Two wins from 10, with no victories in their last six matches in the league, but my early nomination for Scotland’s Manager of the Year 2023/24 is… Hibs boss Nick Montgomery.
Why? Well, I was a guest speaker last Sunday at the Prestonpans Hibs Supporters’ Club lunch and, despite a sickening League Cup semi-final defeat to Aberdeen the previous night, the Easter Road boss (alongside CEO Ben Kensell) still took his place at the top table and engaged with the fans all afternoon.
How many other managers (quite sensibly, perhaps) would have stayed in bed with their head under the duvet?
I’d never met the Hibs gaffer before – to be honest, I only recognised him because he was sitting near the bottom of the table – but he comes across as one of the good guys.
And I’m delighted/relieved to say he smiled when I stood up and said: “Ladies and gentlemen, what a pleasure to be asked to speak at Nick Montgomery’s leaving do…”
Nick’s been in charge at Easter Road for nine weeks and that’s great. If a Hibs manager makes it to 10 these days, I understand they get a testimonial. But I couldn’t help thinking the signs don’t look good.
On the lunch menu, the main course was roast turkey with all the trimmings.
Shouldn’t alarm bells be ringing when they serve your Christmas dinner at the start of November…?
Look at Shaun Maloney. The former Celtic and Scotland star only got four months in the Hibs hotseat and, to the best of my knowledge, he’s now back pointing at planes on Fantasy Island.
Good luck to you, Nick, and well done showing face at a fans’ event after such an almighty boot in the haw-maws.
And let’s hear it for the supporters (including my pal sitting down the front who was the spitting image of Dr Zaius from Planet Of The Apes) whose fundraising effort will provide a Christmas dinner for hundreds of local OAPs.
I’m sure legendary Hibs full-back Lewis Stevenson will appreciate it…
I picked up a lovely couple of souvenirs at the lunch – a bottle of Hibs beer (should have been champagne but it was well past its sell-by date) and, yum-yum, a Hibs cupcake. Hats off to the audience for not throwing any missiles when I joked that I prefer Jam Tarts…
Meanwhile, let’s go back to 2003 when a boy/girl duo called Jemini represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest and famously scored “nul points” after singing off-key.
If you thought that was an embarrassing performance in Europe, what about Celtic’s 6-0 thrashing on Tuesday night?
Brendan Rodgers – a complete flop in Europe over both spells at the club – says VAR has turned football into a computer game.Fortunately for the Celtic boss, he’s had a lot more than three lives in the Champions League.
Celtic supporters can’t be relishing their next away day in Europe – The A-Team would have an easier job getting BA Baracus on that plane. (Anyone else find it ironic that BA shared his name with an airline…?)
My team Motherwell were also on their travels on Tuesday night and, while Scotland’s co-efficient took an absolute battering as Celtic came close to losing double figures in Madrid, we secured a hard-fought point in Perth.
St Johnstone unveiled Craig Levein as their new boss and that’s a good fit as Saints will also be remembered for their 4-6-0 formation – four fans in the main stand, six in the east stand and none behind the goals…
Highlights on Tuesday?
Well, until the Well players got the finger out in the second-half, I’d have nominated the homemade soup and club sandwich I enjoyed at Gloagburn Farm (a mile outside Perth) en route to the game.
The Well Bois have been slammed for their pyrotechnic display at kick-off, but I could only criticise their bang-bang-banging drum as it kept me awake throughout a dreary first-half.
Yes, I know it’s ILLEGAL to have fireworks inside a football stadium, but give the young team a break. Nobody was injured, I didn’t hear any sectarian songs and there were no political banners – it was simply a bunch of boys (Motherwell diehards, don’t forget, the lifeblood of our game) livening the place up a bit.
Trust me, dear reader, without The Well Bois on Tuesday night – and, of course, the Fair City Ultras in the opposite end – McDairmid Park would have been like a mausoleum.
Chase these guys out of the game and EVERY stadium in Scotland will be quieter than Russell Brand’s 2024 diary.
● I always steer well clear of politics (a bit like the Lib-Dems, I suppose) so here’s an idea from my pal to end the awful conflict in the Middle East…Tell Liam Neeson that Hamas have kidnapped his daughter.
