Only another 32 days to go before the new season kicks off or, if you're a follower of the game in the Football League, you've only got another 25 days to wait before you can get your hands around that cup of scalding hot tea and your teeth into that greasy pie. Mind you, for some teams the season has already started. Take Hibernian for example. They started their season at Easter Road yesterday while everyone else was still unpacking their holiday suitcases.
They took part in the Intertoto Cup (better known as the "we cant get into Europe any other way" Cup) against Swedish side IF Elfsborg. Things didn't exactly work out for the Hibees as they went down 2-0. Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed that Inside Left managed to predict the correct score line in Saturday's preview, which is only the third time since the site started that this has happened. A gala day then for Inside Left, if not for Hibs; we'll be taking down the bunting tonight. Match reviews can be found over at the BBC and TeamTalk but we're keen to hear from anyone who was at Mixu Paatelainen's penultimate European game yesterday for their views on the match. Leave a comment and we'll put your match review up on the site.
Hibernian where not the only club in action this weekend. For unsuccessful Scottish League applicants Edinburgh City, things are just not getting any better. As if being voted out in the first round wasn't bad enough, the club then got crushed 5-1 by the Blue Brazil, better known as Cowdenbeath.
First Division escapologists Clyde where also in action on Saturday when they played the side that didn't manage to avoid relegation last season, Stirling Albion. The Bully Wee gave their new boys a nice run-out and came out winners by 2-0 in a closed-doors match in Grangemouth.
Partick Thistle also got in on the pre-season frenzy, when they visited Blythe Spartans. Blythe's goal was scored by Simon Lynch, formerly of Celtic, Preston North End and something called "Queensland Roar". Lynch is currently a free agent and was keen to impress in the hope of winning a contract at Thistle, and what better way to do that then by sportingly helping your team lose the game 3-1.
It's nice to know that Real Madrid are not the only club who have to stay within budget. The Spaniards find the estimated £80m to £100m for that winker Ronaldo clearly a bit much and they're not keen on blowing their transfer budget on just the one player. And why blow it on one when you can be like Falkirk manager John Hughes and blow it on several?
Yes, Hughes has some explaining to do. He's after racing through the clubs transfer budget before the season has even begun. The money seems to have gone on signing the likes of Jackie McNamara from Aberdeen and Lee Bullen from Sheffield Wednesday. Nothing odd about that you might think, class players and all that, they're worth a bob or two. However, both these two where signed on frees, so we can only assume that their 'personal terms', along with other signings Burton O'Brien, Neill McCann and Dermot McCaffrey where so extravagant as to completely scupper Hughes' plans for the season. We expect he's busy at home watching Oliver Twist for tips on extracting more money from the suits in the boardroom.
Hamilton manager Billy Reid has also not been sitting at home watching the Wimbledon ladies final. He's been busy adding to his squad for next season. Or at least, he's trying to. As he put it himself, somewhat vaguely, they've had two Austrians in, but they went home again. Two other unnamed, and possibly fictional players, one from the Czech Republic and the other from the English Championship are also high on his list as the mind games continue.
Something that may or may not happen this week: Ronaldo signs for Celtic. Well, seeing as he's not going to Madrid after all and Celtic have so far signed no-one except some looper man who'd rather play Dundee United than Manchester United, we're just waiting for cheeky chappie manager Gordon Strachan to announce he's signed the Portuguese winger. The opportunity to play alongside Gary Caldwell was too much of a chance to turn down, possibly.
Some trivia for you: years ago, Inside Left's parents put the house up for sale and Gordon Strachan came to view it. Now, this was five months after Aberdeen won the European Cup Winners Cup and though clearly overawed by the presence of greatness in the house, I did remember thinking, even then, that Aberdeen where not paying their players enough money if the best they could afford was a semi-detached bungalow in an unpopular part of town. Anyroad, he didn't buy the house (too many kids staring through the windows for his liking I reckon) and a few months later he buggered off to Manchester United for a barrel-load of money and a detached bungalow in Salford. True story.
Right, that's it for now. Back on Wednesday for the midweek update. Any comments, post 'em down below.
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