SCOTLAND rugby coach Andy Robinson has made four changes to the side that lost in Wales and opted for a new midfield partnership against France as he seeks a first win in five Tests.

Robinson’s record in the RBS Six Nations Championship stands at just two wins in 12 games and failures by players to finish off the improving attacking work in the side has left him hugely frustrated.

He has dropped Glasgow scrum-half Chris Cusiter and Nick De Luca, the Edinburgh centre, and replaced them with Mike Blair and Sean Lamont respectively, largely due to below-par displays in the opening games. Lamont moves from inside to outside centre, where he played often last season for the Scarlets, which opened the door for the return of Glasgow’s Graeme Morrison to the No 12 jersey for the first time since the World Cup.

Teenager Stuart Hogg, who made an impressive Test debut off the bench in Cardiff, is handed the starting full-back role against the French 40 years after Jim Renwick, also 19, made his Scotland debut in the centre against the same opposition.

With Max Evans out injured Rory Lamont switches from full-back to wing. The only other change to the side is in the pack where John Barclay starts at blindside flanker after replacing Alasdair Strokosch, who suffered a broken hand against Wales. That brings a new mix to the Scotland back row with two recognised openside flankers either side of No 8 David Denton.

Robinson explained: “I have looked at the team and what is going to be best for beating France. I am delighted for Stuart Hogg. He came into the squad for the St Andrews camp and did really well, played in the [Scotland A versus] Saxons game and was exemplary in his performance and then came off the bench in Cardiff and what you saw was a real composed performance.

“He has that ability to handle the pressure of international rugby and it’s great that he’s getting his first start. We’re disappointed with the injuries we got, to Max and Alasdair Strokosch, but we have good players to come in.”

Robinson’s frustration with the opening defeats has been etched on his face but he retains belief that his squad are close to cracking the winning code. He acknowledges that France will be a tougher prospect than England and Wales, arriving in Scotland intent on regaining the title they have won five times in the past decade, the last in 2010. Robinson said: “This is a different challenge. The other two [England and Wales] have the potential to move the ball against you and the French are the best at doing that, but the one area that you get severely tested by the French is the scrum and lineout, and that’s a key battle-ground on Sunday.

“They destroyed us in the scrum last year. They completely dominated us because we scrummaged as individuals. We have to scrummage collectively as an eight-man operation, while the lineout is an area France will go to if they’re not able to get their game going to secure possession, so we’ve got to be able to dominate there. France have got everything. They have the firepower to play in many different ways which is what makes them a very strong side.”

However, Robinson believes he has selected a side with the mix of experience and strength to subdue the French pack and back line, and the blend of ball-carrying ability and attacking nous in the back three, in particular, to cause France real problems.

The Scotland coach accepted that a third defeat on the trot would be difficult to stomach with away matches with Ireland and Italy to come, but insisted that this squad, with youngsters such as Lee Jones, Denton and Hogg pointing to a brighter future, was capable of lifting Scotland from their current world ranking of 12th.

He also paid tribute to the support of the Scottish fans, and the fact that Murrayfield is a 67,144 sell-out for Sunday.

“I want to thank the support that are going to be at the game,” he added. “For us to have a sell-out on a Sunday against France, for the first time since 1994, is testament to the energy that is here in Scotland and the desire for the team to be successful.

“The players and management are absolutely delighted that that’s the case. The messages of support also given to the players heading into this game drives them forward and we want to put in a performance that inspires that crowd to support the team. Unfortunately, the stats [defeats] are there and I have to be able to deal with that, but in terms of my enthusiasm, desire and how I see the team going out and playing.

“I have full confidence in how we’re playing and am looking forward to the game at the weekend.”

Scotland team to play France:

S Hogg (Glasgow Warriors); R Lamont (Glasgow Warriors), S Lamont (Scarlets), G Morrison (Glasgow Warriors), L Jones (Edinburgh); G Laidlaw (Edinburgh), M Blair (Edinburgh); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), R Ford (capt, Edinburgh), G Cross (Edinburgh), R Gray (Glasgow Warriors), J Hamilton (Gloucester), J Barclay (Glasgow Warriors), R Rennie (Edinburgh), D Denton (Edinburgh).

Replacements: S Lawson (Gloucester), E Kalman (Glasgow Warriors), A Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), R Vernon (Sale Sharks), C Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors), D Weir (Glasgow Warriors), N De Luca (Edinburgh).

In today’s Rumour Mill: Walter Smith linked with Wolves vacancy; Dave King in Rangers talks; Pressley to learn fate over rant; plus the rest of the day’s football news and gossip.

Walter Smith has emerged as a surprise contender to replace Mick McCarthy as Wolves manager, after the Premiership club missed out on two of their preferred targets. The former Rangers boss, 63, quit Ibrox last summer but insisted he was not retiring from football. The odds on Smith taking charge of the Molineaux team tumbled last night after owner Steve Morgan failed to lure Reading boss Brian McDermott and Alan Curbishley. (Sun)

RANGERS IN TURMOIL

Rangers director {http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/sport/football/rangers_administration_dave_king_meets_with_administrators_1_2133117|Dave King arrived at Ibrox yesterday for what were understood to be talks with administrators|full story}, but it was the manner in which he left the stadium that was the most striking aspect of his rare visit to Govan. South Africa-based King, the only survivor from the Sir David Murray era on the board, left Ibrox in the same car as manager Ally McCoist. (Scotsman)

• HMRC last night hit back at Craig Whyte, refuting his claim that he has been unfairly treated in comparison with other businesses. (Mail)

• Former Rangers chairman Alastair Johnston wants administrators Duff and Phelps to examine whether Craig Whyte should lose his “secured creditor” status because he believes the terms of the purchase deal were broken. (Sun)

• Fears are growing that Rangers could struggle to survive because Craig Whyte’s lawyers are not co-operating with administrators Duff and Phelps. (Record)

• {http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/sport/football/saverangers_com_to_explore_fan_funding_1_2133261|The three main Rangers supporters organisations have joined forces to launch a website|full story} where fans can pledge how much money they would be willing to invest in the crisis club. (Various)

• Bosnia boss Safet Susic has revealed that defender Sasa Papac is fearing for his future amid the Rangers crisis. (Record)

• Dunfermline have written to the Scottish Premier League after the Fife outfit were not paid the £80,000 owed to the club for the recent meeting with Rangers. (Various)

Falkirk manager {http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/sport/football/pressley_to_discover_his_fate_for_semi_final_rant_1_2133239|Steven Pressley is set to find out today if he is to face a ban|full story} for his half-time rant at referee Euan Norris during the League Cup semi-final last month.

HEARTS manager Paulo Sergio faces a critical decision over who should replace the suspended Andy Webster for Saturday’s match against Dundee United. The Portuguese must choose between Adrian Mrowiec, Darren Barr and Ryan McGowan to partner Marius Zaliukas in central defence.

Webster is banned for one game after accumulating six cautions in the SPL this season. He is available for next weekend’s visit to Ibrox but will sit out as his former club United visit Tynecastle.

McGowan is keen to seize an opportunity to play centre-back, one of his favoured positions, after filling in at right-back and left-back this season. Sergio, however, may favour the more experienced Barr or could opt to move Mrowiec from midfield into central defence.

“As long as I’m on the pitch it doesn’t bother me being shunted about in different positions. I’ll play where the manager asks me to,” McGowan told the Evening News. “I’ve played centre- back before so it’s up to the manager who he wants to play there. If he gives me the shout, I’ll try my best for the team.”

Hearts’ back four has changed regularly since the turn of the year due to injuries and suspensions but McGowan doesn’t feel it is a major problem.

“If you’ve got a stable back four it can help but these things happen in football,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hearts today confirmed the signing of striker Craig Beattie on a short-term contract until the end of the season. The Scotland internationalist, 28, was a free agent after his release from Swansea City.

ENGLAND are grappling with how to tweak a winning team after an unexpected one-day international whitewash of Pakistan.

After the world No 1 side’s 3-0 Test series humbling in Dubai, few expected England to return the favour with a 4-0 ODI trouncing of their hosts.

Stuart Broad’s side prepare for three Twenty20 matches, starting today, as the top-ranked side in that format and reigning world champions.

The only certainty in choosing a side is the absence of ODI and Test No 3 Jonathan Trott, who is not picked in Twenty20 squads these days.

The toughest conundrum revolves around whether to accommodate Alastair Cook’s Twenty20 ambitions on the back of the ODI captain’s prolific run of form at the top of the order in the 50-over game.

Cook has already confounded those who insisted he could not transport his Test match skills to ODIs, and has left no one in any doubt about his wish to try his luck at Twenty20 too.

For Broad, in his first match back in charge after three out with injury dating back to last September, it is an awkward choice between one of his fellow England captains and his young county team-mate and Twenty20 incumbent opener Alex Hales.

There were few clues from Broad – or coach Andy Flower – that they were close to making a decision.

“Cooky is keen to play Twenty20 cricket. He’s made that pretty obvious,” said Broad, whose hand is being forced after the opener was added to the squad because of the back injury which ruled Ravi Bopara out of England’s last ODI win.

Bopara, unlike Cook, who took the option of a day’s rest, went through his paces with bat and ball and appeared to move well at practice.

Broad added: “He’s been kept on in the squad because, obviously, we’ve got some injury concerns – and you can’t go into a series with only one spare batsman because, if someone breaks a finger in the nets, you look a bit silly.

“So it was very easy for Cooky to stay on for an extra three or four days to cover the squad, and we can obviously have a look at him in the Twenty20 format.”

The complication, of course, is the challenge – perceived or otherwise – Cook might pose to Broad’s authority, should he become a Twenty20 regular after all.

Unsurprisingly, Broad does not see that as an issue – explaining that he, Cook and Test captain Andrew Strauss dovetail and exchange ideas constantly.

“Straussy, Cooky and I work pretty closely on all formats of the game,” he said. “Just because Straussy doesn’t play in the ODI format doesn’t mean he has no say or opinion on it.

“It’s the same for Cooky in the Twenty20. The three of us work very closely with Andy Flower, and that will continue.”

Broad has referred, confusingly, to a “few injury scares” in the England camp. But it seems the only doubts surround Bopara and Graeme Swann – who also missed Tuesday’s match, with a tight calf – and it is hoped even they will be fit.

Invited to talk up Cook’s potential as a Twenty20 batsman – the left-hander has played just four times, the last in 2009 – Broad stopped short of a ringing endorsement.

“It seems to be whatever you throw on his plate, whatever you challenge him with, he can adapt his game,” he said. “He’s not played a huge amount of Twenty20 cricket for Essex particularly, so it’s obviously hard to gauge whether he’s a good Twenty20 player.

“But you can see from his ODI form that he’s developed scoring areas, shots, and he’s played some fantastic one-day innings.

“A lot of this game is a mental game, we all know that, and he’s obviously a very strong mental character and can adjust his game to any format.”

Broad and Flower need to make another tough call on whether Kevin Pietersen, on the back of successive hundreds in his last two innings after being pushed up to open in ODIs, ought to do likewise in Twenty20. Any two of four batsmen, it seems – Hales and Craig Kieswetter are the men in possession – could open today.

“Obviously KP showed some great form opening the batting in the one-day stuff. Back-to-back hundreds shows that,” said Broad. “He’s a confident batter at the moment, and a confident KP is good for England.”

Despite playing their third match in five days, Earlston High School emerged winners of the Brewin Dolphin under-18 Plate final after producing a polished performance of running rugby to defeat Carrick Academy at Murrayfield last night.

Outstanding for Earlston was centre Connor Spence, whose powerful running caused problems in the Carrick defence. Spence was helped too by the good distribution from stand-off Ben Chalmers. For Carrick, No 8 Blair Jardine gave inspiring leadership that helped his side hit back with two late tries.

Tries by Spence, prop Calum Crookshake and No 8 Michael Rogerson gave Earlston a 21-12 interval lead, Carrick having had touchdowns from prop Robbie McCreath, and Connor Wyllie.

A second try for Spence and then a touchdown from Chalmers put Earlston ahead 33-12 but Carrick hit back with tries by full-back Lewis Clark and scrum-half Grant Ward to emphasise their competitive spirit.

JEDBURGH Grammar confirmed their favourite status by lifting the Brewin Dolphin Scottish Schools under 16 Plate with a comfortable win over Borders rivals Peebles High School at Murrayfield last night.

“We’ve got a great bunch of guys in this group and some exceptionally talented players. This is great for Jed rugby,” said coach, Kevin Barrie.

Jed were helped to victory by a hat-trick of second-half tries by outstanding inside centre Rory Marshall.

Jed Grammar already looked likely winners when centre Cameron Munro finished off a fine run by Marshall. Two further tries in the first half , by prop Ryan Gibson and No 8 Craig Cowan gave Jed a 17-5 lead.

Then came Marshall’s contribution and a second try by Gibson to give Grammar a sumptuous win. For Peebles, wing Kieran Owen and replacement Ross Beveridge claimed their side’s touchdowns.

Peter Houston has hailed the impact of John Rankin after the midfielder played a starring role in Dundee United’s 4-0 victory over Kilmarnock on Tuesday.

Rankin slammed home the third goal of the night after 70 minutes – with Jon Daly, Paul Dixon and Scott Robertson also on target – and Houston has been delighted with the player’s performances since he arrived from Hibernian in the summer.

“I couldn’t believe I got him, he typifies the spirit of the guys like Prince Buaben and Morgaro Gomis who moved elsewhere,” said Houston of Rankin.

“Since I arrived at the club six years ago, the Dundee United midfield has been all about players who get in your face. John is exactly that type of player.

“His attitude is brilliant and he has settled in well, he’s been a great player for us. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him win a lot of the supporters’ awards at the end of the season as he has been consistent throughout.”

Houston was delighted to see his side record their biggest home success of the season and was also impressed at the calibre of the goals.

“We scored some great goals and it was very pleasing to see,” he added. “Those are the type of goals we score, during the match Paul Dixon hit the post and John Rankin forced a few good saves from Cammy Bell.”

Legendary Liverpool defender Tommy Smith last night revealed that he has sold his medals because he was afraid they would be stolen.

The medals, along with other memorabilia from Smith’s 18- year career at the Anfield club, sold for a combined total of £137,272 at Bonhams saleroom in Chester, Cheshire, yesterday.

Speaking during the auction, the 66-year-old former defender explained he had decided to put them on sale after a string of burglaries at other former Liverpool players’ homes.

Smith, who was known during his playing career as the Anfield Iron, said: “They are not doing anything for me, they are in the loft and I am getting fed up of going in the loft and seeing if they were okay.

“I was getting a little bit weary because there were a couple of burglaries in Liverpool on the Speke side of the town and Liverpool players getting their medals and pieces taken away from them.

“In the end I just thought that I am old enough now to recognise that they are worth a few quid.”

After joining Liverpool as a schoolboy in May 1960, Smith went on to make his debut for the club on 8 May, 1963.

Between then and 1978 he put in 638 appearances for the Reds and scored 48 goals.

Renowned for his uncompromising defensive style and hard man image, Liverpool manager Bill Shankly once said of him: “Tommy Smith wasn’t born, he was quarried.”

Smith yesterday said he would particularly miss three of the medals from his glittering career. The first was the FA Cup winners’ medal from the 1965 final against Leeds, which saw Liverpool win 2-1 to achieve their first-ever victory in the world’s oldest club competition.

Punters at the auction certainly appeared to agree with him, as that medal was the biggest earner of the day and sold for an impressive £15,000.

Next on Smith’s list of favourites was the medal he won in 1973 at the UEFA Cup final, which saw him captain Liverpool to a 3-2 win over Germany’s Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Smith also said that he would find it hard being parted from his 1977 European Cup winners’ medal.

The first of Liverpool’s five European Cup triumphs, the 1977 final in Rome saw Liverpool beat Monchengladbach again, with a goal by Smith.

His 1973 UEFA Cup medal was snapped up for £8,750, while the 1977 European Cup memento went for £14,375.

All the figures include buyer’s premium.

Smith’s one full England cap and 20 shirts worn during big games also went under the hammer.

The latest football news from around Britain

McDermott signs new Reading deal

Reading manager Brian McDermott yesterday signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract in a move which looks to have ended Wolverhampton Wanderers’ chances of taking him to Molineux.

The npower Championship club have announced McDermott, who was operating under a 12-month rolling contract, has committed himself to the Madejski Stadium until the summer of 2015.

Wolves had identified McDermott as a potential candidate to replace the sacked Mick McCarthy but those hopes have now been dashed.

Mackay commits to Cardiff until 2016

Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay has signed a three-and-a-half year contract extension with the Carling Cup finalists.

It means the Scot, whose Bluebirds side meet Liverpool at Wembley on Sunday, has committed his future to the club until at least June 2016.

Mackay, whose team are fifth in the npower Championship, said: “It’s with great pride that I have signed a new and long term contract.

“My positive thoughts of Cardiff, as a city, a club and its supporters have only been enhanced further since coming to south Wales last summer.”

Obua announces end to his Uganda career

Hearts utility man David Obua has announced his retirement from international football with immediate effect.

The former Uganda captain has not played for the Cranes since being expelled from the squad before an African Nations Cup qualifier with Kenya last October. That followed a clash with the nation’s Scottish coach, Bobby Williamson, after he substituted the player in a qualifier in June. Obua said: “To the fans, you have been great and to all the coaches I have worked under, thank you for who I am. I have given my all and where it has not been good enough, I’m only human.”

Morton’s Dingwall trip rescheduled

THE Irn-Bru First Division match between league leaders Ross County and Morton that was postponed less than 45 minutes before it was due to start on Tuesday night when Victoria Park became water-logged has been quickly rescheduled by the SFL.

It was announced yesterday that the game will now take place on Tuesday, 13 March with a 7.45pm kick off.

The postponement leaves County with a backlog of fixtures, with Derek Adams’ men having now played three games fewer than second-placed Falkirk and third-placed Dundee.

]]> 1.2133264 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:16:39 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/fenlon_laments_easter_road_team_s_inability_to_stick_to_gameplan_1_2133263

HIBERNIAN manager Pat Fenlon called for his team to “show more balls” in adversity after watching them concede four goals in 28 second half minutes to lose 4-3 at Motherwell. The loss leaves him with only one victory from 12 Scottish Premier League matches in charge of a Leith club who remain joint-bottom of the table with Dunfermline.

Fenlon was left watching a re-run of previous collapses after his keeper Graham Stack clattered Henrik Ojamaa in the 47th minute to gift the home team a penalty. It proved the turning point in an encounter Hibs were then leading through an 18th minute Isaiah Osbourne strike. “We’ve got to have more balls when we concede goals and stick at it, stick to the shape, the game plan,” Fenlon lamented. “The gameplan worked really well in the first half, why go away from that two minutes in to the second half? But that’s what we did, we went away from what we did really well in the first half.

“We killed ourselves tonight. Motherwell played well, but we didn’t clear our lines, didn’t follow the ball on one-twos, and made rash challenges when players should have stayed on their feet.

“When we conceded in the second half we did get a little bit edgy but when you are at the bottom end of the table for so long it tends to be a bit like that. I can’t fault the players for their effort or work-rate but after playing well in the first half, it was about keeping them quiet and giving them nothing to get their teeth into. Then we gave them the incentive of a penalty and got everybody up for it. Then we got back into the game at 2-2 and I thought ‘right, let’s see it out, get a point, it is a good result here’ but we couldn’t do that.”

Motherwell counterpart Staurt McCall admitted he felt sorry for Hibs in them having come away with nothing after putting so much into a “cracking”, “open” match. He hailed hat-trick scorer Michael Higdon, who sandwiched a thunderous overhead kick between two penalty conversions. “Even if he hadn’t scored, I would have said he did everything a centre-forward should. I think the groundsman will still be filling in the hole where he hit the overhead kick. I worried for his back, his neck, his everything when I saw him cranking up for it.”

McCall refused to contemplate overhauling Rangers, who are now only three points above his side, with an assignment at Celtic Park awaiting them this weekend. Instead, he concentrated on the fact that Hearts and St Johnstone are now 12 points behind his Motherwell side. “We’ve lost 4-0 each time we have played at Celtic in my time, I hope with our current form we can give a better account of ourselves. But there is no more difficult game for us,” McCall said.

DUNFERMLINE have written to the Scottish Premier League after the Fife outfit were not paid the £80,000 owed to the club for the recent meeting with Rangers.

The Pars’ grievance is likely to be addressed at an SPL board meeting at Hampden today, along with the claims of any other clubs who are owed money by the ailing Ibrox outfit.

The money due from ticket sales to the Rangers support was scheduled to arrive with the club on Tuesday but, with the Glasgow club in administration, no payment was forthcoming.

Dunfermline have also contacted Rangers’ administrators, Duff and Phelps, regarding the absent payment, but there was no confirmation of when – or if – the money would arrive.

Dunfermline chief executive Bill Hodgins said: “We have spoken to Rangers administrators to ask whether they knew when a payment was likely – they didn’t. I was told a meeting was taking place regarding football debts, but I have heard nothing else since.”

The three main Rangers supporters organisations have joined forces to launch a website where fans can pledge how much money they would be willing to invest in the crisis club.

The Rangers Supporters Association, the Rangers Supporters Assembly and the Rangers Supporters Trust want to know how much cash could be raised if an opportunity for “meaningful fan ownership” occurs in the future.

A statement from the Rangers Supporters Trust read: “Thousands of Rangers fans have been asking what they can do to help save Rangers Football Club. Today the three main supporter organisations are launching www.SaveRangers.com which gives fans the opportunity to pledge their own money to invest and save Rangers Football Club. We invite all Rangers fans to sign up and state how much money they would invest if the opportunity for meaningful fan ownership occurs in future.

“The three groups call on all potential owners to note that we will no longer tolerate the single owner model for Rangers. We also demand transparency in the club’s finances and insist that all money invested in Rangers should stay within the club.

“The administrators’ report is key to this as it will determine the scale of the task ahead. It is difficult to predict how long this process will take so we would ask fans to be patient and be ‘Ready’ when the time comes.

“Let’s all come together as the one Rangers family and show the world that, like our manager, we don’t do walking away.”

President of the Rangers Supporters Assembly Andy Kerr, said: “People are saying, ‘Can we give you money and how would it help?’ We are in the process of trying to clarify that. There’s always a concern if you throw money at something, is it just going to be gobbled up? We have asked whether any could be ringfenced or used for a clear purpose, for example to help pay staff or player wages, or would it just become part of the big pot?”

Expediency of ending sequence of defeats means the creativity fans crave must wait

AT FIRST glance the Scotland team selected to face France does not reveal the new creative midfield that the national coaches and supporters have been desperately seeking, but there are two key reasons behind that and both come back to the simple immediacy of the need to win Sunday’s Test match. The first is the reality of Scotland’s current resources. With a worrying lack of centres with high-quality passing skills, and no John Leslie-type flying in, Andy Robinson and Gregor Townsend are eagerly watching the progress of young centres Matt Scott at Edinburgh and Clermont Auvergne’s Mark Bennett. But Robinson has learned from experience, notably the early debut he handed teenage centre Mathew Tait with England, that timing is crucial to ensuring talent is not ruined through premature exposure to Test intensity, which is one reason why he is not throwing Scott a debut this weekend.

It is debatable when the best time is to expose a young player, and we could argue the point over Scott, but Ruaridh Jackson, Richie Gray, Lee Jones, Dave Denton, Greig Laidlaw and Stuart Hogg have all been brought through from the ‘A’ team to the senior squad, from training involvement to a place in the 22, and their performances would attest to Robinson getting that right so far. Scott has joined the senior squad for training and so is, in essence, two steps behind Hogg.

