, Greater Manchester Police force. I'm afraid we have some bad news..." She had been attacked walking home on her own. She never walked home on her own. Ever. Brutally assaulted, before being left to waste in an alleyway. She never stood a chance. Barry had wanted to get his hands on the culprits for years, but thus far, he hadn't had a chance. He looked at the clock. 7.43. Time to get up, head to the new job. Despite not having his sister anymore, he had to get on with life. He knew she would have wanted that to happen... -- The long, plush corridors of Parkhead were instantly recognisable. Decorated in green and white wallpaper, the walls adjourned with great players of the clubs past. 23 pictures altogether, but there, on number 21, was a picture of himself. Volleying home the winner in the 1994 Scottish Cup final. Seven glorious years of his playing career were spent at Celtic, and now, he had returned to Parkhead as manager. He had 24 hours before meeting the team, as they were on their way back from a friendly against Bursaspor of Turkey. In that time, he wanted to assess the coach reports, the transfer and wage structure of the club, and scour the transfer market for new additions to the squad. The fans had been delighted with his appointment, after all, he did score 123 goals in 234 games for the club, winning four SPL titles, three Scottish Cups and reaching a UEFA Cup final. With that in mind, his managerial career had not been as successful, with very little trophy cleaner having been required. However, the 37 year old Englishman felt things would change over the next seasons, as he had full faith in his own ability. Parkhead was going to become Fortress Hunter... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
salkster2102 Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 jack frost classic Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 Its about time we had a sherm story, will keep reading on mate Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCIAG Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 I see this developing into a good story, keep at it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted August 15, 2008 Author Share Posted August 15, 2008 Cheers for the support guys --- Despite officially being unveiled as the manager on the Wednesday, Barry Hunter made sure that he was sat in the stands just three days later for the teams friendly game with Aigaleo. Sat next to the chairman, he watched an exciting game of football, which saw five goals scored throughout a high octane 90 minutes. The first half almost seemed to be a warm up, maybe not even that, as the Cypriot side took the lead inside 180 seconds, the ball finding it's way to Kanellopoulos and the midfielder curling home from 10 yards out. However, this seemed to be a catalyst for Hunter's side to pick up the pace. Scott McDonald was first to test the 'keeper, before Aidan McGeady, Maciej Zurawski and Shunsuke Nakamura all forced efforts on the Aigaleo goal, as well as a header from Steven Pressley crashing against the bar. The second half started with a Celtic side that had three changes, and one of these set up the equaliser with his first touch, as young Icelandic midfielder Teddy Bjarnason slotted the ball through for another substitute, Jan Vennegoor, to smash home into the roof of the net. This started the rout, so to speak, and it didn't take long for a second to follow as the confidence grew, Vennegoor of Hesselink nodding down the ball for Polish international Zurawski to pass into the net. Hunter was pleased with how his side had come out in the second half, and after making four more substitutions on the hour mark, that was enough time to ease the players in. Zurawski stayed on the pitch, and he wrapped up the win with a 65th minute header after a fabulous Mike McGlinchey cross, and even Lazarou's 84th minute goal couldn't dampen spirits, and a 3-2 win in his first game in charge was a result Hunter was pleased to have -- Do you know how much it hurt me? I felt so responsible. I know she was in a different city to me but god, what if I was there. Like I should have been? What did she ever do to deserve it? She was the sweetest, kindest, most adorable person. She wouldn't harm a fly. When I saw her lying there, tubes and wires sticking out of every place possible...that was hard to take Be honest, how would you feel? Damn, I can't talk about it anymore...it's just too painful The whole incident had changed Barry Hunter's life. He was due to be married, but cancelled the wedding - as it happened, this led to the break up of his relationship. Since then, he hadn't even considered meeting another woman. Even though he was still only 35, and young enough, it had just never crossed his mind. Football was the only thing that kept him sane, or at least kept him at bay with his life. The thrill and enjoyment of being in the dugout, cheering on his side to wins was the only good thing in his life since Sharon had gone. If he was honest, when the Celtic job came up, he had to take it. Get out of England, maybe start his life up again? -- His thought process was disturbed by a sharp knock on his office door. It was his secretary, Dawn, who had apologised for interrupting, before sliding a rather thick looking file onto his desk and quickly making her exit. He read the big red letters on the front of the file Financial Status ; Private and Confidential It was 8.45 at night, and although he didn't particularly want to read the information, Barry felt obliged. So he kicked off his shoes, opened a can of beer and started to read... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted August 18, 2008 Author Share Posted August 18, 2008 "Barry? Barry?" Barry Hunter shot up from his desk, taking a few seconds to gather his bearings "Barry, have you been here all night?" "I don't know, what time is it?" "8.30. I asked Dawn to leave you the financial information before you left, but I didn't want you to stay here all night" "I must have fallen asleep when I was reading it. I never realised I was that tired" "Here's the keys to my office. Go and have a shower, freshen up, and meet me in the boardroom at nine" The board meeting went well, and Barry felt much better for his shower and relaxation. The basics were discussed - £8 million to spend, £150,000 wage budget. The chairman and board of directors were keen for the youngsters at the club to be given a go in the season. Overall, there wasn't any major issues for Barry Hunter to worry about, and with his scouts assigned missions all over the world, he was just waiting to bring in the right players to bolster the squad. -- The next pre-season game saw Xanthi line up at the other end of the pitch. It was a fairly different side that took to the field in Celtic's team, with Chris Killen and Scott McDonald making appearances, aswell as several younger members of the squad. It was Australian striker McDonald who struck first, as he picked up McGlinchey's pass, beat his man and fired a low shot into the corner. There were just seven minutes before the next strike, McDonald's original shot being tipped away by the 'keeper, and after a scramble in the box, Chris Killen was there to knock the ball into the open goal. It wasn't all one way traffic though, as Xanthi had a few chances themselves, including one header that forced Artur Boruc into an unbelievably good save, diving full stretch to tip the ball wide of the post. With five minutes of the half remaining, Teddy Bjarnason broke lose and should have wrapped up the points, but his shot crashed onto the post and spun wide. The game was wrapped up soon after however, as Lee Naylor's long clearance found Scott McDonald, who took the ball down on his chest, cut inside and poked the ball home with his right boot. The second half was a little more of a training exercise, with barely any chances coming to either side, but when the final whistle blew, Hunter had watched his side claim an easy, morale boosting victory -- "Tommy, come in. What can I do for you?" "I just thought I'd give you an update on the scouting report I've compiled" "Good. What have you got?" "Basically, a list of twenty plus players, but I've picked out five that are highly recommended" "Fire away" "Two from lesser nations. Banel Nicolita of Steaua. He's a pacey winger, can beat a man, and though he's still very raw, he can really become something special. Also, you might not have heard of this chap, but he could do a good job for us. Mika Aaritalo spent some time in England, and can play upfront or on the wing. Wouldn't cost more than around 2-2.5 million for the pair so not too much" "OK. Anybody else?" "Christopher Samba at Blackburn. He hasn't been there long but he's expressing discontent. He's a big, powerful defender, excellent in the air, and an intimidating presence for any attacker" "Sounds like my sort of defender. Who's the last two?" "Well I've saved the best till last, although these could struggle to get permits. Guilherme from Cruzeiro is a real rough diamond. Midfielder-cum-striker, and he really can be a top notch player with the right training. Mauro Zarate is my man, and one I think we have to go all out to get. Young Argentinian, very rough but highly talented, and in this league, I think he could easily score twenty or more goals. Might cost about £5 million, but he is worth it" "OK. Cheers for the update Tommy, I'll make enquiries straightaway. Fancy a pint?" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted August 18, 2008 Author Share Posted August 18, 2008 Sharon? Sharon wait, don't run away from me. Let me help you, I want to be there for you. I'm your brother, I'm supposed to help you... He caught her up and spun her round. He gasped in shock. The bruises and cuts were on her face, made her look gaunt, and not well... Please talk to me. Are you mad at me? Sharon? No, wait, don't go...Sharon? Barry Hunter woke up with a start. This wasn't unusual for him, to wake up in a cold sweat, having had a nightmare. It had been a regular occurence for the last few years, but this nightmare was a new one. He hadn't had this before... -- Hunter had tried to put it out of his mind that morning, as he had several other things to do. Having spoken with the chairman of Mauro Zarate's club, Al-Sadd, he was due to fly to Germany to meet with the player and his agent after their teams game with Nurnberg. Barry sat in the stands to watch the 2-1 victory for the home side, before he made his way back to the hotel to freshen up before the meeting. They had arranged to meet in a little restaurant just ten minutes away from both the ground and the hotel, so Barry felt it prudent to put on his best suit and make a good impression The overall demeanour of Zarate was good, he expressed an immediate interest in joining the club, as did his agent, who also happened to be his brother. Two, maybe three hours of talks followed, negotiations back and forth, but eventually, at quarter past 8, both parties shook hands on a four year, 16,000 a week deal to bring the Argentinian to the club. Work permits wouldn't be a problem, the Scottish F.A had assured Hunter of that, and with both signatures on the contract, Zarate would fly to Glasgow in two days to finalise the details and have a medical -- Due to his endeavours to sign Zarate, the chairman had given Barry permission to miss the side's next pre-season warm up game, which was a game against Greek minnows Ionikos. This actually proved to be a blessing in disguise, as a poor performance saw the side succumb to a 3-1 defeat. Things had started well, with youngster Darren O'Dea rising highest to head home McGeady's corner after 15 minutes of the match. This was as good as it got though, because they went in level at the interval, a John Kennedy mistake allowing Karagiannis to nip in and round Mark Brown for the equaliser. The second half was all Ionikos, and goals from Mallios, five minutes into the half, and O'Dea's second of the game, albeit in the wrong net, gave Celtic their first defeat of the pre-season campaign, and a disappointing performance added to the woes of the defeat -- With the capture of Zarate already in the bag, Barry Hunter and his backroom staff were already working on bringing more players to the club. Bids had been made for both Mika Aaritalo and Banel Nicolita, while negotiations with Blackburn were ongoing, with the Premiership side wanting a little too much for the big Congolese defender. Barry was sat in his office catching up on a final few bits of paperwork, when he heard a knock on his door "Come in" His chairman popped his head round the door, a look of almost concern on his face "Barry, I was wondering if we could have a chat?" "Sure, what's wrong?" "Well I know you have trouble sleeping sometimes, but I was just wondering if there was anything that contributed to that?" "How do you mean?" "Well any incidents in the past? I like to know my managers, and I am your friend, so if there's anything, I want to help you" "There's nothing to worry about. Don't worry, I've always been a light sleeper" It was a strange conversation for the chairman to have started, and Barry really didn't want to tell him about the nightmares, or what happened with Sharon, unless he really had to. It wasn't something he enjoyed remembering... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrientMartin Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Excellent stuff, a really good read, i'm going to keep an eye on this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted August 20, 2008 Author Share Posted August 20, 2008 Cheers Martin, glad you're enjoying the tale Just a quick note that after today, there will be no more posts for a week. I'm going to Greece for a lads holiday, but I will try and leave you with enough enjoyment till then --- The chairman had not mentioned anything more over the next couple of days, so Barry assumed the matter was forgotten. He concentrated on preparing his players for the new arrival that was coming in that very day. More good news had come through the night before too, as Blackburn had finally relented, and allowed Congo defender Christopher Samba to hold talks with Celtic. Things were starting to look good for Barry Hunter, and he couldn't help but feel good about what he was doing with the squad "Mauro, welcome to Glasgow. Let's get straight down to business shall we?" The Argentinian's medical went well, he passed all the fitness regimes with flying colours, and three hours later the £4.4 million transfer was confirmed, and Zarate was a Celtic player. It had been a good day for Barry Hunter, and just as he was about to pack up and go home for the night, the phone in his office rang "Barry Hunter" "..." "Oh. Well what time would you like to come to the ground?" "..." "No problem. We can talk more, and if the terms are acceptable we can give him the medical there and then" "..." "Not a problem. