WALTER SMITH AND NEIL LENNON SPEAK EXCLUSIVELY
ON BBC ALBA’S ‘CLUB TV’
BBC ALBA’s monthly CLUB TV programme returns to our screen for a second series as Celtic FC and Rangers FC come together for a unique magazine style football programme.
The first programme will be broadcast tomorrow night, Thursday 30 September at 9pm and will provide exclusive interviews with the respective club managers, Neil Lennon and Walter Smith and new signings James Beattie and Anthony Stokes.
CLUB TV is presented by former club players Tom Boyd and Arthur Numan respectively, along with Gaelic Sports anchor Calum Macaulay and is produced for BBC ALBA by mneTV.
Walter Smith talks about Rangers great start to the SPL season gaining six wins from six as well as reflecting on Kenny Miller’s sensational form, and talks openly about his decision to step down as manager at the end of this season.
Talking to CLUB TV, Walter Smith said: “I don’t think it matters whether it’s my first season or my last season. The demands here are still the same, and the demands for any manager are still the same regardless of what kind of success you achieve the previous season. You’ve got to go out and do it again the next year. The slate is wiped clean, you’ve got to start again.”
Summer signing James Beattie talks about why he had to leave Stoke City, his battle back to full fitness after playing very little football for the best part of six months having fallen out with his previous manager, as well as his desire to win trophies with Rangers.
From Celtic, Neil Lennon talks about his summer signings, how pleased he is they have started so well, the difficulty in keeping a talented squad happy and how he believes that both the Old Firm clubs have strengthened this year which, unless a club puts together a very strong run, will result in the SPL being a two horse race once again.
Neil said: “We’re always looking to improve and we want to be in a position to strengthen in January but I feel we have a big enough squad at the minute and I don’t want to make it too congested.”
“We’ve improved and I think Rangers have improved as well. We’ve brought in players and our level of performance has improved but, unless a team the likes of Hearts, Dundee United or Hibs put in a good run, it will be between Celtic and Rangers.”
Celtic summer signing, Anthony Stokes speaks about his delight at finally becoming a Celtic player. Anthony says: “Every young kid from Ireland wants to play for Celtic. I could have gone to Celtic before but I chose to go to Sunderland and I wasn’t going to turn the chance down again a second time.”
“It wasn’t difficult to make the decision to leave Hibs because Celtic are a massive club, but it was sad leaving because I’d worked with the manager before and he did a lot for me. We had a good season last year finishing fourth and it was sad to go but that’s all part of football and I’m happy to be here now.”
CLUB TV also catch-up with under-19 players Dylan McGeouch of Rangers and Matthew Hughes of Celtic as well as recent match highlights.
‘Celtic Mastermind’ is back this season but with a twist. This time in the hot seat will be first team players and members of the coaching staff and first up is captain Scott Brown, and Jos Hooiveld dishes the dirt on his Celtic team mates in the programme’s short ‘In the Dressing Room’ feature.
‘The Collectors’ is a new feature and every month CLUB TV is meeting one supporter with an amazing Rangers collection. This month it’s the turn of Martin Thompson from near Newcastle. He’s created a Rangers room in his house containing 140 strips, only missing three strips over the past 40 years, plus signed pictures, books, DVDs, videos, Rangers wine, badges, match programmes and lots more.