First Minister Alex Salmond today said Hearts will survive its current financial woes and emerge “at the other end of the tunnel.”

ST JOHNSTONE manager Tommy Wright interrupted a sunshine break in Portugal to be officially paraded by the Perth club yesterday, along with assistant Callum Davidson. And he is determined to make his mark in the SPL – and fly the flag for goalkeepers in management roles.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew was keeping his own counsel after the club finally confirmed Joe Kinnear’s arrival as director of football.

GARETH Evans admitted last night that he was surprised but delighted to have returned to football as the Scotland women’s under-19 coach.

Aberdeen have signed striker Calvin Zola from Burton Albion. The 28-year-old has penned a two-year contract after deciding to leave Burton following their unsuccessful npower League Two play-off campaign.

WHEN any firm enters administration it can be a deeply worry­ing time for their employees, and Hearts will be no exception, no matter whether those employees are footballers or office staff.

ALEX Mackie, one of the founder members of the Foundation of Hearts organisation hoping to take control of the stricken Tynecastle club, has claimed they offer the only viable means of its long-term survival.

Administrators battling to save Dunfermline Athletic yesterday received two bids for the club.

England are seeking a new under-21 coach after the Football Association told Stuart Pearce his contract would not be renewed.

CAPTAIN Thiago Alcantara scored a first-half hat-trick to inspire Spain to a 4-2 win over Italy in the European Under-21 championship final last night.

BRAZIL captain Thiago Silva insists his team do not view tomorrow’s Confederations Cup meeting with Mexico as a grudge match after they were beaten to the 2012 Olympic gold medal by their rivals.

Italy face Japan in Group A tonight knowing that a win will all but see them qualify for the Confederations Cup semi-finals following their opening-game win over Mexico.

FOOTBALL: The score was 0-0 at half-time and 2-2 at the end of normal play. But Bannerman High School finally claimed the Lloyds TSB Scotland Under-15 Shield with a penalty victory over Dunbar at Tynecastle.

Substitute Josh Kennedy’s dramatic goal seven minutes from time sent Australia to the World Cup finals for the fourth time, ending a nervous night for 80,523 rain-soaked fans packed into Sydney’s Olympic Stadium.

HEARTS’ parent company UBIG has joined the administrator of the club’s largest creditor Ukio Bankas in petitioning for BDO to take over the administration of the club.

BBC Scotland breached accuracy guidelines on its reporting of the collapse of Rangers last year, the broadcaster’s governing body has found.

Keith Wright last night welcomed Hibs’ decision to provide clarity on their failed bid to keep Leigh Griffiths – and hopes manager Pat Fenlon can now move ahead quickly with the difficult task of replacing the top scorer.

Rangers signing Steven Smith insists the fitness issues that hampered his first spell at Ibrox are well behind him.

Labour MP Ian Murray, who is fronting the fan-led group hoping to gain control of Hearts, held a webchat following the club’s announcement that it is to enter administration.

SPAIN’S domination of Uruguay in their opening Confederations Cup match suggested that reports of tiki-taka’s demise are premature, regardless of what happened in the Champions League last season.