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow" That was a boost. Banel Nicolita had agreed terms and would be in Glasgow tomorrow for more talks and a medical, and if all went well he would be the second new addition to the squad -- I can hear you, I can feel you... "Barry? Snap put of it" "Wha...Sorry Tommy, I was miles away" He hadn't even been focusing on the game, his head had been miles away, but his assistant had snapped him out of it. His talks with Nicolita had gone well, better than he could have dreamed, and within an hour he had signed the contract. The Romanian winger had sat in the stands for the club's penultimate game in pre-season, against Apollon Kalionos, but new man Mauro Zarate started the match. It hadn't taken the Argentinian long to make his mark, latching onto Mark Wilson's long pass, taking it on his chest and firing home on the half volley. The crowd were clearly impressed by the skill and technique of him, and when he laid off the ball for Scott McDonald to curl home, it brought a smile to his manager's face. Going in at 2-0 ahead at half time wasn't justice, because it could have been 5 or 6, Zarate and McDonald both missing a chance each, with Aidan McGeady and Maciej Zurawski also testing the Apollon 'keeper, but there was only going to be one winner The second half was a little quieter, as 7 changes were made to the Bhoys' side, but six minutes in, Zarate scored his second, following up the rebound of Hesselink's header and ramming in from 6 yards out. He should have had his hat-trick though, but he was denied by the width of the post, and when he came off after 84 minutes, it was to a standing ovation. His manager shook his hand and shot him a smile, and he looked like a real fan favourite already. The final score ended up at 3-1 though, Chatzis heading a goal back, but it made no difference, and Barry Hunter and his side were heading into the season with some momentum. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted August 20, 2008 Author Share Posted August 20, 2008 Over the next week, Barry Hunter was a busy man. He had agreed deals for both Nicolita and Mika Aaritalo, and had a meeting with Christopher Samba to try and persuade him to join the ranks at Parkhead. He had even contacted Cruzeiro to try and persuade them to let Guilherme join, but they were holding out for too much money at this stage Hunter had even watched his side beat a very talented Hertha Berlin outfit 1-0, thanks to a Mika Aaritalo goal on his debut, and everything was in place for the new season to start as well as it could do -- They found DNA on her body, several strands. The one that stood out though was of a convicted criminal, Tarik Moussafa, a man who the police wanted but could not find He had been gone five years, and there wasn't much hope of finding him - he was probably abroad now, but I don't know what he looks like, at all God it hurts. Sometimes I lie awake at night and wonder what I could have done, even though deep down I know I couldn't have done anything I've tried to get on with life, concentrate on my job, but in England, I couldn't do that - that is why I moved to Scotland - I can start again here -- The Glasgow Herald Hunter prepared for his first game Celtic manager Barry Hunter is all set to take charge of his first competitive game in charge of Celtic. The Englishman, who himself was a bit of a legend as a player in these parts, has won four of his five pre-season games, with several players impressing the fans over the games. Our interviewer Niall McDiarmuid caught up with him to get his views on the season ahead NM: Barry, how excited are you about walking out at Parkhead for the first time as manager in a competitive game? BH: Very excited. I spent seven years at this club as a player, and loved every minute of my time here, and as manager I want to repay that faith I was shown NM: That's understandable. So have you set yourself any targets? BH: Yes I have, but I'm not going to tell you what they are just yet. NM: Fair enough. Happy with you new signings then? Mauro Zarate in particular looks like he could become a firm favourite here BH: I'm delighted with the players I've added to the squad. Mauro is so talented it's scary, and at such a tender age he can become as good as he wants to be. Banel and Mika are both good players and can certainly do well in this division NM: And finally, a message for the fans before the season starts? BH: Just to say that we will give our best in every game of every competition, and we would like all the support you can muster this campaign NM: OK. Barry Hunter, thankyou, and good luck with the new season It remains to be seen how Hunter will fair in his first crack at the big time, but the Celtic fans are optimistic he can be the man to drive them forward this season, both in Europe and domestically Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spav Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 Looking forward to more upon your return, sherm. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanTheMan Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 Sherm - In the un-gayest way possible, I'd like to say that I love you. Nah, I really enjoy your stories, and your probably my favourite writer on the forums. KUTGW Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted August 28, 2008 Author Share Posted August 28, 2008 Spav, Dan, thanks for the support, it means a lot to know people are reading the story --- With pre-season done and dusted, it was time for the really heavy stuff to kick in, and Barry Hunter prepared his team for their opening day game with Kilmarnock. It was a game that, although he thoroughly expected three points, it could prove to be a tricky affair. His line-up had been pencilled in for weeks, although a spot in defence would open up for Samba's arrival if it went through, but Barry was delighted with the strength in depth of his squad Massimo Donati pulled up with a slight strain in the warm-up, so no chances were taken and Dutchman Evander Sno came into the team. This proved an excellent decision, as it was the dreadlocked midfielder who opened the scoring, with an uncharacteristic run through the middle before placing a low shot past the Killie 'keeper after two minutes. The first 45 minutes saw much the same as that, with chances galore created towards the Kilmanornock net, but despite the best efforts of McGeady, Hesselink and Nakamura, the score at half time remained 1-0. However, it took less than two minutes of the second half to get the ball rolling again. Nobody knows what Hunter said to his side, but when Shunsuke Nakamura beat his man and hit a wicked, dipping shot into the far corner, he had clearly listened to his manager. The Japanese midfielder was at the heart of everything Celtic did in the second half, passing onto five pence pieces and creating every move. On 59 minutes, the game was safe, Nakamura's free-kick finding the head of Maciej Zurawski and the Polish striker thundered home the ball to seal a 3-0 win. In all fairness, it could (and probably should) have been more, with Hesselink, Zurawski, Zarate, McGeady and O'Dea all missing chances, but Hunter was delighted with the opening day win -- "Barry, do you have a minute?" "Sure Tommy. What's up?" "It's about Samba - I've been talking with the staff and we're slightly worried he won't get a permit" "Oh? Why's that?" "FIFA states that player must have played 75% of his side's last 15 international fixtures - he's played 10 - works out at 69%" "Hmm. Alright well I don't think we have anything to worry about myself Tommy. His results arrive in the next week, so we shall see" Although he didn't want to let it show, Barry Hunter was a concerned man. Samba had been an essential part of his plans, and after all the hassle to get him to agree a deal, he didn't want to see him fall at the last hurdle - he vowed to try everything in his power to make the big Congo defender his player Regardless of that, another SPL game was on the cards, as Falkirk were the hosts for Barry Hunter's side. Much like the previous game, he fully expected the points, and it turned out to be a simple and easy run-out against a vastly inferior side. Mika Aaritalo and Mauro Zarate made their first starts for the club, while Scott McDonald started alongside the Argentinian. The word to use for Celtic's start could be several - blistering, ruthless, in full flow - they were superb. In the opening ten minutes, the Falkirk 'keeper was forced to make four saves from Celtic players, before finally the deadlock was broken, in the 13th minute unluckily for Krul. Aaritalo swung it cross field to Lee Naylor, who slid it hard and low to his strikers. Everybody seemed to miss it, and miss Aidan McGeady when he arrived in the box late, ramming home a side footed shot from 18 yards The Irishman was superb, as were all his fellow midfielders, but it was Scott McDonald who quietly did his job, holding up the ball, picking passes out, yet he didn't get his reward for it. Come half time, Zarate was replaced with Hesselink, and that changed the game. He was winning all the headers in the final third, and eventually one fell to Mika Aaritalo, an the Fin simply stroked the ball home past Tim Krul for a second win on the bounce and a perfect start to the campaign Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted August 28, 2008 Author Share Posted August 28, 2008 Every step you take, every move you make... Barry sat bolt upright, as he always did when he had the nightmares. He shot a quick glance at his bedside clock - 6.42. He wanted to be at the office for 8 to try and sort one or two things out before training began, so he hopped out of bed and quickly went to make himself a brew. It was a typical Glasgow day in a typical British summer, as rain bounced off the windscreen of the car. It was nearly five to eight as he let himself in, said morning to the club secretary Irene and dropped his bag and coat in his office. He hit the play button on his answering machine and was greeted with two new messages. The first was from his assistant, informing him of the scout report on their next opponents, but the second one was of more interest to him "Mr Hunter? Detective Inspector Taggart, Glasgow police force. I have just recieved a phone call from the Manchester Police department regarding the suspect in your sisters death. Could you give me a ring after 9 o clock and we can have a chat? Thanks" That was interesting news. Maybe it was a new development - saying that, it's been five years now - they know what happened and how, and they are sure it was their man - they just haven't found him yet. For the next hour, Barry wondered about the office aimlessly, trying to think of what it could possibly be that the police wanted. Just after nine o clock, he picked up the phone and rang the number... -- It had been an interesting conversation with Taggart, with the basic jist of it being that they suspected that Moussafa, the prime suspect, was in Scotland, probably not knowing that Barry himself was there This constantly played on his mind, and even when APOEL visited Parkhead for the first leg of the Third Champions League qualifying round. They were an average side, but in these sort of games Hunter knew they had to be careful, as one goal for the away side could swing the game their way. Aidan McGeady had been rested for the match, so Jiri Jarosik came in to the slot just behind the strikers, while Mika Aaritalo started again. The game was virtually all one way traffic, as Celtic dominated from the off. The Finnish international opened the scoring on 13 minutes, Nicolita coolly slotting the ball to his left and Aaritalo curling home a lovely finish Jarosik missed a sitter from six yards, John Kennedy headed against the bar, Hesselink tested the 'keeper, and Scott McDonald forced a good save from the 'keeper, but come the hour mark, for all their pressure, they still only had the one goal. Jiri Jarosik changed this in the space of 7 minutes. His first goal was a driven free-kick from 20 yards, although a wicked direction that wrong footed the 'keeper helped, but his second was a deft finish following a lovely 12 pass team move, before the midfielder lifted it over the onrushing 'keeper. To compound their misery, the visitors saw their captain Flourentzou sent off nine minutes from the end for a second bookable offence, and the 3-0 scoreline meant Hunter's side had one foot in the group stages -- "Christopher, welcome to Glasgow. It's great to have you here" "Thankyou boss. I am delighted to be here" "OK. Well let me take you inside to meet the chairman and my staff, then I'll let you get your gear on and train with the lads" It was pleasing for Barry Hunter to finally complete the £1.6 million signing of Blackburn's Christopher Samba, and the big defender, although nervous, fitted in well with the rest of the side in the training session, and he looked fit and ready to take his place in the side He did take his place in the team, and the match was a visit to Pittodrie to take on Aberdeen. They were a threat at home, and despite the fact that he hadn't yet seen his side concede a goal, that was bound to change eventually. Massimo Donati and Mauro Zarate were back in the team, as was Aidan McGeady, while Jan Vennegoor started alongside the Argentinian for the little and large combination It was a slow start from both sides, with neither 'keeper really tested, but it was Atur Boruc who had to make the first save on 23 minutes, forcing Barry Nicholson's shot round the post. The home sid certainly seemed intent on causing an upset, but just before the half hour mark, they let themselves down, as Karim Touzani misplaced a back-pass, and Dutchman Vennegoor nipped in to round the 'keeper and slide the ball home. The rest of the game was fairly even, with both goalkeepers forced into saves, and when Lee Miller was sent through on the counter attack, it looked like their best chance, but the striker did the hard work before his shot hit the outside of the post and went wide. Celtic ould just as easily have doubled the lead, but when the final whistle went, Barry Hunter was delighted with the 1-0 win in what had been their toughest outing thus far Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted August 28, 2008 Author Share Posted August 28, 2008 The only target left on Barry Hunter's transfer list now was Cruzeiro's midfielder Guilherme, but he was thinking that he might have to wait till the January window to launch a bid for the Brazilian. His management career at Parkhead had started well, with sensible spending in the transfer market, a good