Veep (2017)

 

Never Stop: How Ange Postecoglou Brought the Fire Back to Celtic by Hamish Carton (Pitch Publishing 2023)

 

Unsurprisingly, the most infamous case of sheer Postecoglou ignorance was found on talkSPORT. The radio station specialises in bold ill-informed claims that tempt listeners into phoning up or sharing their clips on social media. In the days after Postecoglou’s name was first mentioned, a clip showed footballer turned broadcaster Alan Brazil mocking his credentials. At the time, there had been reports of the Aussie not having the required licence to manage in Europe.

Is this a wind-up? Breaking news from Scotland as Celtic have applied for an exemption with UEFA for Yokohama Marinos boss Postacoogloo [sic] to manage in Europe. He does not hold the required UEFA Pro Licence. Oh, this has got to be a wind-up. Dear oh dear. He’ll be a great manager. Where do they come up with these guys from?

(talkSPORT)

The former Scotland international had played against Postecoglou’s South Melbourne years earlier, not that he’d be likely to recall. As with virtually everyone in this chapter, he was found apologising at some stage over the following 12 months. A similar story of reprieve occurred with another former footballer who enjoyed his heyday in the 1980s – Charlie Nicholas:

There’s nothing wrong with having a plan B – but this is not plan B. This is desperation. I will give Postecoglou a chance because I’m a supporter but is the former Australia boss really the height of the club’s ambitions? It has nothing to do with his lack of knowledge of the Scottish game or me looking down on football in the southern hemisphere. It scares me just how unambitious the club has become, going from a position of strength to where they find themselves now. Luring Postecoglou from Yokohama F. Marinos is not quite the same as when Arsène Wenger left Japanese football to join Arsenal in 1996.

(Daily Express)

Nicholas was at it again in late September. Celtic had just been held to a 1-1 draw at home by Dundee United and had three league wins from seven matches. The knives were out for Postecoglou, with many reaching some wild conclusions:

Ange Postecoglou looks to me to be the new Ronny Deila. I am not sure Postecoglou has realised how big Celtic really are before he came in. I believe he has missed a pitch. I think Ange thought he would just come in here, and his playing style would get him over the line, no problem. But it is not about style. It is about winning.

(Daily Express)

Nicholas and Postecoglou would meet by chance in Glasgow months later. By that stage the Aussie had won the former Celtic striker over. Just as well:

We had a wee five-minute conversation where I thanked him for the job he is doing and what he is building at Celtic.

(Daily Express)

"Now I've come of age . . ."

 

14/50

Top tips, soft tips . . .

Riddle me this. Got the wee yin a soft tip dart board for his birthday and, though I felt a bit of traitor, I threw some soft tip darts to show him how it works. Slow forward five minutes and I hit a 180 with on the proper board with proper darts. Is that the key? Who knows. I dare not question the process.

 

13/50

Carry On Doctor (1967)

 

"We saw him do a bit of a trick for Ireland."

 

12/50

"Happyish if we got good money for Abada."

 

11/50

"Celtic lost their goddamn mind."

 

10/50

Broom Cupboard payback . . .

I laughed.

#PhilipSchofield #GordonTheGopher

Living in Oblivion (1995)

 

"He's very unlucky . . . "

 

9/50

A milestone of sorts . . .

Turns out this is the 5,000 published post on the blog. Only took me 19 years to reach this goal . . . of sorts.

Special shout out to the 171 unpublished posts currently resting in my drafts. Don't worry little buddies. Some of you will eventually see the light of day. Maybe it will take another lockdown.

My cheeks are moist, my tea has been masking too long and I only have one question to ask on this day of days: whatever happened to mikeovswinton? And who was he?

Actually, that's two questions.

Bewitching . . .

So Blur's forthcoming new album is entitled The Ballad of Darren, and the two Darren's are going head to head at Hillsborough.

Who knew Darren would be making a comeback in 2023?

The Big Bang Theory (2008/09)

 

"Watch the time, please."

 

8/50

Cereal Driller

 

7/50

Future meme material . . .

 I honestly don't give a shit about Man City or Real Madrid but this is a great picture.

Via the BBC.

Another Country (1984)

 

'Can't get you out of my head'

 

6/50

A Prefect's Uncle by P. G. Wodehouse (A & C Black 1903)

 

Gethryn strolled to the gate, where the station-master’s son stood at the receipt of custom to collect the tickets.  His uncle was to arrive by this train, and if he did so arrive, must of necessity pass this way before leaving the platform.  The train panted in, pulled up, whistled, and puffed out again, leaving three people behind it.  One of these was a woman of sixty (approximately), the second a small girl of ten, the third a young gentleman in a top hat and Etons, who carried a bag, and looked as if he had seen the hollowness of things, for his face wore a bored, supercilious look.  His uncle had evidently not arrived, unless he had come disguised as an old woman, an act of which Gethryn refused to believe him capable.

