MARCH 1998

Tuesday 31st March

First of all this will be the last diary entry this week as we are going away on Thursday so any gossip that happens I'll let you know next week. Well the wee Angolian did it again,he had us all in stitches this morning at training you have to see him to believe it.After the warm up Jose took us for a game "DO THIS DONT DO THAT!!"
Well this had to be seen the wee man didn't have a clue he was all over the shop...
After a while he got the hang of it and was going well catching the boys out now and again,well he caught out Hammy "knees up Ammy" "what?" replied Hammy and as sharp as tack he came out with"you no understan, me speak Chinese or soming" The boys and the managment were in stitches we could not believe it,the wee man is not daft and he knows alot more than he lets on about.
Back to training,this morning was a really good morning with plenty ball work and not to much running and the young boys managed to get back on winning tracks although it wasn't an actual game but possession its good to get a victory....
Well I speak to you all next week and hopefully by then we are in the Scottich cup final and although it will be a hard game we'll be up for it......

Ritch

Monday 30th March

After our weekend game a few of the boys were feeling the effects so it was a limited numbers training session.Back to Saturday first,what more can I say other than thanks to all you that were able to attend the match as your support was second to none and you definetly showed those Celtic punters how to support there team.THANKS Again!!!!
It was a game we couldn't afford to lose and I thought we deserved our result although we never really created enough to win the game we are still in the hunt.
I have to admit to you all that the young guns are taking a bit of a pelting in training these days and Monday was no exception with the old boys coming out on top again.
Allan McManus turned down the chance to join Motherwell on Monday and decided to stay and fight for his place which I am glad about as it would be very sad to see my best mate leave.He is having a hard time at the moment with the team playing so well he cannot get a regular game.It is a hard choice for him to make as he has been at Tynecastle all his career but I suppose if your not getting a regular game you might have to look else where.

Friday 27th March

Well what a weekend this is going to be.Celtic Park tommorrow for what could be the League decider, and I know there are 6 games after tommorrow but if we lose that gives them a 5 point advantage so a victory tommorrow will put us in the driving seat.
Trained at Tynecastle today which made a difference in the playing surface but not in the result as the young ones were once again defeated much to the delight of Messers Weir Fulton Salvatori and Rousset. Do they forget that it is only training !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wee Jose was at it this morning again with his usual horrendous stint in training and this morning I let him know he was shite,"Me know shit me work very hard this morning"was his comeback."me back all the time!"and "cheeky wee cunt!"was his other statments directed at me.
As I said at the start of the diaries D day tommorrow and hopefully next time I speak to you all we will still be very much in the title race.

Paul Ritchie

Thursday 26th March

Well it has been a mixed week for me,firstly what a great result on Saturday which set up this weeks fixture with Celtic also made my debut for the Scotland 'B' team on Tuesday where all the Hearts boys done very well but not according to the Sun but hey what do they know.During that game I picked up a knock which is causing me bit of concern as it doesn't give me much time to get fit for Saturday but the only way you'll stop me playing is if I am in a wheelchair.
Its been a strange week haven't been at Tynecastle much so there is no decent stories to report back with.

Friday 20 th March

Old versus the young this morning and the old pipped us by the odd goal and we did recieve a bit of stick regarding when was the last time we won on a Friday?True with Hammy on our team and Jose this morning our attack was very poor.
Big day tommorrow as we go to Tannadice and Celtic go to Pittodrie and as long as we get 3points we will be happy and that will set us up for next week.We know we must play better than last week and with Micky back it will give us more options.Hopefully Myself and DW will be back in the middle with Bamby at right back.

Speak to you all later!!!!!!!

Paul

Thursday 19th March

Back to pinkie and Lockie turned up this morning and he was full of life which is good and he should be back in a couple of weeks.
David Weir was supporting a new hair cut today which recieved a bit of stick from the boys and was quickly given the nickname of the "MAD MONK" .I leave that up to yourselfs after you see him at the weekend. There were a couple of boys whos identity will remain a secret to protect themselves pointed out that they thought big DW had also had a rinse put through his hair to rid of the grey.Well its a big statment and I wouldn't like to comment on it.

Tuesday 17th March

Well I was away for the weekend at my Nephews christening so I got yesterday off. What can we say about Saturday(not alot!!!) I thought we were very lucky to escape with a point but with Celtic dropping 2 points as well it is still in our own hands.
Training this morning was a very good standard and the cobwebs from the weekend have been well and truly blown away apart from Neil McCann who from a personal point of view was hopeless and if the yellow jersey was still around he would have certainly got my vote.

Friday 13 th March

D-day for the boys waiting for a call up in various Scotland squads and at the time of writing David Weir Gary Naysmith and Robbie Horn were the only members of the Hearts squad offically in there respective squads.But rumour has it that N.McCann,S.Fulton,C.Cameron and myself will be selected for the B game against Wales.
Lee Mackel has signed for the Hearts, so he will become a valuable memeber of the squad in the title run in.Good luck Lee Colin Cameron will miss tommorrows clash with Kilmarnock but he won't miss the rest of the season after a specalist confirmed that he has no major problems and only 7 days of complete rest is required.Tommorrow we face Kilmarnock which is another vital vixture in the title race and nothing barr 3 points will do.So if we play like we have been hopefully by this time tommorrow night we will be where we belong.....and that is top of the league.
On to Billy Liar ( Thats Jose to all thoose who haven't read the diaries for a while!!!!!) He came into Tynecastle dressed in a Versace( Versace reached Angola yet,I don't think so!!!!!)suit jacket,pair of jeans and trainners also supporting a nike baseball cap!! Whats he all about? He reminded us that he was doing his photo shoot for loaded magazine and that he was told to dress like that.Wake up and smell the coffee beans Jose!!!!
He was telling us that he was stopped in the street and asked if he was Jim Hamliton (another lie!!)and his response was "cheeeky weee cuunt!!!" I have to admit he does have us in stitches.I nearly forgot here is another quote from the new legend His jacket was made by "GIANFRANCO VERSACE" must be the local tailor in Angola!!!

