a
31/8/00 AGATHE TALKING TO CELTIC
Hibernian striker Didier Agathe is in negotiations with Celtic to become manager Martin O'Neill's next signing. The Frenchman, whose short-term contract at Easter Road ends next month, has refused to sign an extension to his deal after making a huge impact with the Edinburgh club. Agathe has scored four goals since his arrival from Raith Rovers during the summer, despite missing an easy chance in his debut game against Hearts.
30/8/00 RISETH COULD LEAVE PARKHEAD
Celtic defender Vidar Riseth is considering quitting Parkhead after finding himself down the pecking order at Parkhead. The Norwegian international has been forced to sit on the sidelines for the first five premier League matches of the new season. Manager Martin O'Neill has only started with him for the two UEFA Cup ties against Luxembourg minnows Jeunesse Esch.
29/8/00 BURCHILL - I MAY STAY
Celtic striker Mark Burchill has hinted that he could withdraw his transfer request and stay to fight for his first-team place at Parkhead. The 20-year-old recently walked into manager Martin O'Neill's office to ''reluctantly'' ask to quit the club. He had become disillusioned with life following the £6million arrival of Chris Sutton and both Henrik Larsson and Tommy Johnson ahead of him in the pecking order.
28/8/00 FERGUSON HURT IN STEET BRAWL
Rangers player Barry Ferguson was involved in a street brawl after his team's defeat by Glasgow rivals Celtic, police confirmed on Monday. A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police said the 22-year-old midfielder, sent off during Sunday's Old Firm derby, suffered an eye injury during the fracas on Sunday night. She said Ferguson and a 40-year-old man were taunted by a gang as they left the Bothwell Bridge Hotel in Lanarkshire, following Rangers' 6-2 defeat.
27/8/00 CELTIC 6 - RANGERS 2
Magical display

Read the match report
26/8/00 JOOS JUST FED UP WITH OLD FIRM HYPE
Celtic defender Joos Valgaeren cannot wait for Sunday's Old Firm showdown to get underway - because it will finally end all the hype surrounding it. The strong Belgian international has made a big impression at Parkhead since his £3-2m move just before the start of the new season. But even at that time everyone in Glasgow was looking forward to the first battle of the giants in August.
25/8/00 CELTIC 7 - JEUNESSE 0
Read the match report
24/8/00 JEUNESSE COACH EYES DRAW
Jeunesse Esch coach Eric Brusco insists his side are playing for Luxembourg against Celtic tonight and claims even a draw would be one of the country's biggest achievements. The tiny country have understandably been Europe's whipping boys for many years and it was no surprise that the factory workers and school teachers of Esch were crushed 4-0 by Celtic in their own backyard a fortnight ago. But Brusco knows Celtic manager Martin O'Neill will rest a number of players ahead of Sunday's Old Firm clash and feels his side can give the nation a lift by returning home with two goals and a draw to celebrate.
23/8/00 VEGA RULES OUT CELTIC SWITCH
Tottenham's out-of-favour Swiss defender Ramon Vega has categorically ruled out a move north to join Celtic. The versatile international star has been targeted by Parkhead manager Martin O'Neill, but Vega insists he wants to stay in London. He has been plagued by injury since joining the club three years ago, but he is now fully fit and determined to win his place in George Graham's side back.
22/8/00 EYAL EXPRESSES CONCERN