He enquired as to the next train that was expected to arrive from London.  The station-master’s son was not sure, but would ask the porter, whose name it appeared was Johnny.  Johnny gave the correct answer without an effort.  ’Seven-thirty it was, sir, except on Saturdays, when it was eight o’clock.’

‘Thanks,’ said the Bishop.  ’Dash the man, he might at least have wired.’

He registered a silent wish concerning the uncle who had brought him a long three miles out of his way with nothing to show at the end of it, and was just turning to leave the station, when the top-hatted small boy, who had been hovering round the group during the conversation, addressed winged words to him.  These were the winged words—

‘I say, are you looking for somebody?’ The Bishop stared at him as a naturalist stares at a novel species of insect.

'Yes,’ he said.  ‘Why?’

‘Is your name Gethryn?’

This affair, thought the Bishop, was beginning to assume an uncanny aspect.

‘How the dickens did you know that?’ he said.

’Oh, then you are Gethryn?  That’s all right.  I was told you were going to be here to meet this train.  Glad to make your acquaintance.  My name’s Farnie.  I’m your uncle, you know.’

‘My what?’ gurgled the Bishop.

‘Your uncle.  U-n, un; c-l-e—kul.  Uncle.  Fact, I assure you.' 

Why are you laughing, W1967? . . .

 . . . your omission is more shocking.

R1941, where are you? . . .

 . . .  you are letting the side down.

Veep (2016)

 

One word . . .

 Eurovision

Withnail and I (1987)

 

Veep (2015)

 

The Gorbals Story (1950)

 

What Janis Ian said . . .

Ellis Peters makes it seventeen in this old crime fiction 'What you must read' list. 

Will I jump straight into book number eighteen? I'm genuinely not sure. I enjoyed Cadfael so much that I'm tempted to read the next book in the series. 

"Peeling the skin back from my eyes . . . "

 

5/50

171'itis

To the best of my knowledge, only the fourth 171 I've ever hit. At least that has been recorded for posterity. I'm actually not bad on the T19s. It's the T18s that kills me. Probably 'cos I don't throw with a straight arm. I need to work on that.

And, of course, I've yet to hit the holy grail . . .  the 3 bullseyes. One day.

One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters (Macmillan 1979)

 

Cadfael had persuaded every man of the guard to view his unknown, but none of them could identify him. Courcelle had frowned down at the body long  and sombrely, and shaken his head.

“I never saw him before, to my knowledge. What can there possibly have been about a mere young squire like this, to make someone hate him enough to kill?”

“There can be murders without hate,” said Cadfael grimly. “Footpads and forest robbers take their victims as they come, without any feeling of liking or disliking.”

“Why, what can such a youth have had to make him worth killing for gain?”

“Friend,” said Cadfael, “there are those in the world would kill for the few coins a beggar has begged during the day. When they see kings cut down more than ninety in one sweep, whose fault was only to be in arms on the other side, is it much wonder rogues take that for justification? Or at least for licence!” He saw the colour burn high in Courcelle’s face, and a momentary spark of anger in his eye, but the young man made no protest. “Oh, I know you had your orders, and no choice but to obey them. I have been a soldier in my time, and borne the same discipline and done things I would be glad now to think I had not done. That’s one reason I’ve accepted, in the end, another discipline.”

“I doubt,” said Courcelle drily, “if I shall ever come to that.”

“So would I have doubted it, then. But here I am, and would not change again to your calling. Well, we do the best we can with our lives!” And the worst, he thought, viewing the long lines of motionless forms laid out along the ward, with other men’s lives, if we have power.

Veep (2014)

 

Sweet Sixteen

Simenon makes it 16 in this old book poll/reading challenge.

Why was this particular Maigret novel included in the top 100, though? It was enjoyable enough but there was nothing in particular to elevate it above all the rest. 

I suspect it was just a random pick. 'Must have a Maigret . . . Can't leave out Simenon. '

Veep (2013)

 

Veep (2012)

 

Guilt (2023)

 

An Uncertain Smile

 

4/50

Maigret Sets a Trap by Georges Simenon (Penguin Books 1955)

 

'What qualifications do you have?’

‘I began by doing painting, fine art.’

‘When was that?’

‘When I was seventeen.’

‘You have your baccalaureate, do you?’

‘No, when I was young I wanted to be an artist. The paintings you saw in our drawing room, they’re by me.’

Maigret had not been able to work out what they represented, but they had disturbed him by their sad and morbid character. Neither the lines nor the colours were clear. The dominant shade had been a purplish-red, combined with curious shades of green that made him think of light under water, and it was as if the oil paint had spread by itself, like an ink-stain on a blotter.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)