speak to all next week

Thursday 12th March

CALL THE COPS!!!!!!!!
Another murder was committed at the training ground this morning and it wasn't young against old this time but mixed teams.
The losing team consisted of McCann,McPherson,Burns,Locke,Fulton,Rousset,Naysmith.They got the arses felt putting it mildly.After beating them at possession we then continued to destroy them in the game.You ready for this..........11-3 and that was only a 20 minute game!!!!!!!
The reserves were beaten last night in the cup 1-0 and by all accounts they didn't play to well apart from Allan McManus and young Robbie Neilson(who could be the next youngster to get a call up!!) On the transfer front the rumour is that we are ready to sign Lee Mackel, a midfielder who was signed by the King himself while he was in charge of Blackburn.

Wednesday 11 th March

First of all I would like to wish all the boys playing in the cup final tonight good luck and hopefully its the first of many pieces of silverware to grace Tynecastle at the end of the season.
On to the Scottish Cup and we have got to be happy with the draw although as I have said before it won't be easy but we fancy our chances in getting to the cup final in May.
We were in today for the first time in months and the boys weren't to pleased especially after reading the gaffers quote on Teletex last night saying that we would be getting more days off as a result of injuries to players such as C.Cameron,N.McCann,S.Adam and Big Slim.To make things worse we didn't even get ball work and that man Bert( METAL HIPPED FAT BOOKIE BASTARD!!)was in to give us a circuit but in all fairness it wasn't to bad!

Tuesday10th March

Well after a long weekend it was back to the training ground this morning and what a morning it was.Any ideas of an easy week were immediately dispelled when Bert Logan took the first team squad for a set of 12 back to back runs.Well we certainly found out what our arse holes were for.
After the runs and as there were only 12 training due the reserve cup final on Wednesday the rest of the morning was taken up by possesion.3 teams of 4 with my team which included Hammy,Lockieand Gary Naysmith the top team.
Back to Saturday and well another Semi final to look forward too.I thought we played very well although we never created an awful lot we won comfortably!
Can't leave before mentioning my goal its been that long I forgot what it was like to score but never the less very happy in breaking my duck,hopefully another couple before the end of the season.

Friday 6th March

First of all congratulations to Gary Naysmith and Jim Hamilton who both recieved young player and player of the month respectevly.Both deserevd these awards after some very good performences in the past 4 or 5 games.WELL DONE!!
On the training side the young boys were well and truly gubbed this morning(some humble pie for the Ritch).In truth I think the awards went to Gary and Jims' heads, as they were awful.
The reserves were beaten 1-0 by Rangers yesterday with K.T missing a penalty.Axel Smeets didn't play too well according to the boys,so who knows if a contract will be offered a contract.
On to tommorow and a break from the league with a home tie in the cup against Ayr.We know it will be a hard game as it is there cup final but if we play as we have in recent weeks we should be in the semi finals by tommorow night.My old travelling mate Ian Ferguson will be out to show what he can do after being sold 3 years ago,so it looks like I could be in for a hard time.

Speak to you all soon
Ritch

Thursday5th March

With the reserves playing Rangers today it was only the first team that were training at Pinkie.
The boys put in alot of work in training this morning leaving the management very pleased.No real stories to tell on the training field but away from it is a different story.Jose(Billy Liar,as he is know known)realed of another beauty this morning.He was telling us how he done an interview on Wednesday for Loaded magazine (which if he left it there would have been believable) Firstly he was saying that he was being paid £2000 for the interview and then he came out with that a photographer was coming next week with a couple of models to take photos of him in a pair of boxer shorts.Well the boys were in stitches with these statements."Me swear to god!"was his words and with a little snigger he eventually owned up by saying"me just taking thee piss!"IF WE DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW!!!

Tuesday 3rd March

Well all thoughts of an easy week were blown out of the water today when Bert Logan reared his Ugly head.(Did the management forget we had just played 3 games in the previous week).
After a warm up,Bert took us for a dozen striding runs which aren't too difficult but by this time the boys heads were wasted by the thought of running.
Next we were split up into 4 teams and we played a round robin tournament (the one I mentioned last week where I was in the pub team).You guessed it another 3 defeats this morning with only Mark Bradley and myself in the team from last week(DOES THIS TELL YOU SOMETHING!!!!) This was followed by a circuit which didn't go down to well."Bert we are now into March and the title run in so it would be appricated if you keep your ideas away from the gaffer and let him get on with giving us the ball.THANKS"
On to David weir and his diaries in the Jambo and I am horrified to see the lies he is printing concerning the so called victories by the old yuns against the young yuns in training and that we have alot to learn.This is partly true we have got alot to learn but not in the context he was writing.We have a far better record against them than he lets on.

Monday 2nd March

Well a draw at Ibrox and you would expect to be happy,but after Saturday we were all gutted.I thought we had done enough to earn 3 points although I wouldn't say we were outstanding but we did limit them to very few chances.
Although we didn't win we are still within touching distance of Celtic and a win at Celtic Park in three weeks will take care of that. On the training front,today was another day of leisure with a stroll round Athur Seat the order of the morning.
I found myself out in Falkirk with David Weir,Myles Hogarth andTHE TIME BOMB(S.F) on Saturday night for a couple of beers.After a couple of games of Buzz, with the loser drinking some poition from the bar Stevie was carted home around 12pm(which is a reasonable time for him!!!!!)