The head coach and his assistants have also been sensible in allowing Hogg to remain at full-back for his first Test start this weekend. They agree with his coach at Glasgow, Sean Lineen, that the 19-year-old has the potential to excite at outside centre, but he has enjoyed only two runs there at professional level. At full-back he has found his feet and plays with real confidence, and with more time and space than that afforded at centre he will be a crucial figure in attack and defence on Sunday.

Injuries have also deprived Robinson of Max Evans (ankle) and Joe Ansbro (back). There was a hint from Robinson yesterday that he would have restored Evans to the 13 jersey and Sean Lamont to the wing had Evans recovered, while Ansbro could be a contender for the final two championship matches if he features for London Irish in the next two weeks.

Nick De Luca might have been retained at 13 but Robinson has opted instead for Lamont’s physique against 6ft 4in Rougerie. One suspects that De Luca has also paid the price for his rash sin-binning which opened the door to Wales two weeks ago.

The second key point is that as coaches are required to live in the moment while the rest of us can theorise on what may or may not happen were they to gamble with other selections, they are charged with creating a tactical plan around the players at their disposal to win Sunday’s game, and ease the pressure after four successive defeats.

So, looking at the fact that France have the most potent strike-force of any of the tournament’s sides and the best strike-rate over recent championships, having averaged nearly three per game – and three per game against Scotland in that time too (it is 20 years since they failed to touch down against Scotland) – it is understandable why defence is a primary thought.

He has resisted bringing Ruaridh Jackson back into the matchday squad, as the Glasgow fly-half needs more games after a lengthy period out injured, and is sticking with Greig Laidlaw, which chimes with the thoughts of most supporters.

However, as gutsy as he is Laidlaw is just 5ft 9in and so defence is not the strongest part of his game at Test level, as witnessed in Cardiff with one missed tackle letting 6ft 6in Alex Cuthbert in for a try and others contributing to Wales’ momentum. Laidlaw has good running and passing skills, and he is the sharpest rugby brain at Robinson’s disposal, but the idea of introducing youngster Scott alongside in the face of the marauding French back row and physical centres then becomes questionable.

Graeme Morrison’s greatest strength is his defence. He is not the free-running ball-player that Scott could be, and is still working to rediscover his best form, but he is resolute in Test rugby with great experience of nullifying French attacks.

This weekend Scotland will need that against the formidable duo of Wesley Fofana – the Clermont Auvergne youngster only made his debut against Italy but he is a potent mix of skill, pace and strength – and his veteran clubmate Aurelien Rougerie.

“I think that’s a great match-up with Fofana and Rougerie,” said Robinson. “It’s going to be a phenomenal battle in that midfield. Graeme has done well going back to Glasgow, captaining the side and in his performances, after being on the bench for us in the first game of the championship. Matt is still on that progression we have talked about. With the way we’re trying to play the game it’s important that we’re able to keep the ball for many phases. We believe that if we can play multi-phases against France then we can test them, and their fitness.

“Key to that is that the referee [Wayne Barnes] doesn’t allow France to slow the game down, but with Sean Lamont carrying the way he’s carried, and with Richie Gray, Ross Ford, David Denton and Graeme now as well, we will be able to keep the ball for many phases, and then it’s about taking the chances that we create.”

This weekend, creating chances first will be tougher than in the opening two games and this selection does not point to more line-breaks off first-phase. So how do Scotland uncork an attack to threaten the French?

Robinson alluded to his plan when he stated that the route to progress on Sunday lies with his side’s ability to retain possession and test France’s fitness levels. The French coach Philippe Saint-Andre pinpointed that on Tuesday, highlighting how his players were not used to games where the ball was in play for 46 minutes, as when Scotland played Wales. He cited Stade Francais’ match with Toulon in the Top 14 as showing a ball-in-play time of just 26 minutes. Robinson came up with another statistic of time.

“If you watch the Top 14 games the ball is in play around 26 seconds for each phase of play,” he said, “where we’ve been playing for two or three minutes of phases. They have a more stop-start nature to their game, so that’s where we have to try to impose our game, but you can only do that if you keep the ball.

“If we keep the ball and keep going forward then we can ask questions of this team, but if we are turning over ball or dropping passes it will allow France to get into the game.”

With the blend of big ball-carriers through the pack and at centre, and experience in retaining possession, phases will be the key to bringing the back three of Hogg, Rory Lamont and Lee Jones into play, sapping French energy and cracking open holes.

It all starts with an almighty battle in the forwards where Scotland need good set-piece ball, and to uncover real improvement at the breakdown, but with the pack growing with each game and two openside flankers picked in Ross Rennie and John Barclay Scotland are certainly going for it.

]]> 1.2133253 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:01:38 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/golf_desert_double_as_paul_lawrie_and_martin_laird_progress_in_wgc_event_1_2133252

PAUL Lawrie and Martin Laird provided another satisfying day for Scottish golf as they both recorded last-hole wins in the opening round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

Making his first appearance in the event for nine years, Lawrie produced a polished performance to beat Englishman Justin Rose at Dove Mountain’s Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Marana.

And he was joined in the last 32 by compatriot Laird after the Arizona-based player produced one of the shots of the day at the last to come out on top against Spaniard Alvaro Quiros in a battle between two of the game’s big-hitters.

After recovering from being one down early on, Lawrie was always in the driving seat as the 43-year-old Aberdonian came out on top against Rose – 22 places above his opponent in the world rankings in 23rd spot – to set up a second-round clash today against Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa.

“I played solid,” said Lawrie, who lost to Tiger Woods, the world No 1 at the time, when he reached the quarter-finals on his first appearance in the event in 2000. “You want to play in these events, but there’s no point playing if you come and get beat.”

The former Open champion, who has been riding on the crest of a wave since chasing home Quiros in the Dubai World Championship and then winning the Qatar Masters for a second time, lost the third to a par before winning three of the next five holes.

He responded to Rose twice reducing the deficit to one hole on the back nine with winning birdies at the 11th and 14th before closing out the match by halving the final three holes with pars.

“It was good fun,” added Lawrie. “I hit a poor shot at the third and took the wrong club at the tenth but, apart from that, I was putting for birdie on every hole. I’m hoping to have a good week so that I can climb up the world rankings – and this is the first step.”

Ishikawa, the 20-year-old world No 56, pulled off a shock as he knocked out FedEx Cup champion Bill Haas. The American, who holed a 40-foot birdie putt in a ply-off to win the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles on Sunday, bogeyed the last to lose after standing three up with five to go.

Laird, who lost in the first round to Italy’s Edoardo Molinari on his debut in the event 12 months ago, fell behind at the first to a birdie-3 before getting his nose in front for the first time at the 11th only for Quiros to draw level again at the 14th.

Both players missed good birdie chances – the Spaniard saw an effort horse-shoe out at the 15th – before Laird clinched victory when he almost holed a 9-iron with his approach to the last. “I had 160 yards to the pin and, with the ball flying a bit further in the desert, it was the perfect distance and I felt comfortable over it,” said the Scot.

“With four holes to go, I was feeling a bit nervous as it’s almost a case of sudden-death. Every game is a final and I treated it like that. After a good start to the year in Hawaii, I had a bad couple of tournaments recently but my coach came over from South Africa at the weekend and I hit the ball the best I have for a while in practice. I felt excited about getting out there.”

Laird has another all-European clash in the next round against Italian Matteo Manassero, who was never behind as he beat world No 6 Webb Simpson.

There was a feeling of deja vu for Graeme McDowell as the former US Open champion lost to Korean YE Yang for the second year running.

Tiger Woods was one down to Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano in a roller-coaster tussle after 11 holes. Fernandez-Castano holed putts from 13 and 22 feet to birdie the first two holes. However, the Spaniard bogeyed the par-four fifth after missing the fairway to the right for his lead to be cut to one up before Woods took control with birdies at the seventh and eighth. One up at the turn, Woods lost the tenth after pulling his drive left into desert scrub and also the par-5 11th, where Fernandez-Castano hit his third shot to three feet.

• The FedExCup play-offs, the PGA Tour’s lucrative four-event season finale, have been extended for a further five years.

PRESSURE and international rugby go hand-in-hand but, as some fear that expectations may grow too great too quickly on the shoulders of 19-year-old Stuart Hogg, the player himself is taking it in his stride.

He spent time yesterday, on the squad’s rest day, with his mentor Jim Renwick at Renwick’s old primary school Drumlanrig in Hawick, as part of a “Year of Sport” celebration in their hometown. Hogg spoke to pupils and told them of his delight at being selected to start for Scotland for the first time at Murrayfield on Sunday. Renwick watched on, impressed at the teenager’s sang-froid.

“It is great to see,” said the old master. “There was a bit of local euphoria last week when he was picked on the bench and there was plenty of us down in Cardiff to see him get on, and I think everybody was impressed by how comfortable he looked.

“The Millennium Stadium was fantastic and the atmosphere was incredible, but he didn’t look nervous or out of place, and that’s been his strength. It’s early days with just one game but a lot of people have been saying it’s been a breath of fresh air seeing someone taking on a man and beating him on the outside, and with a bit of luck he should have scored.

“I have enjoyed being his mentor with the Winning Scotland Foundation and, to be honest, I maybe didn’t expect him to do as well in his first game but Stuart has the basic skills and, when he has that, and pace as well, there’s no reason why he can’t push on.”

With a Borderer’s innate rugby intelligence, and no little humour, Hogg has been quickly taken to the bosom of the Scotland team and his team-mates are hopeful that he can help them find a way to build on the first try in five Tests scored by Greig Laidlaw in Cardiff, after his own score was wrongly disallowed. Intriguingly, Renwick scored a try on his first start for Scotland, against France at Murrayfield in a 20-9 win 40 years ago.

Hogg will not be at centre, where Renwick played, but is likely to be given a licence to pop up in attack and take the ball from half-backs Mike Blair and Laidlaw as often as he does from the centres as Scotland seek to build attacks through phases.

Renwick, who is speaking at a Bill McLaren Foundation dinner in Edinburgh tomorrow night, added: “We need players coming through like Stuart who can offer that threat in attack.

“I’ve seen him play well at centre, on the wing and at stand-off, but I think he likes it at full-back and it would be good for him to settle in there.I think we’ve got a chance on Sunday. We’ve held our own up front and, if we get go-forward ball, we should be confident at Murrayfield. You never know with France but the key word is pressure – we have to keep on their tail and keep working and, if we do that, we can beat them. And, if another Hawick lad can score his first try against them, you could probably say they’ll be dancing in the streets!”

• Supporters are reminded to allow extra time to reach Murrayfield Stadium on Sunday on account of ongoing road and tram works in Edinburgh, while supporters travelling by train from the north, north-east, Tayside and Fife are advised of engineering works being carried out by Network Rail, which will extend journey times.

CELTIC manager Neil Lennon insists his team’s relentless surge clear at the top of the SPL is worthy of the highest praise, regardless of the 10-point deduction imposed on outgoing champions Rangers.

The Ibrox club’s slump into administration effectively ended this season’s title race as a contest but Celtic maintained their own impressive momentum last night with a 2-0 win over bottom-of-the-table Dunfermline at Parkhead, a result which moved them a massive 20 points ahead of their Old Firm rivals.

It was Celtic’s 13th consecutive victory in all competitions, a run last achieved by Martin O’Neill’s side in 2003-04. It was also Celtic’s 16th straight SPL win and their 19th successive domestic victory.

Lennon expressed his pride in his players and his satisfaction that they have heeded his advice to retain their focus in seeking to extend their current sequence of results.

“I just gave them a wee reminder before the game,” said Lennon. “I just said ‘don’t spoil it, don’t let it get away from you’. A run like this maybe only happens once in your career. They could easily have switched off tonight and gone home thinking they had chucked it away.

“I played in Celtic teams which won the league by big margins, but I can’t remember ever being 20 points clear in February. Obviously the 10-point deduction for Rangers has played a part but we would be 10 points clear in any other world and that’s fantastic at this stage of the season in its own right.”

Goals from Charlie Mulgrew and substitute James Forrest in each half secured the three points for Celtic on a night when they were otherwise sloppy in front of goal, most notably the normally prolific front pairing of Gary Hooper and Anthony Stokes.

“I thought we made it hard for ourselves,” reflected Lennon. “But the only criticism I can have of my team tonight is that they were wasteful in front of goal. Apart from that, I’m proud of them and the way they played. They kept the winning run going and have opened up a huge gap in the championship. I couldn’t have asked any more of them. It took a wonder goal from Charlie Mulgrew to get us going and when a team sits in like Dunfermline did tonight, it’s important to have players like him who can hit the ball like that from long range.

“After we went in front, we were always in control but when it’s still just 1-0, the other team has a little bit of encouragement.

“The amount of times we got to the byeline and missed the final pass or missed simple opportunities is incredible. We were so comfortable in possession and were never under any great pressure. There can be a lack of clinical finishing in those circumstances and the two strikers can have an off day now and then. I was still pleased with the all round play of both Gary and Anthony.”

Dunfermline remain bottom of the SPL on goal difference from Hibs, who also have a game in hand, but manager Jim McIntyre continues to believe his team will avoid dropping straight back down into the First Division.

“We didn’t deserve anything from the game tonight, I’m not going to try and say anything different,” said McIntyre.

“But what I see from these players gives me great hope and I’ve got every confidence that we can stay in this league.

“We set up defensively tonight because Celtic are a free flowing side firing on all cylinders at the moment.

“We wanted to try and hit them on the counter attack but we didn’t show enough quality when we did manage to find ourselves in those situations.”

Arbroath last night showed they are in the mood to make a real challenge for the Second Division title by seeing off neighbours Forfar at Gayfield.

Forfar took the lead in 13 minutes when Bradley Coyne converted a cross from Iain Campbell but the hosts responded just seven minutes later when Collin Samuel latched on to a long pass from defender Craig Wedderburn to slot home a leveller.

Then Steven Doris stole the show with a hat-trick. He scored two goals in two minutes just before half-time, firstly capitalising on good work from Samuel and then guiding home a Beau Busch cross from six yards. Substitute Gavin Swankie provided an assist from the left for Doris’s third.

Sacked Huddersfield manager Lee Clark has been shortlisted for the 2012 Football League Award for Outstanding Managerial Achievement.

Clark, who was fired by the npower League One club last week, presided over the longest unbeaten run in the side’s history, seeing them go 43 regular season league matches without a loss to set a new Football League record.

The 39-year-old former Newcastle, Sunderland and Fulham player took over as Huddersfield manager in December 2008 and left with the Terriers fourth in the League One table.

However, Clark’s achievements were not deemed to be enough for Huddersfield chairman Dean Hoyle, who defended his decision to sack him earlier this week by saying he had lost faith in his ability to secure automatic promotion.

Despite this, Clark – who has now been replaced by former Leeds manager Simon Grayson – has been shortlisted alongside Brighton manager Gus Poyet and Crystal Palace’s Dougie Freedman for the award, which is voted for by Football Manager website users.

In a statement, the Football League supported Clark’s inclusion on the shortlist following his success during 2011.

It said: “The Outstanding Managerial Achievement Award recognises exceptional individual achievement over the last calendar year.

“Lee Clark led Huddersfield Town to a run of 43 unbeaten consecutive League games during this period – a new Football League record. For this reason he was voted for by fans, before he left Huddersfield, as a fitting candidate for this award.”

The Football League Awards 2012 will be held in London on 11 March. Clark yesterday insisted speculation linking him with other clubs had nothing to do with his sacking. Although he had to distance himself from rumours linking him with positions at Leicester and Leeds in the past, Clark feels that should not have influenced Hoyle’s decision to sack him.

“I wouldn’t like to think so. Surely it’s a compliment,” he said. “All these clubs that came in for striker Jordan Rhodes. Does that mean because they are linked to our outstanding players, we are going to move them on because we get disappointed by them getting linked?

“It’s the same with the manager. If I was doing a poor job, nobody would have been interested in me.”

Clark expressed his shock at the decision to end his tenure at Huddersfield and has urged Hoyle to carry out his dismissal in the correct manner.

“I would just like it sorted out in the right and proper manner. I worked extremely hard for the football club,” he said.

Daniel Uchechi insists he has plenty more to offer at Aberdeen once fully match-fit.

The Nigerian striker made his debut in the William Hill Scottish Cup replay against Queen of the South, before coming off the bench again in Sunday’s goalless draw against St Johnstone in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

He told RedTV: “Personally, there is a challenge for me because I know now what standard and level is expected of me and I am just glad I am getting the minutes to get to the fitness level required.

“My goal is to get back to full fitness and, once I get there, I think the rest will come in terms of getting the ball and doing more with it. When I come on, I’m expected to do as much as I can and to help the team, which I will do whenever I get the chance to play.”

Uchechi signed initially until the end of the season when he arrived at Pittodrie on transfer deadline day, with a further two-year option.

He added: “My aim is to try and get in the team and playing regularly and when I do that, hopefully I will impress. When I am playing I am not thinking about the contract, I just want to get the best out of myself. I know what I can do and I am trying hard to achieve that goal of producing what I am capable of on the football pitch.”

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany believes he and his team-mates showed that they are in the Europa League to win the competition after they thrashed Porto to reach the last 16.

A first-minute goal from Sergio Aguero set City on their way to seal a 6-1 aggregate triumph, with late strikes from Edin Dzeko, David Silva and David Pizarro inflicting further damage at the Etihad.

Kompany said afterwards: “It was a great victory. I think today showed how serious we are about this competition.

“Four-nil is a great result against the holders of the competition from last season. I didn’t think we were at our best but we did exactly what we needed to.”

Aguero’s early goal effectively killed off the tie, another valuable strike from the Argentinian who joined City last summer.

“This is his first season,” Kompany added. “He is doing so many great things for the team.”

Aguero was played through by Yaya Toure and slipped the ball low past Helton. City put the result beyond doubt by going 4-1 up on aggregate when substitute Dzeko collected a fine ball from Aguero and finished with confidence. It quickly became a double blow for Porto as Rolando, who had been booked early in the game, was shown a second yellow card as City celebrated – perhaps for protesting too much for offside.

City wrapped up the game in style as Silva added a third after 84 minutes after substitutes Pizarro and Dzeko combined to provide a tap-in. Another followed two minutes later as Pizarro again linked up with Dzeko and broke into the box to slam past Helton for his first goal for the club.

Pointing out the threat City possess, and the abundance of scoring opportunities they had tonight, Kompany added: “It just shows we always create chances. The strikers have a lot of fun up front. I don’t think our team has ever been stronger.”

City manager Roberto Mancini added: “We played a good game. Maybe 4-0 was too much but it was important we went into the second stage. Porto had lots of possession and it’s not easy to play against them.”

The Italian was also pleased for Pizarro, adding: “I know him very well, he was with me at Inter. He came on for 20 minutes, played very well and scored a goal. His experience can be very important for us.”

On their future prospects in the competition, Mancini added: “We want to get to the final.It will be difficult but for this reason I will play the best team, although we can make some changes every game.”

Sir Alex Ferguson would love to set up a classic European final with Manchester City.

The Manchester United manager freely accepts he did not expect to be in the Europa League this season. However, he feels exactly the same sentiment about United’s title rivals and current Premier League leaders City, who also finished third in their Champions League group.

City are already through to the last 16 after a 6-1 aggregate thrashing of holders Porto last night.

The competition has been derided by many but, like City, rather than turn his nose up at it, Ferguson has decided to embrace it. And while he is aware that there are plenty of hidden obstacles in the way of a final in Bucharest on 9 May, the Old Trafford manager nows if both Manchester clubs make it, the occasion would be one to savour.

“Ourselves and City didn’t expect to be where we are today,” he said. “Both of us will be trying to win it and it would be a great final that.”

Although their passage into the last 16 is virtually secure already thanks to the 2-0 first-leg defeat of Ajax in Amsterdam last week, confirmation at Old Trafford tonight would merely set up another stiff test. The examination would come in the form of either a draining trip to Moscow to face Lokomotiv, or a nasty one to Bilbao and a meeting with an Athletic outfit that have reached the Spanish Cup final already this term and are chasing a top-four finish in La Liga.

“I expect them to win the tie,” Ferguson said of Atletico’s encounter with Lokomotiv tonight, when they will start 2-1 down. “That would be a difficult task for us. You have to recognise there are a lot of teams at a very good standard.”

Ajax must be disposed of first, of course, and Tom Cleverley looks certain to be handed a central role after making his comeback from major foot and ankle problems in the opening game.

The 22-year-old has a lot to live up to, having been praised so highly by Ferguson in his absence. However, Cleverley is trying to take everything in his stride, including a possible England call-up from Stuart Pearce tomorrow. The youngster, who was twice picked for senior squads by Fabio Capello but is yet to make his full international debut, said: “I don’t really listen to what people are saying.

“I just go out and play my football. If I can find some good form from now until the end of the season, I would be more than happy to be involved in the European Championships.

“I know Stuart Pearce quite well from my time with the under-21s. He is a good manager. Hopefully I will be involved.”

Ferguson is more effusive about Cleverley’s talents. The United manager felt much of his side’s brilliant early season form was due to the injection of pace from Cleverley.

He was happy to praise him then and, even though the pair were sat alongside each other yesterday afternoon, Ferguson did not hold back. “Tom is a very clever footballer,” said the Scot. “He has a quick brain in terms of his appreciation of passing.

“An hour was fantastic for him last week after his long spell out. Hopefully he will play a full game tomorrow. It is good to have him back.”

Ferguson also confirmed striker Michael Owen was back in training after a recent thigh problem but would not be considered for another two weeks.

Wayne Rooney will not be involved against Ajax either. The England striker, who was confined to his bed over the weekend, has been ruled out of the last-32 encounter with the Dutch side after picking up a throat infection.

WHILE many people have said football should just do away with the pre-match handshake ritual in the wake of the recent Suarez-Evra and Ferdinand-Terry sagas, Franz Beckenbauer reckons there should actually be more handshaking at games.

The German, speaking as part of a 2014 World Cup task force, said yesterday that players should be made to shake hands in the centre-circle at full-time.

“You could convene at the halfway line and then go off the pitch together,” explained the former West Germany captain and coach. “That’s what we used to do when I was at school.”

JOSE Mourinho is the subject of a complaint by a gay rights group after he allegedly used a Spanish homophobic insult about match officials.

The Real Madrid manager has been accused by the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation (EGLSF) of referring to officials as “maricones”, which translates as “faggots” in English, before the Champions League tie against CSKA Moscow.

Louise Englefield, co-president of the EGLSF, called on Uefa to take action over the comments, which were shown on the Spanish television channel Quatro.

She said: “Homophobia is unacceptable from anyone in football, much less from one of the game’s most senior figures. We are deeply disappointed that Mr Mourinho is casually using homophobic terms of abuse in his workplace.

“It is especially sad that these comments have been made during the International Football v Homophobia campaign week.

“As long-standing partners of the FARE network, we call on Uefa to take action and impose appropriate sanctions.”

Television footage shows Mourinho using the word while inspecting the pitch at the Luzhniki stadium on Monday.

Falkirk manager Steven Pressley is set to find out today if he is to face a ban for his half-time rant at referee Euan Norris during the League Cup semi-final last month.

A judicial panel will hear the case at Hampden this afternoon, as Pressley tries to avoid a verdict which could – in a worst-case scenario – see him banned from the touchline for the rest of the season. The Bairns manager marched onto the pitch at the interval to confront Norris after Celtic were given a penalty in the first period, with Darren Dods adjudged to have impeded Thomas Rogne. Pressley was subsequently sent to the stand for the second half, where he watched his young side succumb to a 3-1 defeat.

