Cheltenham booster and Barcelona lessons

by Joe McHugh Tony Mowbray is hoping that a day at the races can help build momentum into Celtic's troubled season.

Aiden McGeady led a group of ten Celts to Cheltenham on Wednesday with Mowbray looking to reap the benefits tomorrow against St Johnsone.

Celtic face St Johnstone, St Mirren and Kilmarnock in the space of eight days with the hoops boss looking to build on back-to-back wins away to Falkirk and Kilmarnock.

Mowbray told Channel 67: “The balance of my job is making sure that everything is done properly and disciplined but also letting the players know that we have their welfare at heart.

“We have to make sure that they are in the best frame of mind for football matches as well as physically ready to play.

“There's always a balance there, you can't train them every single day. You can't run them into the ground.

“They have to be happy and content with the preparation for the matches that come along.

“Sometimes on the back of an intense run of games it's not bad to relieve the pressure on them by getting them away from the training ground for a few days- let them go and relax.

“It's even better if they can be together and nine or ten of them were at the races this week, hopefully they've had a relaxing time and now it's back to work and get ready for the weekend.”

While his players battled with the bookies Mowbray's attention was on the Champions League.

Celtic lost out to Arsenal in the qualifying stage but the Parkhead boss can't get enough top level football.

Watching Inter Milan and Barcelona on successive nights is a world away from facing Falkirk and Kilmarnock but Mowbray likes nothing better than watching the best of the best in the hope of picking up something that he can bring to Celtic.

He added: “I wouldn't dream of missing the chance to watch Barcelona, they won the Champions League last season and it's inspirational watching the way that they play.

“We can't try to play like they do but we can try to emulate the philosophy of a club like that.

“As a football club we should strive to entertain like they do, they fill the stadium and their supporters want to come and see the superstar footballers.

“Everything seems to be on an upward spiral for them and that's what all clubs should try to achieve. To put teams on the pitch that the fans love to watch.

“A winning team where they look at their star players and idolise them. It was a great night for watching Barcelona playing open attractive football.

“They are a well organised, well drilled team but the individual talent of certain players can undo teams.”

Mowbray added: “We strive to be the best that we can but sometimes that is very difficult- football teams ebb and flow- you can't maintain the highest standards over 90 minutes.

“Any successful team works hard and is made up of components, we have three or four footballers whose main attribute is to entertain, to beat men and try to score goals. Players who are clever with the ball.

“We also ask them to give everything for the team and that's the balance that we are looking for, team players with that extra talent to create and entertain.”

Just another weekend in Dubai with Sean Sweeney

If Carlsberg did weekends they should contact Sean Sweeney.

How would a lads weekend in Dubai, reuniting with an old pal, playing for Celtic, beating Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea, being a team-mate to some of your idols, sharing a pitch with Baresi and di Canio and coming home with a winners medal and memories to bore your best mates with for years to come sound?

Twenty years on from being linked with Celtic as an emerging centre-half at Clydebank Sweeney finally got to realise his dream at the first Emirates 7's event in Dubai.

Four days that will live with him forever.

Those that have played for Celtic are members of a very exclusive and elusive group but although Sweeney's relationship with the club had never developed beyond that of supporter he was welcomed into the huddle from the moment he arrived at Glasgow Airport for the lunchtime flight to Dubai.

"I have to say that I'm really grateful to all the players who welcomed me straight away and who couldn't have done any more for me," Sweeney admitted.

"I've been a mate of Derek (Whyte) since we were teenagers but the other players were fantastic with me. I've met or played against most of them at some stage but it's still a bit daunting to be amongst them knowing that I was to spend a few days as a Celtic player.

"I know Gerry Britton quite well from playing at Livingston at the same time but I was slightly apprehensive about mixing with the players but everyone was really welcoming to me. They made the trip for me.

"The only awkwardness was in my mind, I've got a season-ticket and go with my son every other week, in my mind I was wondering 'is this going to be awkward?' because I really shouldn't be there.