relationship with his players and his staff, and a rapport with the fans from his playing days. After the Aberdeen game, which was tough, Barry Hunter's side were faced with another tough game, as former Championship contenders Hearts travelled to Parkhead for their SPL game. In a game like this, a good start was always useful, so when former Milan midfielder Mass Donati curled home a free-kick in the 6th minute, things were looking good. Ten minutes later, the lead was doubled, as Aidan McGeady beat three men on the left hand side, whipped in a cross and Argentinian Mauro Zarate volleyed home his first goal for the club The 2-0 lead gave a good platform, but Hunter was disappointed that his side didn't kick on to make it three or four, as he saw Zarate, McGeady, Bjarnason and Sheridan all waste chances before the interval. The second half saw the visitors pick up the pace a little, and they got their just rewards on 63 minutes, David Cesnauskis cutting inside and firing home a low shot past Boruc. Chances came and went at either side, and Hearts nearly gave themselves a point in stoppage time, Cesnauskis forcing a top notch save from Boruc, and Hunter saw his side cling on to claim the points -- "Barry, how are you?" "I'm fine thanks. Yourself?" "Excellent. I have a question to ask of you?" The Chairman had a beaming smile on his face, which relaxed Hunter a bit when he saw it "Fire away" "I'm having a celebration at my house for myself and my wife, 40 years of marriage" "Oh lovely. Congratulations" "Thankyou. It's this coming Friday, I'd love for you to be there" "OK. Well I would love to, thankyou" The chairman's invitation was a nice touch, and Barry felt he could do with a night out, relaxation and a few beers, so he made the conscious effort to accept the offer -- August had gone perfectly so far, and with a trip to APOEL to round off the month, Barry was confident of a win. Holding a 3-0 lead from the first leg was a nice thing, and it allowed several players to be rested. Scott McDonald and Cillian Sheridan started upfront, while Marc Brown took his place between the sticks, and a total of 7 changes altogether saw a very different Celtic team line up for the match. The actual game itself was not great, Celtic controlling it from the off, but they were never allowed to create chances. This was the case for the first 79 minutes of the match, as the home side gave a terrific account of themselves, but Aussie striker McDonald hit a brace in the final ten minutes for a 2-0 win on the night, and a 5-0 aggregate scoreline that secured their place in the group stages Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted August 28, 2008 Author Share Posted August 28, 2008 August 2007 Summary (SPL unless otherwise stated) Celtic 3-0 Kilmarnock (Sno 2 ; Nakamura 47; Zurawski 59) Falkirk 0-2 Celtic (McGeady 13 ; Aaritalo 62) Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round, 1st Leg Celtic 3-0 APOEL (Aaritalo 13 ; Jarosik 66,73 ; Flourentzou s/o 81) Aberdeen 0-1 Celtic (Hesselink 29) Celtic 2-1 Hearts (Donati 6 ; Zarate 16 ; Cesnauskis 63) Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round, 2nd Leg APOEL 0-2 Celtic (McDonald 80, 90+2) League Position ; 1st Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spav Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 Nice to see McDonald off the mark. Enjoying this very much. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted August 29, 2008 Author Share Posted August 29, 2008 Cheers Spav --- He grabbed her, and dragged her into the alley. She was a tough girl, and could handle herself, but she was no match for the power and strength of him He threw her to the floor, but still she struggled - he didn't like that He kicked and hit her everywhere on her body, her face, her chest, stomach, arms, legs - altogether around 86 bruises Then he pulled out a knife, and stabbed her four times as she lay motionless on the ground before running off -- The chairman's little get together had, surprisingly, gone quite well. There were some important people there and Barry felt he had made a good impression to those that counted. There was one person he met that he had seen as a person he had to make a good impression to - although she had nothing to do with the football club. The chairman's daughter, Nicole, had immediately caught his attention when she walked in. Her flowing, natural blonde hair, her piercing blue eyes, and her superb figure had just made him lust after her. However, her attention proved (at least straightaway) impossible to grab, until her father whisked Barry over to meet her. Needless to say, they hit it off... Barry Hunter bounded onto the team coach with a huge grin on his face, one which caught the keen eye of defender Steven Pressley "Why the grin boss? Good night was it?" "Very funny Ste. Yes it was as a matter of fact, we had a lovely, sophisticated evening at the chairman's house" "Sure you did" The big defender winked at his compatriot beside him, but Hunter couldn't help but smile "No more lip big man, or you'll be sat on the bench" Pressley wasn't sat on the bench, he started the game against St. Mirren, with his side looking to push on and clinch yet another win in the SPL, but a couple of changes were made to the side. Jan Vennegoor came into the side to replace Scott McDonald, while Banel Nicolita started in the place of Shunsuke Nakamura. It was the Romanian who was doing the damage through the match too, as his constant mazy dribbles and dangerous crosses from the right hand side were too much for their opponents to handle. Chances came, with Zarate, McGeady, Donati and Samba all testing the Buddies 'keeper, but on 37 minutes, Hunter's side drew first blood, Mark Wilson's long ball finding Zarate, who took one touch on his chest, one on his left foot, and fired it home into the top right hand corner The 1-0 half time scoreline failed to reflect the superiority that Celtic had enjoyed, but ten minutes into the second half, the lead was doubled, substitute McGlinchey feeding Hesselink and the big Dutchman cracking the ball past the 'keeper. This was always going to be enough to seal the points, but it didn't stop Hunter instructing his side to push on. McDonald replaced Zarate for that little injection of pace, while Bjarnason slotted in behind the strikers. It was the Icelandic midfielder who had a huge part to play in the killer goal, slicing open the defence for McDonald to hit a shot and force a save, but the incoming Massimo Donati was there to mop up the rebound and make it 3-0. The home side managed to grab themselves a goal in the final few minutes, as Billy Mehmet spun and hit the ball, but it made no difference and Hunter's side held on for the points -- "Boss, do you have a few minutes? I wanted to give you the youth report" "Sure - fire away Tommy" "Well I've picked out a few players I think are well worth looking at, or maybe even giving first team exposure to on a regular basis" "Who?" "Teddy Bjarnason. Young, enthusiastic, wants to learn, and already, his passing is of a top standard" "He does look good, and the sort of player I'd love to play with as a striker. Who else?" "Carlo Monti. Full back, left footed, but he could become a world beater with the right training" "Really? Not seen much of him. I'll keep checking up" "Worth doing boss. Mike McGlinchey. Love his talent, his natural ability, and the way he just flys up and down the wing like there isn't a care in the world. Could provide a good few assists" "Any others?" "Just one. Cillian Sheridan. Irish striker, touted the next Robbie Keane. Has a great eye for goal, but the only worry is his lack of pace - maybe something to work on?" "Cheers Tommy. I'll have a closer look at the file tomorrow" Having looked at the file, Barry Hunter was inclined to agree. Some of the youngsters that he had at his disposal were excellent prospects, and they needed exposure to fkrst team action. With that in mind, Cillian Sheridan started the side's next game, which saw Inverness Caledonian Thistle visit the nations capital. The youngster didn't look awed by his first taste of the big time, and he even managed to rattle the post after 5 minutes, but it was his strike partner Zarate who set the ball rolling on 21 minutes with his third in as many games, nicely passing the ball into the goal from Nakamura's pass. More chances came and went, including to the visitors, although Artur Boruc easily dealt with them, but on 63 minutes, Scott Brown settled it. He hadn't had that great a season thus far, and when the ball dropped many expected it in the stands. However, he struck a sweet, absolutely glorious volley that smashed the ball with a swish into the roof and gave his side another three point to keep them top of the table Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted August 30, 2008 Author Share Posted August 30, 2008 The draw for the Champions League group had not been kind to Barry Hunter's side, with three very good sides drawn in their group. English side Arsenal were a team that Hunter admired, with their slick, expert passing and beautiful football, and he knew they would always be a tough side to beat. Sevilla were another hard team to beat, and another side that played slick, attacking football. The worst team in the group, although it was saying something, was Dinamo Kiev - with this being the case, Hunter earmarked the UEFA Cup as his side's target, therefore a 3rd placed finish in the group The opening game in the group was as tough as it gets, as Arsene Wenger's Arsenal side visited Parkhead. Barry was taking no chances, and fielded his strongest available eleven, sending them onto the pitch with one simple message - Do it for the fans. The game started at a slow pace, which suited Celtic, and when Aidan McGeady slotted a low cross into the Arsenal area, and Maciej Zurawski slid the ball home, Celtic were ahead after 6 minutes. It was an ideal start, but it only made Arsenal more angry. Adebayor hit the post, Giampaolo Pazzini forced two saves from Boruc, while Bakary Sagna hit a stunning thirty yard shot that smacked the bar. It looked for all the world as if Hunter's side would make it to half time ahead, but with just four minutes left, this notion went out the window, Giampaolo Pazzini breaking free and sliding underneath Boruc. This immediately made the visitors the favourites to win, but the second half was a surprisingly even affair. For the four decent chances that Arsenal had, from Adebayor, Bendtner and two from Eduardo, Celtic themselves had three exceptional ones, the best falling to Zurawski, the Polish striker twisting and turning before his shot rebounded off the post. Going into stoppage time, Barry Hunter was more than happy to take the point, and instructed his side to adopt caution. Mark Wilson picked up the ball on the right hand side, before advancing into the Arsenal half. He looked like he was just going to keep the ball, but drew back his right foot and launched the ball forward. It missed everybody, defenders, attackers, and bounced in the area, before going over Jens Lehmann and into the net, giving the Scottish side an unbelievable late winner -- "Ah Barry. Congratulations on the win over Arsenal, they are the European style nights this club doesn't have too often" "Thanks. It was a great win and I was pleased that we held our own" "Certainly. By the way, Nicole wanted me to give you this..." He handed Barry a piece of paper, with what looked like a number on it "...it's her phone number. She said you two got on well the other night, so she wanted to continue that" "We did get on well, she's a lovely girl, and we just hit off" "That's what I'd hoped for Barry, as she doesn't mix too well with people outside her friends" With Nicole's number in hand, Barry Hunter was a pleased man. Travelling down with the side to the East side of Scotland, for their next SPL game, which would see them face Hibernian, a side who had Steven Fletcher, with 7 goals in five games, so Barry Hunter expected a tough test from their oppoenents. This was exactly what they got, and coupled with the worst performace of the season from his side, they were close to losing their hundred percent record. The first half was a fairly dull affair, neither 'keeper coming close to being tested, but the best efforts of the half fell to the home side, Abdesslam Benjelloun heading over and Fletcher striking a shot wide of the post, but even Mauro Zarate couldn't fashion a chance for his side, and Celtic looked to be really struggling The second half, although not quite as bad, was still a poor showing from Hunter's side. The manager was exasperated, pulling his hair out on the touchline, as he could not work out what was wrong with his side. Still Hibs pressed, and dominated, but in the 70th minute, they made a costly mistake, a defensive error allowing Aidan McGeady to nip in and tuck the ball home into the net. It was a massive goal, and when the Hib's players all put their heads down, it allowed Hunter's side to wrap up the game, and Shunsuke Nakamura's free-kick in stoppage time sealed a 2-0 win, one that Celtic can consider themselves very fortunate to have gained Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted August 30, 2008 Author Share Posted August 30, 2008 Despite getting on well with Nicole on the night of the Chairman's party, and his delight at getting her phone number, Barry was still nervous about ringing her. He was never any good with phone calls, much preferring the face to face method of communication, so he still hesitated over phoning her. Come his side's next game, a Scottish League Cup tie against fellow Premier Divisionside Gretna, he still hadn't rang her - it had been nearly three full days and she may have been starting to wonder if he was going to His mind was firmly on the game though, and with the League Cup being very much a secondary notion, he fielded a lesser line-up, with the likes of Derek Riordan, Mike McGlinchey, Teddy Bjarnason, Cillian Sheridan and Mark Brown all starting the match. However, there was no way to be able to tell the difference between the regular first team players and the youngsters that took to the field, as they were phenomenal - running out with a comfortable 5-0 win over another top flight side. It took 28 minutes to open the scoring, when Derek Riordan headed home Nicolita's cross, but before that there had been four or five top notch chances all gone a begging. Three minutes after the first, the second followed, Riordan again, although this time, he took one touch on his chest before rifling the ball home past the helpless 'keeper. Gretna's star player, Fabian Yantorno, could not get into the game at all, and he was so frustrated he was substituted at half time The second half was more of the same from Hunter's side, and ten minutes in, the game was sealed, Icelandic midfielder Bjarnason curling home his first goal for the club from 25 yards out. Still they pushed on, despite the game being won, and when Nicolita's cross was turned into his own net by Martin Canning, 4-0 looked extremely good for the young Celtic side. Four became five in the final ten minutes, when McGlinchey slid a ball through for Evander Sno, the substitute, and the dreadlocked Dutchman slid home underneath the 'keeper to seal an emphatic win and passage into the next round of the competition -- I lie awake at night, wishing I was in your arms... He had an awful nights sleep, so much so that he walked into his kitchen at half past four to make himself a black coffee. That didn't help, so he flicked his laptop open to conduct a little early morning business. Engrossed in his work, he didn't look up for what felt like an hour, although in all it was three hours. 