Celtic’s former coach Wim Jansen hastily arranged a media conference in a Glasgow city centre hotel, normally reserved for international boxing contests, to deliver his final body blow to his ex-employer.
And all this after the club had reneged on their offer to afford him the chance to host his media farewell within the confines of Parkhead.
Jansen, who under normal circumstances wouldn’t tell you that today is Saturday, was the captain of the Celtic talking team never missing anyone who had dared to question his integrity or judgment.
He said: “I couldn’t work with Jock Brown any longer.”
Much has been made of the fact that Jansen refused to go and watch Harald Brattbakk before he became a Celt. But as Jansen explained this was a futile exercise.
He said: “Jock Brown, Davie Hay and I decided that we would sign Harald after I had watched him several times on video.
“They then asked me to go and watch him one more time but I couldn’t understand why as we had already agreed to bring him to the club.”
Jansen has other problems with Messrs McCann and Brown, namely their reluctance to strengthen the squad on his recommendation and their keeness to capitalise on the sale of their star player.
He added: “I wanted Paolo Di Canio and Jorge Cadete to remain at Celtic but they wouldn’t listen. I also wanted them to bring back Pierre Van Hooijdonk and John Collins but again they were not interested.''
DERMOT Donnelly produced an excellent run to comfortably beat thirty minutes in last evening’s Les Jones Memorial 10K in South Belfast.
The Annadale Strider clocked a course record of 29.32 which left him two minutes and eighteen seconds ahead of his club mate Andrew Campbell who edged out Andy Maguire for second place.
Moira O’Neill (Dub) was first woman home in 36.58.
Meanwhile several Northern Ireland athletes are in action in meetings in Watford and Loughborough this weekend.
Eddie King (800m) Paul McBurney (400m), Mark Allen (sprints), Ian Craig (sprints), Brian Forbes (400m) and Dougie Thom (400h), compete for their British League clubs in Watford today.
Jim Campbell (5000m), Vicki Jamison (400m), Julie Davis (400h), and Jackie McKernan (discus) meanwhile participate in tomorrow’s domestic meeting in Loughborough.
THE colleges season is not over yet for Hogan Cup champions, St Colman’s.
The Newry school take on St Michael’s Enniskillen this morning in the semi-finals of the Dalton Cup at the Athletic Grounds (11am).
The Colman’s Dalton line-up include Adrian Mackin and Pat Feeney whose brothers Dermot and Michael played on the Hogan Cup winning side.
St Michael’s key players include Paul Johnston, Damien Higgins and John O’Flanagan.
This morning’s other semi-final sees St Pat’s Dungannon tackling St Pat’s Armagh at Eglish (10am).
The Dungannon line-up includes Francis Hamilton and Dominic Campbell while the Chris McParland, Neil Loney and Dan McAnallen are influential men for the Armagh school.
Meanwhile, St Louis Kilkeel defeated Our Lady’s Castleblayney 8-17 to 3-7 in the Corn Colmcille semi-final.