"It should be a former player but all that was quickly put to ease although before the first game I was very nervous, it was a different sort of nerves to when I was playing but it was still nervy playing for Celtic.

"The lads were all very professional, they went about things seriously and weren't there for a jolly, obviously they enjoyed themselves but they take pride in themselves and the club and that was very obvious."

It could have been an outrageous wind up from Whyte to his old mate but when Sweeney got wind of the opportunity he wasn't going to let it pass him by.

"A few players had pulled out of the trip a couple of weeks ago when Derek first mentioned the event to me, Sweeney added. "He asked if I fancied it and if I was fit, I wasn't going to turn that chance down.

"I've not been involved in football for a few years but I play fives regularly, I got my head down and stepped things up so that I would be ready.

"Nothing could really prepare me for the first match though, it was in at the deep end against AC Milan, di Canio and all, and before we knew where we were it was 3-0 to Milan at half-time.

"The Milan dressing room was next to ours, they were buzzing about and were in the same hotel as us.

"Di Canio was a hero for me then I saw him with Barsei walking past I really took notice.

"I tried to blank out the names when I was playing but I couldn't do that with di Canio, he was amazing running riot in every game.

"He's as fit as a fiddle, he's top class and was scoring great goals in every game.

"When I got out on the park I was fine, I got stronger with each game and it was only eight minutes each way, once I got started I really enjoyed it."

In typical Celtic style the team bounced back from losing the opener to Milan to go on to beat Chelsea and Manchester United 3-0 to end day one in good spirits.

Saturday morning kicked-off the knock out stage of the competition with Celtic beating the UAE World Cup 90 side then Liverpool to reach the final and another date with di Canio and Milan again.

"The biggest memory for me was winning the tournament closely followed by standing in the tunnel going out for my first game," Sweeney added.

"The final was beyond belief, I thought we'd end up with a medal or something for our efforts. After losing the first game 3-0 I'd have settled for that but to win the competition was beyond belief. That made the weekend.

"It brought out the kid in me. The support that we had from the Dubai Hoops was great and I've came home with a lifetime of memories.

"I've been emailing friends and sending pictures to lots of folk. It's something that I'll remember for ever and I hope my mates can put up with me talking about it for a while yet!

Coming Soon: Part 2, Almost a Celt under Lou Macari
Spanish property

Youth Cup semi-final date set

Celtic's youth side will make their first appearance of the season at Celtic Park against Livingston on Wednesday March 31.

The game kick's off at 7pm and will be played to a finish with the winners meeting St Mirren or Rangers in the Hampden final of the SFA Youth Cup.

To reach this stage of the competition Stevie Frail's side have defeated Threave Rovers and Brora Rangers before the memorable 5-4 win over Dundee United at Tannadice.

On Saturday Celtic travel to face St Johnstone at St Andrews with a 12 noon kick-off.

Malky's relief while Barry keeps on scoring

Watford bounced back from Saturday's worrying home defeat from Peterboro to beat Ipswich 2-1 tonight.

The third of three home games brought relief for Malky Mackay as his side collected their first win since February 9.

While most clubs in the Championship chase a play-off place the battle to avoid relegation usually requires 50 points from the 46 game programme.

Tonight's win takes Watford onto 45 points and a point ahead of Ipswich.

Mackay hasn't been able to deal in the realistic end of the transfer market as the club flirted with administration at Christmas before being taken over.

Henri Lansbury and Will Hoskins got the goals that mattered.

Elsewhere in the division Barry Robson kept up his impressive scoring record in Middlesbrough's 2-2 draw at Derby.

A play-off position remains within reach of Gordon Strachan's side but the former hoops manager could do with some more of his players matching Robsons form.

Five goals in ten league games is a useful return from any midfielder with Leroy Lita scoring a last minute equaliser for 'Boro after replacing Chris Killen.

In the Premiership Gary Caldwell scored his first goal for Wigan but it wasn't enough to prevent them from going down 2-1 to Aston Villa.