The SFA charged the 38-year-old with breaching rule 68, which states that a manager cannot “criticise the performance of any or all match officials in such a way as to indicate bias or incompetence”. Pressley is also accused of breaking rule 203, with the accusation of “adopting aggressive behaviour towards a match official”.

If found guilty of the first charge, the punishment is likely to be between a three and five-game ban, while the second charge could lead to a touchline exile of anything from two matches to 16. Punishments for separate offences can no longer be served simultaneously.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini will accept Carlos Tevez’s apology and the Argentine could be back in action in “two or three weeks”.

Tevez said sorry on Tuesday night for his conduct in recent months having returned to Manchester from his unauthorised three-month break in South America last week.

The 28-year-old striker had been in dispute with the club since he refused to warm up during last September’s infamous Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich. Mancini did not respond to the apology until after last night’s Europa League game against Porto but the path would now seem clear for Tevez to rejoin the first-team squad and he could play once match-fit.

Mancini said: “He has apologised, I do not have any problem. Tomorrow I will meet him before training and after he can start to work with us.

“I think he maybe needs two or three weeks to find good form and after, if he is okay, he will play, like the other players.”

Tevez was given his own fitness programme when he reported back to the club’s Carrington training base last Tuesday.

He has not yet met Mancini as the Italian flew to Portugal last Wednesday for the first leg against Porto and then gave the squad time off over an inactive weekend.

Mancini said: “I think Carlos knows the team very well. The team in the last six or seven months have played very well and is top of the Premier League.

“We know Carlos very well, he is a top striker. If he is good, I think he can do a good job in the next two months.”

Swiss side Basel pulled off another huge Champions League upset with a 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich last night to move within sight of the quarter-finals.

But the German giants will be confident of overturning the deficit in the second leg in Bavaria on Tuesday 13 March.

Substitute Valentin Stocker snatched the winner for the Swiss champions in the 86th minute with a shot which went through Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer’s legs.

The Munich side had survived two early let-offs in the first leg of the last 16 tie as Aleksandar Dragovic and Alexander Frei both struck the woodwork for Basel, whose attacking style accounted for Manchester United in the group phase. The result was another blow for Bayern, who have suffered a loss of form in the Bundesliga and dropped four points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund.

Andre Ayew rose to head home a corner deep into injury time as Marseille beat Internazionale 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash.

Inter, the Champions League winners under Jose Mourinho in 2010, had grown in confidence as the second half wore on, but struggled to carve out clear-cut chances against a well-organized Marseille team which lacked invention and a cutting edge up front.

Claudio Ranieri’s team looked to have done enough to secure a draw, but Ayew timed his run perfectly to head the ball past goalkeeper Julio Cesar’s outstretched hand to condemn the Italian side to their sixth defeat in seven games.

Diego Forlan had Inter’s best opportunity early in the match when he forced the French side’s goalkeeper Steve Mandanda to tip the ball over the crossbar from close range.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis defended his squad selection and insisted he has not given up hope of reaching the last 16 of the Europa League ahead of tonight’s second-leg clash with Valencia at the Mestalla.

Last week’s 1-0 defeat in the first match at the Britannia Stadium left the Potters with a mountain to climb against a team steeped in European tradition.

And the estimated 4,000 fans who have travelled to Spain will surely feel their hopes of victory have not been improved by Pulis’ decision to leave the likes of Ryan Shawcross, Matthew Etherington, Jon Walters and Peter Crouch at home.

The Welshman blamed a combination of injury and fatigue rather than a preference for Sunday’s Barclays Premier League clash against Swansea, where his side will look to arrest a run of four straight league defeats.

Pulis said: “We’ve left a few behind but the team I’ll pick tomorrow is what I think is a very strong team. Every player that will start will be a full international, there are three captains of their countries and we’ll be giving it a go. We think Valencia are the best team we’ve played in Europe so far, no disrespect to [Dynamo] Kiev or Besiktas but we believe they’re a level above them. We know it’s going to be a difficult game against a side full of quality but we’ll do our best and that’s what we always do.”

Pulis expects the atmosphere in the 55,000-capacity Mestalla to be raucous, and sent a message to the Stoke fans to concentrate on supporting their team and enjoying the experience.

“The ground is a fantastic old ground,” added the Stoke manager. “The atmosphere will be brilliant. We just don’t want there to be any trouble, just enjoy the game and enjoy the occasion.”

THREE weeks after making his final appearance for Scotland in the Calcutta Cup match, Dan Parks will return to Murrayfield on Sunday – to present the match ball before kick-off.

Supporters have the chance to acclaim Parks – not always the darling of the home crowd – and Nathan Hines, the 77-times-capped lock and back-row forward.

Parks, the 67-times capped stand-off, proved Scotland’s matchwinner on many occasions in his eight year international career, during which he became Scotland’s record drop-goal holder with some 17 strikes. He retired from international rugby after he was left out of the Scotland squad for the match against Wales a week past Sunday.

]]> 1.2133235 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:35:33 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/saracens_deal_for_farrell_1_2133234

England international Owen Farrell has signed a contract extension with Aviva Premiership champions Saracens.

Farrell broke into the Saracens team last season and, playing fly-half, he guided the club to their first league title with victory over Leicester in the Premiership final.

The 20-year-old made an assured England debut at inside centre in the opening round of the RBS Six Nations against Scotland. Farrell’s perfect kicking display helped England to a 19-15 victory over Italy and he is set to be named in the side to play Wales this weekend, when interim coach Stuart Lancaster confirms the line-up this morning.

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall said: “Owen obviously has a wonderfully exciting future in the game, and we are delighted he has pledged his future to Saracens.”

Farrell is one of 18 Saracens players to have signed contract extensions, with the club planning to announce the rest over the next three days.

]]> 1.2133234 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:34:22 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/six_nations_tobias_botes_gets_first_start_as_italy_s_no_10_1_2133233

ITALY coach Jacques Brunel has made four changes to face Ireland in Saturday’s RBS Six Nations match at the Aviva Stadium.

Tobias Botes will play at fly-half, thus earning his first Azzurri start, with Kristopher Burton relegated to the bench alongside Gonzalo Canale, whose place at number 12 is taken by Alberto Sgarbi.

Benetton Treviso loosehead prop Michele Rizzo will make his Six Nations debut in Dublin, replacing veteran Andrea Lo Cicero, who drops to the bench.

Lorenzo Cittadini will make his first appearance in this year’s tournament replacing injured Leicester prop Martin Castrogiovanni.

Castrogiovanni will miss the rest of the tournament after sustaining a fractured rib in the defeat by England.

Aironi prop Fabio Staibano has also been included in Brunel’s 24-man squad for the first time since the summer of 2009.

Italy began their Six Nations campaign with a 30-12 loss at France and fell 19-15 to England in Rome in the last round.

South Africa clinched their Twenty20 international series against New Zealand after Marchant de Lange claimed two wickets in an eventful last over to seal a thrilling three-run victory in the third and final match in Auckland yesterday.

Having restricted South Africa to a modest 165 for seven at Eden Park, New Zealand cruised to 65 without loss inside six overs but a middle order collapse eventually left them needing seven runs off the last over with five wickets in hand.

Playing in his second Twenty20 international, 21-year-old de Lang conceded a single off the first delivery of the over but removed Nathan McCullum and Doug Bracewell for ducks with the third and fifth deliveries. Needing six off the last delivery, New Zealand were handed a break as de Lange delivered a front-foot no-ball, which James Franklin scored a single off.

A four off the last ball would have sealed victory for the hosts but Tim Southee could not even make contact with the free-hit delivery which de Lang fired past his off-stump. For New Zealand, Jesse Ryder top scored with 52 but Rob Nicol was the top performer, claiming two wickets, taking as many catches and assisting in a crucial run out before returning to hit a brisk 33.

Earlier, put into bat, South Africa found it tough against the Black Caps’ disciplined bowlers and relied on cameos from JP Duminy (38), Hashim Amla (33) and skipper AB de Villiers (29).

THE MCC believe the rest of the cricket world should follow the England and Wales Cricket Board’s lead and call short-term amnesties to encourage the reporting of corruption.

The recommendation is one of 11 included in a report by the MCC’s world cricket committee for consideration by the International Cricket Council. The committee also recommend life bans for the most serious corruption offences, the use of “mystery shoppers” where players or officials are suspected of foul play and the use of lie detector tests on individuals under suspicion. The ECB announced an amnesty programme last month in a bid to bring information about corruption in the game to light while offering a level of protection to those coming forward. The window for reporting information runs until 30 April. The amnesty was announced after former Essex player Mervyn Westfield admitted a corruption charge. Westfield has since been sentenced to four months in prison and has been issued with an interim suspension order by the ECB pending a disciplinary hearing.

Steve Waugh, who led the committee’s anti-corruption working party, said: “I have for some time advocated the idea of amnesties for players or officials so am particularly pleased to see the ECB’s stance on this issue.

“I now hope that the ICC take on board what our committee are saying.”

Kevin O’Brien top-scored for Ireland as they cruised to a six-wicket win over Kenya in their first Twenty20 international at Mombasa.

Kenya batted first and were bowled out for 107 from their 20 overs with Tanmay Mishra the highest scorer with 34.

George Dockrell was the pick of the Ireland bowlers with figures of three for 15 from his four overs. O’Brien scored 30 not out in reply and was supported by Ed Joyce, who scored 88 in Monday’s second one-day international win over Kenya. Ireland raced past their target to reach 109 for four from just 15.3 overs.

It means they have taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match series with the second match to be played at the same ground today.

The latest news from the world of golf

Asian Tour: James Byrne off to steady start at Dehli event

Banchory’s James Byrne bounced back from his nightmare finish at the Phillipine Open, where he ended up second last, to make a steady start in the Sail-SBI Open at Dehli Golf Club.

The Walker Cup player carded a level-par 72, signing for four birdies and four bogeys to sit in a share of 45th place, seven shots behind leader Anirban Lahiri from India.

Dubai-based Ross Bain, the only other Scot in the field, is tied for 64th after his 73, which included three dropped shots, following back-to-back 6s on the inward half.

EPD Tour: Paul O’Hara slips away in Mogador Open

Scottish duo Paul O’Hara and David Law suffered disappointing closing rounds in the Mogador Open in Morocco.

Tied for ninth at the start of the day, Motherwell man O’Hara slipped to 29th after he signed off with a ten-over-par 82 that included six double-bogey 6s.

Aberdonian Law, who had done well to make the cut after bouncing back from an opening 84 with a second-round 70, had a mixed bag of two double-bogeys, five bogeys and two birdies in a 78 to finish 39th.

American Anthony O’Neal claimed the title with rounds of 70, 76 and 73 for a three-over-par total in Essaouira.

Hi5 Tour: Scott Henderson makes his move in Spain

Former European Tour Rookie of the Year Scott Henderson and fellow Scot Greig Hutcheon both shot sub-par rounds on day two of the Hacienda Riquelme Open in Spain.

Henderson bagged five birdies and an eagle in his 68 for a three-under total of 141 to sit eighth, five shots behind the joint-leaders – England’s Eddie Pepperell and Jens Dantorp of Sweden – heading into the final round.

Hutcheon carded a six-birdie 67 to jump into a tie for 11th on 142 as the two north-east men were the only Scottish players to make the cut.

North-East Alliance: Belly putter helps Ian Bratton to third win

Newburgh club pro Ian Bratton shot a three-under-par 68 to chalk up his third win of the North-east Golfers’ Alliance season at Murcar Links today.

But whereas his early-season successes were achieved with a conventional putter, this was his first since he switched to a belly-putter.

Bratton headed a field of 85 in spring-like temperatures but a bit of a breeze by a single shot from Inchmarlo Golf Centre staff pro Ryan Fitzpatrick, who had an eagle-2 at the 17th, where he holed a 9-iron.

]]> 1.2133228 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:25:03 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/matthew_faces_tough_task_to_stop_formidable_tseng_1_2133227

WORLD No 1 Yani Tseng will seek to win one of the few big tournaments she hasn’t yet conquered in her young career when she tees off today in the $1.4million HSBC Women’s Champions.

The 23-year-old from Taiwan dominated women’s golf last year and is off to a strong start in 2012 with a victory at last week’s LPGA Thailand.

But a win in Singapore has eluded her since the tournament began in 2008 and she faces a field of 63 golfers featuring 18 of the world’s top 20 when play starts at the par-72 Tanah Merah Country Club.

“Every year I have come closer and closer to winning this tournament,” said Tseng. “All the best players are playing here this week and the golf course is really challenging, so I can’t wait to go out there.”

Tseng solidified her hold on the No 1 spot with seven LPGA Tour triumphs last year, including major victories in the LPGA Championship and Women’s British Open at Carnoustie. She had 12 worldwide victories in 2011 and the five-times major champion has 33 career worldwide professional wins.

“Winning five majors at the age of 23 is very impressive,” said world No 3 Suzann Pettersen. “She makes us even work harder.”

Australia’s Karrie Webb, who won last year’s tournament, compared Tseng to some of the greatest players in women’s golf history. “I’ve played my career with Annika (Sorenstam), Se Ri Pak and Lorena (Ochoa) and now Yani,” said Webb, who has 38 career LPGA Tour victories. “I’ve played with the best.”

Twelve months ago, Catriona Matthew was the best European in Singapore, the North Berwick player finishing eighth on three-under to secure a cheque for just over $36,000.

Matthew, who won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Mexico towards the end of last year, will be hoping to figure prominently again, having closed with a 68 to secure a top-25 finish behind Tseng in Thailand.

Michelle Wie, who is also in the field, said after she graduates from Stanford University next month she should have more time to focus on golf. “I’m on track to graduate this March, so it’s going to be interesting,” Wie said. “It’s going to be the first time in my golfing career that I won’t have school, or schoolwork to do.”

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga advanced to the quarter-finals of the Open 13 in Marseille by beating Nicolas Mahut 6-3, 6-2 yesterday.

The top-seeded Frenchman did not face any break points, winning 36 of his 41 service points. Tsonga took a 3-0 lead in the first set and broke Mahut twice in the second.

He will next play Edouard Roger-Vasselin, who defeated Flavio Cipolla of Italy 6-3, 6-0. Roger-Vasselin won the last eight games and broke Cipolla three times in each set.

In the first-round matches completed yesterday, Alexandr Dolgopolov rallied to beat Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3. The sixth-seeded Ukrainian broke for a 3-1 lead in the final set and will now face Michael Llodra of France, who defeated Swiss qualifier Marco Chiudinelli 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3). Llodra, a 2010 champion, fired down 12 aces.

On the women’s circuit, meanwhile, US Open champion Sam Stosur advanced to the third round of the Dubai Tennis Championships by defeating Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-1. The fourth-seeded Australian broke twice in both the first and third sets, and saved all nine break points she faced in the match.

Caroline Wozniacki also advanced after the third-seeded Danish player opened her title defence by beating Romania’s Simona Halep 6-2, 6-3.

Wozniacki, who was ranked No 1 in the world until Victoria Azarenka unseated her last month by winning the Australian Open in Melbourne, will next face Ana Ivanovic after the Serbian player yesterday defeated Maria Kirilenko of Russia, 6-2, 7-6 (4).

Earlier in the day, top-ranked Azarenka pulled out of the Dubai tournament because of a left ankle injury. The Australian Open champion, who has won 17 straight matches so far this season, says she will rest for two or three days. “Obviously it’s very disappointing, but, I mean, it’s life. It’s sport. I just have to take care of it and that’s it,” Azarenka said. “I take a couple of days off just to see and hopefully it will settle down. ... But it has to be taken care of right away.”

RED-HOT Racing Post Arkle favourite Sprinter Sacre, pictured, will have no more than 14 rivals after Cheltenham published the latest scratching stage for the Festival novice races.

Last year’s Champion Hurdle runner-up Peddlers Cross, who was dismissed by Sprinter Sacre at Kempton over Christmas, heads the opposition along with Al Ferof, Cue Card, Menorah and Bog Warrior. Sanctuaire, who had not been committed for the race by trainer Paul Nicholls, was the lowest-priced horse of the 12 to be withdrawn.

Cherished racehorse and stallion Royal Academy died yesterday at the age of 25.

One of the last links to both English Triple Crown hero Nijinsky and his late trainer Vincent O’Brien, Royal Academy is best remembered for winning the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Mile. He was ridden that day by Lester Piggott, who had only just been released from a stint in prison.

Royal Academy also won the July Cup and died of old age at Coolmore, Australia, where he spent the last part of his life. Coolmore’s Tom Magnier said: “Royal Academy has been a tremendous servant to Coolmore... He has been wonderfully prolific, siring more than 160 Stakes winners and his progeny earnings are the equivalent of more than US$120,000,000.”

THIS week’s decision by the British Horseracing Authority to make changes to the whip rules has drawn an unimpressed reaction from the RSPCA.

Paul Bittar, the new BHA chief executive, proposed and saw approved a batch of amendments at a board meeting, including the length of penalties officials can apply to riders for overusing the whip.

Rather than it being an automatic breach when a rider uses the whip eight times on the Flat and nine times over jumps, the figures become the trigger point for the stewards to review the ride in question, with the new rules set to begin in early March. Stewards will be given more discretion over deciding how the rider has used the whip, and the severity of the penalty itself.

The revised penalty structure, which will take effect today, means one strike over the limit will still warrant a two-day ban, but two more will now incur a four-day suspension, rather than five days as at present and repeat offences will be treated on their own merits, rather than multiplying as they do now.

David Muir the RSPCA’s equine consultant said: “It is absolutely staggering that the BHA has taken such a backward step, less than six months after the whip rules were introduced to react to public concern regarding the use of the whip in racing.

“The BHA has not seen fit to discuss the need for such changes with any other of the review stakeholders, including the RSPCA and other animal welfare groups, yet they have seen it necessary to change the rules and penalty structure.

“This action flies in the face of scientific research which shows that excessive use of the whip actually increases the likelihood of falls, some of which produce injury or fatality, apparently supported by the short-term statistics available. This is a black day for the racing industry but the real losers are the horses.”

Jockeys, though, were in favour of the move and Ruby Walsh said: “It’s good progress anyway. It’s like anything, you’ll try it and you see how it works. I think they’ve gone the right way and I think it takes the bigger person to go and change rules.”

RANGERS director Dave King arrived at Ibrox yesterday for what were understood to be talks with administrators, but it was the manner in which he left the stadium that was the most striking aspect of his rare visit to Govan.

South Africa-based King, the only survivor from the Sir David Murray era on the board, left Ibrox in the same car as manager Ally McCoist. At the end of last week, McCoist admitted that he had not spoken to Rangers owner Craig Whyte since the club was placed in administration on the Tuesday.

King is the only member of the previous Rangers regime who has not resigned or been removed. It was reported recently that King had been removed as a director, but he remains on the board as a non-executive director. McCoist’s association with the old guard will fuel speculation as battle lines are drawn in the fight for the future of Rangers.

McCoist also had talks with the administrators yesterday, and returned to Ibrox later in the day.

King, who has been involved in a long-running dispute with the South African tax authorities, has previously admitted he considered launching his own takeover bid before Murray sold his shares to Craig Whyte for £1. He was put off by the demands of Lloyds Banking Group.

The Glasgow-born businessman was also linked with another potential bid from director Paul Murray, who quickly expressed interest in forming a takeover consortium after Rangers went into administration last week.

There was no comment from Rangers or the administrator on the latest talks as officials from Duff and Phelps continued to probe the financial dealings surrounding Whyte’s takeover and subsequent running of the club.

The administrators, and Whyte himself, confirmed on Tuesday that a £24million cash injection from investment firm Ticketus, based on advance season ticket sales, had been used to pay off the £18million Lloyds debt.

Supporters are still digesting the statement issued by Whyte yesterday, in which he also announced he would step down as chairman and possibly “gift” fans the majority of his shares.

Andy Kerr, president of the Rangers Supporters Assembly, is keen for supporters to have more involvement in running the club’s affairs, but not with Whyte.

Kerr said: “We are keen to listen to proposals from people who are interested in taking the club forward, particularly if the proposals have fan involvement.

“It’s difficult to break it down into specific details but we have always been huge stakeholders in buying season tickets and merchandise.

“It would be good to harness that into some influence over the governance process and be better placed to avert the situation that has just happened. You look around Europe and there is some good, sound basis for doing that.”

Whyte has already taken a step back but any involvement in the club after the administration process is complete seems difficult to envisage, given the impact on his reputation over the last 10 days.

Whyte stressed on 31 January that claims he had used the Ticketus money to fund his takeover were not true, but was forced to backtrack on Tuesday.

He argued the deal was in the best interests of Rangers and that he was “personally on the line for £27.5million in guarantees and cash”, while claiming his lack of transparency was down to his desire to keep the deal confidential for the sake of Ticketus.

Whyte had already found himself under pressure after the administrators revealed the reason Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs had forced Rangers into administration was because of £9million in unpaid VAT and PAYE accrued since his takeover.

Whyte said on Tuesday that £4.4million of this debt was down to the “wee tax case” dating from before he took over at Ibrox.

Kerr said: “It’s looking less likely he can come back because of the concerns and doubt and lack of confidence in him.”

Administrators David Whitehouse and Paul Clark are continuing to look into issues such as where the rest of the Ticketus money went, having not been paid into club accounts.

They have discussed issues surrounding Rangers’ finances with police, who last week confirmed they were examining information received from former chairman Alastair Johnston regarding Whyte’s takeover.

A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that we have had initial conversations with the administrators of Rangers Football club. We have not received any official report from them at this stage.”

ADMINISTRATORS have described the situation at Rangers as “positive” after they took control of the running of the club last week.

Financial firm Duff and Phelps were called in last Tuesday over an unpaid tax bill accrued since Craig Whyte’s takeover of the Scottish champions last May.

They have praised the continued support of fans, business partners and sponsors – as well as the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football Association – as they work towards securing the club’s survival.

David Whitehouse, joint administrator, said in a statement last night: “Overall, I would describe the situation as positive. Everybody recognises the plight that the club is in and have come to the table to help and assist where possible. We have also had very good support from the football authorities and have met with both the SFA and the SPL.

“Generally other clubs are sympathetic. I think clubs realise this is a difficult time for the football industry in general and Rangers isn’t unique in its financial position. They are very supportive of the survival of the club which is critical to Scottish football.”

Rangers attracted their biggest home crowd of the season for last weekend’s game against Kilmarnock at Ibrox – their first match since going into administration.

Whitehouse added: “The Rangers fans have been absolutely tremendous over the last ten days and it’s vital to the administration process that we continue to receive the support we have had thus far.

“The fans are clearly extremely loyal to Rangers and by coming to matches at Ibrox they are directly contributing to the club’s future.

“We are hopeful that we can enhance revenue streams in the coming months through a variety of means and we have been very encouraged by the support of the business partners who have helped in that regard already. The club’s suppliers are also working with us to improve income flows where possible and the sponsors have also been tremendously supportive.

“We are in discussion with them to see if we can enhance the packages that we currently have in place.

“This is obviously a very difficult period for the club but those who come to the fore and support the club will obtain tremendous publicity which is what sponsorship is all about.

“Right now, it is quite simple – income now will help secure the future of Rangers. Our focus is on generating income but there is also a focus on costs and the steps we are taking in terms of the cost base of the club will evolve during the next week.”

Meanwhile, it is understood the SPL are looking into the match delegate’s report in relation to alleged unacceptable conduct by Rangers supporters during that 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock.

CRAIG Whyte has managed to enrage fans of another club after selling off a historic share holding in Arsenal held by Rangers since the beginning of the last century.

