deegee

I can’t see the government briefing on BBC Scotland TV or radio channel. I thought I heard the reporter say at lunchtime on the news it was on the tv channel?

At Celtic Park today and great being back after nearly 18 months away. There were reminders in the tannoy every 15 mins about wearing masks, not changing seats etc. All totally ignored in the main by 90% of the folk in my view, apart from entering stadium and in the concourse. All being well, I’m hopeful we can all get back to see our teams in a relatively normal way soon.

I went to Cluj for Celtic’s game late in 2019. Went via Bucharest but didn’t have time to leave the airport so can’t comment on the capital city. Cluj though was pleasantly nice, had some interesting architecture and churches, central area has a couple of the usual squares (with Christmas market and fairground rides when we were there) and Cluj and surrounding area certainly has enough to fill a couple days. The locals were nice but I’m not naive and they realise tourists will be rich in comparison and able to spend. No doubt in 15 years time, it’ll be overrun by stag and hen parties, now that Prague and Tallin aren’t as cheap as they were a decade ago. Hotel was quite basic but was clean and central. I’d recommend the place for folk maybe looking for something different and it was great value; food nice and beers cheap enough.

That was my thought too mate. I don’t know why she didn’t just quietly fly into UK (maybe via Spain as she was already in Mallorca from her Dubai home). I guess she was playing by the rules as she wasn’t in this for media publicly but I would have just kept my head down, mouth shut and flown home to her family tbh.

Just for a deflection from the story about the dying father and his family wanting to meet up, I’m watching England v Pakistan one day cricket on Channel 5 which was played today at Trent Bridge, Nottingham with 17,500 full house crowd. On one hand, the scenes, happiness, excitement are superb but in the context of this ongoing story about Leitch and his tv comments about pushing back a dying father’s family, I am uncomfortable how low we have sunk in Scotland and allowed this un-democratic unelected shit show to evolve, “Save the NHS” seems so far away from where are being nannied just now.

I had to turn the tv over during this story as it made my blood boil, particularly that patronising dick Leitch, who is so far up the Scottish Government’s hole, he acts like he is the voice of the establishment. Surely to goodness the family can get some peace and compassion without this “COVID circus” permeating into the last days of the dad’s life and the family time together? I get wound up over bonkers rules about attending football and getting a bar lunch etc, but this case is simply a step too far and needs sorted no later than first thing in the morning for the family’s sake.

Yip, that’s safe to assume what will happen but we have the reality of big crowds (%age as well as actual numbers) at many events, not to mention indoor nightclub and snooker tournaments etc where we know a vaccinated crowd outdoors will result in few transmissions. Without going over old ground, we pack Pittodrie every year when other transmissible viruses are around without this carry-on. Time to live lives and for Leitch to wind his neck in. Their moment was deffo needed a year back but less so now. It’s going to be interesting tohear him on radio this weekend justifying why football can’t have more than 2k fans despite the numerous events this past few months.

Fingers crossed that Aberdeen are successful with this application. If it’s turned down, we really need, as football fans across the country, for someone to step up and kick up a fuss. It’s a safe bet there’ll be more than 8k folk, on the same day Aberdeen are playing, in the shops, supermarkets and at other events, restaurants etc in Aberdeen city yet we are demonised as the shape of the ball doesn’t suit Scottish Government. Maybe if Aberdeen promised to sing a hymn, Gobshite Leitch might okay you on the basis Pittodrie can be a pop- up church!

So we are expected to believe that 2k are allowed into Celtic Park next week and based on current information this will see 55-60k in for the game on 21st August versus StMirren? In between these matches, there is a friendly versus West Ham on 24/7 after the European qualifier versus Midtylland on 20/7 with a league match versus Dundee on 7/8. Will Celtic push for more fans, especially for the European and league game considering we are a couple weeks away from full houses? Is there actually any science and “data not dates” in this or is it, as it looks to football fans, a lot of make-up pish on the hoof based on political games and egos running wild?

Cheers mate for the advice. I was actually over yesterday and couldn’t get the car on so went as a foot passenger. Luckily the company I was meeting were only a short walk from terminal and one of their guys lifted me to their main office 3 miles away. I will probably b3 back over again but noted the need to book ahead in peak season. As an aside, CalMac’s customer service tel line was awful with 20+ mins to get through to someone the other night.

I’m meant to be going to Arran for a work meet tomorrow but CalMac is full and the cal centre said they can’t say if a walk up with car might get on. We were in Mull last month and similarly the ferry to Oban was full however we rocked up and got on no problem. Does anyone know if Ardrossan is the same and I would be likely to get over ( and back an hour or two later)? I see a page back that there’s another ferry from Tarbert area; is that a better option or is the long drive not worth the trouble? Thanks in advance for any assistance lads.

