
Yee haw, giddy up and 630 days later I’m back..yee haw, giddy yup and sing in the shower time, WERE BACK, in case you’re not sure WE are back!!! The hoops, the bhoys, Europe’s number 1 fans and hardest, heaviest (ok one more for me) drinkers in town....yeah yeah yeah, I missed y'all too and often wondered if it would happen in my thirties so it has, I'll show you my passport if ye dont believe me ye doubting b********s...We’re back, save the tears and welcome folks to the uimhir fiche naoi matchday preview which goes back almost 6 years now…if you don’t get this note, don’t jump off a bridge or shout at yer missus and kick the dog or shout at the dog and do the other, I will keep it short and sweet, but we’re back and I am ro hasta/ecstatic/christmas eve like in the donaghmede innesque...much has happened in that time, people have moved, changed jobs, got married/died, have entered parenthood , been divorced, broken wrists, gone on extravagant cruises, but one thing remains the same aside from Celtic been phish is that were back and there is no stopping us now…
The European nights are class...strange cities, different cultures, odd times for dinner, head shaking and brain freezing forms of alcohol that can give ye the sweats for weeks and make everything around ye seem warm and fuzzy…The locals gabbing away in their native tongue and strange customs, but always the one thing in common, football, the beautiful game…today sees the hoops, the real hoops and winners of the European Cup 40 odd yrs ago travel to Espana, where we all know the rain in Spain stays mainly on the plane or it did at least anytime someone pasty and ghostlike from Ireland packed their bags travelling there on an all inclusive weeks holiday to Tenerife or some other exotic named island a million years ago. The madristas manana take on us, the mighty hoops and will likely fancy their chances of opening the proverbial can of whoop ass. Any team with wonderfully named players like Diego, Gabi and Aimar make adrenaline feel like brown stuff running down the back of your leg. They will feel similar tension at facing our own one-named geniuses like Ledley, Wilson and yep another Wilson. If the bearded Messi or the Derry Pele (same fella) gets the nod, they will see a real genius in action….shite even the nordy bigots almost cheered him on last month. If Lenny goes for Sammy alone up top, I’m running straight for the bottle of dusty, cheap tequila and beelining really fast for the khazi...lets be honest here folks were on a hiding to nowt tomorrow and all the happy hour drafts and warm Portuguese vino may not ease the pain, but ye know what we're back and its better to have loved and lost than spend hours online in chat rooms looking for Jose Mourinho...when lenny says on days samarse is unplayable, what he really means is none of his teammates can play with him. I pray to God today is not one of those days gorgeous George starts fiddling with his hair and swanning around like a big girls blouse.
The European nights are class...strange cities, different cultures, odd times for dinner, head shaking and brain freezing forms of alcohol that can give ye the sweats for weeks and make everything around ye seem warm and fuzzy…The locals gabbing away in their native tongue and strange customs, but always the one thing in common, football, the beautiful game…today sees the hoops, the real hoops and winners of the European Cup 40 odd yrs ago travel to Espana, where we all know the rain in Spain stays mainly on the plane or it did at least anytime someone pasty and ghostlike from Ireland packed their bags travelling there on an all inclusive weeks holiday to Tenerife or some other exotic named island a million years ago. The madristas manana take on us, the mighty hoops and will likely fancy their chances of opening the proverbial can of whoop ass. Any team with wonderfully named players like Diego, Gabi and Aimar make adrenaline feel like brown stuff running down the back of your leg. They will feel similar tension at facing our own one-named geniuses like Ledley, Wilson and yep another Wilson. If the bearded Messi or the Derry Pele (same fella) gets the nod, they will see a real genius in action….shite even the nordy bigots almost cheered him on last month. If Lenny goes for Sammy alone up top, I’m running straight for the bottle of dusty, cheap tequila and beelining really fast for the khazi...lets be honest here folks were on a hiding to nowt tomorrow and all the happy hour drafts and warm Portuguese vino may not ease the pain, but ye know what we're back and its better to have loved and lost than spend hours online in chat rooms looking for Jose Mourinho...when lenny says on days samarse is unplayable, what he really means is none of his teammates can play with him. I pray to God today is not one of those days gorgeous George starts fiddling with his hair and swanning around like a big girls blouse.

You my friends have all been in my thoughts and shared a beverage with me over the years, today I'll be doing the same at my local favorite watering hole in the sunny west end of Hartford cheering on the hoops, playing every ball, making every crunching tackle and screaming in three different languages that georgie smartarse is the son of a puta madre…the haters always harp on about Celtic travelling woes, but many forget our come from behind 3-0 win in Sion ( cough, cough) and I'll take any kind of draw tomorrow or Christ even to get outta the vincente calderon without the cheating greasy foreigners doing anything prison like to our backsides...aaah the sights, sounds and smells of European football, my favourite days of the calendar and today we are back.
This match day preview goes out unabashedly to the newest member of the Vaughan empire, my nephew Jude Vaughan , almost three weeks old so chin up son, put down that egg shaped ball and sing for your uncles team tomorrow night. Congrats Ken and Sarah and give him a smooch from me. I can be reached tomorrow at the cambo or via the usual modes of communication, I will warn you though, I’m in a can’t bring me down kind of mood so welcome back Celtic fans and a chairde and clink those glasses today when the hoops take the field and the rebel songs fill my mind. Ooooh the European nights, I love you, you've been gone too long and can’t wait to see you tomorrow..., WERE BAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!! CMON THE HOOPS!!!
This match day preview goes out unabashedly to the newest member of the Vaughan empire, my nephew Jude Vaughan , almost three weeks old so chin up son, put down that egg shaped ball and sing for your uncles team tomorrow night. Congrats Ken and Sarah and give him a smooch from me. I can be reached tomorrow at the cambo or via the usual modes of communication, I will warn you though, I’m in a can’t bring me down kind of mood so welcome back Celtic fans and a chairde and clink those glasses today when the hoops take the field and the rebel songs fill my mind. Ooooh the European nights, I love you, you've been gone too long and can’t wait to see you tomorrow..., WERE BAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!! CMON THE HOOPS!!!