algarve diary: part three

David Friel in Portugal
THE sun is still splitting the trees in Portugal as Celtic begin preparations for tonight’s Algarve Challenge Cup match with Cardiff City.

Gordon Strachan’s men will kick off at 9.30pm, with Middlesbrough and Vitoria Guimaraes playing at 7.15pm. As things stand, all four teams still have a chance of winning the tournament.

After having part of yesterday off, the Celtic players headed to the training ground this morning for a light session and will then follow the same routine as Tuesday – lunch, rest, pre-match meal and hopefully a win to guarantee the first trophy of the season.

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AS stated yesterday, Cardiff City have three former Rangers players in their ranks in Gavin Rae, Steven Thompson and Ross McCormack, who this morning revealed that he is actually a diehard Celtic supporter.

The former Motherwell striker spent three years at Ibrox but admitted he was a regular at Paradise in his younger years.

“It will be a sweet match for me,” he said. “I’m a proud Celtic fan and always will be. Rangers were the team to come in for me and I enjoyed my time there. That’s how football is.

“I wanted to do well and did my best for Rangers while I was there. But I always supported Celtic as a kid and went to watch as many matches as I could. That is why it will be a sweet occasion for me tonight.”

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WITH many hours to while away in the team hotel, the Celtic players spend a lot of time watching DVDs, with box-sets of American TV show 24 being a favourite of most of the Bhoys.

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, currently starting Day Six, approached the diary yesterday to ask if we knew if the legend that is Jack Bauer, star of 24, was a Celtic supporter. "I bet he is," said the big Dutchman.

We’ll do our best to find out, but the mention of Bauer, a character who makes Superman look feeble, brought to mind a brilliant quote from Gordon Strachan – also a big fan of 24.

In May 2006, after Celtic showed off the SPL trophy, the manager was asked what he was going to do to celebrate and responded with the line…”I’m going home to watch 24. What about that Jack Bauer? He’s some man. I wouldn’t mind him in my back four!”

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PORTUGAL will always be synonymous with Celtic after the club won the 1967 European Cup in Lisbon and a waiter in a restaurant next to the team hotel is the proud owner of a unique piece of memorabilia.

“I’m half-Scottish,” declared the chirpy youngster when met by members of the travelling Celtic party. “And I have a very rare Celtic strip at home.”

How rare? Well it turns out that his grandfather pitched up at the Celtic team hotel in Estoril back in 1967 looking for a souvenir and walked away with a Celtic strip signed by all the Lisbon Lions.

It’s now a family heirloom and has been passed down through the generations of his family.

“I’ve always supported Celtic and I am very proud to own this strip. It’s signed by all the players…even Jim Craig signed it. He was the guy who gave away the penalty. It was a stonewaller.” At least we think that’s what he said.

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SPEAKING of the European Cup-winning right-back, our very own Jim Craig will be in the Channel 67 studio tonight to bring live coverage of tonight’s clash with Cardiff City.

The match will be broadcast live to ALL Channel 67 subscribers and we will go on air at 9.15pm for the 9.30pm kick-off.

Jim will be presenting the show back in the Celtic Park studio and will be receiving your e-mails. You can get in touch with him at comments@celticfc.com