7.30. So he showered, shaved, and headed into the ground for work Hunter had sent his scouts out on missions around the world to search for ther best players to add to his squad, but he was intently focusing on his main man, Brazilian forward Guilherme. He had tried and tried to land him this far, but nothing had worked. His agent had told Cruzeiro he wanted to move, but they would not let him go at all. It was a relatively easy day at the office, so much so that he left early, leaving at just gone five. It was a 15 minute drive to his house, but as soon as he drove up, he knew something was wrong - the door was open. Barry flicked up his baseball bat from behind his seat and crept into the house... "Oi! What do you think you're doing?" "****! Get out now, he's back.." "Who are you?" "Go, now - drop everything" They had gone before Barry could get to them, but he was annoyed. How dare these thugs, and criminals come into his house and steal his things. He picked up the phone and dialled... "Hello. Police please..." -- Thus far, nothing had come of the burglary, but just 48 hours later, Barry Hunter's side were back in action for the final time that month, as Dundee United visited Parkhead for their SPL game. The main crux of the first team squad was back, but Cillian Sheridan kept his place up-front thanks to a little niggle to Zarate, and Hunter didn't want to risk him before the Champions League game. The Irishman seemed determined to make a mark, and on 16 minutes, he did, rising highest to head home Aidan McGeady's pinpoint cross and scoring his first for the club. The striker got his confidence sky high after this, and could have had four more, forcing saves twice, hitting the post and curling the shot just wide. The second half was more subdued, the orange clad visitors holding their own a little more, but with three minutes left, an 8th succesive win was secured, Nakamura dragging inside and curling home a stunning left footed shot. The drama didn't end there, Lee Wilkie receiving his marching orders in stoppage time, and though the performance was average, a win is a win and Barry Hunter was more than happy with the points Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted August 30, 2008 Author Share Posted August 30, 2008 September 2007 Summary (SPL unless otherwise stated) St. Mirren 1-3 Celtic (Zarate 37 ; Hesselink 55 ; Donati 68 ; Mehmet 89) Celtic 2-0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle (Zarate 21 ; Brown 63) Champions League Group C Celtic 2-1 Arsenal (Zurawski 6 ; Pazzini 41 ; Wilson 90+2) Hibernian 0-2 Celtic (McGeady 70 ; Nakamura 90+1) Scottish League Cup 3rd Round Celtic 5-0 Gretna (Riordan 28,31 ; Bjarnason 55 ; Canning O.G 73 ; Sno 82) Celtic 2-0 Dundee United (Sheridan 16 ; Nakamura 87 ; Wilkie s/o 90+1) League Position ; 1st Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 1, 2008 Author Share Posted September 1, 2008 Finally, over a week since receiving her number, Barry Hunter plucked up the courage to phone Nicole. He picked up the piece of paper, and tapped the numbers into his mobile "Hello" "Hi Nicole? It's Barry" "Oh Hi Barry. How are you? I was starting to wonder if you were going to ring me" "I'm sorry for the delay. I've been made busy at work. You know how it is?" "Not really but never mind" They talked for well over an hour, laughing, joking, and generally getting on well, as they had the first time. Just before he left, Barry arranged to meet her for am coffee during the international break his side had coming up, one which he felt would be a nice oppotunity to relax and re-focus his plans ahead of schedule. Nicole really was a lovely girl though. Very sweet, mature, and highly intelligent. -- Before the two week break, Hunter's side had one game to negotiate their way through, and it was a tough one. A visit to Russia for their second group game against Dinamo Kiev would always prove to be a difficult one, but neither Celtic fans or players could have envisioned how difficult it would be. The home side started the game in a blistering fashion, testing Boruc twice in the opening five minutes, with the Polish 'keeper pushin one shot onto the bar and another round the post. This one sidedness continued for the first 25 minutes, with Boruc making another three saves in that time. Celtic did not have a clue what had hit them, and Barry Hunter could only watch his shell-shocked side try and get into the game. They did eventually fashion a chance, but it took 36 minutes, Mauro Zarate turning and shooting from the edge of the area, forcing Shovkovskiy into a save, but never before had Hunter been so happy to hear a half time whistle. He must have said some strong words to his side in the dressing room, because his side were totally different in that second half. Mika Aaritalo and Scott McDonald were introduced into the fold, and this certainly made a difference. The big Aussie immediately forced two saves from the 'keeper, while Aaritalo was up and down the wing like a firecracker. It took a while but eventually Hunter's side slowly began to dominate, and take the game by the scruff of the neck, and on 82 minutes, they finally got the goal. Banel Nicolita whipped the ball into the box, and following a scramble, it broke loose, and Finnish international Aaritalo was there to slam home the follow up and seal a 1-0 win for his side, making it 2 out of 2 in the group -- The international break dawned upon them, giving some of the regulars a good chance to rest, and recharge their batteries. It also meant Barry Hunter could see Nicole, and continue their ever growing bond. That would be something unexpected, but also very nice Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 2, 2008 Author Share Posted September 2, 2008 Despite England playing in the international break, Barry Hunter decided to watch Scotland's game with Estonia, as it meant less travelling for him. Over the course of the next fortnight, he had several players away on international duty, and he was secretly hoping none of them would come back injured. His scouts were all round the world watching his players, and though he could have been watching someone like Argentina, or Italy, he felt comfortable watching Scotland It wasn't the greatest game ever, but a 2-0 win for the home side was enough. The opening goal came on 23 minutes, Barry Ferguson laying Kenny Miller off for the Derby man to fire home. More chances came in that first half, with Scott Brown, Miller, Ferguson and Caldwell all missing good opportunities to double the lead. Finally, the second goal did come, on 76 minutes, when Kenny Miller turned to provider, as his square ball fell to Lee McCulloch and the Rangers man slammed the ball home into the net to secure the win -- "I've got some good news for you boss" Tommy Colbert had come bounding into Barry Hunter's office with a huge grin on his face, and waving a piece of paper "Calm down Tommy. What is it?" "Cruzeiro sent me a fax this morning - they want to sell Guilherme" "Really? Why's that?" "Need the money apparently. Anyway, they said that they would be prepared to accept an offer as high as the last one they rejected" "What, £4.5mil?" "Yes. Is that not great news?" "Indeed. Get back to them, let them know that we'll make the bid" That was news that he had been waiting for a while to hear. Guilherme had obviously not been happy with his club not allowing him to move, so after kicking up a fuss, they felt they had to let him go. He was a young, talented forward, and pairing him up with Zarate was something that Barry Hunter really wanted to do -- His dinner date with Nicole had gone very well. They talked and talked, and it was nice to be able to spend a few hours without worrying about the club, or players, or anything like that, and just indulge in normal conversation. They spent a lovely three hours together, and as he left her at her front door, Barry Hunter couldn't help but smile She really is a lovely girl. Her smile, her hair... Stop it. She's too young for you. You're just friends. Besides, the chairman wouldn't approve and you would probably lose your job Still, it's a shame, as she's really an ideal girlfriend type... Barry!! Stop it. It's wrong The second round of international games loomed large, and Barry Hunter didn't watch any of these. Instead, he stayed in his office, working round the clock to try and agree terms with the Brazilian and bring him to the club in January. The only thing he was worried about was the idea of work permits though, as he felt the striker may not get one easily, due to his lack of International and European experience, but that was a bridge he would cross when it came to it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 2, 2008 Author Share Posted September 2, 2008 After an international break, it's always nice to be able to have a fairly easy game to come back to, and with a trip to newly-promoted Gretna, that is what Barry Hunter's side had. They had beaten their opponents 5-0 a few weeks before, so a win was always going to be expected from them this time. The team that took to the field was much stronger than the one in the League Cup, so Barry Hunter was confident The game started well, Zarate testing the 'keeper early on, while Samba headed onto the bar from 12 yards, an unbelievable effort from the big Congolese defender, but on 24 minutes, it was Aussie striker Scott McDonlad who opened the scoring, as he raced onto Brown's through ball and dinked the ball over the onrushing 'keeper to put his side in front. More chances came, but Gretna themselves had a couple, with Steve Marlet and Fabian Yantorno both wasting good opportunities. To be in front at half time is always a bonus, but Hunter knew it should have been two or three more. This meant the second half was crucial, and the introduction of Banel Nicolita added more pace and flair down the right hand side However, Gretna had other ideas, and they certainly improved their game in the second 45 minutes. Celtic owed a lot to Artur Boruc, who made three or four top notch saves to keep them in front. The home 'keeper was forced into saves too, as Nicolita, McGeady and Zarate all tested him, but with five minutes to go, the three points were sealed, as McDonald capitalised on a defensive error, nipped into the box and slid the ball home underneath the 'keeper to settle the game and seal a ninth successive win in the SPL -- "Well how he hell do I know?" "Your a secret agent, you're supposed to know things like that" "I think you're forgetting that I'm also working for you against my oath" "No I haven't forgotten, but I think..." He drew back his hand and forced a sharp punch into his ribs "...you've forgotten who I am and what I know. Now, find out his address, whether it's work or home. I need to speak to this man" "What exactly has he done to you?" He was still struggling for air after the punch "That's for me to know, and you to find out. We've given him one warning and he didn't listen, so now it's time to give him a more serious one" "What if he doesn't listen this time?" "Then we hit somebody close to him, someone who he cares about - then he will listen" "OK. And my money?" "Ha. That's rich. Here..." He threw a thick, padded brown envelope to him "£25,000 in there" "We agreed fifty" "Half now, half when the jobs done. Now get out of my sight. You've got a week" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
salkster2102 Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 looks like troubled times for barry hunter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCIAG Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Hang on... the Celtic chairman's daughter? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 3, 2008 Author Share Posted September 3, 2008 Salkster - You'll have to wait and see SCIAG - I know it's naughty but never mind eh? -- With the month drawing to a close, Barry Hunter knew it had been eventful, despit only playing two games thus far. However, with two in the space of four days to round off the month, he wanted to end on a high note. The first of these games saw Sevilla make the trip to Glasgow and Parkhead, and this was always going to be a tough game, especially with the quality that the Spaniard's had in their squad The visitors started with a bang, Freddie Kanoute testing Boruc within the first three minutes, before the former Spurs striker laid the ball off for Jesus Navas, who turned and fired home from 25 yards, stranding Boruc and leaving the big Polish 'keeper with no chance. This seemed to set the tone for the half, as Sevilla dominated, forcing Boruc to make another three or four good saves. These saves are probably what helped his side, as the whole complexion of the match took a turn just before the interval, as McGeady slid the ball through for Jan Vennegoor to take a touch and slam the ball home past the 'keeper, to send the sides in level That Hesselink goal gave his side a hell of a lot of confidence, and they came out into the second half with all guns blazing, Zarate, Hesselink and Nicolita testing the 'keeper with several good efforts. The definitive goal came just before the hour mark, as the provider of the first, Aidan McGeady, curled home a superb free-kick from 20 yards after Hesselink was fouled. The Irishman was running the show at this point, and could have had three more in the half, as well as other chances, but with three minutes left, the game was settled, Nicolita's ball across to Zarate, who layed it off for McGeady to slide home and make it three out of three in the group stages -- Now you're gone, I realise my love for you was strong... He awoke with a start. Sweat covered him, and the bed sheets, as always after one of his nightmares - this one was different though. Instead of it being a nightmare about his sister, and what she went through, there was a different face - it was Nicole. This worried him, and worried him badly. He looked at his clock, and as the time read 6.23, he couldn't ring her to see if she was fine. He swung himself out of bed, go up and made a coffee. He was due to be at the office for 8.30 to make some last minute preparations for the visit of Guilherme, who was coming for a look around the ground It had gone well with the Brazilian. He had been impressed with the facilities, the ground - basically everything about the club. The contract was presented, a four year deal, worth £12,500 a week, which he had no hesitation in signing. All that the club waited for now was confirmation of his work permit, and the medical results - which he was expected to pass with flying colours, and he was all set to join in January Guilherme stayed on as a guest of the manager, and he sat next to the chairman for the league game against Motherwell. There was never any real danger to the match, and the visitors never threatened to cause an upset. Banel Nicolita grabbed his first for the club on 29 minutes, having been everywhere on the pitch, and to top off his man of the match performance, it was his cross that allowed Argentinian striker Zarate to tap in the second, decisive goal and seal a tenth straight win in the SPL, impressing the future new signing and making him see what a good unite he was about to join Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 3, 2008 Author Share Posted September 3, 2008 October 2007 Summary (SPL unless otherwise stated) Champions League Group C Dinamo Kiev 0-1 Celtic (Aaritalo 82) Gretna 0-2 Celtic (McDonald 24,85) Champions League Group C Celtic 3-1 Sevilla (Navas 12 ; Hesselink 43 ; McGeady 59,83) Celtic 2-0 Motherwell (Nicolita 29 ; Zarate 76) League Position ; 1st Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