Fans of both sides have united to register their dismay at the sale of 16 shares acquired by the Ibrox club in 1910, with one member of the Arsenal Supporters Trust yesterday accusing Whyte of destroying the history between the clubs for his own personal gain.

It emerged yesterday that Whtye had sold the shares for £230,000 shortly before the Ibrox club went into administration. The sum was not paid into the Rangers bank account, Instead, it remained lodged in one of his companies, Pritchard Stockbrokers in Bournemouth. Pritchard’s assets have now been frozen on the orders of the Financial Services Authority.

For Rangers supporters, the sale of the shares, coupled with the uncertainty over whether the Ibrox club will ever see the sum gathered, is yet another betrayal of the club’s past by someone who has already mortgaged off Rangers’ future courtesy of the notorious season-ticket deal with Ticketus. For Arsenal fans, as well as cutting a bond between the clubs, the move also impacts on an ownership bid being prepared by the Uzbekistan-born billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who is understood to have bought Rangers’ stake in Arsenal for around £15,000 per share.In the view of both the Rangers and Arsenal fans, they were not Whyte’s to sell. For supporters of the English club, the outrage was compounded by the swiftness, and secrecy, with which the deal was done. Arsenal shares are at a premium and are traded infrequently on PLUS, a specialist market.

Whyte chose not to offer the shares to the Arsenal Supporters Trust or the Arsenal Fanshare group, which would have at least ensured that the historic stake came back under supporter-control. Instead Whyte struck a deal with Usmanov, who is now just a fraction away from amassing the 30 per cent share stake which permits him to a place on the Arsenal board and also grants him access to important financial data.

Although small in number, the sale of the shares that were once owned by Rangers could have a significant bearing on Arsenal’s future, with Stan Kroenke, the club’s majority shareholder, under pressure to increase investment. Arsene Wenger’s side look likely to complete a seventh successive season without a trophy. Usmanov has been regarded as persona non grata by the current Arsenal board, but, having agreed a deal with Whyte, he is now just an estimated 50 shares short of reaching the magic 30 per cent mark.

“Every single share is one share closer to 30 per cent, when we might see some pressure brought to bear [on Kroenke],” said Nigel Phillips, of the Arsenal Supporters Trust. Usmanov is reported to be in favour of ending Wenger’s 16 year reign as manager.

“From the Arsenal supporters’ point of view, we are disappointed not to have had the chance to try and buy them, having made representations to both the previous ownership, under David Murray, and having registered an interest with the administrators last week,” he added.

Martha Silcott, an Arsenal Fanshare board member, contacted representatives from Duff and Phelps last week, just hours after she heard Rangers had gone into administration. “I wanted to know whether the shares were still in the possession of the club,” she said. “I said: look, I know you will be leafing through a pile of paperwork, but I wanted to let them know that we [the Arsenal Fanshare group] exist, and we would be interested in buying the shares, if they were ever to be sold.”

The administrators told Silcott that they would be back in touch once they had managed to get a sufficient handle on the finances. But Silcott hadn’t heard back by the time she was stopped dead in her tracks yesterday, when a fellow Arsenal fan phoned to inform her of the sale.

“I was walking through St Pancras Station, and I just froze,” she said yesterday. “I felt sick to the pit of my stomach. It is so disrespectful. It is not as if he (Whyte) didn’t have options.” Indeed, not only does the sale build up Usmanov’s holding in the club through his Red & White consortium, it ends one of the longest associations in football. As recorded in The Scotsman in 2006, Rangers acquired two shares in the London club in 1910. George Morrell is the person who is believed to have facilitated the exchange. Morrell had worked at Rangers before becoming manager at Woolwich Arsenal, as they were then known, in 1908. The clubs played a friendly between each other in April of that year in Glasgow and the English side, who were then based in south London and on the brink of liquidation themselves, later transferred two shares to Rangers in what is believed to have been a thank you gesture. When there was a share split in 1991, both these shares grew into a stake of eight shares each.

Knowledge of Rangers’ share holding in Arsenal only became public knowledge six years ago, after Phillips contacted then Rangers owner Sir David Murray and David Joliffe, the club’s financial director, to ask why they were not listed in Rangers’ accounts. It had become an issue due to the recent rise in value of the shares. Only 62,217 have ever been issued, with the London club now valued at £1.1 billion. “I got a copy of the shareholders’ register from pre-computer days, an old printed paper, it was over 150 pages long,” recalled Phillips yesterday, when asked how he came to learn of the existence of the shares. “I went through and it and there was an entry saying Glasgow Rangers.”

It is not unique for one football club to own shares in another club. Indeed, Fergus McCann was surprised to learn that Celtic owned some shares in Rangers when he took over the Parkhead club in 1994, and swiftly sold them on.

But the Rangers stake in Arsenal was a symbolic one, as much as anything. “It is a great pity,” said Robert McElroy, the Rangers historian. “It’s a part of the heritage of two clubs.”

His view was supported by Silcott, who seethed at the actions of Whyte yesterday.

“This is about a lot more than money,” she said. “It’s about history and the close relationship between two clubs. In one fell swoop, it has been swept aside for personal again. It goes against everything the shares stand for.”

A solid metal cannon, a gift from Arsenal to mark Rangers’ centenary in 1973, is said to reside in the Ibrox club’s Blue Room. Someone had better go and check that it is still there.

WHAT is it about Motherwell and Hibernian? In this encounter they served up a second goalfest of the season at Fir Park in a hugely entertaining ebb-and-flow encounter that had shades of their famous 6-6 draw two season ago as well as their League Cup encounter earlier in the current campaign which Hibs won on penalties after an enthralling 2-2 draw.

Motherwell’s pace and power ultimately trumped their visitors’ pluck but, in defeat, Pat Fenlon’s side could at least draw comfort from the fact they did not capitulate for the second time in a week. From holding a 1-0 half-time lead, they found themselves 4-2 down in 75 minutes, Michael Higdon bagging a two-penalty hat-trick in between.

At that point, they looked as if they could ship five goals again, as they had at home to Celtic at the weekend. Instead, Ivan Sproule brought them back into contention with a scrappy effort and thereafter they just fell short to remain ahead of bottom club Dunfermline only on goal difference. Motherwell, meanwhile, now only trail second-placed Rangers by three points on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run. It was an evening when there was enough electricity inside Fir Park to power the faulty generator that caused the abandonment of this fixture when it was originally played two months ago.

The difference between the teams was the livewire Henrik Ojamaa. He just could not be contained by the Hibs defence, Graham Stack taking him down in the 47th minute, to allow Higdon to make it 1-1 from the spot. Jamie Murphy then edged Motherwell ahead in 63 minutes when he forced in a low Omar Daley delivery but Hibs levelled just three minutes later when Matt Doherty thumped in from eight yards after a scramble. Ojamaa was heavily involved in the two goals that took Motherwell away from Hibs. The Estonian’s strike battered the crossbar, eventually dropping for Higdon to lash in his second and Motherwell’s third with an audacious overhead kick. Ojamaa was then brought down by Doherty for Higdon to complete his treble and put Motherwell 4-2 ahead. Hibs’ response thereafter merely took the form of a consolation.

This particular clash was played out in a genuine big-match atmosphere. Within five minutes of kick-off there were very few empty seats among the three stands occupied by Motherwell supporters, while the visitors also brought an impressive support. The talk pre-match may have all been about the Fir Park side having an opportunity to move to within three points of second-placed Rangers in the battle for the second Champions League qualification slot. However, it was the travelling Hibs support who were pleasantly surprised by the application and appetite of an 11 that had three changes – Sproule and Francomb replacing Wotherspoon and Kujabi, in addition to O’Connor replacing Doyle – from that which started four days earlier against Celtic. Fenlon’s side betrayed no ill-affects of that mauling and, in fact, looked as if they relished an early opportunity for atonement.

Fir Park has been a good venue for Hibs this season. And as much as it would be delightful to think that merely the magnitude of the match brought punters out in force, the numbers would not have been unrelated to the fact that the fixture was the rescheduled Friday night fiver game from December. An electrical fault caused an abandonement half an hour in with Hibs leading through O’Connor. There was an 8,000 crowd for that. They were all afforded free entry for this replay and the 8,065 who turned up were treated to a capitivating encounter. It wasn’t expected that Hibs would draw first blood, yet they did so in curious circumstances. Tom Hateley was short with a passback that Leigh Griffiths latched on to, slipping past Darren Randolph before slowly walking the ball to the byline and cutting back for Isaiah Osbourne to fire in.

Motherwell soon started forcing the play, with Daley, Ojamaa and Murphy providing a zip that gradually wore Hibs down. It was a wonder that they held out until the 47th minute, some decent Stack stops allowing that to happen, before their goal was breached four times in 28 minutes. Hibs are looking dangerously hapless as far as their top flight survival is concerned.

CELTIC maintained their serene progress to a now inevitable first championship triumph in four years as they racked up their 16th consecutive SPL victory with the minimum of fuss against bottom of the table Dunfermline.

Neil Lennon’s men stretched the yawning gap between themselves and stricken title holders Rangers to 20 points as the possibility of them crossing the finishing line when they visit Ibrox next month remains very much alive.

Charlie Mulgrew, named in the Scotland squad for the first time this week, had further cause to celebrate as his magnificent long-range strike gave Celtic a first-half lead which they eventually doubled courtesy of substitute James Forrest’s ninth goal of the season in the 75th minute.

Although Dunfermline carried a sporadic threat in between those goals, Celtic’s control of proceedings was generally close to absolute and they failed to convert a host of chances to put a more realistic reflection on the difference between the sides.

Celtic’s first home game since the descent into administration of Rangers was played against a predictably gleeful backdrop as the Parkhead supporters took the opportunity to revel in the ongoing drama at their ailing rivals.

Along with the now familiar chants declaring their intention to party in the event of Rangers’ demise, there was one elaborate banner which advised alternative uses for Ibrox in that event, among them a tax office.

Amid the gloating, the task for Lennon and his players was to maintain the intensity of focus and sense of purpose which has taken them on such an impressive run of victories. The manager felt comfortable enough to make four changes to the side which had swatted Hibs aside with such ease on Sunday, the depth of his first team squad ensuring it would set no less daunting a task for Dunfermline.

Ki Sung Yueng, replacing Victor Wanyama in central midfield, appeared keen to remind Lennon of his qualities as he set the tempo and direction of the game with some eye-catching work. The South Korean international can often look almost too elegant in an SPL where the emphasis is so often on the more physical and workmanlike aspects of the game.

But Ki’s undoubted technical excellence shone last night as Celtic dominated territory and possession for lengthy spells. He was the first to test Chris Smith, the Dunfermline goalkeeper whose confidence must be fragile after a series of wretched blunders in recent weeks.

Smith certainly looked less than convincing as he failed to hold Ki’s speculative 30 yard drive but no Celtic forward was close enough to take advantage. Another effort from Ki then broke into the path of Gary Hooper but Celtic’s leading scorer was denied a clear chance by Alex Keddie’s alert intervention.

Dunfermline did threaten briefly on the counter attack, Joe Cardle sprinting away down the right after a corner for the home side was cleared. Cardle found Liam Buchanan but before Dunfermline’s lone front man could pick out Kyle Hutton, who had made a lung-bursting run into penalty area, he was dispossessed by Cha Du Ri’s tremendous covering tackle.

Celtic quickly got back onto the front foot and looked certain to take a 19th minute lead when Anthony Stokes sent Hooper racing clear with a terrific pass. The Englishman seemed odds-on to triumph in his one-on-one with Smith but the goalkeeper got a touch on his low shot to divert it narrowly wide of the target.

When the breakthrough strike finally came in the 33rd minute, it was spectacular and unexpected. There seemed little danger to Dunfermline when Ki fed the ball infield to Mulgrew who had advanced from his central defensive beat over the halfway line. But a couple of strides later, Mulgrew unleashed a ferocious left foot shot from all of 35 yards which soared over the startled Smith and into the roof of the net.

Stokes should have subdued any prospect of a Dunfermline recovery five minutes into the second half when he was presented with the simplest of opportunities by a fine Celtic move. Ki and Emilio Izaguirre combined on the left to find Hooper in the box and his header back across goal found Stokes unmarked in front of a gaping target. With the goalkeeper stranded, Stokes astonishingly managed to drive his low shot from around six yards wide.

But the sense remained that it was inevitable Celtic would score again and so it proved 15 minutes from time. Forrest, who had replaced the tiring Izaguirre, timed his back post run perfectly to stab home Hooper’s low right wing cross from close range.

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SCOTTISH Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan has pledged that his organisation’s independent inquiry into the crisis at Rangers will “flush out” the truth of Craig Whyte’s controversial takeover of the club and their humiliating slide into administration.

Lord William Nimmo Smith, a former Supreme Court judge, has been appointed as chairman of the four-man inquiry panel who began their investigations yesterday and will deliver their findings to the SFA’s executive board of directors in a fortnight.

Joining Lord Nimmo Smith and Regan on the panel are Professor Niall Lothian, a past president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland, and Bob Downes, deputy chairman of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.

Regan, who claims the SFA’s previous efforts to establish Whyte’s credentials as fit and proper to hold his position at Rangers had been met with “obstruction”, is confident the stature of those involved in the inquiry will help him fulfil his desire to reach a swift conclusion to the investigation.

“We believe the quality of these individuals will flush out the details we need to know and provide the SFA board with whatever evidence we need to decide what happens next,” said Regan.

“We decided that now the situation at Rangers has escalated, we will have this independent inquiry with three strong, high-profile individuals from the legal, financial and business communities.

“Niall Lothian, for example, has just received an OBE for corporate and civil governance. I want us to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible. The SFA were becoming increasingly frustrated at the obstructions being put in place to prevent us finding out information we needed.”

Regan says the independent inquiry panel members will seek to interview Whyte in person during the course of their investigation, although the SFA chief executive was reluctant to specify the nature of the information they would request from the Rangers owner.

“It is difficult for me to go into details at this stage,” Regan said. “But there is a lot of information we need to look at, particularly information held by the administrator. The first steps our panel will take will be to meet the administrators this week and start to get a picture of the facts they have pieced together over the last week.

“Once that happens they will start to formulate their views in relation to the SFA’s Articles of Association and where breaches of them have happened.

“Interviewing Mr Whyte is one of the options open to the indepdendent inquiry. It will look at everything that has gone on. At this stage, it is about gathering the facts and understanding what has gone on at Rangers Football Club. We would like to conclude it as quickly as possible but we are not putting ourselves into a box concerning timescale.

“It depends what comes out of the Independent Inquiry. So far, the SFA have been kept at arms length by (Whyte’s) solicitors. Despite our best endeavours to get information that would allow us to take a considered view we just haven’t had any information. We wanted to give the club every chance to explain the situation but that has been difficult.

“Our inquiry is only looking at potential breaches of the SFA’s articles.

“So far there has been no transparency or disclosure. That has made the board determined to find out what has gone on at the club and then decide how we deal with that.”

SCOTLAND captain Ross Ford has shrugged off any potential for France to be caught cold at Murrayfield when the RBS Six Nations Championship resumes this weekend.

France missed out on the second round of matches when their home game against Ireland ten days ago was postponed just ten minutes before kick-off. The Stade de France pitch had frozen before the 9pm kick-off.

That game will be replayed on Sunday, 4 March, when the other four teams are resting, which means France and Ireland face four games in four weeks. The Irish will host Scotland in Dublin six days after playing France.

But Ford, who will today be named Scotland captain for the match, does not expect Philippe Saint-André’s side to have lost any sharpness.

Ford said: “Training is intense for every international team and they’ll be peaking to perform on matchday. They’ve been away in camp for a month or so and they’ve been training hard. We’re aware of the challenges they’ll pose us but, for us, the challenge is to do what we do on the training pitch on match day.”

The Edinburgh hooker is enjoying captaining the side but admits it heightens frustration at losing. And France can be expected to pose the stiffest test for Scotland in the championship, particularly up front. They had plenty of problems at the World Cup yet almost beat hosts New Zealand in the final.

But Ford remains confident and said: “It [captaincy] is a massive honour but, for me, winning is what I’m out there to do. The French set-piece is good. The scrum is very formidable. They have a good lineout and they’re defensively good. And they have that ability to attack from anywhere.

“We’ve shown glimpses but we have to win. It’s about getting over that hurdle, pushing the level up again and turning ‘so close’ into actual wins.”

RANGERS have accepted an offer from South Korean club Busan I’Park for Australian midfielder Matt McKay.

If completed, the transfer would give Rangers a much-needed injection of cash and reduce their wage bill as administrators look to cut costs at the club.

A statement on the club’s official website read: “Rangers have confirmed today that a fee has been agreed with Busan but that negotiations on the transfer are still continuing.”

McKay joined Rangers from Brisbane Roar in August for a fee after captaining his former side to the A-League title.

However, McKay, who had been voted his country’s player of the year, made only three first-team appearances for Rangers.

The 29-year-old had a brief spell in South Korea in 2006 when he joined Incheon United on loan during the Australian close season.

Administrators have not announced any job cuts at Rangers since being appointed on Valentine’s Day and have said redundancies are not inevitable, according to manager Ally McCoist.

The administrators have so far focused on probing recent financial dealings around the club, yesterday confirming that owner Craig Whyte had paid off an £18million debt to Lloyds Banking Group with money raised from future season ticket sales.

Hibs received a boost ahead of tonight’s SPL clash at Motherwell as Matt Doherty and Tom Soares were both declared fit to play.

Doherty required stitches for a head knock after being struck by Anthony Stokes’ flailing elbow during Saturday’s defeat by Celtic, while Soares has missed Hibs’ last two games with a hamstring injury.

However, both are in contention for this evening’s trip to Fir Park, although Callum Booth, Danny Galbraith and Ian Murray are still missing for Hibs.

“Matt Doherty got a few stitches in his eye on Sunday morning, but he’s okay – he trained yesterday,” said Hibs boss Pat Fenlon. “Tom Soares has trained for the last few days and he’ll go into the squad for tonight. Callum, Danny and Ian Murray are still out, but everyone else is okay.”

Dunfermline Athletic, level on points with Fenlon’s men at the foot of the SPL table, face a daunting trip to Celtic Park tonight, and Hibs have a chance to draw clear of their Fife rivals. Fenlon insists the prospect of victory for the Easter Road side tonight against third-place Motherwell is far more realistic than against the likes of Celtic, who humbled Hibs 5-0 in Edinburgh at the weekend.

He said: “We’ve got other games ahead that we definitely have to get something out of. Although, Motherwell are probably looking at it saying they can maybe be the second best team in Scotland this year. That would be a fantastic achievement for them if they can do that, but I firmly believe we’re capable of matching most of the other teams.”

Gaining three points tonight would serve Hibs well in their bid for top-flight survival, and Fenlon sees no bigger incentive for his team to achieve that aim than the prospect of players and staff losing their jobs should the Capital club suffer a second relegation in 15 years. “We know we’re going into a tough game,” said Fenlon. “There’s a big incentive for them, but there’s a bigger incentive for us. You’re talking about everybody’s livelihood here, and if that’s not an incentive for people, you’re wasting your time. People have got to realise that that’s what’s on the line here.”

“You can win a couple of games on the bounce and it makes a big difference. You can even drag one or two other teams into it if either ourselves or Dunfermline – or both of us – did that. We haven’t been able to, but that’s what we have to try and do, win back-to-back games and see what happens.

“We’ve spoken about [relegation] and the consequences of it, and if we don’t survive it’s massive for everyone, including the players. The goal is to stay in the league and whatever it takes to win football matches, that’s what we have to produce.”

As Allan Jacobsen savours becoming Scotland’s most capped rugby prop forward, another celebrated denizen of the front row today insisted there were fresh fields for the 33-year-old still to conquer – starting with Sunday’s RBS Six Nations clash against France at Murrayfield.

Jacobsen overtook Tom Smith on his 62nd international appearance last time out and today SRU president Ian McLauchlan, another ex-Lions loose head, tipped Jacobsen to be called up for next year’s Lions tour of Australia. Said McLauchlan, capped 43 times for Scotland: “The Lions missed Allan on their last tour when he was injured. He could have sorted out a lot of their problems (in South Africa).

“I believe there is another three years of top rugby left in Allan, who will go to the next World Cup.

“That means a Lions tour is a possibility for someone who gives everything in every game.

“I have never seen Allan take a rest at any stage of any game; he is working all the time.”

Such an assessment was typical of a particularly upbeat McLauchlan as he approaches his final home match as SRU President having undertaken a second term.

“I’ve enjoyed every moment, especially having the chance to observe close up how much effort is being put in although my dressing-room visits will always be after the game since beforehand is for the players to prepare themselves for matches.

“I’m very pleased with the way things are going; everything is positive. Looking forward there is lots to develop and at the centre of eveything is the game of rugby.”

That was a reference to political turmoil which has at times engulfed the governing body during the professional era. But while eyebrows might be raised with Scotland having just slipped to 11th in world rankings, McLauchlan expresses scepticism at the value of such ratings and insists: “Things can turn around very quickly. One win and the team are on their way again.

“Some time soon this Scotland team are going to open an opponent up because they are making chances and it isn’t as if they are being hammered.

“The message is: ‘keep the head’, especially with the likes of Stuart Hogg, Ruaridh Jackson and Duncan Weir coming through although I admit I don’t know whether we will see the best, or worst, of France this weekend.

“On their day, nobody will beat France but the opposite applies too.

“I say this very reservedly but the way things unfolded for them at the last World Cup when the players didn’t get on with the coach – any other team than them would have quickly been out. France being France they reached the final after a defeat by Tonga and very nearly won partly because their players have an ability to organise themselves.”

As he waits to see which French team will turn up at Murrayfield, McLauchlan insists the hosts have been boosted by news of a sell-out in this fixture for the first time since 1994. “The sell-out signifies the public are keeping faith with a team who should have beaten England and could have won in Wales. It’s a good sign.”

In the wake of Scotland’s 3-49 defeat by New Zealand at the beginning of his presidential term, McLauchlan successfully predicted in the Evening News that the team would immediately bounce back and beat world champions South Africa the following week. They duly delivered. Now he is showing similar bullishness in declaring: “I’m confident this Scotland team can win their three remaining matches in this Six Nations – at home to France and away to Ireland and Italy.”

TWO-and-a-half years since he last appeared at Tynecastle, Robbie Neilson returns to Gorgie this weekend as an honorary Jambo. Thirteen years with Hearts will never be forgotten, even if his aim now is to help Dundee United secure three priceless league points in pursuit of their Edinburgh opponents.

Neilson’s affection for Hearts is both unshakeable and hard to hide. He still attends games as a supporter despite playing for a rival SPL club. Most recently he was at McDiarmid Park for the Scottish Cup fifth-round replay with St Johnstone. His father is even roped into accompanying him on occasions.

He has not been back to Tynecastle since he left for England, though, and is eager to reacquaint himself with his formative club. It is fittingly ironic that Neilson’s last home match as a Hearts player was a 3-0 win over United in May 2009. That victory ensured Hearts pipped United to Europa League qualification under Csaba Laszlo, however Neilson defected to Leicester City on a lucrative three-year contract just weeks later.

On Saturday, he returns to where it all began after being released by Leicester and joining United last autumn. He expects an emotional reunion with a club and supporters he still connects warmly with.

“I’ve not been to Tynecastle since I left Hearts but I’ve been to a few away games,” said Neilson, speaking exclusively to the Evening News. “I went up to Perth last week for the cup replay with my dad. I like to try and get along and watch Hearts when I can because I had a great time there.

“Hopefully I get a good reception on Saturday because I always had a good rapport with the Hearts fans. My first game for United was against Hearts at Tannadice and I got a great reception from the away support that day. It’s a club I’ll always respect. I’ve got a lot of good friendships there which were built up over 13 years. Hearts was a big part of my life.

