PADDY ON THE ROAD PARADISE BOUND

What a weekend and a half that was. I was settling in for a pretty normal few days now that I have reached the age of 71. It doesn’t feel as traumatic as last year when I hit the big 70. I’ve stopped counting now, as we say at the golf everyday above the fairway is a good one.

I played 4 rounds golf at Galway Bay during the week, one 18 and 3 nines. I have not done that for years, right enough the buggy helped. On Wednesday the ritual defeat of Dundee kept things ticking over despite a laboured effort, 6 changes didn’t help but Brendan Rodger’s rotational system shows we have strength in depth.

I thought moving Liam Scales to left back was a sign of things to come and Brendan disguised metaphors on Friday paved the way for the omission of Scales and Taylor on Saturday. I wasn’t over impressed with the managers take on it that ‘speed’ at the back was his motivation to replace our best player for a year with a ‘Trusty’ left foot.

One goal conceded to the sheep in the league which really came from a bad pass from McGregor in midfield was hardly justification to omit the new Republic centre back, but that’s why I’m writing this article on the Citylink bus to Dublin airport at 5am on Tuesday  morning and the Celtic manager is tucked up in bed at the swanky team hotel by Loch Lomond and the manager of our great club.

The 6-0 demolition of our nearest rivals at the smoke filled so called national stadium highlights that it’s time we parachuted out of that poor league set up and seek pastures new. We are being held behind playing Ross County and the rangers regularly, to compete at Champions League level we need better weekly opportunities.

Nevertheless on the Sunday I had mixed feelings watching the bears; on one hand I wanted Motherwell to win and Clemente to follow Beale, Van Bronkhorst et al to sign on the dole on Monday but on the other hand another final against the new boys in town from Govan would be more fun especially as we will be watching it in either Bar 67 or the Auld Triangle in Lanzarote.

As half time came my day took an unexpected twist, my granddaughter Tiarnach who has spent the past year in Vancouver arrived in the biggest surprise of this year or most years even more than Kamala being President or Mary Lou Taoiseach. It was a wonderful surprise to see her and boyfriend John who is from near Brother Walfrid’s home place in Ballymote, Tiarnach from Termon in Donegal and a real Celt too.

The TV got switched off and the bubbly started flowing (My partner Mary was actually in on the secret) and the stories of the latest Irish migrants to ‘Raincouver’ (as it’s dubbed because of Irish rain level) flowed, skiing in Whistler, driving in the Rockies, sunshine in the city amid snow covered peaks surrounding, an experience to be savoured.

Later at dinner, I just checked to see the score from Hampden not expecting a team with Dressers as their main scoring threat to pull back but score they did without him and what they used to call ‘old firm’ and is now men against boys will resume on 15th December bringing plenty of sleepless nights for Clemente before the final.

So on the bus to Terminal 1 and Aer Lingus to Edinburgh as Mary goes Terminal 1 with Michael O’Leary an hour earlier, we’re like the royals or big business now travelling on separate flights now in case the 747 hits a big mountain on route, well actually no she just decided to go at last minute in case my mates, Gerry and Danny lead me astray in Kitty O’Shea’s.

The game tonight will be tough, Leipzig are top drawer despite a poor start in CL, but that’s the level we want to be at, I expect Brendan to go with the same starting 11 as Saturday, let’s hope we sit on 7 pts after tonight amid a bouncing Paradise, it’s always special on European nights and why I love it even after 55 years.