george94 Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Good stuff sherm liking the song reference (now you're gone). Keep it up, class performances in the league as well for Celtc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Sherm, this is impressive stuff. Following along and enjoying your work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 4, 2008 Author Share Posted September 4, 2008 George - glad you're enjoying the tale Tenthree - I'm glad the story is keeping you entertained, I just hope I can for a while longer yet -- "Well? Have you got what I asked for?" "Yes. I've got both his work and home address - I think that deserves more money" "Really? Well let me see the information first, then I'll decide whether you deserve further payment" "Here. Address, town, postcode and phone number..." He handed a brown padded envelope across the table "...and a few photographs of him in those areas" "Excellent. Now, if you will follow my two associates here, they will pay you the rest of your money. Gentlemen? Please lead Mr. Stanton to his payment" The two hulking men guided him towards a flight of stairs, but as one took him down, the other turned and caught a gun that was thrown towards him. He smiled, knowing what he had to do, and off he went... "You're mine now Barry Hunter. Mine. I will give you one more chance, but if you are as stubborn as I think you are, then that's it" -- Barry was sat in his usual seat on the coach with his assistant, Tommy Colbert, and they were summing up the start to the season that their side had made. They were on their way to their next game, which would see them face Kilmarnock, and they were confident of another win in the league "Couldn't have asked for better. 100% record? Top stuff" "We've done it with class too, and I've certainly been impressed with some of the players" "Me too - Mauro oozes class, but McGeady and Nicolita look like two good wingers who can create chances" The conversation carried on for another hour, before Colbert got his head down for the remainder of the journey The game itself was rather dull. Kilmarnock, despite being at home, had obviously played for a point, and the way they set up, to stifle every attack that Celtic made, worked well. The first half saw very little created, only a Samba header, which was saved by the 'keeper, and Mauro Zarate's turn and shot cracking the post, but other than that, they had nothing of note to write about However, in the second half, things were different, as both sides began to pick the pace up in search of the goal that would be decisive. Kilmarnock tested Boruc a couple of times, forcing the Polish 'keeper to tip the ball over and wide, but it was Shunsuke Nakamura that ran the show, as the Japanese midfielder was spraying balls across the park, he created three chances in quick succession that should have been taken, and going into the final ten minutes, he had tried everything to give his side the lead. On 81 minutes though, that lead came. After Zarate had forced a corner, Nicolita swung the ball in, and captain Stephen McManus was there to power home his header. This really sent the home side on a downer, and six minutes later, Zarate finished it, as he picked up the ball, beat two men and fired the ball home into the bottom corner to seal a 2-0 win -- With very little restbite between games, Barry Hunter was always preparing for the games ahead, although he firmly believed in the philosophy of one game at a time. On the day before their European game in Spain, he was sat at home relaxing with a beer when he heard the clanging of the letter box. It was a strange time to receive mail, but never the less, he got up to check the package The letter in the envelope had clearly been thought about, as it was typed up on expensive paper, and when he read it, several thoughts raced through his head Mr. Hunter You do know me, but I am not going to reveal my name just yet. Let me just warn you that this is a warning - you have had one, with the burglary, and now this is your final one. You caused me a lot of heartache and distress several years ago, when we were younger. You may not remember it, but I do - and I have never forgotten. I still do not have revenge for it, and I have alway been a forgiving man - however, seeing you get the success you have had has really rocked the boat. That should have been me, not you. Now, you have options. These options will decide whether I forgive and forget, or whether I hurt you - and trust me, you do not want that. If this letter reaches the police, I don't care - they will never trace it anyway. Now, option 1) You can quit your job as a football manager, or at least go abroad to a non-successful team - do this and you will not hear from me again. Option 2) Leave Europe, and go and find a different career , or option 3) Continue doing what you are doing, being successful, and I will find you - revenge will be mine for all those years ago Yours truly B.D.K - Your worst nightmare -- He had absolutely no idea how to respond to that, so he immediately dialled his chairman and arranged to meet him. After discussing the options, they decided that it was best that assistant manager Tommy Colbert took charge of the next game, which would see Celtic face Sevilla, with a win guaranteeing their place in the knockout stages Barry Hunter stayed in Scotland, and after reporting the note to Police (who dismissed it as an irate Rangers fan), he settled down to watch his side, and he hoped and prayed that they ould get qualification out of the way Unfortunately for him, it wasn't to be. Whether it was that they missed his presence on the touchline, or his flair and shouting from the bench, or maybe they just had a bad day - he wasn't sure, but Freddie Kanoute's 32nd minute goal was the only one of the match, and that was enough to see the Spanish side to a win, which was disappointing for Barry, and his coaching team, who had felt their players were good enough to go and get a result Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 4, 2008 Author Share Posted September 4, 2008 It had been a few days since the letter had dropped through his door, and since nothing had happened, he was starting to believe nothing was going to. He had seen Nicole twice more since their last outing, and they were growing ever closer as the time went on, something that, although it may have been a little bit wrong, he was starting to warm to the idea Having agreed that there was nothing to worry about, he was back in the dugout for the home game against bottom side Falkirk. He never underestimated his opponents, but having not won in nearly two months, he felt he could rest a few players against them, especially with the game being at Parkhead. Cillian Sheridan took the place of Mauro Zarate, and the Irish striker just won everything in the air. He was magnificent, and with the combination he gave with Scott McDonald, Celtic dominated the game. The goal however, came from an unlikely source, and when McGlinchey's cross was met by former Chelsea man Jiri Jarosik with six minutes of the half left, it seemed unlikely that was going to be the only goal of the game This was to be the case though, and no matter how hard they tried in the second half, the second would not come. Nakamura had chances, Bjarnason hit the post, Sheridan tested the 'keeper, while Samba hit two thumping headers against the bar, but when the final whistle was blown after 93 minutes, 1-0 was how it ended. Although not a great scoreline, a win all the same, and one that Barry Hunter was mighty pleased with. -- "Boss, good news" "What's that then?" "Just got off the phone with the F.A - They've accepted Guilherme's work permit application. Transfer is a formailty" "You mean he can move?" "Yes. Everything's in order, they just want to meet him and his agent before the window opens" "Excellent. That shouldn't be a problem, but I'll get on the phone all the same and have a word" "OK. I think he'd be a good addition to the squad, and he would link well with Mauro - we could be onto a winner there" "Definately. That's why I've tried so hard to sign him" That excellent bit of news was music to Barry's ears. Guilherme was the one man he wanted to finalise his push for the League and Cup double that season, and when the Brazilian completed his club record move in January, it would see them with the ideal squad. The current team had other issues to concentrate on, and the next step of these was the League Cup quarter final, which would see Aberdeen make the trip to Parkhead. They were always a tough proposition, and Hunter expected no less of a test here, so with that in mind, he played a very strong eleven in the match. It was a cautious start from both sides, with neither 'keeper being tested too strongly, but when John Kennedy's long ball found Scott McDonald, the Aussie striker rounded the 'keeper, and although it looked like he had gone too wide, he slid the ball home from an awkward angle to give his side the lead. The visitors didn't put their heads down, and they got their just rewards thirteen minutes later, a defensive error from Kennedy allowing Derek Young to nip in and fire the ball past Mark Brown for the equaliser In the second forty five, both sides were looking for the one decisive strike to kill the game, so neither one pushed on as much as they would have liked. Young forced Brown to save a couple of efforts, while McDonald, Jarosik and McGlinchey all made good attempts to put their side back in front. The final goal, and the one that sent them into the semi final, came from substitute Banel Nicolita, who, having been on the pitch less than 7 minutes, broke free down the right, before carving his way into the box and sliding the ball into the far corner of the net. The ground erupted when the Romanian scored, showing just how much of a star he had become already, and the cheer was just as loud when the whistle went, confirming their place in the semi final draw Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 5, 2008 Author Share Posted September 5, 2008 Due to a quirk in the fixture list, the same two teams lined up in the SPL just three days later, as Barry Hunter's Celtic once again met Aberdeen. The Dons had been doing well in the league thus far and sat in fourth place, and even though his side had just defeated them in the League Cup, Barry Hunter didn't feel confident about the match. This proved to be an accurate conception he had, as the first fifteen minutes belonged to the visitors, who shot out of the blocks, and took a twelfth minute lead thanks to Steve Lovell's header. This seemed to wake the home side up, and with a rousing noise coming from the crowd, they were soon back on level terms, Mauro Zarate with a goal of the season contender, as he picked up the ball from Nakamura, beat three men with his skill and pace, before lofting a gorgeous shot over the 'keeper and into the back of the net. The next 18 or so minutes belonged to the home side, and they could, and in fact should, have gone in at the break in front, as Zarate, McGeady and Nakamura all tested the Aberdeen 'keeper with some good efforts. The second half began in much the same way, and when Zarate forced a corner, which Nakamura swung in from the left, there was Christopher Samba to power home his first goal in a Celtic shirt, and put his side ahead just three minutes into the half That really put Aberdeen on a downer, and though they tried, they were never going to get back into the game. Their fate was sealed on 65 minutes, Nakamura slotting the ball right across the box for Jiri Jarosik, who had lost his marker, to meet the ball and fire it into the unguarded goal, sealing the win and sending his side an incredible 12 points clear, with only four months of the season gone. -- With matters on the pitch going, well, perfectly, Barry's ever blossoming relationship with Nicole was also going well. Though they weren't a couple, at least not officially, they had spoken about it, and both agreed that they had feelings for one another. They spoke regualrly on the phone, and met at least once a week. This week, they had agreed to go out and have lunch, at the usual spot, and meeting in the usual pub for a drink first. However, for the first time since they had met, she didn't show. He waited for over an hour - even tried ringing her six times. Nothing. Eventually, Barry got up and left, wondering what on earth he could have possibly done to upset her .. He sat at the corner of the bar, drinking his pint but watchfully keeping close quarters out of the corner of his eye. His target sat in his usual place, ordered his usual pint of Guinness, and waited What he didn't know was he would be waiting for a while - while he was leaving and heading for the meeting place, his partner was being assaulted in her own home - told to not see him again, and give no reason His boss despised him. He didn't know why, nor did he dare ask - he was a dangerous, violent