“I’m looking forward to playing at Tynecastle again. I always enjoyed playing there. It’s a great stadium, everyone knows the atmosphere is second to none. I’ll just need to make sure I go into the right dressing-room when I get there. There are a lot of people at Hearts I haven’t seen since I left. People in the office, people who work on matchdays. I want to see them again.

“A lot of the players have left but Webby [Andy Webster] is back again and Rudi [Skacel] is also there. A few of the young boys have been promoted into the first team, which is always good. Driver is still there, Temps [David Templeton] was just breaking through when I was there, as was Ryan McGowan. Jamie MacDonald now has a chance to play because of Marian Kello’s situation. There has been a big turnover of players but that’s the same at most clubs in two and a half years.”

The obvious highlight of Neilson’s Hearts career is the Scottish Cup success of 2006. Just as memorable were countless sojourns across Europe with a swarm of diehard Jambos. “The European trips were just fantastic,” he recalled. “Travelling with the fans to and from the games, there were some great experiences. Going to places like Bordeaux and winning, going through in Braga, then travelling to Mostar to play Siroki Brijeg. Feyenoord and Stuttgart also stick out.

“The guys you travel with spend a lot of money to go on these trips, they are the real diehard fans and they create a brilliant atmosphere. The away games in Europe are definitely amongst my best memories.”

Neilson’s finest moment in Europe was, unquestionably, his winning goal in Basel in November 2004. His self- effacing nature ensures he avoids mentioning that game. Those who were there won’t forget.

“The Bordeaux game, for example, was brilliant,” he continued. “For a team like Hearts to win 1-0 in Bordeaux was unbelievable. I’ll never forget the flight back with the supporters. The fans start drinking when the sun comes up on these trips and the atmosphere is fantastic. It makes you feel like one of them, like everyone is in it together. Hearts was like that, it’s like a big family. If the fans liked you then you became part of the Hearts family.

“Whenever I’m in Edinburgh, people stop me and speak to me about playing at Hearts. Guys like Gary Mackay and Steve Fulton will get that for the rest of their lives and I still meet people who want to talk about Hearts. There’s always a lot of affection between players and fans.”

After an unfulfilling time in the Midlands, Neilson is back in Scotland sooner than he expected. Peter Houston, the Dundee United manager, offered him a contract until the end of the season having worked with him as Craig Levein’s assistant at Hearts. “I always thought I’d go down to England and stay there for a long time,” said Neilson. “I felt I would come back and play in Scotland eventually, although it’s probably happened sooner than I wanted it to. It’s great being back in the SPL because I left Leicester in the summer and there weren’t any offers I really fancied. I preferred to come back up here and play at a good level.”

His addition to United’s defence coincided with a notable upturn in form. Before Neilson’s arrival in November, Houston was under mounting pressure with only three league wins to his credit. Neilson’s debut brought a 1-0 victory over Hearts on November 19, and since then United have lost only three matches in all competitions. Two of those were to Celtic.

Saturday’s visitors to Tynecastle will therefore arrive in confident mood. Since the aforementioned result between the clubs in May 2009, Hearts have endured a miserable record against United, winning only one of ten subsequent matches between the clubs. Neilson isn’t paying heed to previous form, however. “Going to Tynecastle is a big game for Dundee United. The players we have actually play better away from home, I think,” he explained. “Hearts are above us in the league so if we can win there it would be a great result.

“I think we have a better chance at Tynecastle because the players at United are more suited to the counter-attack. Guys like Johnny Russell, Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong are quick running with the ball from deep positions. Being away from home suits them. You get a more high-tempo game at Tynecastle and that suits me. I prefer playing like that and that’s why I prefer Tynecastle to anywhere else.”

And, of course, he wouldn’t let reminiscing over good times with the opposition compromise his professionalism. “Once I go on the park it’s just about playing for United. I’ll speak to plenty people before and after the game about Hearts, but I’m the kind of person who just gets on with the game. I won’t let anything else affect me.”

Having experienced a relegation fight before, Isaiah Osbourne is well-versed in the qualities required for survival, and the Englishman believes Hibs are well-equipped to face the final three months of the SPL season as they bid to avoid demotion to the First Division.

The Easter Road club, joint bottom of the league alongside Dunfermline Athletic on 19 points, clash with on-form Motherwell at Fir Park this evening and their former Aston Villa midfielder Osbourne will continue to draw upon all the battling qualities he honed while in a dogfight during a loan spell at Nottingham Forest three seasons ago.

“When I was at Nottingham Forest, we were in the bottom four and I was there on loan to help them stay up – and luckily we did,” said Osbourne. “I’ve been through this before.

“From now, you have to take every single game as if it was a cup final and put in one hundred per cent into every single game. It’s quite hard when you’re at the bottom.

“It’s mostly about belief. You can easily lose your confidence because you maybe feel the crowd is on your back. Hibs are such a big club up here that you feel like you’re under pressure. Forest are a big club as well, so I understand. The main thing for the boys is to just relax, play their normal game, and forget about the pressure. We’re going to just have to pull through it.”

Osbourne says that the positive results gained before Sunday’s 5-0 defeat by Celtic, where Hibs achieved consecutive clean sheets at home to Kilmarnock to Aberdeen, are still at the forefront of his thinking. The influential midfielder reckons a survival instinct still exists among his team mates.

“I think it does – you can just tell with the boys,” he said. “The game on Sunday, I think that was a step back because we had gone two games with a clean sheet. As soon as they scored the first goal, our heads went down. I don’t think they were playing much better football than we were. It was just mistakes, and I hold my hand up for the first goal. I don’t think it’s a major setback, though. Hopefully, tonight we can just kick on again.”

Osbourne endured a frustrating spell on the sidelines through injury from shortly before Christmas until mid-January. His comeback came in Hibs’ crucial 3-2 victory over Dunfermline at East End Park and there was little surprise that the dominant midfielder inspired an upturn in the Edinburgh club’s league form. He has since shone alongside Lewis Stevenson in Hibs’ midfield.

“Since coming back, I’d say it’s been quite hard work because of where we are in the table,” admitted Osbourne. “I’m still trying to get my game back to where it was. Before I got injured, I was getting into my stride. I’d say I’d reached my peak and was more confident. I felt fit and sharp, and I feel I need to get back to where I was. Obviously, I’m happy that people are recognising that me and Louie [Stevenson] were playing well but, if the team goes down, we all go down. It’s all about the team.”

Having established a solid central midfield partnership with Stevenson, broken up only by the arrival of Jorge Claros which saw Stevenson redeployed in a wide left role, Osbourne is philosophical over the acquisitions of new players in the Hibs engine room.

“New players coming in make people want to work harder to stay in the team,” said the 24-year-old. “They also bring something different to the team, and that’s what we needed. With Soaresy, he’s more of an attacking midfielder. I’ve seen him from his time at Crystal Palace. Whereas Jorge is a more of a calm, relaxing player who likes to get on the ball and play.”

The victory over Dunfermline last month remains Hibs’ only win in ten league games since the Motherwell away fixture was initially scheduled for completion. In early December at Fir Park, an electrical fire at the Lanarkshire ground saw Pat Fenlon’s first match in charge of Hibs abandoned at half time with the visitors 1-0 ahead through a Garry O’Connor strike.

Osbourne can vividly recall the frustrations of that evening and decided that the occurrence of a problem as unlikely as a floodlight fire was typical of the ill-fortune with which Hibs have been forced to contend this season. “To be honest, we didn’t know anything about it,” he said. “We were in the changing room ready to go out. The boys were stretching, ready to go out. When we were 1-0 up, the enthusiasm in the team was such that the boys wanted to get out early doors. We were just about to leave and someone came to the door and told us about the floodlights and the fire and said just take a seat. About 15 minutes later, they told us the game was called off. The boys were all gutted – it seemed like we couldn’t get a break. We were near the bottom of the table and 1-0 up at half-time and there’s a fire in the stadium.”

Setting Fir Park alight these days is the on-fire striker Henrik Ojaama, nemesis of Hearts on Saturday, who Osbourne says will be Hibs’ major threat.

Well and Ojaama convincingly ripped through Hearts on Saturday and will be aiming for a second Edinburgh scalp in five days. More importantly for the Fir Park side, Rangers are now within catching distance and an unlikely challenge for second place is now a reality. Hibs, on the other hand, could gain ground on tenth place – and pull away from Dunfermline should the Pars fail to pick up points from their visit to Celtic Park tonight.

“The striker Ojaama looks like the main threat for them. Keith Lasley is suspended, and he was injured for the game the last time that was called off. He’s like an engine in there, and he will be a big miss. We’re fighting to stay up and they’re fighting for second. With Rangers being deducted points, they probably think they’ve got a real chance now, just six points behind.”

Endura Racing Team rider Jon Tiernan-Locke landed his second title in as many weeks when he won the two-day Tour du Haut Var in France. And his back-to-back successes are already attracting attention from cycling teams keen to secure the services of the Plymouth man who won the king of the mountains title at last year’s Tour of Britain.

A recent arrival at the Livingston-based professional outfit, the 27-year-old ended the first day in third spot overall. And, displaying his prowess as a climber, he powered his way up the final hill of the second stage to cross the line clear of a strong field and add the title to his success at the Tour of the Mediterranean the previous week.

Endura team boss Brian Smith, a former pro who competed at the highest level, insists the outstanding early season form of Tiernan-Locke has come as no surprise and has simply been a case of harnessing existing talent.

“All we’ve done at Endura is focus his training a bit more and teach him race craft,” said Smith.

The ladies of West Lothian IBC have enjoyed a relatively good season and given an encouraging account of themselves in League and Cup arenas, however, their progress in the Scottish Cup came to an end with a second-round exit.

It was a bold display against Abbeyview at the neutral Dalkeith stadium but the Dunfermline opposition proved just a touch too strong and triumphed 75-69. The match picture did look bright on the first seven-end phase with WL 31-20 up however they suffered a 30-16 loss of the second and Abbeyview stayed resolute to edge the third, 25-22.

Ann Clark did manage to skip her rink to victory by a few shots but Wendy Purdie, Jennifer Sneddon, and Jenifer Richardson suffered narrow defeats.

Clark produced a run of 4, 3, 3 to skip Irene Taylor, Isabel Lindsay and Lily Sword into a healthy 13-5 lead after eight ends but then came under severe pressure and was crossed 16-15 before hitting back to beat M Paxton 22-19.

Purdie also made an encouraging start to skip Eleanor Tollan, Lucy Noon and Claire Watson into an 8-2 lead over Anne Bernard but in a ding-dong battle they went down to an 18-16 defeat.

Sneddon and her rink of Betty Tate, Liz Rogers and Lisa Barrett were 9-6 ahead after nine ends but the loss of 1, 5 brought them under pressure and in another hard fought confrontation they slipped to a 19-16 defeat from M Davies.

Richardson and her front-three of Jean McPherson, Jean Brown and Helen Tully conceded six shots on their third end and it was uphill all the way after that so they did well to only lose 19-15 to Agnes Hutchison.

Meanwhile, the clash of joint favourites Midlothian and East Fife resulted in the 88-73 demise of the Dalkeith challengers in a cracking encounter and the Methil side will play Abbeyview in the quarter-finals.

West of Scotland v Coatbridge; Auchinleck v Blantyre and Turriff v Aberdeen are the other ties in the last eight stage of the Cup.

n GOOD news for two West Lothian IBC stars comes with the announcement from the national bodies that Inveralmond captain Thomas Mann is pulled in as a reserve for the international team while former national singles champion Wendy Purdie is promoted to skip a rink at Swansea.

n GEORGE SNEDDON’S spell as manager of Bowls Scotland International Team has come to and end with him moving over to work with the Elite programme so a replacement for the high-profile Broxburn and West Lothian star is being sought. The closing date for application to Bowls Scotland is Wednesday, February 29.

Edinburgh-based youngsters Iain Innes and Alasdair Sandland are on a high having returned from the English Children’s Ski Championships in Bormio, Italy, with medals.

Both boys won bronze medals in the Giant Slalom events in their age categories last week, Boroughmuir High School’s Innes in the section for 13 and 14 year olds and George Watson’s Sandland in the section for 11 and 12 year olds.

Given that Innes and Sandland are both in the first year of their respective age categories, picking up medals are great achievements.

Innes competes in the World Schools’ Ski Championships in Italy early next month and the British Championships at the end of March.

Sandland will also be competing at the latter event and will be looking to show off his talents so that he can force his way into the British Children’s Ski team for next season.

Edinburgh MONARCHS’ Dutch speedway rider Theo Pijper is “making progress” after being admitted to Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary suffering from pneumonia.

But Monarchs’ co-promoter, John Campbell, is not sure at this stage whether Pijper will be fit to ride in the Capital club’s opening League Cup fixture at Redcar Bears on March 22.

Pijper’s wife Carrie reported: “Theo is starting to improve quite a bit. He has stopped the oxygen and drip and will undergo scans. He is still unwell but is starting to make progress and is getting better.”

Campbell said: “I have not pressed Theo about getting fit for the start of the season because I’m sure he will have lost a lot of strength, we will wait and see how his recovery process goes first.”

Meanwhile, Campbell says that the loss of Newport Wasps from the Premier League due to money troubles is a blow. The Welsh outfit withdrew from the division late last week, and Campbell added: “They had put together one of the best teams in the league for this season and to lose them is unfortunate.

“They have been struggling on for some time now, finance has been the problem for them and it finally became too much for them. It means we will lose two fixtures as a consequence, but will fit something else in to cover our home date.”

Monarchs’ new Aussie signing Micky Dyer is due to fly into Scotland a week on Saturday and, providing he isn’t suffering from jet lag, will be present at Monarchs’ pre-season video show at the Thomas Morton Hall later that evening.

Harry LEONARD, who returned from a rugby scholarship in New Zealand to make three Heineken European Cup starts for Edinburgh this season, will captain Scotland when they meet France in the under-20 Six Nations on Friday night at Galashiels.

Scotland: Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Heriot’s), Jamie Farndale (Edinburgh Accies), Robbie Fergusson (Ayr), Finn Russell (Falkirk), Michael Crawley (Boroughmuir), Harry Leonard (Edinburgh Rugby) (capt.), Matt Torrance (Ospreys), Jamie Bhatti (Stirling), George Turner (Stewart’s Melville), Alex Allan (Loughborough), Adam Sinclair (Stirling), Jonny Gray (Hamilton), Mitch Eadie (Bristol), Jamie Swanson (Boroughmuir).Will Bordill (Sale), Subs. Russel Anderson (Gala), Gavin Robertson (Dundee), Andrew Redmayne (Dundee), Callum Reid (Edinburgh Accies), Callum Maguire (Berwick), Murray McConnell (Glasgow Warriors), Jack Bradford (Nottingham), Tom Steven (Hawks).

Eskmill came back from a goal down to defeat Edinburgh South Reds 2-1 in the first round of the South East Region Youth FA’s under-15 Division Two League Cup at Inch Park.

Goals from Connor McKinnon and Stephen Scott saw the Midlothian team secure a tie against Edinburgh United in the next stage of the competition after Elias Mukora had given Edinburgh South the lead.

The home team went ahead after 24 minutes when Mukora directed his left-footed shot into the bottom right-hand corner of the net from 20 yards out.

Eskmill replied immediately, McKinnon volleying the ball past South goalkeeper Harry Cairns after a Grant Stewart cross.

Reds squandered the chance to go farther ahead when Darren Clegg shot wide when one-on-one with goalkeeper Jack McInnes in the 31st minute and striker Connor Burke headed over the bar three minutes later after a Mukora flick-on.

After gaining some composure, Eskmill took the lead after 38 minutes when Stephen Scott’s spectacular free-kick from about 30 yards out powered into the top left-hand corner of the net.

After the break, both teams launched attack after attack on each other’s goal – Eskmill’s Kyle Scott having a shot well saved by Cairns and Red’s Burke hitting a free-kick which shaved the top of the bar.

Both keepers were being kept busy as the tit-for-tat attacks continued.

However, Eskmill’s McInnes was called into action at crucial times pulling off a double save when blocking Jamie Cowan’s initial shot and then clearing Clegg’s follow-up effort. Shortly after, Mukora got on to the end of a Ryan Martin through-ball but shot over the bar when one-on-one with Cairns.

Reds’ Burke almost got the equaliser with three minutes left but his shot went wide.

Edinburgh South Reds coach Sandy Walker felt that his side’s opponents worked harder to earn the victory and said: “Eskmill were hungrier than us today. We did not seem up for it at all. The midfield was not working how they should and Eskmill deserved the win.

“That’s us out of the League Cup so we just need to fight on in the League. We were a Fourth Division team last year and we’ve jumped up to the Second. If we can finish in the top five we will be quite happy.”

Eskmill coach Stuart Baxter is hoping that the team can get promoted to the First Division, saying: “It went well for us today. We fought well and were first to the ball most of the time. The pitch was not very good, and it was not conducive to passing football, but I thought we did well.

“We hope to achieve First Division status next year. We’re third in the Second at the moment but we have a game in hand. Hopefully, we can finish in the top two and win promotion.”

Edinburgh South Reds: Harry Cairns, Liam O’Malley, Shaun Begbie, Declan Grealis, Ryan Martin, Darren Clegg, Liam Ewens, Elias Mukora, Connor Burke, Bradley Kaye, Taylor Philp, Daryl Craig, Jamie Cowan, Denim Collins.

Eskmill: Jack McInnes, Fraser Cumming, David Wardhaugh, Stephen Scott, Stephen Baxter, Grant Stewart, Kyle Scott, Euan Denholm, Mark Cotter, Andrew Lunbong, Nick Brown, Lawrence Naithsmith, James Burns.

Scotland winger Lee Jones has told of the “vote of confidence” that comes with being sought out by Edinburgh Rugby to sign a contract extension.

The man expected to win his third cap when France are encountered at Murrayfield on Sunday in the RBS Six Nations is now booked into Edinburgh’s squad until 2014 at least.

Jones said: “I still had a year left on my contract it (renewing) was not something I was thinking about or necessarily worrying about.

“For Edinburgh to come in with the offer of an extension is obviously great news for me. They made the approach.”

Similarly Jones took heart from showing he had done enough on his journey into the unknown when England called to merit further opportunities.

“It is a relief in some ways when a second cap comes along. I didn’t know what to expect during my first cap appearance so things must have gone all right.”

Jones summed up that outing by saying there were “brick walls” around the pitch where there were “half gaps” at club level and he found the same situation applied in Wales last time.

“Wales defended with a lot of numbers in their front line defence and it was tough to play against. When teams do that there are gaps left elsewhere and hopefully they can be exploited.”

Were he to be selected against France then Jones will take the field having put the opposing wing threat under a microscope, France having chosen the same starting line-up that beat Italy 30-12 last time.

“Wingers like Malzieu and Clerc have a bit of strength in contact and maybe guys don’t expect that from wingers. They are always trying to wriggle out of tackles and it is hard to put them down. That’s what marks them down and definitely something we will have to watch out for” said Jones.

• TRIES from Cammy Bruce (2), Max Nimmo (2), Richard Tran, Andy Douglas and Colin Goudie, who also had three conversions saw Heriot’s beat Haddington 41-10 last night to book an RBS Regional Cup semi-final on Saturday at home to Currie. Colin Stuart and Kyle Adam scored for Haddington.

Former Scotland under-20 hooker Fraser Brown could take another step on the road back to a pro career as part of the Scotland clubs’ international squad to take on French clubs at Ayr on Friday.

Brown, who starts on the bench, was injured and released by Edinburgh without playing a game and has now converted to flanker at Heriot’s.

Another ex-pro, Sean Crombie, captains the Scots who have Currie’s Richard Snedden back at scrum half and another regular to this level, Alan Dymock, playing prop.

Scotland: Fraser Harkness (Selkirk), Callum Anderson (Aberdeen), Ross Curle (Ayr), Dean Kelbrick (Hawks), Fraser Thomson (Melrose), Lee Millar (Gala), Richard Snedden (Currie), Alan Dymock (Heriot’s), Sean Crombie (Boroughmuir, captain), Alan Brown (Dundee), Rory McKay (Hawks), Scott Sutherland (Ayr), Graeme Dodds (Melrose), Rob Colhoun (Ayr), Ross Weston (Currie). Subs: Fraser Brown (Heriot’s), John Cox (Currie), Gary Holborn (Melrose), Richard Hawkins (Dundee), Andrew Rose (Boroughmuir), Morgan Ward (Aberdeen), Stuart Edwards (Stirling), Danny Gilmour (Stirling).

]]> 1.2131411 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:04:34 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/city_face_vale_in_crunch_clash_1_2131408

Edinburgh CITY’S joint manager John Green whose side meet Vale of Leithen in a crucial Central Taxis East of Scotland Premier Division match at Meadowbank Stadium tonight (kick-off 7.30pm), admitted after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Gretna 2008: “I cannot understand football!”

Green was referring to the fact that he felt that his team could and should have won the game. “We were all over Gretna for almost the entire match and could easily have won by seven or eight goals,” stressed Green.

“We created chance after chance. I cannot believe that we did not take anything from the game. Even the Gretna manager, Stuart Rome, could not believe his side had won. I also cannot believe where we are in the table [third bottom] because the old adage is that league tables never lie but, in Edinburgh City’s case, I think that they definitely do lie.”

Green has to select a side without Andy Howat and central defender Shaun Harrison, who was sent off in the final minute on Saturday, while Kenny Ross and Robbie Ross are doubtful.

Green added: “We face a very good Vale of Leithen team in what is a very important game for both clubs. It should be an open and entertaining game.”

Vale of Leithen, because of various circumstances, have only played six league games and, after another postponement last Saturday, manager Jamie Burrell has a full squad available including new signing Wayne Sproule.

In today’s Rumour Mill: Craig Whyte under fire over latest revelations as Matt McKay heads for exit door; Neil Lennon offers to talk up Stokes for Ireland; Hearts closing in on Beattie signing; plus the rest of the day’s football news and gossip.

RANGERS IN TURMOIL

• {http://www.scotsman.com/news/rangers_administration_craig_whyte_s_promise_to_step_aside_and_hand_rangers_over_to_fans_ludicrous_1_2130271|Craig Whyte’s promise to stand down as Rangers chairman and consider handing over control to fans|full story} has been branded “ludicrous” by supporters angered by new revelations over the financing of the deal that has plunged the Ibrox club into crisis. (Scotsman)

• Scottish Football Association chief executive {http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/sport/football/rangers_crisis_sfa_inquiry_will_flush_out_truth_about_craig_whyte_says_stewart_regan_1_2130237|Stewart Regan has pledged that his organisation’s independent inquiry into the crisis at Rangers will “flush out” the truth of Craig Whyte’s controversial takeover of the club|full story} and their slide into administration. (Scotsman)

• Rangers have confirmed that they have agreed a fee with South Korean club Busan I’Park for Australian midfielder Matt McKay, although negotiations on the player’s deal transfer are still continuing. (BBC)

• Craig Whyte has flogged 102 years of the club’s history by selling off its shares in Arsenal worth £230,000. (Record)

• Defender Dorin Goian’s agent believes the player will need to leave Rangers to protect his career. (Express)

• {http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/sport/football/rangers_administration_big_implications_if_club_didn_t_exist_but_it_still_has_to_meet_obligations_insists_sports_minister_1_2130759|Shona Robison, the Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, says the Scottish Government want to see the “best deal for the taxpayer” achieved from Rangers’ administration|full story} but has stopped short of insisting the Ibrox club must repay the full £9million owed to HMRC in non-payment of PAYE and VAT since Craig Whyte’s takeover last May.