100% this. I’ve found I quite enjoy table service when it’s done efficiently by staff who bother to look above their shoelaces. Some places have been good and others less so. I’ve personally found Wetherspoons to be very varied as some of the staff can’t seem to believe folk might not have/ choose not to order via the app and other staff have actually been good and catch orders between dropping drinks off to others.

That was a really uplifting and enjoyable performance by Emma. Good mental strength at key points too with superb shots played, when at losing the long game at 5-3 in 2nd set, she might have crumbled and lost the set. Instead she had the steel and skill to win. A star hopefully has been born today and she deserves her success. A lovely, pleasant personality too shone through in her interview.

There’s zero sense in Scotland dragging our heels (due in likelihood to pure stubbornness by the Scottish Government) if England open in a fortnight. At the risk of repeating previous posts, there’s going to be full stadiums and events in coming few weeks and already we’re preparing up here for a few hundred fans at our games in July and limited attendance until 10th August. No doubt there’s going to be a pantomime about getting food and a bovril or tea; maybe a pasting table with a plastic cup of lukewarm water is “the new normal” after all? Let the fans back, treat us like adults and have confidence in the vaccines that will allow folk to made personal choices.

....and right on cue, watching some middle aged lump on Question Time say she is scared walking down the street without a mask and she won’t be taking it off anytime soon! It’s a serious point as these folk need help with their mental health and to reintegrate with society. At least the next girl speaking, as well as David Davies on the panel have said it’s more important we get back to normal.

I’m wearing the mask less and less. Never outdoors in any place despite seeing terrified folk in the masks, goggles and gloves looking at me as if I’m a mass murderer for walking unmasked from my car to the front door of the supermarket! I pity these folk. I was in England with work the other week and in the bar, masks were patched by all by the end of the evening, including the lad behind the bar. It just felt better and allowed adults to make their personal choice since we’re mainly double- dunted full of vaccines.

It seemed bizarre, watching the tennis last night and the place looked packed, folk going mental at each point that was played, yet a handful of stewards were sat with a mask on. Looked daft tbh and there certainly wasn’t 50% spaces in the stands that were shown on telly. Leitch said last week we might get back to the Scottish football in a full stadium on 10th August which begs the question why not at the start of the season, in the middle of summer, outdoors and in line with other sports throughout UK, since it seems safe enough to pack Wimbledon, Wembley and at the Grand Prix in a few weeks’ time?

Has Morton stopped using topless lady models with a body- painted football shirt to launch their kits these days? Was always a (minor) talking point and unique way to get publicity and have dirty old men throughout Scotland looking forward to seeing the new Morton shirts!

The lad at Avis in Belfast was saying this afternoon he and a few mates spent the weekend over in Sligo and as residents could sup and eat indoors yet locals had to sit outside. They are having an utter shambles with this stage and are about as clueless as Holyrood in trying to be seen to do something different, whilst creating needless and incomprehensible regulations.

Yip...I am over there quite a bit and was in Co Donegal last month where I could eat & drink all night in the hotel as a resident (key worker!!) yet my contractor customer who lived literally a 5 mins walk away wasn’t allowed in for a coffee! And today the follow up is this nonsense yet I’m sitting in (London)Derry and the hotel said tonight I can sit as long as I fancy at the bar. Staunch here in Loyal/Free Derry where Guinness and Tennent's flow freely.

Morning- 6am till noon (Lunchtime/ early afternoon- 12 noon till 2pm) Afternoon- noon till 5pm (spring & summer)/ noon till 4pm (late autumn & winter) Evening- as above until 9/9/.30pm Night- 9/9.30 till 6am

It’s an absolute disgrace how we have allowed the Scottish Government to micro-manage and make political capital of this situation, based alone on this specific point of sports’ events, far less any other leisure, social or night- time economies. It’s as if we should all be glad to get to church before anywhere else opens up, as was the case a few months ago.

I was in London today with work and flew back this evening. It was great to see loads to young Scottish fitba fans and folk enjoying themselves and acting how you would hope excited young folk do when away on a trip with mates. I had lunch next to Hyde Park (met up with daughter and her partner who went down for a few days and the match etc) and the joy was a treat to see.

I know exactly how you feel and I sympathise mate. I think your few sentences basically sum up precisely how most of us feel tbh, regardless of how we’ve treated the virus from the start and respected all the efforts by everyone over the past 15 months.

Same this morning on BBC Breakfast where some professor fella (he is on regularly on a Saturday morning with Linda Bauld) made comment that this variant is 60% more transmissible which means x60 times more people getting ill and in hospital. Utter bullshit and his degree clearly isn’t in simple arithmetic if he thinks 60% equals x60. What is as frustrating is that the presenters rarely call out the nonsense spoken by the doom- mongers.