By Stewart Weir
Saturday
Gordon Smith is named as the new director of football at Rangers and a bunfight amongst Scotland’s newspapers breaks out as to who had the exclusive on the story.
Smith is, of course, the former Scottish Football Association chief executive, and the SFA is organisation which has former Rangers secretary/director Campbell Ogilvie as its president.
Good job no one in Scotland is paranoid enough to read anything into that…
Sunday
Having folded like a cheap deckchair at the Masters, Rory McIlroy proves he is made of sterner stuff as he takes the US Open Championship, breaking and creating all kinds of records in the process.
McIlroy’s win made it back-to-back US Opens for players from Northern Ireland, following on from Graeme McDowell’s victory 12 months ago, and with Padraig Harrington a treble Major winner, the island of Ireland – in terms of population – must be the greatest golf nation in the world.
And if it isn’t, it won’t be long before the Irish Tourist Board is telling us.
So what was different between McIlroy’s Masters week and last weekend? Nothing much, apart from the outcome and that we were told he didn’t Tweet once during the tournament.
I never realised that not using your thumbs could have such an impact on your game…
Monday
Celtic fans rejoice with the news that club manager Neil Lennon has signed a one-year rolling contract worth – depending on whose report you read – double or even treble his previous deal.
It has taken time for the detail to be confirmed, considering BBC Scotland broke the story on cup final day when the intrepid Jane Lewis ambushed Dermot Desmond on the steps of Hampden.
So who did BBC Scotland have commenting on the big contract signing?
Well, I’m not sure, but judge for yourself. Am I to assume this chappie’s name is actually Celtic Blogger?
Now that is dedication to the cause…
Tuesday
Wimbledon is in full swing. And whilst we hope a Scot triumphs, at least one of his countrymen has picked up an award just two days into the tournament.
The Scottish Sun’s Robert Martin collected a virtual gong having successfully managed to connect events at SW19 with the SPL by revealing that Andy Murray’s second-round opponent Obias Kamke once owned a Hamburg shirt emblazoned with the name "Albertz" on the back, when Jörg of the Rangers was once Jörg from Hamburg.
Kamke’s knowledge of the Scottish game also extended to knowing that Stefan Klos was also once at Rangers.
Mr Martin need not take offence. We’ve all done it in our day.
My most spurious association between another sport and the SPL came when I once got West Indies cricketer Carl Hooper talking about how good a goalkeeper former Scotland all-rounder Andy Goram was.
How I managed it, I do not know. I’ve even less of a clue how it ever made it into print.
Wednesday
The CONCACAF Gold Cup deserves an award of its own for being the most tongue-twisting tournament name in "soccer".
Of course, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football Gold Cup would be even more of a mouthful. So CONCACAF it is.
Many of those participating are instantly recognisable. Well into Thursday morning, USA beat Panama 1–0 in the semi-finals, a goal created by Landon Donovan (ex-Everton) and scored by Clint Dempsey (Fulham).
In the other semi, Mexico defeated Honduras 2–0 in extra-time, goals from Aldo de Nigris (one of 14,629 players linked with a summer move to Celtic) and Javier Hernández, “El Chicharito” of Manchester United.
So Sunday sees USA play Mexico in the decider at the Pasadena Rose Bowl, the third successive Gold Cup final between two nations who have won nine of the ten Gold Cups contested since this biennial tournament was instigated in 1991.
You can’t help but think Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Jamaica, Grenada, Cuba, Honduras, Guadeloupe, Guatemala and Panama are there just to give the big two somebody to play, other than each other.
Thursday
Not the best of starts to the day with the news that my friend and former colleague John Quinn had died.
By coincidence, one of those John wrote about and followed featured in the Great Britain Olympic football team debate.
After the British Olympic Association jumped the gun by announcing that the associations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would support a Team GB soccer side at the 2012 Games – and were instantly and suitably rebuked for their potentially dangerous press announcement – there was plenty written about who would, who could, and who wouldn’t wear the red, white and blue next summer.
But some had a bit of fun with the whole thing, the Daily Mail for one – they amassed a tidy number of scribes and ex-players to give their all-time British XI, with some interesting selections and even more interesting takes on criteria of selection.
Michael Walker, in particular, limited his selection to those who had never played in either a World Cup or European Championship, and came up with a mixed bag which included Jimmy Johnstone, Celtic and Scotland – "Jinky" to many, including John Quinn.
But Johnstone did go to a World Cup, in 1974 in West Germany, albeit as a non-appearing member of the 22 which climbed aboard the plane. Or in his case, the rowing boat.
Still worth a read, though.
Friday
Up early and straight online. The next batch of Olympic 2012 tickets was up for grabs. Good luck to those who succeeded.
But to be reading a “We cannot process your request” message on the official site at 6:01am because it had been weighed under by the sheer volume of interested parties raises the question yet again of how prepared or transparent the ticketing process has been for the London Games.
Not that I held out much hope anyway. But I will be there in either body or spirit.
So I’ve already put in motion the plans I revealed several weeks ago to hire a submarine and take it in to shallow waters around Weymouth Bay for the sailing – or I could just buy another 60-inch plasma.
Or, even more unbelievable, I could get back into training…
– Tweet Stewart Weir with thoughts and comments, @sweirz
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