• Dunfermline are expected to contact Rangers’ administrators today seeking the £80,000 they are due from this month’s match in Fife. (Record)

{http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/sport/football/neil_lennon_ready_to_phone_trapattoni_to_urge_him_to_take_in_form_anthony_stokes_to_euro_finals_1_2130727|Neil Lennon says he would be happy to plead Anthony Stokes’ case with the Republic of Ireland football authorities|full story} if he thought it would enhance his striker’s chances of being selected for his country. The Celtic manager expressed surprise that Stokes has not been included in the latest Republic of Ireland squad for their friendly against the Czech Republic next week. (Scotsman)

Hearts hope to complete the signing of former Celtic striker Craig Beattie until the end of the season. Discussions were ongoing yesterday as the player attended the club’s Riccarton training complex. Beattie is yet to sign for the Tynecastle outfit, but it is hoped he will complete a move to the capital in the coming days. The 28-year-old is a free agent after agreeing a mutual termination of his contract with Swansea City. (Scotsman)

Hibernian player {http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/sport/football/hibs_players_hold_meeting_to_patch_up_team_spirit_1_2130157|David Wotherspoon has revealed that the players held a meeting with manager Pat Fenlon|full story} in the wake of their 5-0 defeat to Celtic on Sunday. “We had a big discussion to get us going and I think it really hit home to all of us,” said Wotherspoon. “Everyone was there, everyone was involved and voicing their opinions.” (Scotsman)

St Johnstone have signed former Aberdeen and Hibernian defender Michael Hart until the end of the season. The 32-year-old was a free agent after leaving Easter Road last month. The move was funded by Carl Finnigan’s loan move to Dundee. (Sun)

Former Rangers skipper David Weir returned to Everton as a coach yesterday and was immediately pushed into action for the Goodison Park side’s reserve team against Liverpool. The 41-year-old Weir had only agreed a deal with Everton to help Alan Stubbs run the reserve team a few hours earlier. By the afternoon he was marshalling the Everton defence in the so-called ‘mini-Merseyside derby’, which ended 1-1. (Scotsman)

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]]> 1.2131308 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:37:41 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/hearts_are_poised_to_bag_craig_beattie_1_2130942

HEARTS were today working to finalise the signing of Scotland international striker Craig Beattie, with Tynecastle officials hopeful of concluding a deal within the next 24 hours.

Beattie attended the club’s Riccarton training base yesterday and was expected to train there this morning ahead of his anticipated signing on a deal until the end of the season. The 28-year-old was pursued by Kilmarnock, St Johnstone and St Mirren but has told Hearts he wants to relaunch his career there following his release from Swansea City.

The move must be sanctioned by Vladimir Romanov, Hearts’ majority shareholder, and the club’s board before it can be formally announced. The Evening News has learned that directors have now ratified the deal and it should be confirmed after formalities are completed.

Provided he proves his fitness, Beattie could come into contention for Saturday’s match with Dundee United at Tynecastle. His last game was on loan for Watford against Ipswich on December 3 last year so he would be unlikely to play from the start.

Meanwhile, Hearts midfielder David Obua has announced his retirement from international football in a letter to the Ugandan Football Association. He has not represented his country since being expelled from the Ugandan squad before an African Nations Cup qualifier with Kenya last October. In the letter, Obua said he wanted “to allow upcoming youngsters a chance to show what they can do and for me to concentrate on my club football career.” He continued: “To the fans, you have been great and to all the coaches I have worked under, thank you for who I am. I have given my all and where it has not been good enough, I’m only human.”

THE governing body for athletics in Scotland has announced that chairman Frank Dick has stepped down from his role, having played a major role in the development of the sport during his tenure.

The outgoing chairman, who has led the board for the past two years, was praised for his outstanding commitment to the sport in Scotland and his contribution to the progress made at both grass-roots and performance levels.

Dick, who is based in the south of England, is in great demand internationally as a motivational speaker and, despite an extremely busy schedule, travelled north regularly throughout his time as chairman and was present at many national competitions and other athletics events.

He said: “It has been an honour to have been invited to chair the board of scottishathletics and I firmly believe we have achieved a great deal since 2009.

“Our sport is stronger than it has been for some years and the challenge is to continue that progression as we approach the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

“As I pass on the baton, I wish our athletes at all levels every success as they benefit from their involvement in our great sport.”

Scottishathletics president Leslie Roy said: “Frank brought to the role a characteristic energy and insight, as well as a focus on excellence. The lessons he learned during his outstanding career in international athletics coaching have been very beneficial to our sport in Scotland and he leaves it in a far stronger position than when he arrived.

“He has been tireless in his pursuit of excellence and has genuinely had the best interests of the sport at the heart of everything he has done.

“On behalf of everyone involved in the sport in Scotland I would like to express our sincere and genuine thanks for his efforts over the past few years.” The board of scottishathletics will announce a new chairman in the near future.

• Dwain Chambers’ chances of competing for Great Britain in June’s European Championships hinge on the outcome of the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s ruling over his drugs ban, according to UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee.

“It still remains to be seen,” the UKA chief said. “Let’s wait first to see what the result of the CAS process will be. It depends on when the announcement will be of the process. It’s not set that CAS will come with a verdict on 12 March so we’ll have to wait and see.”

IRELAND have named an unchanged starting XV for Saturday’s RBS Six Nations clash with Italy at the Aviva Stadium.

Jonathan Sexton has made a full recovery from the thigh muscle injury sustained before the postponed match against France and starts at stand-off.

The fixture launches a gruelling schedule of four games in as many weeks as Ireland suffer the consequences of the aborted showdown at the Stade de France ten days ago. Once Italy have been negotiated, they must relocate to Paris on 4 March before preparing for a six-day turnaround to face Scotland.

They conclude their championship against England at Twickenham on 17 March.

“We were tempted to make changes to the team. We had a long discussion about it,” coach Declan Kidney said.

“But this team was good enough to play France so it’s good enough to play against Italy as well.”

IRELAND TEAM (to face Italy in RBS Six Nations match at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Saturday, 1.30pm): R Kearney (Leinster); T Bowe (Ospreys), K Earls (Munster), G D’Arcy (Leinster), A Trimble (Ulster); J Sexton (Leinster), C Murray (Munster); C Healy (Leinster), R Best (Ulster), M Ross (Leinster), D O’Callaghan (Munster), P O’Connell (Munster, capt), S Ferris (Ulster), S O’Brien (Leinster), J Heaslip (Leinster).

Replacements: S Cronin (Leinster), T Court (Ulster), D Ryan (Munster), P O’Mahony (Munster), E Reddan (Leinster), R O’Gara (Munster), F McFadden (Leinster).

GLASGOW have continued their signing spree for next season by adding a Scottish-qualified lock from Newcastle while Edinburgh put another of their rising stars on a longer contract.

A day after Tim Visser confirmed he had signed a new deal taking him through to 2015, his fellow winger Lee Jones was unveiled as the latest Edinburgh player to agree new terms. He has signed an extension through to 2014 which rewards the 23-year-old for his consistent performances for Edinburgh and Scotland in this his first RBS Six Nations Championship.

In Glasgow, Sean Lineen has followed the signings of Rory and Sean Lamont, and Tongan back row Viliami Ma’afu, and re-signing of 12 current players, with Tim Swinson, a 25-year-old second row from the Falcons. Swinson has made 82 appearances since his Newcastle debut in 2007 and in 2010/11 was named Newcastle Player of the Season. Originally from London Swinson played in the Australian Grand Final while studying at Sydney University, and is eligible to play for Scotland through a maternal grandmother from Glasgow. The 6ft 4in, 16-stone forward has signed a two-year deal through to May, 2014.

Jones is preparing to face France with Scotland, but the grounded Borderer took time out yesterday to state how thrilled he was with the contract extension.

“I’m absolutely delighted to have secured an extended contract,” he said. “The last couple of seasons have been incredible. It really is a dream come true to play professional rugby for club and country.

“It has snowballed for me since the start of the season, where I started just wanting to play consistently for Edinburgh. To go from that to playing international rugby has been a big jump, but I’m enjoying it and I’ve certainly improved as a player.”

Michael Bradley, the Edinburgh coach, paid tribute to Jones’ work ethic as well as a strength and speed that surprises opponents. Jones is a great role model for aspiring rugby players in Scotland, through his refusal to be bowed after the professional teams ignored him running in tries as part of Selkirk’s return to Scotland’s top club division.

He went to Heriot-Watt University to study instead, kept playing for Selkirk and took on a gruelling daily gym regime to try and keep pace with others his age in the pro game. He believes that is what has helped him to perform well in the Heineken Cup and Six Nations, and insisted that other club players were capable of making the same progression.

“I like to challenge myself and never sit at the same level,” he added, “and that really helps when it comes to new challenges and being able to step up to that next level.

“A couple of seasons ago I was playing club rugby, but I worked hard on my strength and conditioning and the Scotland sevens helped me, and I had a lot of help at Heriot-Watt to make the transition. It is very hard, but if guys believe they can do it and are willing to put the work in then guys can definitely keep coming through from club rugby.”

As for Glasgow’s new recruit, coach Lineen said: “We see this as a very positive step in our planning for next season. Tim is a player who has consistently stood out in one of the toughest testing grounds for a second row forward, the English Premiership.

“He’s a battle-hardened competitor who relishes the physical side of the game, and he’s not one for taking a backward step when the pressure’s really on. He’ll give us another great option in an area of the team where we’ve already got a good number of guys challenging for jerseys, and it’s another strong piece in the jigsaw for what should be a really exciting chapter in the club’s history.”

Meanwhile, Worcester have signed England international scrum-half Paul Hodgson on a three-year deal from London Irish which will start next season. The 29-year-old has made over 200 appearances for the Exiles but has decided to join former England lock Nick Kennedy in leaving the club this summer.

Worcester head coach Richard Hill said: “Paul is a hugely competitive, positive and enthusiastic player who has a fantastic attitude. he has huge drive to win at absolutely everything he does. He is a scrum-half who is lively around the park, knows how to control a game and puts his body on the line for the good of the team.

“He is a great character to have on the field and I know his enthusiasm will be infectious and will impact on those around him.

“We are determined to only bring people to the Warriors who will give 100 percent in every game they play and will improve our squad. Paul will do just that and has the work ethic and winning mentality to push the club forward.”

Hodgson, who has won nine England caps and is currently a member of the Saxons squad, said: “I am excited by the rest of the season at London Irish and totally focused on helping the team move forward in the Aviva Premiership and make the end of season play-offs.”

SCOTLAND under-20s have lost three players to club duty ahead of their match with France in Galashiels on Friday night, but coach Peter Wright remains optimistic as the young Scots seek a first win of the season.

Centre Tommaso Allan, the nephew of former Scotland and South Africa hooker John Allan, has been recalled by Western Province, Scott Steele, who has started the last two games at scrum-half, has had to return to Leicester and Edinburgh have recalled prop Robin Hislop to their squad for Friday night’s game at Connacht. Glasgow have, however, released scrum-half Murray McConnell to provide bench cover.

Wright added: “Tommy and Scott getting recalled to their clubs means Finn Russell comes in at 12 and Matty Torrance starts at scrum-half. Finn is probably more of a stand-off, but bringing him in for Tommy means it’s a bit more like for like and I’m excited to see what he can do at inside centre from the start.

“Scott going back to Leicester is a good opportunity for him to experience the Premiership set-up, but Matt brings in some pace and his delivery is quick and accurate.”

Scotland lost heavily to England in their opening match and went down out 28-15 in Colwyn Bay, but Wright was encouraged by the second half performance against what was a bigger and more experienced Welsh side.

“What we’ve got to do is get a bit more accurate especially around the contact areas and tackles,” he aid. “We made 94 percent of tackles against Wales but, in that six percent that we missed, we conceded two tries.”

Netherdale is becoming a popular venue for Scotland matches with the A team having attracted a sizeable crowd for their defeat of England Saxons and the under-20s similarly the underdogs this week but hoping for a big backing – entry is free – to emulate the A side and spring a surprise, and provide a boost to the senior team.

“The crowds have been really good there,” added Wright, “and it’s great for the boys to play somewhere which, of course, has a great rugby tradition but also is a pitch of real quality. The French are a big physical side, similar to the Welsh, but we have to not worry about that and stick to our gameplan. The guys are looking forward to the challenge.”

Scotland Under 20s (v France U20 at Netherdale, Galashiels on Friday, 7.30pm): Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Scotland 7s/Heriot’s), Jamie Farndale (Edinburgh/Edinburgh Accies), Robbie Fergusson (Ayr), Finn Russell (Falkirk), Michael Crawley (Boroughmuir), Harry Leonard (Edinburgh, capt), Matt Torrance (Ospreys); Jamie Bhatti (Stirling County), George Turner (Edinburgh Rugby/Stewart’s Melville), Alex Allan (Loughborough Students), Adam Sinclair (Stirling County), Jonny Gray (Hamilton), Mitch Eadie (Bristol), Will Bordill (Sale), Jamie Swanson (Boroughmuir).

Substitutes: Russell Anderson (Gala), Gavin Robertson (Dundee HSFP), Andrew Redmayne (Dundee HSFP), Callum Reid (Edinburgh Accies), Callum Maguire (Berwick), Murray McConnell (Glasgow), Jack Bradford (Nottingham), Tom Steven (Glasgow Hawks).

GALA stand-off Lee Miller has been handed a debut for the Scotland Club International side that will take on their French counterparts in Ayr on Friday (7.30pm).

The No 10, from Elgin, who was a key part of the Maroons’ early season title charge, will be supported by an experienced side of Premier stars captained by Boroughmuir’s former Edinburgh and Newcastle hooker Sean Crombie.

Selkirk and Scotland sevens star Fraser Harkness takes the full-back jersey while Alan Dymock, the Heriot’s prop called into Glasgow’s Heineken Cup squad, starts in the front row. Another ex-Edinburgh hooker, Fraser Brown, makes a welcome return to the representative arena with a place on the bench. Acknowledging the platform this sphere has provided for talented club players, with 17 past caps – including current Six Nations winger Lee Jones – having gone on to professional rugby, coach Ally Donaldson said: “The Club International framework is a great opportunity for the best of Scotland’s club players to show what they can do and to use it as a potential stepping stone.

“This year we are welcoming back a number of experienced players who have been involved before. The players’ commitment has been first-class. They have taken days off work and put in a massive effort for our training matches both as the club international and co-optimists. We don’t know a great deal about the French but we are completely focused on getting our gameplan right and putting in the best performance we can.”

Scotland have lost twice away to France but, in the sole home match, they claimed a 13-9 win at Netherdale in 2010. Their only loss in four home games was a narrow 32-30 defeat to Ireland last year and there are six survivors from that team keen to return to winning ways. It is the first full club international of the season and the first at Millbrae but, with free entry, a big crowd is expected, particularly with Ayr’s Ross Curle, Scott Sutherland and Rob Colhoun playing.

Scotland Club International Team (v France at Millbrae, Friday 7.30pm): Fraser Harkness (Selkirk), Callum Anderson (Aberdeen Grammar), Ross Curle (Ayr), Dean Kelbrick (Glasgow Hawks), Fraser Thomson (Melrose), Lee Miller (Gala), Richard Snedden (Currie); Alan Dymock (Heriot’s), Sean Crombie (Boroughmuir, capt), Alan Brown (Dundee HSFP), Rory McKay (Glasgow Hawks), Scott Sutherland (Ayr), Graeme Dodds (Melrose), Rob Colhoun (Ayr), Ross Weston (Currie).

Substitutes: Fraser Brown (Heriot’s), John Cox (Currie), Gary Holborn (Melrose), Richard Hawkins (Dundee HSFP), Andrew Rose (Boroughmuir), Morgan Ward (Aberdeen Grammar), Stuart Edwards (Stirling County), Danny Gilmour (Stirling County).

FRANCE coach Philippe Saint-André has produced no surprises in his team selection for Sunday’s match, but has spent the past fortnight trying to improve his players’ fitness for the test he expects at Murrayfield.

Their last game against Ireland was postponed due to a frozen pitch, so Saint-André, who took over from Marc Lièvremont after the World Cup, has stuck with the side he hoped to see in action then. That means a debut for Yoann Maestri, the 6ft 7in Toulouse lock alongside Pascal Pape in a pack beefed up from the 30-12 opening day win in Italy. Veteran Toulouse prop Jean-Baptiste Poux starts at loosehead in place of Vincent Debaty, Maestri replaces Lionel Nallet and Imanol Harinordoquy returns to the back row with Julien Bonnaire dropping to the bench.

The try scorers from that opening game in Rome – Vincent Clerc, Aurélien Rougerie, Julien Malzieu and Wesley Fofana – all remain, with the only change in the back line at scrum-half where Morgan Parra is in for the injured Dimitri Yachvili.

Asked why he had made no changes, Saint-André smiled and replied: “Nobody had a bad match. We had good preparation and so I wanted to stay with this team. I want to see this team.”

Asked about Scotland, he said he viewed them as one of the top sides at keeping the ball.

“Scotland are one of the best nations in the world at retaining possession,” he said. “They can keep the ball for more than four minutes at times – we could not keep it for two minutes against Italy. And, to compare, in the Stade Francais-Toulon game at the weekend the ball was in play for 26 minutes, whereas in the Wales-Scotland game the ball was in play for 46 minutes. So this will be a big test for our strategy and our fitness, and our players in the second half will be important.”

The coach spoke of players suffering cramp in the first game in Italy and so they have targeted fitness work in the past fortnight. He also has nine players who played for their clubs last weekend, who he has had to ease back into training this week.

But, he added: “To spend a month with the players has advantages because we have been able to work on the details and I know the group and their characters better now, which is positive.

“Now, we need to be able to play four consecutive matches of high intensity, improving each time and keep a mental and physical freshness. That, in Scotland, will be paramount.”

]]> 1.2130776 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:49:14 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/six_nations_craig_chalmers_backing_stuart_hogg_to_spark_scots_1_2130775

AS STUART Hogg prepares to become the latest young talent handed a Scotland starting jersey, there is a sense that the team is on the cusp of something. It all hinges on the selection nous and timing of Andy Robinson and his coaching team.

In the pack, the improvement of Ross Ford, Jim Hamilton and Kelly Brown (albeit not available in this championship) into recognised Test-quality performers, alongside the emergence of Richie Gray and David Denton, roundly talented youngsters still with much time to develop and learn, and the return of Ross Rennie to fitness and the kind of form he promised before injury struck, provide the core of a strong pack for a few years to come.

The only change in today’s announcement of the team to face France is expected to come at blindside flanker, where Alasdair Strokosch has been ruled out by a broken hand. It is expected that Robinson will start John Barclay, a regular openside, there, which will help Scotland’s efforts to run the French pack about the field.

To that forward mix will soon be added Stuart McInally, the Edinburgh blindside/No 8, lock Grant Gilchrist, Glasgow blindside Rob Harley, openside Chris Fusaro and Jon Welsh, the loosehead prop now learning the tighthead ropes, while Sale Sharks No 8 Richie Vernon is another still firmly in the frame.

But the back line is where the bigger decisions lurk currently and with Greig Laidlaw expected to retain the No 10 jersey and Hogg being handed his first Test start against France, the wheels of change in the threequarters are finally beginning to move. The big question ahead of today’s team announcement is where Hogg will start – 13 or 15?

One would expect the Glasgow teenager to be handed the No 15 jersey after showing up well there as a replacement in his first outing against Wales and having found his feet in that role with Glasgow. But Glasgow coach Sean Lineen and the Scotland coaches believe that Hogg’s future lies at outside centre and are reluctant to keep his attacking skills far from the gain-line for long. How long is the question today.

One coach watching on who recognises the challenge from when he first stepped into international rugby is Craig Chalmers. The Melrose coach has worked with much of the current crop of talent with Scotland under-20s and Scotland ‘A’ level, and was full of praise for Hogg and his wonder try in the ‘A’ team’s 35-0 defeat of England Saxons.

He said: “Some people might have thought Hoggy wasn’t ready but he showed against Wales that he was and I think it’s right that he starts now against France. I think full-back suits him right now with a move to centre at some point when he has more experience of Test rugby.

“It’s not easy knowing when to hand a young player his chance, because it often depends on the support he has. I came in [in 1989] with a lot of experience around me so it was a pretty easy transition. Although, when you think about it, inside me Gary [Armstrong] had just one cap from the November, and outside me Sean Lineen [inside centre] was making his debut, too. So that was a new combination, but there were the Hastings in the backs, Iwan Tukalo and Matt Duncan, and Keith Robertson on the bench, who was a great help to me before the game.

“And we had JJ [John Jeffrey], Fin Calder and Derek White, Damien Cronin and David Sole in the forwards. So there was plenty of experience to keep you right and that’s important when you bring young guys in.”

It is fascinating to contrast and compare the emergence of that team, which would go on to win the Grand Slam in 1990, with the current debate over how many of the new crop of thrusting youngsters Robinson picks and when. Scotland have experienced scrum-halves, whoever they choose, a new stand-off, but one with an old head and sharp rugby brain, and, as in 1989, two brothers with an impressive haul of Test match experience in Sean and Rory Lamont. We are not comparing players or teams, but as was the case then the current backs also have a good pack providing the lead – a good back row, strong lineout and improving scrummage.

“As a youngster I was nervous as hell going into my first international,” recalled Chalmers. “But I was also fairly confident.

“There are talented boys coming through now and you saw how Hoggy did, which didn’t surprise me at all, and I also think Matt Scott [Edinburgh inside centre] is ready for a shot at the top level, too.

“We’re crying out for a change in the midfield now. There is not a lot between the guys up for selection but centre has been a problem for Scotland for a number of years, mostly in distribution. Defensively we’ve been strong, but attacking-wise it’s been a problem. We have good attacking backs but you have to get the ball to them at the right times and in space.

“The midfield is like a back row – you have to have the right blend. Jim Renwick and Alastair Cranston were good, England were at their best with Will Carling and Jerry Guscott, and Australia were successful with Tim Horan and Jason Little… a handler and a physical presence, and ideally an inside centre with vision.

“I wouldn’t start Hoggy and Matt together this weekend, because they are inexperienced, but that’s the pairing I see in the near future. They would get that ball moving to the wings and full-back, which is what I think would turn this team into winners.”

That 10-12-13 axis has undoubtedly kept Robinson, Gregor Townsend and Graham Steadman awake at nights as they seek a finish to their attacking play. Having now coached at every level bar the full Test one, Chalmers has sympathy for his former rival and team-mate Townsend, and believes he has been wrongly blamed for Scotland’s lack of tries.

“Gregor and Andy work hard with the players but the real work is done in clubs, week in, week out. You come to Scotland sessions to fine-tune moves and work on the game-plan for whoever you’re playing against, not on passing and catching.

“Attacking is the hardest part of the game now because defence is so well organised, but the basic skill levels of players in the other nations seem to be higher. I know that a lot of guys in Scotland think they can pass, but don’t practise enough.

“Players in general think they can do the basics well, and then get surprised when they don’t hold up under pressure in international rugby. I grew up with guys who practised day and night, and so to have a chance of playing at club and district level never mind for Scotland everyone had to. But to be a good international player you have to practise again and again and again.

“It’s that work ethic that you see in guys like Jonny Wilkinson, Dan Carter and Chris Paterson. Chris was not a natural goal-kicker but he made himself the best in the world because he practised week after week, month after month, year after year. There’s no shortcut.

“We have guys at all levels of the game who think their skills are good and now don’t need much practise, or just don’t make the time to practise enough And that’s what’s letting us down at crucial moments in games. There’s nothing a coach can do about those basics with a few days’ training before a Test match.”