man, and if you crossed him, as Barry Hunter had, you would pay. How long would he wait there for her? Eventually he left, after an hour - he had no idea he was being watched, no idea he was being followed home and no idea why she hadn't shown - in all, he knew absolutely nothing really .. Barry had still not heard from Nicole when his team lined up at the Emirates to face Arsenal, knowing a point would see them through the group. He hadn't asked her father why, as he didn't want to risk incurring his wrath, but he was starting to worry - so much so his mind was barely focused on the game, and it barely registered when Mauro Zarate headed his side into an 8th minute lead. Celtic were excellent, really taking the game to Arsenal, and despite Adebayor's equaliser five minutes later, there was only one team who deserved the lead going into half time, and they were wearing green and white hoops on their tops. The tide turned though, two minutes before half time, as Scott Brown went up for an aerial ball with Fabregas, which resulted in the Spanish midfielder going down clutching his face. This was obviously deemed to be an elbow, and the winger was shown a straight red card The Celtic players (and the bench) were livid, and even into the second half they ahd not calmed down. Fabregas was the subject of a torrent of abuse and heavy tackles, but he responded in the best way possible - he added fuel to the fire by curling home the goal on 56 minutes that gave his side the lead, something which infuriated the Celtic side. It also lit a fire amongst them, and while typically uncharacteristically of Arsenal, they tried to hold onto the lead, Celtic pushed and pushed for the goal that would send them through. It came just seven minutes from time, as Zarate was fouled on the edge of the box, and Nakamura stepped up to curl home a sublime free-kick and seal their passage into the knockout stages. It was a fabulous game, and the result would allow Hunter to rest several players in their final group game Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 5, 2008 Author Share Posted September 5, 2008 November 2007 Summary (SPL unless stated otherwise) Kilmarnock 0-2 Celtic (McManus 81 ; Zarate 87) Champions League Group C Sevilla 1-0 Celtic (Kanoute 32) Celtic 1-0 Falkirk (Jarosik 39) Scottish League Cup Quarter Final Aberdeen 1-2 Celtic (McDonald 23 ; Young 36 ; Nicolita 84) Celtic 3-1 Aberdeen (Lovell 12 ; Zarate 27 ; Samba 48 ; Jarosik 65) Champions League Group C Arsenal 2-2 Celtic (Zarate 8 ; Adebayor 13 ; Brown s/o 43 ; Fabregas 56 ; Nakamura 83) League Position ; 1st Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 9, 2008 Author Share Posted September 9, 2008 It had been over a week since he had heard from Nicole, and he was getting seriously worried now. The chairman had no spoken to him for three days, but when he walked in on the Friday morning, there was a look on his face that said everything Barry needed to know. He looked gaunt, and fragile, and when he walked into his office, Barry instinctively followed him in "Have you heard from her?" "Yes" "And...?" "She was confronted by three men about a week ago. Told her to stop seeing you, or they would kill her, kill me and kill you" "What? Is it serious?" "They pulled a gun on her for god sakes Barry, what could she do?" "Jesus. I've got to see her..." "Don't be so bloody stupid. I'll give her your messages, but you are not to go and see her OK?" "What, so you want me to act normal? Get on with the football?" "Yes - what other options do you have?" That was that. Barry Hunter had to get on with things, and act normal - as hard as this would be, he knew he had no other choice, and his boss was right. 24 hours after the conversation, his side lined up to face Hearts at Tynecastle. On the coach trip on the way down, he had been quiet and subdued, not joining in the normal banter, something which drew several questions from his squad The game itself, at least in Hunter's eyes, went by in a blur. Zarate and Hesselink tested the home 'keeper in the opening 25 minutes, and on 36 minutes, the big Dutch striker headed home the opening goal. Tommy Colbert was bellowing instructions, with Hinter sat on the bench in a daze, and this seemed to affect the team - they did not get out of the blocks after the goal, and Hearts came at them with everything they had The second half provided a dull affair, where neither side created many chances and both goalkeepers were virtual spectators. Something had clearly affected the Celtic players however, and Mark Wilson's poor backpass allowed Christian Nade to nip in and rescue a point for his side, and in the process ending Barry Hunter's 100% SPL record -- Have you seen her? Baby have you seen her...? He had spent the next three days relaying and receiving messages from Nicole through her father, who was probably getting sick of it by now. He had told his daughter to relax for a few days, and instructed his manager to get his head back in business, with the next bit being a home game against struggling St Mirren. Scott McDonald came into the side for the tired Zarate, who needed a rest, while Mike McGlinchey and Mika Aaritalo both started on the wings. It was the Finnish international who was pulling all the strings though, as he swung in coss after cross, eventually finding reward on 32 minutes, as his right wing ball found the incoming McDonald, and the Aussie striker side footed home past the stranded 'keeper The second half was where most of the excitement came though, with three goals, including a St. Mirren equaliser less than two minutes into the half, with only half the Celtic bench sat in the dugout, Dargo taking down a long ball on his chest and hammering past Boruc. Hunter had introduced Polish striker Zurawski at half time to add more depth to the team, and on the hour mark, he curled his side back into the lead, beating three men and his shot finding the top corner from just inside the 18 yard box. Both sides pushed and pushed after this, St Mirren looking for the equaliser, and Celtic for the killer goal, and in stoppage time, 2-1 became 3-1, Evander Sno's through ball finding McDonald perfectly, and the striker rounded the 'keeper, and slotted home his 8th goal of the season to ease his side back into winning ways Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wegason Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 This is really great stuff! Problem is, I'm more interested in the off the field shenanigans than what's happening on the pitch! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 12, 2008 Author Share Posted September 12, 2008 Wegason - I've always been more of a football writer, so to know that the off-field antics are keeping you entertained is always good -- Before the side's next game, Barry agreed a deal to bring Kayserispor's goalkeeper Dimitar Ivankov to the club on a bosman. The 32 year old, although not the best or most talented player in the world, but he was a more than adequate back-up to Artur Boruc, who would clearly be number one for Celtic for several years. The final Champions League group game was meaningless, with both Celtic and Sevilla having secured their passages through to the next round, so when Dinamo Kiev visited Glasgow, Hunter took the option to rest most of his regular first teamers for the match. This meant starts for Mark Brown, Mike McGlinchey, Cillian Sheridan, Evander Sno, Steven Pressley, Jiri Jarosik and Mika Aaritalo, aswell as several others, but it was a team that he knew was more than capable of winning the game. They started well, creating three good chances in the opening half an hour. Sheridan forced the 'keeper to tip it round the post, John Kennedy hit the bar with a header, and Aaritalo fired a cross shot just wide of the far post. The visitors had not been in the game, but when a long ball out of defence found Busic, he cut inside, beat his man and drove the ball low beyond Artur Boruc. This was a shock for all concerned in the Celtic camp, and going in behind at half time seemed to fire them up no end The second half was 45 minutes of Celtic pressure, and how they only managed to score one goal was a miracle. Sheridan, Sno, McGlinchey, Jarosik and McDonald all tested the Kiev 'keeper, but everything that came at him, he kept out. It looked for all the world that they weren't going to score, but with 11 minutes left, Evander Sno rescued a point, breaking free and sliding the ball home from 8 yards out. They could have actually stolen all three points at the end, Sheridan heading against the bar, but the point meant that they finished top of the group and would face a slightly easier tie in the next round -- Barry had managed to convince Nicole to meet him, although they had agreed it would be a short meeting and not at either of their homes. Barry went to a pub he had never set foot in before, The Wiltshire Arms, and ordered a drink while waiting for her She eventually came ten minutes later, and sat down while taking off her rain soaked coat, sitting directly opposite Barry "You want a drink?" "No thanks. Let's get it over with" "OK. So what did these people say to you?" "You know what..." "No I mean about me. Did they tell you why they want to hurt me?" "Not exactly no. They just said that you upset somebody when you were both 15, ans he wants his revenge" "Who?" "Didn't get a name. They referred to him as 'their leader'" "I honestly don't know what I've done - I can't remember when I was 15" "I'm going to go now Barry. Take care. I would say see you soon, but I don't know if I will" -- Barry Hunter's brain had been working overtime for the next few days, and he could not figure out who he had offended, or even why he had. His head was not with it in terms of the football, and even though he travelled with the team to face Inverness Caledonian Thistle, it was assistant manager Tommy Colbert who really took charge of the match. An early Mauro Zarate goal, after 8 minutes, looked like it would be a great platform for the players to push on and grab another one, maybe two before the interval. This was not the case however, as the home side came back into the game, creating chances of their own, and half time came with Celtic 1-0 ahead The second half of the game was where most of the excitement came, as Zarate, McGeady and Nakamura all tested Inverness' defence and 'keeper, but the player of the second half was Banel Nicolita, who had really started to come of age in recent weeks. His mazy dribbles and runs down the right hand side caused all sorts of problems, and his crosses were in the right spot 8 or 9 times out of ten. It wa one of these crosses that set up the second and decisive goal, as he found Aussie striker McDonald who guided the ball home, using the pace of the ball to great effect. With just 5 minutes left, Aidan McGeady wrapped it up in style, curling home a 25 yard free-kick, and 3-0, though the win was deserved, was a scoreline that flattered Celtic a little, especially as Inverness had held their own for much of the match. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 Despite his head being elsewhere and having other things on his mind, Barry had been told in no uncertain terms that the teams next game, the first Old Firm game of the season, was very important to the fans and the board and that it needed his full attention from the off. Rangers had started poorly, and it was due to this poor start why they sat in 4th place, 17 points off their city rivals, so it was a game that they had to win - as did Hunter's Celtic side. The regulars were back in the starting line-up, after a few missed the last game due to exhaustion, so he was confident of a win. They started the game well, some slick passing and moving allowing Hesselink to test McGregor, before a Kirk Broadfoot mistake allowed Zarate to nip in but McGregor foiled him too. It wasn't long before the Argentinian striker did get in on the action for real though, as he played a lovely one two with Nakamura, and the Japanese midfielder's pass found him perfectly for Zarate to fire home past the 'keeper. That was with a quarter of an hour gone, and for the remainder of the half, it was all Celtic. Nicolita hit a thunderous shot wide, Zarate could have completed a hat-trick, and Hesselink headed against the bar, but these misses, despite playing brilliantly, could easily have come back to haunt the visitors Fortunately, that was not to be the case, as the second half went much the same way in terms of possesion and chances. The decisive second goal came less than ten minutes into the half, as Nakamura slid the ball through for Banel Nicolita to round the onrushing McGregor and slide into the goal. This shot the home side down badly, and from that moment the result was inevitable. Chances still game for Celtic, and with Boruc a virtual spectator, McGlinchey, Bjarnason and Sheridan all got given a chance to shine. Two of the youngsters combined for the final goal too, with Bjarnason playing in Sheridan, whose shot was blocked, and the rebound fell straight into the path of Jan Vennegoor, who calmly slid it back into the goal and a scintillating 3-0 win in Barry Hunter's first Old Firm game as manager -- "He hasn't listened. I was in the crowd for the Rangers match and he was fully focused on the football. You need to do something boss" "I'll make the decisions. What do you think would be appropriate Khalil?" "I don't see what else you can do to be honest. You killed his sister, you've potentially ruined his relationship. Have you got any plans? "Yes. His football and his career are clearly important to him, so lets take those away" "How are you going to do that?" "That's where Plan B comes in - my secret weapon" He motioned to the door and in walked an ageing man, around 45 or 50, wearing a dark blue suit with brown shoes. He looked slightly nervous around the men, but walked in nonetheless "Gentlemen. I would like you to meet Tommy Colbert. He's the newest member of our payroll and also a close friend of Barry Hunter. Mr. Colbert, welcome aboard" "Thankyou sir" "Now, I take it you are fully aware of your role as our employee?" -- A home game with Hibernian was the next port of call for Barry Hunter and his side, and yet again, several youngsters were given opportunities. This wasn't necessarily what affected the game, but it was a dull affair, and the only man on the pitch who really stood out was Mike McGlinchey. The left winger had swung cross after cross into the box for his strikers, but none of them had taken an opportunity - so he decided to take it upon himself, and scoring on 50 and 76 minutes was enough to extend his side's advantage at the top of the table, and securing a 2-0 win over an in form side Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 Barry Hunter was