By Stewart Weir
Saturday
Celtic’s winning run was always going to come to an end sooner or later.
It just so happened to be at Pittodrie as Aberdeen halted the Hoops as they went for a 21st consecutive win in domestic competitions.
As is often the case, it wasn’t a goal of great beauty that denied Neil Lennon’s side, Celtic debutant Andre Blackman deflecting Gavin Rae’s shot past his own ‘keeper.
Rae celebrated, but it was never going to be his goal. I doubt whether the ball was on target until Blackman’s intervention.
Still, the former Dundee and Cardiff midfielder had played his part. And how could I miss Rangers from that list of employers. Indeed, how could I fail to give him his full moniker, "former Rangers captain".
Not that anyone ever gives him credit for that – even if he "scores" against Celtic.
It wasn’t as if Rangers were going to benefit greatly from those dropped points, In fact, it turned into a point gained as Hearts compounded the misery at Ibrox.
And oh how their fans celebrated, the chants of "the Huns are going bust (clap, clap), the Huns are going bust..."
Unexpected victories, particularly away to Rangers, can obviously induce delirium amongst many a support – enabling them to forget their beloved Jambos are themselves around £30 million in debt.
But who’s counting – as long as you’re not first to go …
Sunday
And its congratulations to Mark Allen who claimed his first ever ranking title by hammering Stephen Lee 10-1 to claim the Star Xing Pai Haikou World Open and with it the first prize of £75,000. Wonderful.
Regular readers will know that just a week ago, the Ulsterman couldn’t wait to get out of China. To recap, Allen said on Twitter; “Journey a nightmare. People are ignorant. Place stinks. Arena’s rubbish, tables poor, food is horrendous. Other than that I love China.
“Dead cat found this morning. Any wonder this place stinks. Must be dead cats all round the town.”
And he added: “This place is horrendous. It just baffles me how world snooker continuously go out of their way to put tournaments on in the middle of nowhere.”
Imagine that £75,000 will come in handy now to pay the impending fine …
Monday
And good news on the Olympic front as Great Britain's rhythmic gymnasts are set to compete in London after winning an appeal against their exclusion.
In January, the team missed a target score set by British Gymnastics to prove they could compete at the Games by just 0.273 points.
The gymnasts argued the qualifying criteria had not been made clear to them, a stance upheld by an independent arbitrator – but only by 0.274 points.
Tuesday
What many believed, hoped or prayed would never happen because a harrowing reality as Gregg Wylde and Mervan Celik became the first players to leave Rangers after administrators accepted their offers for voluntary redundancy.
Celik wasn’t there long enough for me to draw any conclusions as to whether the young Swede was poor, bad or indifferent.
Wylde wasn’t as prominent this term as he was when he finished last season a championship winner.
But he’d had enough of the uncertainty and decided to bail out. Regardless of whether he had another move lined up, what he did was above and beyond the call, a selfless act to try and save others. I wish him well in the future.
Needless to say, before all the details of his departure emerged, Whyle was castigated by Celtic fans, pointing out that Gers players do “do walking away,” while some of his own supporters went overboard, pointing a critical finger at him bailing out, so typifying the at times moronic following Scottish football benefits from.
As I said to Mike Graham of talkSport, those idiots, had they been there, would probably have noised up Captain Oates.
Wednesday
How good is Lionel Messi? Pretty damn good is the answer. Brilliant is another. Genius a third.
All enhanced when the Argentinian became the first man to score five times in a game in Europe's premier club competition as holders Barcelona hammered Bayer Leverkusen 7-1.
There is little doubt that he is the best player in the world currently.
But where does he fit in the whole pantheon of all-time greats, in amongst names Pele, Best, Maradona, Zidane, Cruyff, Ronaldo and Eusabio?
Somewhere near the top. But where exactly probably depends on what generation you belong to …
Thursday
So Steven Shingler isn’t Scottish, or eligible to play for Scotland, either now or in the future.
Scotland had tried to capture him, based on the 20-year-old London Irish player’s mother being Dumfries-born.
But the International Rugby Board decided the Swansea-born back, who had played for Wales under-20’s side, was Welsh.
Some giveaway clues there if you ask me …
Friday
Papers, websites and airwaves are awash with the fact the Scottish Football Association ruled that Rangers owner Craig Whyte is not "a fit and proper person" to run a football club following an independent inquiry.
Interesting given that the SFA don’t have "a fit and proper person” policy. They just know what one looks like.
Of course, had the SFA properly looked into the goings on withinr the last SPL club to implode, the fairytale-turned-nightmare Gretna FC, then someone like Mr Whyte might never have got close to getting his club tie, his own special seat in the stand and the chance to unfurl the League championship flag – all for a pound.
That price tag alone should have brought Rangers, Sir David Murray and Whyte under scrutiny.
Or is that stating the obvious, as was calling Whyte not "a fit and proper person?”
↧