THE plane touches down on the Kingston tarmac. The image of Usain Bolt leads the way through to passport control and baggage reclaim, although let’s just say the whole process takes rather longer than 9.58 seconds. The best part of two hours since I got off the plane, I get that same sense of relief that every cyclist feels when they discover that their bike has made it off safely too.
THESE are heady days for Jeremie Frimpong. Just turned 19, this energetic little bundle of energy was discussing a consignment of early Christmas presents which had arrived addressed him to him at the training ground this week, featuring what has become known as his catchphrase. And they say entrepreneurship is dead in this country.
DEREK McInnes insisted last night that referee Euan Anderson wrongly sent off Sam Cosgrove for a “brilliant tackle” on Kris Ajer during Celtic’s Ladbrokes Premiership win at Parkhead – and claimed opposite number Neil Lennon agreed it wasn’t a red card.
CHRISTOPHER Jullien heaped praise on his ice-cool countryman Odsonne Edouard after his fellow Frenchman put a string of first-half missed chances behind him to score the goal which restored Celtic’s five-point lead at the summit of the Premiership table.
NEIL Lennon feels Leigh Griffiths is getting closer to his best every day – after impressing the Celtic manager by reporting for training this week when the rest of the squad were on a day off.
SAM Cosgrove showed again yesterday how lethal he can be in front of goal. Unfortunately for Aberdeen’s hopes of getting a result from Celtic Park, he was about to demonstrate that he is capable of being equally deadly in a tackle.
JAMES Fowler insisted categorically last night that there was no player revolt at Rugby Park which brought the Angelo Alessio era to a close – as the odds shortened on Neil Warnock being Kilmarnock’s next permanent manager. The club’s director of football operations, only in post a matter of months, played his part in calling time on the Italian’s time at the club but he denied point black allegations that a full-scale dressing room mutiny was the cause of his dismissal.
THE comparison was an obvious one. And James Fowler, the director of football operations at Kilmarnock, didn’t flinch from it. “It was a bit like Alex Ferguson leaving Manchester United,” he said. “You want the job after the guy who got the job after him.”
CALLUM Hawkins was last night celebrating his pre-selection for next summer’s Olympic marathon in Japan – and backing his older brother Derek to join him in on the start line.
TWENTY years in sports writing have taught me some valuable things.