walking to his car, when he suddenly heard a noise behind him. He swung round, only to feel a sharp, hard blow to the back of his head. Everything went black and he fell to the floor... "He's coming to, look..." He opened his eyes and saw two enormous men staring at him. One was Asian and the other was more Hispanic, maybe Mexican. As he started to come into focus, they seperated and another, smaller man walked towards him "Barry. How are you?" "Wha...Who are you?" "You don't remember me? I am disappointed - my name is Zabil El-Haroon - or Zabs as I was known in school" "Zabs? What on earth is going on?" "I'm glad you asked that. Do you remember the football team, when we were 15?" "Vaguely. Why?" "Well, there was one player picked to turn pro from that team - you. It should have been me. I know, you know, and the manager knew - yet as I was Asian, you got the spot" "Come on, dont be ridiculous" "How dare you speak to me like that..." He threw a right fist directly into his face, splitting his nose in the process "...now, I brought you here to teach you a lesson. Khalil, Carlos - show our friend todays lesson" -- Barry Hunter had turned up for the side's penultimate game of the month with a busted lip, broken nose and several bruised ribs, and immediately ordered straight home by the chairman, leaving his assistant in charge of the game at Dundee United - There hadn't been much to write home about though, except a John Kennedy own goal giving the home side the lead, before Zarate's third in four games guaranteed them a point and kept the unbeaten record alive After his encounter with his old school 'mate', he had been on Google no-stop to try and find out what he could about him. He was clearly well off and he was clearly a powerful man. The question was why? And why was he so bitter about Barry's success. He had also been keeping in touch with Nicole regularly and informing her of the situation, and speaking to her seemed to ease his fears and concerns His mind was still full of all sorts going into the final match of 2007, and yet again he allowed Tommy Colbert full control. Yet again, his side were poor, and Scott McDonald's 49th minute strike was cancelled out by Steve Marlet with seven minutes left, allowing Gretna to sneak a well deserved point to end the year on a high note and sour it a little bit for the League leaders Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 December 2007 Summary (SPL unless stated otherwise) Hearts 1-1 Celtic (Hesselink 36 ; Nade 76) Celtic 3-1 St. Mirren (McDonald 32, 90+1 ; Dargo 47 ; Zurawski 60) Champions League Group C Celtic 1-1 Dinamo Kiev (Busic 39 ; Sno 79) Inverness CT 0-3 Celtic (Zarate 8 ; McDonald 83 ; McGeady 85) Rangers 0-3 Celtic (Zarate 15 ; Nicolita 53 ; Hesselink 73) Celtic 2-0 Hibernian (McGlinchey 50, 76) Dundee Utd 1-1 Celtic (Kennedy O.G 49 ; Zarate 57) Celtic 1-1 Gretna (McDonald 49 ; Marlet 83) League Position ; 1st Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCIAG Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I'm intrigued, KUTGW. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 29, 2008 Author Share Posted September 29, 2008 Cheers SCIAG --- January opened up with Brazilian midfielder Guilherme flying into Glasgow, and he was greeted by his new manager "Welcome to Scotland son. I know you can be a star for us on the pitch" "I hope so boss. I want to be a fan favourite" "You will be. I have full faith in your ability, so much so you're in the squad for tomorrow's game" That game was a home one, and the second Old Firm game of the season with Rangers the visitors. After being well and truly beaten just two weeks before, they would be out for revenge in this game, and with this in mind Barry Hunter fielded his strongest possible eleven. Guilherme was still a little tired after his flight, and he took his place amongst the substitutes on the bench, with Zarate and McDonald on the pitch, aswell as Nicolita, McGeady, Nakamura and Sno in the midfield. The game started at a frantic pace, with both Boruc and McGregor forced to make saves, from Daniel Cousin and Shunsuke Nakamura respectively. Big Christopher Samba was awesome at the heart of the Celtic defence, and it was his defensive header out that led to the opener, as McGeady took the ball, played it wide to Nicolita, and the Romanian's picture perfect cross found the head of Zarate who guided it past the helpless McGregor That goal came with nine minutes left in the half, and just as it looked like they would go in one in front, a silly tackle from Kirk Broadfoot brought down Nicolita in the box, and full back Mark Wilson calmly slotted home the penalty to send them in two goals to the good. The second half was much of the same, with Hunter's side pushing for the third and decisive goal, but the visitors seemed to be a little too lax in attack. Their solid defence though, held firm, and this paid dividends on 82 minutes, as a long clearance caught Celtic unaware and Burke crossed for Lee McCulloch to slide home. This was a massive boost for the visitors, and they became favourites for the match, as provider turned scorer and Chris Burke volleyed home from 10 yards for the equaliser Both sides pushed on, and both sides knew the next goal would win the match. It came from an error in midfield, with Amdy Faye losing the ball, and allowed Nakamura to combine with Evander Sno, and the dreadlocked Dutchman slid the ball for McGeady to deftly dink over McGregor and seal the three points after a slight scare from the visitors, and their lead was extended at the top of the table -- More transfer activity followed the Old Firm win, with out-of-favour winger Paul Hartley moving on. Surprisingly though, Newcastle was his destination, as the North East side paid £925,000 for the Scottish international. Players also agreed to come in to the club too, as the scouts recommendation became a reality. West Brom were not performing as they should be in the English Championship, and sat a paltry 15th. This led to discontent amongst the players, and their star midfielder, Hungarian Zoltan Gera, was out of contract at the end of the season. Hunter was keen to bring him to the club, and less than 24 hours after offering a contract, the player signed on the dotted line and would join on the 1st of July Hunter's injuries had started to heal, although his ribs were still a little tender after his beating, but he was able to be in control of the team on the touchline without a problem. The demands made to him however, by his old school 'friend', were still running round his mind. In return however, the Celtic boss had a plan of his own that he intended to put into action soom enough Before that though, there was another game to negotiate, as he and his side visited Fir Park to face Motherwell in the SPL. Guilherme took his place in the starting line-up for this game, playing in the role just behind the strikers. The Brazilian seemed to revel in it, making pass after pass, allowing Zarate and Hesselink to forge their exceptional partnership further. The star of the show though, was Aidan McGeady. As so often this season, he was the man who determined the result, as it was his corner on 81 minutes that allowed Chris Samba to power through and head past the 'keeper to secure another three points with a 1-0 win Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 30, 2008 Author Share Posted September 30, 2008 Just 48 hours after the Motherwell game, another bosman transfer was secured for the next season. Hamburg defender Volker Schmidt agreed to join on a two and a half year deal, and although he wasn't a world class full back, he was more than adequate and would provide excellent cover for Mark Wilson. He had not played a senior game for his club all season, so they had given him permission to stay and watch his future employers next match, which would be against Inverness in the Scottish Cup He was an intimidating presence, and strangely, for a full back, he stood well over six feet tall, at least 14 stone, but he was swift on his feet. The cup game was at Parkhead, and Hunter knew the strength of his squad was more than good enough to cope, so he felt he would be able to rest a few senior members of the squad, so this saw the likes of Teddy Bjarnason, Carlo Monti, Scott Brown, Mark Brown and Cillian Sheridan all enter the starting line-up. It was Irish striker Sheridan, a man who was hotly tipped to be the next big thing, who opened the scoring, as he latched onto the end of Scott Brown's pass before cutting inside and drilling a low left footed shot past the 'keeper. The first half was all Celtic, as a wave of green and white hoops came at Inverness, but they couldn't capitalise and only went in at half time with a 1-0 advantage Jan Vennegoor was introduced in the second half, and it took him less than ten minutes to make an impact, as he stepped up and converted the penalty, sending the 'keeper the wrong way. The penalty was won by Carlo Monti though, the young full backs cross being handled in the box by Cowie, and this was almost enough to send the home side through. If it wasn't, then Icelandic midfielder Bjarnason certainly made sure it was, as he curled home a beautiful free-kick from 20 yards, and at 3-0, the game was as good as over. Even Dennis Wyness' consolation header five minutes from time couldn't dampen spirits, and they headed into the fourth round draw -- Hunter had spoken with his chairman, and his friendship with Nicole had been resumed, although they were taking it slowly and easing back into it. He had not told the chairman who was responsible for his injuries, and as far as the chairman knew, there had been no contact with the thugs for weeks, so it was over. This however, as Barry Hunter knew, was far from the truth... "Damn it. He just will not listen" "What are you going to do boss?" "Time for drastic action I think. Now, here's the plan..." Barry Hunter walked into training two days after beating Inverness in a brilliant mood and a smile beaming across his face. Whistling to himself, he was about to enter his office and pour a cup of tea, but his physio, Ian Parfrain, soon wiped the smile off his face "Boss. Thank God. You need to come and see this" "Ian. What's all the fuss about? Let me have a brew at least" "No time, you have to come. NOW!" Cursing his physio, he followed him out to the back entrance of the ground, and what he saw shocked him to his very core. There, impaled on one of the 6 feet tall metal spikes, was his groundsman. His limp, lifeless body looked like it was hanging in mid air, his arms hung by his side and blood was everywhere. Barry was shocked, and was very close to throwing up his breakfast. He didn't though, and quickly took action. "Ian, ring round the players. Training is cancelled today. The ring the Police." "What are you going to do boss?" "I don't know yet" ... Three days had passed since the groundsman had met his gruesome end, but Hunter was still focused on business. The players were unaware of what happened, as were the media, and they went into the next game, a home league match against Kilmarnock, with 100% focus and concentration. The game itself was not much to write home about, with neither side willing to push on too far, but the best of the chances fell to Hunter's side, with Hesselink, Zarate, McGeady and Nakamura all testing the Killie 'keeper, but just when it looked like the visitors would steal an unlikely point, up popped substitute Scott McDonald, and the Aussie striker headed home Nakamura's cross in stoppage time to seal the points After the match, Barry Hunter felt it was time that things changed, and he decided to go and see the man who he knew was responsible for his groundsman's demise Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 30, 2008 Author Share Posted September 30, 2008 Even with all the off-field activity going on, Barry Hunter had still managed to secure two more signatures for the following season. Hertha Berlin's left back Gilberto had 14 caps for Brazil, and to get his signature for no fee was a massive coup in Hunter's eyes. The biggest signing thus far though had to be former Chelsea striker Mikael Forssell, who penned a four year deal at Parkhead. The Birmingham man was not getting much action and Hunter felt he would forge an excellent combination with Mauro Zarate He had decided to go to where he knew his headquarters were. After a ten minute argument with the security on the door (they didn't need two, judging by the size of this one), he had finally been guided down to where his old school pal sat. It was a plush, 1970's decor style office, and the smell of cigars hung in the air. The chair was turned so that the back faced him, and Zabil's voice rung out above the noise of the fan and television "Thankyou Rudy. You can leave now" The enormous security man left, and the chair swung round to face Barry. A grin spread across the young, stubble-less face of his adversary, and he began the conversation with a polite greeting "Barry. What brings you here today?" "Cut the ******** Zabil. What the **** was that?" "What?" "Killing my groundsman. He didn't have anything to do with it. This is between me and you" "Yes, but you are not giving me what I want are you Barry?" "What the **** do you want Zabil? You haven't told me, I'm not a mind-reader" "Get out of Glasgow, out of my territory and out of my life" "Fine, but at least let me see the season out here. Then I'll be gone" "Hmmm. How do I know you will?" "I'm not an idiot. I can see what you're capable of, and I don't fancy ending up impaled on a rusty spike somewhere" "Fine. End of the season, then I want you gone" "Fine. And Zabil? No more stupid games eh?" "As if I would" Barry Hunter felt the situation was resolved, and he had managed to bide himself until the end of the season at least. With this in mind, he took his team to face Falkirk in their next SPL game. The home side were struggling for recent form, and Barry expected three points. Mika Aaritalo came into the side for the tired Nicolita, and the Finnish winger gave a performance that showed he was serious about keeping a place in the side, as he gave a barn storming performance in the first quarter of an hour and he was instrumental in his side going 2-0 ahead. It was his right wing free-kick that allowed big Chris Samba to power a header home, before he turned to scorer, picking up McDonald's pass and firing a low drive past the helpless 'keeper The second half saw a mini comeback from Falkirk, and when Russell Latapy turned the ball home on 59 minutes, they had a glimmer of hope. A glimmer is all it was, as Celtic never allowed them back into it, and wrapped up the game in stoppage time, McDonald heading home and sealing yet another three points, keeping them well clear at the top of the