Much is also being made of composure stopping Scotland claiming victory, but composure comes from confidence in one’s ability and experience of executing successfully. In that regard, then, it is perhaps less of a risk picking a player like Hogg, and Scott, who have superior basic skills to some more experienced players. It is merely a question of when the coaches take the chance with youth.

It will continue today with Hogg following Denton and Lee Jones into the new ranks of Six Nations starters in one of few anticipated changes to the team that lost in Wales, with the hope that it begins to uncover the finishing skills Scotland dearly seek.

ALASTAIR Cook confirmed he would be staying on for the Twenty20 series after captaining England to a one-day series whitewash over Pakistan.

Kevin Pietersen’s second successive century, a career-best 130 off 153 balls, led England to a four-wicket win in the fourth and final one-day international in Dubai.

It came after Cook’s first failure of the series but, having registered two centuries and an 80 in the first three matches, Cook will now stay on as cover for a couple of minor injury worries in the squad.

“I’ve been asked to stay on,” Cook said. “It’s not often you get to hit the ball as well as I have in the last week and a half so it’s important to keep playing.”

Pietersen, without an ODI century for more than three years before his unbeaten 111 three days ago, repeated the dose for a career-best in another run chase under lights.

Cook’s failure immediately put England’s pursuit of 237 all out on the back foot but Pietersen appeared in control throughout his innings, which contained 12 fours and two sixes, as England got the job done with four balls to spare.

He established a scoring rate that kept England ahead of the game, even from a precarious 68 for four after 16 overs, to the extent that Pietersen and Craig Kieswetter’s fifth-wicket stand of 109 did not have to feature undue risks against Pakistan’s spinners.

The whitewash, England’s first against Pakistan for 25 years, was compensation of sorts for the 3-0 Test series drubbing these opponents inflicted on them.

Shortly after the victory the International Cricket Council confirmed England had moved ahead of Pakistan in the world rankings.

After Jade Dernbach’s four wickets for 45 runs restricted Pakistan, England lost Cook to the second ball of the innings, lbw to Junaid Khan after DRS overturned an initial not-out verdict to a quick and full ball.

Cook began with a square-cut for four first ball.

Jonathan Trott went to an attempted paddle-pull at Abdur Rehman which looped into the leg side for a simple catch.

Eoin Morgan was lbw sweeping at Saeed Ajmal and debutant Jos Buttler fell to the off-spinner for a second-ball duck – caught at short-leg.

Pietersen and Kieswetter kept their nerve, though, and demonstrated plenty of skill too against a spin-dominated attack on a used pitch.

Pietersen’s one significant scrape came when he had to resort to DRS to disprove another lbw verdict, this time on the basis that – albeit playing a hapless and uncomfortable sweep at Rehman – he had achieved the basic prerequisite of positioning his front pad outside the line of off-stump on impact.

Little went right, in fact, for Pakistan as their fielding let them down again – and England’s two South Africa-born batsmen swept and drove them to shreds.

After Kieswetter was run out, Pietersen muscled some crucial pulls too in a stand of 59 with Samit Patel until he was last out – chipping Ajmal to point with only two runs needed.

Asad Shafiq (65) and Azhar Ali (58) had earlier ensured Pakistan recovered from their own early setback, the dismissal of opener Mohammad Hafeez with just one run on the board after Misbah-ul-Haq had won the toss.

• Sri Lanka moved to second place in the Commonwealth Bank Series table after bowling India out for 238 in the 46th over to secure a 51-run victory at the Gabba.

Set 290 to win, India fell well short for the second time in three days, leaving Brisbane without a point and falling from first on the ladder to third in the tournament which also features hosts Australia.

SAM Warburton has recovered from injury and will captain Wales when they bid for the Triple Crown against RBS Six Nations title rivals England at Twickenham on Saturday.

The Cardiff Blues flanker missed Wales’ 27-13 victory over Scotland nine days ago due to a thigh problem that forced him off at half-time against Ireland in Dublin a week earlier.

But Warburton is now back to lead a team showing three changes from the one that saw off Scotland.

Wales’ World Cup skipper replaces Aaron Shingler in the back row, while fit-again lock Alun-Wyn Jones is preferred to Ryan Jones and hooker Ken Owens gains his first Wales start.

Owens, who made his Test debut during last autumn’s World Cup campaign, is promoted from the bench as calf muscle strains sideline both Huw Bennett and Matthew Rees.

WALES TEAM (to play England in RBS Six Nations match at Twickenham, Saturday 4pm): L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues); A Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), J Davies (Scarlets), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), G North (Scarlets); R Priestland (Scarlets), M Phillips (Bayonne); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), K Owens (Scarlets), A Jones (Ospreys), A-W Jones (Ospreys), I Evans (Ospreys), D Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues, capt), T Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).

Replacements: R Hibbard (Ospreys), P James (Ospreys), R Jones (Ospreys), J Tipuric (Ospreys), L Williams (Cardiff Blues), J Hook (Perpignan), S Williams (Scarlets).

]]> 1.2130761 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:34:30 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/football_news_in_brief_1_2130760

In today’s briefs: Preston keen to extend McAllister loan, Hearts close to Beattie deal and the rest of the main updates from the footballing world.

Preston want to keep McAllister

Preston are set to hold talks with Bristol City over the possible extension of Jamie McAllister’s loan at Deepdale. McAllister’s one-month stay with North End came to an end following Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Sheffield United – a game he missed due to a hamstring injury. The former Aberdeen and Hearts left-back, 33, is out of favour at Ashton Gate and has yet to play for new manager Derek McInnes.

Hearts close to deal for Beattie

Hearts hope to complete the signing of former Celtic striker Craig Beattie until the end of the season.

Discussions were ongoing yesterday as the player attended the club’s Riccarton training complex. Beattie is yet to sign for the Tynecastle outfit, but it is hoped he will complete a move to the capital in the coming days. The 28-year-old is a free agent after agreeing a mutual termination of his contract with Swansea City.

Stoke win appeal over Delap red card

Stoke City defender Rory Delap has won his appeal against the red card he received in Sunday’s FA Cup victory over Crawley Town.

Delap was dismissed in the first half for a sliding challenge on Crawley’s David Hunt, though his team-mates were still able to record a 2-0 win over the npower League Two side and set up a quarter-final meeting away to Liverpool.

Kuszczak goes out on loan to Watford

Manchester United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak has joined npower Championship side Watford on emergency loan terms for the rest of the season.

The 29-year-old Poland international has made 61 appearances for the Red Devils since arriving in summer 2006 but has not featured for the first team this season, with David De Gea and Anders Lindegaard preferred.

Ex-Norwich striker McKenzie is jailed

Former Norwich City striker Leon McKenzie has been jailed for sending bogus letters to the police in a bid to avoid a driving ban. The 33-year-old, of Northampton, was sentenced to six months in prison after admitting sending the letters to Northamptonshire Police in an attempt to avoid speeding convictions.

McKenzie, who retired from professional football in December, was also handed an 18-month driving ban.

SHONA ROBISON, the Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, says the Scottish Government want to see the “best deal for the taxpayer” achieved from Rangers’ administration but has stopped short of insisting the Ibrox club must repay the full £9million owed to HMRC in non-payment of PAYE and VAT since Craig Whyte’s takeover last May.

Robison, who welcomed the launch of the SFA’s inquiry into the Rangers crisis, expressed fears for the wider consequences to Scottish football if the club went out of business.

While keen to see Rangers meet their financial liabilities, she did not rule out the prospect of a compromise deal being reached on the unpaid bill which tipped them into administration last week.

“At the end of the day, I’m not going to second guess the discussions that are happening between the administrators and HMRC,” said Robison. “They are at a very sensitive stage and I think they should be left to get on with it. But, obviously, we want the best deal for the taxpayer out of this.”

When it was put to her that the Scottish Government could not be seen to support tax evasion, she replied: “Absolutely not. We want Rangers to be able to meet their obligations. The question then is how best are they able to meet those obligations. Hopefully, the administrators will be able to come up with the best situation they can to meet the creditors’ requirements.

“The HMRC is a large one but there are others as well. That should absolutely be a focus. But the Rangers fans are not to blame for that and neither are the staff who work behind the scenes whose jobs are in jeopardy.

“So I think we need to hope the administrators will find a way forward. In my conversation with the administrators, they certainly were very much focused on that effort.

“I think that’s a matter between the administrators and HMRC. But we know HMRC want to get the best deal for the taxpayer. But they also recognise the importance of Rangers to the economy and to Scottish football.

“It’s a very, very difficult situation. The government’s position on this is that Rangers is an important part of Scottish football. There would be big implications if Rangers ceased to exist, not least when you look at the sponsorship and broadcasting deals that involve a certain number of Old Firm matches.

“We would hope that Rangers continue and will be able to meet their obligations. There are obviously a number of obligations out there, not least to HMRC and others. We hope a resolution can be found.

“I know the administrators are working very hard to find a way forward that can hopefully begin to meet some of those obligations. But we’ll need to wait and see what happens.

“It’s a fast-moving situation. Hardly a day goes by that there’s not some development or other. The government hopes for a resolution that finds the best way forward in a difficult situation.”

MARTIN Laird is delighted to have Paul Lawrie for company in this week’s WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson, Arizona, and hopes it’s just the start of an exciting 2012 adventure for the two top-ranked Scottish golfers in the game’s biggest events.

Twelve months ago, Laird was the sole Scot in the world’s top 64, meaning he carried the Saltire on his own in the $8.5 million tournament at Dove Mountain before doing likewise soon afterwards in the second WGC event of the season, the Cadillac Championship at Doral.

Now he’s been joined in the elite events by Lawrie after the former Open champion climbed into the top 50 – he’s 45th and Laird 40th – on the back of a recent purple patch on the European Tour that culminated in him winning the Qatar Masters for a second time. “It is great that I am not the only Scot in the field this week and hopefully there will be more of us in the near future,” said Laird of a recent resurgence by the Scottish contingent on the European Tour that has been led by Lawrie.

“It seems like nearly every week I turn on the European Tour golf there is a Scot lurking somewhere around the lead,” added the Glaswegian. “Paul, in particular, has been playing fantastic recently which is great to see. It was brilliant to see him get the win in Qatar again. It definitely was not a surprise to see him close out the tournament the way he did after his form the last few months, stretching back into the end of last year.

“Everyone knows how good a player he is and I am sure he is going to keep playing well and there can be two of us for now playing in all the WGC events and majors. It can only help Scottish golf, which already seems to be on a great path upwards with the lads in Europe playing good every week right now.”

Lawrie is making his first appearance in this particular WGC event since 2003, when he lost to his fellow former Open champion, Nick Price, in the opening round. Three years earlier, in the first of four consecutive appearances in the event, the Aberdonian fared much better.

Indeed, after beating Chris Perry, Billy Mayfair and Mark Calcavecchia, he took Tiger Woods, the world No 1 at the time, all the way to the 18th before losing their quarter-final at La Costa. Lawrie was two up at one point before Woods won three holes in a row to turn the match around. Lawrie’s opening opponent this time around is Englishman Justin Rose, the world No 23, while Laird, who suffered a first-round exit at the hands of Italy’s Edoardo Molinari a year ago, will be aiming to avoid the same fate today when he takes on Spaniard Alvaro Quiros.

“It’s nice to have such a big event that is a couple of hours’ drive from my house,” admitted Scottsdale-based Laird, who started his season by finishing second behind Steve Stricker in the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii and is still sitting tenth in the FedEx Cup rankings despite missing the cut in his last two events. “I am really looking forward to this week and hope that I can survive a little longer this year than last. It’s always fun to play match play so when it is in such a big event like this it makes it a great week.

“I feel like the course really suits my game and I am comfortable playing on desert-style courses, so hopefully I can be down here well into the weekend. There is a certain apect of luck in the first couple rounds as you can play well and get beaten by someone that is hot that day. On the other hand, you can play average and be up against someone that is struggling.”

THE Scottish Ladies Golfing Association is facing a race against time to have a new championship manager in place for the start of the season.

The vacancy has arisen after Clare Hargan, who has been in the post for just over two years, landed a new job working for the R&A on its rules team.

Hargan, a former Scottish internationalist, used her wealth of knowledge as well as a connection with the players to ensure the SLGA’s events were run professionally. She is due to depart on 23 March, leaving little time for the SLGA to hold interviews and have a successor in place for the start of the new season in mid-April.

“We really need to have someone who can hit the ground running,” said SLGA secretary Dr Sheila Hartley, of a process that has already started, with applications being welcomed.

Walker, Booth and Queen on a Mission

THREE Scots – Kylie Walker, Carly Booth and Clare Queen – have secured places in the field for next week’s inaugural World Ladies Championships at Mission Hills in China.

The event will adopt a unique three-in-one format that will see players competing as individuals as well as for their country. There will be concurrent, 54-hole competitions in three categories – individual professional stroke-play, individual amateur stroke-play and professional teams.Walker and Booth will represent Scotland in the team event.

The tournament, which is being co-sanctioned by the LET and China LPGA Tour, will carry a total prize purse of £380,000, £500,000 less than the prize fund for this week’s HSBC Women’s Champions event in Singapore, where the field includes Catriona Matthew.

O’Hara into top ten in Morocco after 71

PAUL O’Hara leapt into the top ten and David Law also made the cut after both players shot sub-par second rounds in the Mogador Open, an EPD Tour event in Morocco.

Lying in a tie for 38th at the start of the day, O’Hara jumped up into a share of ninth after a 71 for 148, five shots behind new leader Nuno Henriques from Portugal. The former Scottish international started his second-round with a double-bogey 6 and dropped another shot at the third before covering his final 14 holes in four-under.

Law looked to have little hope of surviving the cut after an opening 84, but the Aberdonian showed courage to trim 14 shots off that effort.

Ross Cameron (74), Philip McLean (74) and Jordan Findlay (75) also produced better second-day performances but fell below the cut line.

]]> 1.2130750 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:18:33 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/heriot_s_41_10_haddington_heriot_s_proceed_to_semi_final_with_comprehensive_win_1_2130728

HERIOT’S progressed to an RBS Edinburgh Regional Cup semi-final against Currie with a defeat of Haddington last night.

The comfortable 41-10 win saw them top Pool 1, but it was the visitors who had the first chance at Meggetland.

Stand-off Ross King missed that penalty opportunity, though and, with a quarter of the match played, Heriot’s were 10-0 up. The tries came through centre Max Nimmo and scrum-half Richard Tran, the latter after a well-worked move. Three more tries arrived for the RBS Premier B side before the break, the first by winger Cammy Bruce, the second by Nimmo and the third by centre Andy Douglas.

Full-back Colin Goudie converted the latter two to make it 29-0 at the interval.

The second-half seemed like it would all be about damage limitation for the East Lothian men but, to their credit, they started the period strongly and had scored two tries by the 56th minute.

They came from second-row Colin Stuart and then winger Kyle Adam, the latter showing good skill to collect a crossfield kick and touch down.

The RBS Premier 3 men can be pleased with their effort in the second 40 minutes but it was Heriot’s who finished the scoring with tries from Goudie and Bruce.

]]> 1.2130728 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:11:22 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/neil_lennon_ready_to_phone_trapattoni_to_urge_him_to_take_in_form_anthony_stokes_to_euro_finals_1_2130727

NEIL Lennon says he would be happy to plead Anthony Stokes’ case with the Republic of Ireland football authorities if he thought it would enhance his striker’s chances of being selected for his country.

The Celtic manager expressed surprise that Stokes has not been included in the latest Republic of Ireland squad for their friendly against the Czech Republic next week. Questioning whether there was something personal behind the omission, he said that he would contemplate putting in a call to the FAI if his player’s ongoing improvement went unrewarded.

“Okay, he hasn’t played in any of the qualifying games and there was that time when he pulled out when he was feeling tired at the end of last season. [Giovanni] Trapattoni [the national manager] is probably looking at the players that got him [to this summer’s Euro Championships], but I think the way Anthony is playing, he cannot be ignored. “I see young Jack McClean was picked from Sunderland and if Anthony keeps going in the same vein as he is going, I will be putting a call into the FAI and saying: ‘Look. I think this kid is worth another look.’

“I don’t know if it’s a personal thing. But he’s in form and has scored 18 goals this season. If you look at the other Irish boys in his position. Walters, Doyle, Shane Long, who I admire but has had injury problems. Simon Cox has not been playing as regularly as he would like at West Brom. Anthony has played a lot of games this year and scored a lot of goals and has proved he can score in Europe by playing well and scoring against Rennes. It might have been in people’s minds about whether he could make the step up, but he’s done it this season for us. So I would be prepared to make that call.

“I’m not going to tell Mr Trapattoni how to do his job. All I’m doing is saying, ‘look, I recommend this player to you, and I think he’s worth a look again’. If he can play as he did on Sunday consistently then he’s good enough to be in the squad as far as I’m concerned.”

One of the top performers in a Celtic side which swept Hibs aside 5-0 at the weekend, Stokes’ club manager believes he is playing better than ever having added to his game.

“I think Anthony is definitely improving and there is scope for more. But, if you look at his performance against Hibs, he gave us everything we ask of him. Anthony will always score goals because he has that instinctive movement, but the other aspects of his game were short at times.

“He needs to be more consistent with that. It’s a challenge for me, but it’s got to come from the player himself as well. But he’s seen what he can do, the praise he got afterwards, and the feeling he gets when he puts in a performance like that.”

Lennon’s analysis of his striker is similar to the way he views his team at the moment. Impressed with what they are offering him, he believes there is still more to come. It is an ominous prediction and one which will leave tonight’s opponents, Dunfermline, wary.

“The hard thing is maintaining that and going Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday. It’s a difficult thing to do and we might change the team a little as we have guys who are itching to play.”

The strength in depth is certainly there for all to see and with no fresh injury or suspension issues, it’s not as if he will be putting out a weakened side to face Jim Macintyre’s men.

“Whatever team we send out, it will be strong. There is a belief in the squad. Even before the administration saga, they were playing with it. Look at the performance at Tynecastle two weeks ago. It was great and one of the best in my time here. But we have to temper the euphoria at the minute because we know there are teams we have to beat who are being put in front of us.

“We made life difficult for ourselves against Dunfermline here the last time by missing a lot of chances and they got a good goal with ten minutes to go. From a comfortable position, it became an uncomfortable last ten minutes.”

But the situation Celtic find themselves in at the moment is extremely comfortable. In their six SPL games since the turn of the year, they have scored 17 goals and conceded just one. Another win would extend the gap over Rangers to 20 points.

CRAIG Whyte may have confirmed he does not intend to return as chairman of Rangers once the club emerges from administration.

Indeed, it remains open to serious doubt whether he will be back at Ibrox in any capacity at all when the dust settles on the crisis currently gripping the Scottish champions.

But, irrespective of whether Whyte has a formal connection with Rangers in the future, SFA chief executive Stewart Regan insists there will be no hiding place from the verdict delivered by the independent inquiry into the club’s business.

By removing himself from Rangers’ Official Return of listed directors with the SFA, Whyte could effectively distance himself from the disciplinary reach of the governing body. According to Regan, however, there will be a price to pay for any breach of the SFA’s articles of association which Whyte’s takeover and subsequent running of Rangers is found to have committed.

“You may say it’s a loophole if an individual is not on the club’s Official Return with the SFA,” said Regan, “but we still have the power to hold the club to account. The club has an obligation to manage their directors and make sure they are behaving in a way that is fit for association with football.

“It applies to any team official or person associated or involved with a club, even if they are not on the Official Return. There are individuals not on the return in a sporting context, but they are still employees of the club. They have to maintain the image and reputation of the club and the SFA will be looking at what can be done in that regard. If there is a new Official Return, the club itself will still be held to account.

“It all depends on the specific elements within the report of the independent inquiry and which of the SFA’s articles may have been breached. If you read the articles, you will see our board has power to hold a club to account.

“There is no fit and proper person test as such. What a club does is sign up to our articles and effectively says: ‘All our directors are fit and proper’. Regarding Mr Whyte, there were question marks being raised while we were looking for that information. It became clear they were being obstructive and unwilling to give us the information required.

“There were other issues which became clear, although I cannot go into details. Article 10.2 gives the SFA board powers which brings into focus the behaviour of any director, which in this case means Mr Whyte. We have been trying to establish information around a range of activities.”

The scope of the independent inquiry panel, where Regan is joined by retired judge Lord William Nimmo Smith, Professor Niall Lothian OBE and former BT Group director Bob Downes, will extend beyond Whyte as an individual. Regan added: “It is looking at a range of activities which have gone on at the club over the last few months in particular, and possibly pre-dating that, and we will decide what happens next when the findings are reported to the SFA board in a fortnight.

“We clearly were concerned at the stories that were emerging not just with Rangers, but the allegations against Mr Whyte.

“We decided that having been held at arms length from October to the end of January, enough was enough and we had to launch an inquiry into what was going on.

“We made a number of requests to solicitors that were acting for Mr Whyte and had an exchange of correspondence going back to October. I don’t know how many letters were involved but there was a lot and we were becoming increasingly frustrated at the obstructions being put in place to prevent us finding out information we needed. I think the BBC documentary last year was the catalyst for us to get under the skin of what might be going on.”

Regan also believes that Rangers’ financial fall from grace raises wider questions over the sustainable business models Scottish clubs require to embrace in the future.

“I don’t think there is one easy answer,” he said. “If there was, clubs would have done it or the SFA or SPL would have tried to do it. At the root cause of it, you’ve got a football market with blue chip brands that is consolidating.

“In every market, you have a small number of big brands getting bigger, whether that is banks, petrol stations or supermarkets. Football is consolidating and fans are supporting big teams overseas and they are not perhaps supporting the teams locally that they used to support.

“That is a big challenge for the game in Scotland. We have to get fans interested in their clubs again. Some clubs still get good attendances, but the football needs to be competitive to retain their interest.

“That gets us into a discussion around league reconstruction and what the best model for Scotland is. My work with Neil Doncaster at the SPL and David Longmuir at the SFL is looking at how we might restructure the game to provide a more competitive environment for clubs to survive, particularly ones that get relegated.

“They have to make swathing cutbacks which affect their sustainability. We want to create a competitive environment and the other issue is one of living beyond your means. Uefa, through Michel Platini, have made it clear that Financial Fair Play is something they are going to insist upon for clubs competing in Europe.

“I think there are a lot of things to learn from that such as making sure you have a model that ensures you are not running your club at an ongoing loss. That is quite a complex area because it means you have to look at the funding that is coming in from individuals and owners rather than just the normal day-to-day trading activities.

“There are a number of clubs in other leagues that are owned by individuals who perhaps treat them as a little bit of a plaything and invest money into them. As a good practice, I would like to see Financial Fair Play coming into play because it is very much in the long-term interests of the game.

“The SFL is more of a community model and we have a number of clubs making a profit there because they are managing their accounts. But at the top end of the game, it is important that clubs can live within their means.”

]]> 1.2130726 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:07:42 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/napoli_pile_pressure_on_villas_boas_with_3_1_win_1_2130723

Chelsea lurched to another defeat to leave them in real danger of crashing out of the Champions League against Napoli.

Andre Villas-Boas’ Blues produced more poor defending to throw away yet another lead to deservedly lose their last-16 first leg 3-1, with an Ezequiel Lavezzi brace sandwiching a controversial Edinson Cavani goal.

Juan Mata had given Chelsea the lead with what they will be desperately hoping proves a vital away goal.