Midfielder Eyal Berkovic has expressed concern over his future at Celtic. He has been on the bench for the last two games and despite being settled in Glasgow he believes he may be surplus to requirements. "I am happy because I have a beautiful family, a beautiful home and I am very happy with my wages," Berkovic told the Daily Record. "But I don't know what my position at the club is and I am not happy about that. No footballer is happy when they are not in the team and I am no different."
21/8/00 BURCHILL GOING
Celtic boss Martin O'Neill has welcomed an approach from Preston to take transfer-listed striker Mark Burchill on loan - as long as it does not impinge on his UEFA Cup plans. O'Neill would prefer Burchill to make a temporary move rather than a permanent one but he would first like to check the rules with UEFA. He wants to ensure that a loan spell elsewhere will not prevent him playing for the Bhoys in the competition later in the season.
20/8/00 LARSSON BACKS IN-FORM SUTTON
Celtic striker Henrik Larsson believes strike partner Chris Sutton will prove Chelsea chairman Ken Bates wrong and turn out to be a snip at £6m. Bates labelled Sutton a ''disaster'' after a disappointing spell with the Blues, but he has put last season's nightmare firmly behind him by making an immediate impact at Parkhead with three goals in three Premier League games. Martin O'Neill had no hesitation in signing the former Norwich and Blackburn man in the summer, but the size of the transfer fee was questioned by many after Sutton scored a paltry one league goal last season.
19/8/00 CELTIC 4 - HEARTS 2
Celtic beat Hearts at Tynecastle with panache. Goals from Sutton, Larsson and Moravcik, kept our record 100% this season.

Read the match report
18/8/00 BERG DROPS CELTIC HINT
Manchester United defender Henning Berg has admitted that he would be interested in talking to Celtic about a possible move. The Norwegian international claims that there has been no official move for him by the Parkhead club after finding himself down the pecking order with United. But he would welcome talking to manager Martin O'Neill in the future.
16/8/00 HOOPS FANS WILL PAY MORE
Celtic legend Jimmy Johnstone insists the club's supporters will back a move to increase season ticket prices - if it means more quality players at Parkhead. The club's plc chairman Brian Quinn has increasing prices could be necessary if Celtic are to match rivals Rangers' success this year after the club announced a £6million year loss on Friday. Manager Martin O'Neill has already brought former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton to the club for £6million and Quinn believes the move could be necessary to lure more top players to the east end of Glasgow.
15/8/00 DUTCH TEAM SAY "BUY OUR MAN"
Dutch club AZ67 have urged Celtic to make a bid for highly-rated Moroccan defender Abdelkrim El-Hadrioui. The 28-year-old left-back was recently watched by Parkhead scouts in a friendly against Ipswich and manager Martin O'Neill received glowing reports. El-Hadrioui, who played at France 98 but missed the Scotland game through injury, is under contract until 2004 and his club AZ67 are reluctant to sell.
14/8/00 LARSSON - THE BEST IS YET TO COME
Henrik Larsson sent a message to the rest of Scottish football with a warning that the best is still to come from the Celtic striker. The Swedish international has put the painful memory of last season's broken leg firmly behind him with three goals in Celtic's opening four games and produced more heroics to save his side from defeat to Kilmarnock last night. After a wonder strike from Andy McLaren had stunned the Parkhead faithful, Larsson took the game by the scruff of the neck and pulled the game back on level terms with a cool finish before setting up the winner for Tommy Johnson.
13/8/00 CELTIC 2 - KILMARNOCK 1
Tommy Johnson fired a reminder to manager Martin O'Neill to bag Celtic's winner at Parkhead to keep their 100tart to the new season intact. The former Aston Villa striker had been forced to sit in the shadows following the £6million signing of Chris Sutton, who has formed an immediate understanding with Henrik Larsson in their first three games. However, Johnson got the chance to impress with Sutton suspended ahead of transfer-listed youngster Mark Burchill and he showed O'Neill that he too could play in his Parkhead revolution.

Read the match report
12/8/00 CELTIC BOSS URGES BURCHILL
Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has urged Mark Burchill to reconsider his decision to quit the club after he revealed that he had yet received no bid for the young striker. The 19-year-old Scotland international has become increasingly disillusioned with life at Parkhead following the arrival of £6m man Chris Sutton and his failure to force his way into the starting line-up. But their is a glimmer of hope for Burchill with the suspension of Sutton for tomorrow's Premier League match against Kilmarnock and O'Neill has to decide between the youngster and Tommy Johnson for the striking role alongside Swede Henrik Larsson.
11/8/00 CELTIC 4 - AS JEUNESSE ESCH 0

Celtic overcame the continental minnows in style. This game shoulld see us cruising to the next round with flying colours.