table -- There was little chance for a rest, as the side prepared for their next game, quite possibly the biggest of the season so far, as Ibrox hosted the League Cup semi-final against Hibernian. Despite his side being overwhelming favourites, he knew he would be in for a tough time, and this was only further proved by the way that Hibs started the game, as they tested Boruc three times in the opening twenty minutes. This seemed to startle the players into action, and they created chances of their own in the half, but the half time score remained goalless In the second half however, the game was much tighter, with neither team giving an inch. It was clearly obvious that it would take a bit of magic to win the game, and that came on the hour mark, as Aidan McGeady beat three men on the left hand side, cut into the area and cut the ball back for the incoming Scott McDonald to side foot home from 8 yards out. Despite their trying, and the effort they put in, Hibs could not find the equaliser, although in the final minute of normal time, Benjelloun hit the post. It wasn't enough though, and Hunter and his side progressed through to the final of the competition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted September 30, 2008 Author Share Posted September 30, 2008 January 2008 Results (SPL unless stated otherwise) Celtic 3-2 Rangers (Zarate 36 ; Wilson pen 45 ; McCulloch 82 ; Burke 84 ; McGeady 87) Motherwell 0-1 Celtic (Samba 81) Scottish Cup 3rd Round Celtic 3-1 Inverness CT (Sheridan 14 ; Hesselink pen 55 ; Bjarnason 68 ; Wyness 85) Celtic 1-0 Kilmarnock (McDonald 90+2) Falkirk 1-3 Celtic (Samba 10 ; Aaritalo 14 ; Latapy 59 ; McDonald 90+1) Scottish League Cup Semi Final Celtic 1-0 Hibernian (McDonald 60) League Position ; 1st Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 On the final day of the transfer window, midfielder Jiri Jarosik joined Lazio for £1.6 million. The former Chelsea man knew that he wasn't going to see much playing time with the arrival of Guilherme, and when the chance came to join the Italian side, he jumped at the opportunity, and Barry Hunter was grateful to get the 20,000 per week off his wage budget After starting the new year well, they faced a tough first test in February, with a trip to Pittodrie to face the on-form Aberdeen, who always proved a tough nut to crack whenever they had played Hunter's side. On this occasion, it was no different. Mauro Zarate tested the 'keeper within a minute of the kick off, before Hesselink, Guilherme, Samba and McGeady all forced saves from the Dons number one. That is not to say however, that the home side didn't have chances themselves, as Artur Boruc was forced to make one world class save from Derek Young, and another one from a header by John Kennedy, who enarly put the ball into his own net after a mis-communication between the two Right on half time though, the game looked as if it would change, as Derek Young was caught by a flying tackle from Evander Sno. It was a dangerous tackle from the Dutch midfielder, as his studs were high, and though he barely caught Young, the referee had no choice but to send him off, leaving Hunter's side to play the second half with ten men. This should have given the advantage to the home side, and you would expect them to be the better of the sides. This wasn't the case though, as the second half still saw Celtic push for the goal that would give them three points. Zarate tried his hardest, and the Argentinian had three chances thwarted, and in the final minute, substitute Scott McDonald thought he had won the game, only to see his effort ruled out for an offside, but the 0-0 draw, under the circumstances, was a pretty decent result for both sides -- "Look, I need to cash in that favour" "..." "Well I'm having some trouble with a certain old school friend" "..." "Zabs. He thinks I've done him wrong, and he wants me to pay. I've got to be out of Glasgow" "..." "End of the season. I just need you to take a couple of those big bodyguards you have and put the frighteners up him" "..." "You are a star. I'll speak to you in a few days. Cheers Stevie" Barry Hunter was now at ease with the situation, and he felt that he was safe to continue his on-going relationship with Nicole. They enjoyed each others company, and he really liked her. He felt he had the trust of her father, particularly with the fact he was doing his job very well, so he was sure they could become an item in the future. However, for now, he was happy to take things as they were The Scottish Cup was the next stop for Barry Hunter and his side, and the fourth round had thrown up an interesting tie. Another Old Firm game, as Rangers were the hosts for the game. They were yet to defeat Hunter's side this season, so the confidence was with the league leaders. McGlinchey and Bjarnason came into the team for the match, but within the opening twenty minutes, it was Japanese midfielder Shunsuke Nkamura that did the business, scoring twice to put his side two up. The first was from a McGlinchey cross, and he met it at the back post and side footed home, while the second was a glorious and beautifully flighted free-kick that found the top corner of Allan McGregor's net. This stunned the home side, and the first half could have seen them finished off, but they weren't and 2-0 was the half time score. Their manager clearly had some harsh words, as they came out in the second half all guns blazing, and Slovakian defender Martin Skrtel headed them back into it just past the hour mark. This gave them confidence, and with this in mind, both sides were pushing for the vital goal, Rangers to force a replay, and Celtic to guarantee their path through. As it was, it was the blue half that got it, as DaMarcus Beasley raced through on the counter attack, rounded Boruc and slid the ball home from a tight angle to secure his side a replay. Hunter was furious, and he was convinced that the American winger was offside, but none-the-less there was nothing he could do, and a replay at Parkhead was in the offing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 There was not long to wait till the return game, as Rangers visited Parkhead for the replay just four days later, still without a win against Hunter's side, and when they saw the like of Sheridan and Bjarnason walking onto the pitch, they may have been confident. However, Hunter was confident in the ability of the youngsters, and he had no doubt that they were good enough to win the game This was only justified more on 17 minutes, as Banel Nicolita's right wing cross found the incoming Cillian Sheridan and the Irish striker nodded home the ball past McGregor. Nicolita was impressive throughout the first half, and he should have scored himself on 33 minutes, curling an effort against the post, and Hesselink and Sheridan missed good chances to double the lead. This was something they were made to pay for though, as Jean-Claude Darcheville equalised on the stroke of half time, finding his way through and firing a shot between the legs of Mark Brown and into the net The second half brought three goals and a hell of a lot of excitement. Brazilian midfielder Guilherme came on for Sheridan as a half time substitute, and within nine minutes of being on the pitch, he had his first goal for the club, playing a lovely one two with Nicolita, dancing in between defenders and hitting a low shot into the bottom corner. With the lead in their favour, Hunter told his side to go and get a third goal and wrap it up. Guilherme tried, as did Hesselink. Nicolita hit the bar, McGeady forced a shot just wide, but eventually, on 75 minutes, it looked as if the game was wrapped up, when Icelandic midfielder Teddy Bjarnason hit a sweet volley from the edge of the box and beat McGregor to extend the lead to 3-1. All credit to the visitors though, they still pushed on, and they got back into it with ten minutes left, Daniel Cousin heading home. It wasn't enough though, and Hunter's side progressed to the next round with a 3-2 victory -- "Barry, where is this going?" "What? How do you mean?" "This relationship, us. Are we on the right road?" "I think so. Don't you?" "Not really no. It's as if it's something casual, not serious" "Do you want it to be serious?" "I don't know. We're together and you leave Glasgow and move to another club. What happens?" "You'd come with me" "You mean you would take me?" "Course I would. You're my girlfriend aren't you?" "Am I?" "Course you are. You know you are hard work at times Nicole" -- Barry Hunter was a happy man at this moment in time. He had a lovely young lady in his life, he had been told that he would get no trouble from Zabil anymore, and his side were producing the goods on the pitch. What more could he want? It was that time of the year again where the Champions League was back on the schedule, and Hunter's side, thanks to winning their group, had been handed a fairly good draw, against German side Schalke 04. The first leg of the tie was at their Veltins-Arena, but that didn't phase Hunter or his side. He felt they were good enough to get a couple of away goals to take back to Glasgow with them It wasn't the best of starts for his side though, and ironically it was former Rangers man Peter Lovenkrands who opened the scoring, using his pace and sliding underneath Boruc on four minutes. He had another chance on ten minutes, forcing the Polish international 'keeper to tip the ball wide, but just two minutes after that, things were level, as Finnish winger Mika Aaritalo cut inside and his low cross missed everybody and found it's way into the far corner of the goal. The highly rated Ivan Rakitic put his side back in front on 17 minutes, volleying home from 8 yards after a Hamit Altintop cross, and the frantic start continued on 22 minutes, Nakamura sliding Zarate in and the Argentinian finishing nicely past the 'keeper The remainder of the half went without a hitch for either side, and the second half started quietly. Boruc made one save and the Schalke defence kept tight, and this paid off for them, as a lovely four man move ended with Rakitic playing through Hamit Altintop, and the Turkey man dinking over Boruc to put his side in front for the third time in the game. As it happened, this was the final goal of the match, although Zarate should have equalised in stoppage time, when he picked up the loose ball and fired straight into the arms of the 'keeper, and his team succumbed to a 3-2 defeat. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 It was back to domestic action for Barry Hunter and his side, and they were looking to put the disappointment of the defeat to Schalke behind them with a win over struggling St. Mirren. The Buddies hadn't won since November and sat bottom of the table, so it was a game that, although he wouldn't be taking it lightly, Hunter expected three points. The home side started the better though, and within 8 minutes, they were in front, Craig Dargo capitalising on an error from Steven Pressley and putting his side ahead. It was a shock to the system, and they nearly had a bigger shock several minutes later, when Dargo had the ball in the net again, only for it to be ruled out for a foul on Boruc. Hunter was furious with his side, and he let them know in no uncertain terms at half time, and it worked too, as the second half saw a sea of green and white hoops charge at the St. Mirren goal. Zarate missed two good chances, Sheridan headed wide, while McGeady, Nakamura and Scott Brown all forced saves from the Buddies 'keeper. It was a substitute who did the business though, and with eleven minutes to go, Teddy Bjarnason further enhanced his reputation with a deft finish from Nakamura's through ball, and it guaranteed his side a point. It's fair to say though that they probably should have had all three, as more chances came in the final ten minutes, but a man of the match performance from the home 'keeper ensured that the points were shared -- "Barry. Please come in. What can I do for you?" "I was just wondering about my contract" "What about it?" "Well it runs out soon, as you know, and I was hoping to get a new one" "Well we are due an AGM in April, so it will be discussed then. Obviously, we are all delighted by the way that the club has performed under your charge" "I think we can get better though. I know I can make this club into Champions of Europe" "Well everybody would love that, and I know you can be the man to do that" Barry Hunter had fully enjoyed his time at Celtic thus far, and he certainly wanted to stay longer at the club. He believed in his own ability, and he knew he could get the team to the heights of European glory in time. He had a smile on his face constantly, andf his life was going well. He walked into his office, and hit the play button on his answer machine "Barry, it's Stevie. We need to talk. Ring me as soon as you can" He picked up the phone and dialled his frien. When he put the phone down a good 15 minutes later, his face was white. He couldn't believe what he had just been told. He replaced the receiver, and headed downstairs for the training session, still in shock at the news he had been given The final game of the month, another SPL game, saw Inverness make the trip to Parkhead. With a 20 plus point lead, there was very little chance of the lead being let go, but Hunter still wanted his side to do the business. However, his head wasn't really in the game, as he was still reeling from the news that had been broken to him just days before. His assistant had to do most of the shouting and give most of the instructions, but it didn't phase the team, as he had done it before. Massimo Donati, making a rare start, opened the scoring on 8 minutes, racing through and firing home udnerneath the 'keeper, but the game was wrapped up just twelve minutes into the second half, when Nakamura's cross was turned into his own net by Graham Wood, and that was enough to keep the lead stretched to the maximum Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 February 2008 Summary (SPL unless stated otherwise) Aberdeen 0-0 Celtic (Sno s/o 45) Scottish Cup 4th Round Rangers 2-2 Celtic (Nakamura 4, 17 ; Skrtel 62 ; Beasley 87) Scottish Cup 4th Round Replay Celtic 3-2 Rangers (Sheridan 17 ; Darcheville 45 ; Guilherme 54 ; Bjarnason 75 ; Cousin 80) Champions League 1st Knockout Round 1st Leg Schalke 04 3-2 Celtic (Lovenkrands 4 ; Aaritalo 12 ; Rakitic 17 ; Zarate 22 ; Altintop 69) St. Mirren 1-1 Celtic (Dargo 8 ; Bjarnason 79) Celtic 2-0 Inverness CT (Donati 8 ; Wood O.G 57) League Position ; 1st Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
salkster2102 Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 great stuff as always sherm KUTGW Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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