Read the match report
10/8/00 CELTIC vs. AS JEUNESSE ESCH

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill insists his side are relishing the prospect of going head-to-head with Europe's biggest clubs in the next stages of the UEFA Cup. The former Leicester boss flew out with a strong squad to Luxembourg today expecting them to easily overcome minnows Jeunesse Esch in the first qualifying round of the competition. If they can come through tonight's match in the Jose Barthel Stadium unscathed they will then be hot favourites to join the illustrious names in the draw for the first round proper of the competition.
9/8/00 £8M FOR LENNON
Leicester City manager Peter Taylor has told Celtic they will have to pay £8m if they want to sign midfielder Neil Lennon - but he remains confident the player will stay at Filbert Street and sign a new contract. Taylor said his ''gut feeling'' was that the Northern Ireland international would remain with the Foxes, whom he joined five years ago from Crewe for £500,000. Lennon will make his mind up by the end of the week over whether he wants to move to his boyhood heroes- assuming Celtic will match Leicester's valuation of the player.
8/8/00 BURCHILL HAD TO LEAVE PARKHEAD
Celtic striker Mark Burchill had no option but to hand in a transfer request, according to his agent Blair Morgan. The young striker has slipped down the pecking order for an attacking berth in the Parkhead line-up after the arrival of record signing Chris Sutton. And Morgan claims that Burchill is now just facing up to the ''reality'' that his future can only be furthered elsewhere.
7/8/00 OLD FIRM SEAL PAY-PER-VIEW DEAL
Independent pay-per-view broadcaster u>direct will screen live the Champions League and UEFA Cup pre-qualifiers involving Celtic and Rangers. The company will show the Light Blues' Champions League third round qualifier against Herfolge in Denmark on Wednesday night. And 24 hours later they will exclusively show Celtic's UEFA Cup qualifying game in Luxembourg against Jeunesse Esch.
6/8/00 FERGIE DELIVERS NEW SNUB TO BOSNICH
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has warned Mark Bosnich that he faces a forlorn task in trying to win back his place as number one keeper at Old Trafford. Bosnich was offered the chance to go on loan to Celtic after the Premiership champions swooped to land French World Cup and Euro 2000 winner Fabien Barthez this season. The Australian rejected that move, insisting that he preferred to stay at ''the biggest club in the world'' and fight for first-team action.
5/8/00 CELTIC 1 - MOTHERWELL 0
Celtic kept their points to the maximum in a scrap of a game which we are once again going to see a few of this season. Three players were sent off between the two teams, with Celtic being reduced to 9 men, losing Sutton and McNamara for their second bookings.

Read the match report
3/8/00 BOSNICH KEEPING OPTIONS OPEN
Mark Bosnich's agent Steve Kutner insists that the Australian keeper will not be bullied into joining Celtic on loan. Manchester United have cleared the way for the deal to take place after snapping up French stopper Fabien Barthez for £7-8million this summer. However, Kutner warned: ''Sir Alex Ferguson is keen for Mark to go to Celtic, but Mark will not be pressured into breaking his contractual ties with Manchester United Football Club.
2/8/00 O'NEILL MUST FIGHT TO LAND BOSNICH
Celtic manager Martin O'Neill still faces a fight to land Manchester United goalkeeper Mark Bosnich on a one-year loan deal. With Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson prepared to let the Australian leave, it seemed only a matter of time before Bosnich would be unveiled at Parkhead. Celtic would pay his reported £1million wage demands in full if United had no clause in the contract that could see them recall the player at any time.
1/8/00 MARC RIEPER ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
Celtic defender Marc Rieper is set to continue his coaching role at the club after being forced to quit the game through injury. The former Danish international has struggled with a toe injury since October 1998 and has now accepted his career is over. The 32-year-old last played a competitive game at Dunfermline just five months after lifting the 1998 Premier League title.