To compound Chelsea’s misery, before the game they learned that captain John Terry faces up to two months on the sidelines after aggravating his knee injury,. Terry is due to undergo what is understood to be a small procedure on the right knee that has been troubling him ever since he collided with a post in last month’s FA Cup clash with Portsmouth.

Villas-Boas had been hoping the 31-year-old would recover in time for the clash against Napoli. But, despite taking part in training on the eve of the match, the England centre-back woke up in considerable pain at Chelsea’s team hotel this morning.

As well as being ruled out of club duty for the foreseeable future, Terry will also miss next week’s international friendly against Holland.

In last night’s other last-16 clash, a last-minute strike by CSKA Moscow newcomer Pontus Wernbloom snatched a 1-1 draw for the Russian side at home to Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo had earlier given the Spaniards the lead.

lManchester City striker Carlos Tevez last night apologised “sincerely and unreservedly” for his conduct in recent months. The Argentine has also withdrawn his appeal against City’s fine of six weeks’ wages for gross misconduct, which was due to be heard by the Premier League in the coming days.

Tevez sparked a dispute with the club when he refused to warm up during the Champions League loss at Bayern Munich in September and then spent more than three months in Argentina without permission. The 28-year-old reported back to the club last week after failing to secure a move during the January transfer window and now wants to fight for a place in the team.

There was no Nigel Quashie in the Dundee line-up against hosts Falkirk, but they included former Bairn Carl Finnigan on their substitutes bench after he joined on loan from St Johnstone and his contribution was to prove vital in the 1-1 draw.

The home side’s Farid El Alagui broke the deadlock on 27 minutes after the Moroccan found himself in the perfect place a yard from goal after Willie Gibson had lofted the ball over the advancing Rab Douglas and a combination of Neil McGregor and the post kept Gibson’s effort out.

The game went from end to end in the second period, and, with just three minutes left, Finnigan collected a pass before turning and slotting past Michael McGovern to level. The striker’s debut goal denied his former side a share of the lead in the First Division after leaders Ross County’s game with Morton was called off in controversial circumstances.

Cappielow chairman Douglas Rae recently went public with his criticism of the SFL for re- arranging his side’s match in Dingwall for last night and his mood will have worsened when it was called off less than 45 minutes before kick-off.

Rae felt that asking his side to travel 200 miles for a midweek game in February was a gamble and he was proven correct as it was postponed due to a water-logged pitch by whistler Jeff Banks, who deputised for match official Craig Charleston after he had been delayed due to a road accident near Dunkeld.

Hamilton Accies continued Raith Rovers’ recent miserable spell when they defeated the Kirkcaldy side 2-1.

Accies’ popped up with the opener in first-half injury time when defender Martin Canning scored from inside after the six-yard box after Jon McShane had headed the ball into his path.

Brian Graham’s deflected free kick got Raith level 14 minutes into the second half, but Simon Mensing hit home the winner from close range just four minutes later.

Ayr United were winning at Firhill against Partick Thistle thanks to Keighan Parker’s first goal since joining from English side Fylde last month, but the Jags struck back to win 4-2.

Parker gave the Honest Men the lead after only four minutes when he swept home a cross from Adam Dodd, however Partick ended the first-half on top.

Kris Doolan turned that supremacy into goals in the second period as volleyed in an equaliser on 55minutes and converted a Chris Erskine cross nine minutes later.

Paul Cairney converted a penalty on 81 minutes to make it 3-1 with Michael McGowan pulling a goal back before Cairney netted a fourth.

EACH week we bring you the views of the 12 SPL clubs’ supporters on how their team is doing.

Aberdeen

An injury-time winner down in Dumfries prevented another unwanted chapter in our cup history and offered some payback for “that day”, while another draw in the league preserved our unbeaten run.

But it’s events in Govan that dominate. Cries that Scottish football “needs Rangers” are common among pundits but the figures may suggest otherwise. Last year games against the Old Firm had 4,500 more fans than our average attendance but, in 2007/08 when we were in Europe and finished fourth in the league, we had almost 5,000 more fans at non-Old Firm games. No Rangers would mean more chance of cup finals, more chance of second place finishes, more chance of European appearances, all with financial benefits to outweigh the missing Rangers fans.

Al Macleod

www.afc-chat.co.uk

Celtic

With the additional ten-point penalty for Rangers adding to the gap at the top, it was important that Celtic didn’t rest on their laurels at the weekend. Complacency cost us the title four years ago and, though Rangers lost again on Saturday in front of a full house, Celtic must keep winning to secure the title as quickly as possible. And that is exactly what Celtic did on Sunday. I think Hibs got their line-up wrong and were taken by surprise at Celtic’s confident approach to the game.

It was great to see the Stokes and Hooper partnership in full flow again. Though Sami has done well, the Stokes and Hooper partnership is easily our best.

Interestingly, Celtic have to play Motherwell and Rangers twice before the end of the season; we could have a big bearing on who finishes second... just saying!

Dave Devine

Dundee United

It’s hard to find any sympathy for the plight of Rangers, particularly when they owe Dundee United the best part of £100,000. For Rangers to then to try and sign Daniel Cousin, using money that should have been earmarked for United, shows a complete lack of respect from the Ibrox club, not only to United but to the handful of other clubs they are owe a debt to.

After a drab scoreless draw against St Mirren, United face Kilmarnock and Hearts this week, which could see them rise to fourth in the SPL if they beat both. The only thing consistent about United at the moment is their inconsistency and with the battle really on for the top six, fans will be hoping the free-flowing United turns up for these games rather than the long-ball-up-the-park version.

Jamie Kidd

www.dundeeunited-mad.co.uk

Dunfermline

Whisper it. Dunfermline could still stay up. There was enough encouragement in the home match with Inverness to suggest the Athletic are finally getting to grips with the SPL. Inverness recently had a seven-game unbeaten run, yet were repeatedly cut open at East End Park.

Rutkiewicz, Graham and Kirk embody a new fighting spirit. Kevin has marshalled what was a shambolic defence. David is frankly a revelation in midfield and not just because of his boots. Kirk is incisive up front.

There is a welcome new togetherness off the pitch, too. The board and manager have belatedly thanked a faithful support through the media, programme and tannoy. That was welcome given we have stuck with the team despite wretched home form and early cup exits.

John Lloyd

Hearts

After five tough matches in 13 days, the Motherwell game on Saturday appeared a step too far. Although we were slightly unfortunate with the first goal, we never looked likely to get back into the game.

Having put in a performance that I thought was his best for Hearts on Tuesday, Jamie MacDonald was back to his usual error-strewn antics. Marian Kello should be brought back for the rest of the season to provide some solidity at the back. Third place has gone and our focus now should be holding on to fourth place and the cup campaign. The replay at St Johnstone was a perfect example of why you should never leave before the end and, going into extra time, I felt we had the momentum. Our captain produced an all round sensational performance and, if we could get someone in to provide more of a threat up front, we may just have a chance of going all the way.

Broxburn Jambo

Hibernian

There is no denying it; on Sunday Celtic had far better players than we did in virtually every position. That’s only to be expected given the massive financial advantage that the team from Glasgow have. With the other half of the Old Firm allowing greed and egotism to cripple themselves, the SPL looks like being a one-horse race for the foreseeable future. The problems Rangers face should be seen as a chance for the SPL to move heaven and earth to provide a more level playing field. Surely the case for a more equitable distribution of TV revenue and voting rights is now overwhelming. The numbers of empty seats in the home stands were testament to the fact that many Hibs fans saw no point in going along to watch a one-sided game played against a backdrop of gloating triumphalism from the away fans. Things have to change sooner rather than later.

John Robertson

www.hibs.net

Inverness CT

We were all over the Pars first half, defended soundly, controlled midfield but the weakness was up front. No target man appeared to be a tactical error and we were getting in each other’s way. Failure to take chances had the inevitable about it as yet another dodgy free kick resulted in us conceding a goal against the run of play. Our second-half performance was woeful as we couldn’t pass or create anything and handed the initiative to the Pars. Changes needed to be made and the introduction of Owen Tudor-Jones gave us some stability with a player who could pick out passes and make things happen. We could have easily thrown this game away and dragged ourselves back into the relegation mire so grabbing a point was probably no more than we deserved. A top-six spot is not beyond us but we need a lot of target practice.

Dave Wilson

www.caleythistleonline.com

Kilmarnock

The only thing better than beating Rangers at Ibrox is beating them at Ibrox in front of a full house when no-one gives you a chance of getting a result. What’s more, the win secured by a Dean Shiels goal – his excellent form has earned him a call-up to the Northern Ireland squad – gave us a back-to-back double over Rangers for the first time in the SPL.

The Killie fans gave a bit of stick to their counterparts throughout the match and, while no-one wants to see anyone else’s club go out of business, the Rangers fans should take a serious look at fan ownership so that the future of their club is in their own hands and not entrusted to money men who ultimately just do not care. But they also need to cut out the sectarian songs. Respect is a two-way thing and no-one is going to back your club’s fight for survival if you don’t put a stop to all this antiquated vitriol.

Barry Richmond

www.killiefc.com

Motherwell

Anyone happening by Fir Park on Saturday could have been mistaken for thinking the season was over. The reaction of fans and players to our win over Hearts suggested a belief European football is in the bag. But it could get even better! Rangers have their obvious difficulties, on field and off, which means the glory of a Champions League qualifier could well be on offer for Stuart McCall. Deep down, most Motherwell fans accept this is unrealistic but there’s also a sense we should enjoy it while it lasts.

We take on Hibs tonight and Celtic on Saturday before Rangers play again. Winning either will be hard but two victories would take us level on points with Rangers. In this unlikely scenario we’ll have made up 19 points on the champions in the space of 11 days – momentum, don’t you just love it?

Derek Wilson

www.firparkcorner.com

Rangers

So, our bread and water crash diet started on Saturday, with the UK’s largest football attendance badly let down by players failing miserably to show the necessary spirit and backbone in adversity. Indeed, Killie could have been three ahead at half-time as they took advantage of ridiculous amounts of time and space afforded by their opponents.

Brian Clough said football is a simple game made complicated by idiots, and the magnificent Rangers support deserves far, far more in terms of fundamentals; effort, application and concentration. Regardless of Craig Whyte’s off-field chicanery, Rangers players must get back to doing the basics well and using superior skills to reassert some much-needed authority because, make no mistake, jackals like nothing better than tackling a big beast brought low.

Stephen Smith

www.theRST.co.uk

St Johnstone

Boring. Dull. Slumber-inducing. That pretty much covers it for Sunday’s trip to Aberdeen. Unfortunately this game was broadcast across the UK – although I’d imagine those missing their usual Sunday English Premier League fix would have turned over pretty quickly.

We just don’t seem to be connecting in the final third in the same way we were earlier in the season. Hopefully this is simply a temporary blip as it is absolutely vital for our top-six hopes that we put points on the board soon.

Luckily the teams below us have been constantly cutting each other’s throats, although the points gap is getting tighter as weeks go by.

We must start adding to our own tally soon – starting with this weekend’s game against Dunfermline.

Jamie Beatson

www.weareperth.co.uk

St Mirren

There’s no shame in getting a draw with Dundee United these days – after all they’ve destroyed both Rangers and St Johnstone in recent weeks. However, the worrying thing is, once again, we failed to score. We’ve now failed to find the back of the net in our last four SPL games and, despite the cup games against Ross County providing some respite, it’s a worrying situation. Fortunately, our defence and goalie have been in top form and have ensured we’ve still picked up points. But we can’t keep relying on them and draws aren’t going to get us anywhere.

League wins are needed, quickly, if we want to wipe out the slim chance of Dunfermline catching us and boost our flagging hopes of a place in the top six. Aberdeen at home this weekend is must-win stuff but, if we get another draw, hopefully it will be a score one.

Stuart Gillespie

www.saintmirren-mad.co.uk

]]> 1.2130079 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/25m_national_performance_centre_out_to_tender_1_2130720

THE construction of Scotland’s first National Performance Centre for sport, which will include a National Football Academy, is to be put out to tender with up to £25 million of investment from the Scottish Government.

The plans were formally announced by Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, Shona Robison, with a steering group chaired by SFA chief executive Stewart Regan appointed to set out the criteria for bids from local authorities wishing to bring the centre to their area.

While the centre will be a multi-sports facility, the delivery of the National Football Academy within it by 2016 is seen as a significant development in meeting one of former First Minister Henry McLeish’s key recommendations in his wide-ranging review of Scottish football. It is envisaged that all of Scotland’s international teams, from the senior squad to the youths, will use the academy for training camps and preparation for matches. Ms Robison, however, insisted the new centre will not necessarily be located in the central belt of Scotland.

“We are not going to rule out any area,” she said.

“It will be an open bidding process and the bids will come in from wherever in Scotland. Hopefully the bids will come from various parts of Scotland and hopefully we will be seeing some innovative thinking as well, how the sports science, sports medicine side of things might be delivered, potentially in partnership with local universities or so forth.

“We want some innovative thinking around that and we will see what comes in.”

HIBERNIAN’S dismal 5-0 thrashing by Celtic on Sunday was their heaviest defeat at Easter Road in nearly 27 years – coincidentally by the same opponents but in very different circumstances.

While runaway league leaders Celtic arrived in Leith at the weekend on a major high, the same could not be said about their visit to the stadium on 7 September 1985. They had crashed out of the League Cup to Hibs on penalties just three days earlier after a 4-4 draw. Perhaps John Blackley’s side had burnt themselves out after their cup heroics, because Davie Hay’s Celtic – this time wearing their hoops instead of the gold and green kit that they had worn in the cup – put Hibs to the sword in what was then the Fine Fare Premier Division with goals from Brian McClair (2), Mo Johnston, Owen Archdeacon and a Mark Fulton own goal.

For the record, Hibs’ worst home defeats prior to that were a 5-0 loss to Aberdeen in March 1985 and another 5-0 defeat to the Dons on the last day of the 1979-80 season as Alex Ferguson clinched his first title. Before that, you have to go back as far as October 1960 to find such a heavy loss, when Celtic won 6-0.

Stirling Albion were on course to shock Second Division leaders Cowdenbeath and move off bottom spot but the Blue Brazil struck back to earn a 1-1 draw that puts them five points clear of second placed Arbroath who face Forfar tonight.

Gary Thom opened the scoring for the Binos on 28 minutes when he headed in from close range after Mark Ferry’s goalbound effort was blocked by Dene Brett on the line.

The equaliser came 11 minutes into the second half when Lewis Coult chipped the ball over Albion keeper Callum Reidford.

East Fife looked set to defeat bogey team Dumbarton but the Sons came from behind to win 2-1 at New Bayview. Bobby Linn fired the Fifers ahead midway through the first half only for Mark Gilhaney’s deflected effort seven minutes after the restart to level the scores. Ally Graham headed in the winner with 11 minutes left.

Brechin City edged past Stenhousemuir 1-0 thanks to Rory McKenzie’s long-range strike. It was the on-loan Kilmarnock teenager’s second winner in two games.

In the Third Division Berwick Rangers kept their faint promotion hopes alive by drawing 2-2 with Queen’s Park at Hampden. The Borderers took the lead on 21 minutes through Darren Gribben but the advantage lasted only five minutes before Ian Watt volleyed home a fine leveller. David Greenhill looked to have won it for the visitors with a last-minute goal but substitute Tony Quinn shot home in the third minute of injury time.

Elgin City only reached Broadwood to play Clyde at 7:15pm due to traffic and kick off was delayed by 15 minutes.

It looked like the delay had caught them cold as David Niven turned an Iain Gray cross beyond his own goalkeeper. However, the Borough Briggs men can alive in the second half and won 2-1. Daniel Moore cracked home a left-foot shot to make the score one apiece on 53 minutes and, with the home side still reeling from that, substitute Mark Durnan headed in the winner two minutes later.

LESMAHAGOW and Wishaw were so keen to get their Central District Second Division football match played on Saturday that players travelled 11 miles in their strips and boots to get the game played.

An early inspection at Lesmahagow’s Craighead Park saw the game moved to Stonehouse. But the referee then decided the pitch there was not playable either. Quick thinking secured Carluke Rovers’ John Cumming Stadium, 11 miles away, and players, officials and supporters set off in a convoy of cars. “Home” side Lesmahagow won 3-0.

RICKY Ponting, Australia’s most successful one-day cricketer, has accepted that his limited overs international career is over, but said he wanted to continue in Test cricket and hoped to play in the 2013 Ashes.

While Don Bradman remains Australia’s greatest ever cricketer, Ponting is without peer in the 50-over game having scored 13,704 runs in 375 matches at an average of 42. He won three World Cups in his 17-year career, two as captain.

The end for the second-most prolific batsman of all time in limited overs internationals was signalled when he was dropped on Monday after making 18 runs in five games in the ongoing Tri-series against India and Sri Lanka.

“It’s a bit hard to say I’ve retired given I’ve been dropped but I don’t expect to play one-day international cricket any more and I’m sure the selectors don’t expect to pick me either,” the 37-year-old told a news conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

“I have been dropped, which is disappointing but I accept that.

“My performances over the last five games haven’t warranted me being there. This is closure on my one-day international career but it’s certainly not closure on my international career.”

Former Rangers skipper David Weir returned to Everton as a coach yesterday and was immediately pushed into action for the Goodison Park side’s reserve team against Liverpool.

The 41 year-old Weir had only agreed a deal with Everton to help Alan Stubbs run the reserve team a few hours earlier. By the afternoon he was marshalling the Everton defence in the so-called ‘mini-Merseyside derby’, which ended 1-1.

Weir made more than 250 appearances for Everton between 1999 and 2007. Although he has been re-registered as a player, Weir has ruled out adding to his total of first-team games at the club. He only played one competitive game for Rangers this season before agreeing to end his Ibrox contract early in January, after five successful years at Ibrox. He has, however, described the return to Everton as being like “coming home”.

Weir joined the Goodison Park club from Hearts and enjoyed a good relationship with the fans. Although he was most recently training with Sheffield United, a coaching role with Everton has been in the pipeline for a while.

“I certainly wasn’t expecting to be playing 90 minutes immediately upon coming back here,” Weir admitted yesterday. “But I’m always happy to help out and I enjoyed it. I am happy to help the young players and hopefully they can learn and get better and become Everton players.

“I am just concentrating on this [coaching] at the minute and enjoying it and trying to help out. Hopefully I can help the young lads accelerate their learning and also pick up some coaching experience – that is the primary aim.”

“It is great to be back,” Weir added. “It feels like coming home again. I had five great years in Glasgow and loved every minute of it but it is nice to be back and even after only a short time it already feels like home. The manager has always said there was a role here for me when I finally decided to come back.”

Weir’s recruitment further enhances the impression of the club’s training academy at Finch Farm as a ‘Little Scotland’. His former Everton team-mate, Duncan Ferguson, is also on the coaching staff at the club having returned from a Majorcan exile in the summer, while another Scot, Alan Irvine, is in charge of the club’s successful youth academy. David Moyes, meanwhile, is the club’s much respected manager.

“He [Weir] will help out Alan Stubbs with the reserves and he will also play in the occasional reserve game to help support some of those younger players coming through,” said Moyes yesterday. “It will be good to have him around the place.”

A GROUP of angry Hibernian players gathered in the same room together. This scenario might spell trouble for Pat Fenlon, the manager whose record since taking over from Colin Calderwood has remained stoutly unimpressive in terms of results.

David Wotherspoon has revealed that an inquest was held on Monday, the day after the Easter Road side’s 5-0 defeat to Celtic. However, Hibs supporters will be relieved to hear that this meeting was not with chairman Rod Petrie, as happened when the players sought to stage a revolt during the last months of John Collins’ reign.

These fans will also be gratified to learn that Fenlon himself was present, as were the rest of his first-team coaching staff.

Sunday’s result, Hibs’ worst home defeat in over 25 years, left them in joint last place and, as Wotherspoon noted, “it’s got to hit home now that we’re battling at the bottom”. With tonight’s rearranged league clash with Motherwell to prepare for, there was no day off for the Hibs players on Monday, as might normally have been the case. Instead, they reconvened at the club’s training complex and sought to give themselves another shake. The fact of the matter is that with just 12 matches of their league season remaining, Hibs are still struggling to push themselves away from Dunfermline, a team who have yet to win a home league match all season.

“We had a big discussion to get us going and I think it really hit home to all of us,” said Wotherspoon. “Everyone was there, everyone was involved and voicing their opinions.

“It was a real team unit,” he added. “We’re trying to be positive because we don’t want to be negative. But we know we need to give ourselves a boost and get up the table.

“After the game on Sunday, everyone was a bit down and the boys were wanting to address the situation and I believe that’s what was done. It was a good thing to be done because we got all the boys together and really showed we’re a team.”

The infamous players’ showdown with Petrie in April 2007 remains a memorable, and probably regrettable, episode in Hibs’ recent history. It saw a group of disaffected first-team players air their complaints about Collins’ style of management just six months into his reign, and only weeks after winning the Co-operative Insurance Cup. Fenlon has only been at Hibs for just over three months – indeed, his first game was against Motherwell, in the abandoned original fixture from December, which they led 1-0 – but he has learned very quickly that the problems associated with successor Calderwood’s tenure won’t be easily swept away, despite the significant freshening-up of the squad which took place during the last transfer window.

With the revolt of five years’ ago in mind, Wotherspoon was asked to outline who had attended the meeting, and whether the management knew about it and, indeed, if they were involved. The midfielder confirmed that it was an inclusive affair and that everyone was permitted to air their thoughts – be they manager, coach or player. “We just wanted a positive vibe, so we got together – and we’re all together in it,” he said. “All the staff were there voicing opinions and trying to focus on this game on Wednesday.”

Fenlon later corroborated this version of events, but admitted that words don’t amount to an awful lot unless they are accompanied by deeds on the pitch. “It’s easy enough to sit around and talk and have an opinion,” he said. “But it’s about taking that on to the park.”

Hibs can’t even be sure whether a win this evening will finally see some clear daylight between themselves and Dunfermline, who will be in action a few miles away at Celtic Park. “We don’t want to look at the bottom because we always want to be looking ahead of us, but at the moment we are there with them [Dunfermline],” said Wotherspoon.

He bemoaned the fact that Hibs have struggled to build on the few positive results achieved this season. “The two games before [the defeat to Celtic] we looked more organised and I think on Sunday we just lost a bit of discipline,” he said. “We’ve shown that we have got good performances in us and we need to show that again this week.”

SWEEPING changes to the controversial whip rules are set to come into effect before the Cheltenham Festival.

In his first major challenge since being appointed the British Horseracing Authority’s new chief executive, Paul Bittar proposed fresh amendments which were approved at a board meeting yesterday.

The board has given the thumbs-up to a fundamental change to the rules governing use of the whip, which is due to be implemented in early March, together with revisions to the existing penalty structure, which come into effect tomorrow.

Rather than it being an automatic breach when a rider uses the whip eight times on the Flat and nine times over jumps, the figures become the trigger point for the stewards to review the ride in question. Stewards will then consider how the rider has used the whip in the course of exceeding the allowed number before deciding whether a breach has occurred and a penalty is warranted.

Bittar explained: “The challenge is to have in place a rule and penalty structure which meets the objectives for fairness and proportionality outlined in the Whip Review while retaining the positives which have been a product of the changes to date.

“These include the virtual removal of all serious breaches and an overall reduction in the number of offences.

“We are confident there is not a welfare problem associated with the use of the cushioned whip in British racing. The objective of this proposal is to keep jockeys riding to a similar standard as they are now with regard to their significantly reduced use of the whip, but with added discretion and common sense applied by stewards when considering whether a rider is in breach of the rules.”

Bittar’s aim has been to try to prevent the Cheltenham Festival being overshadowed by the issue that has dogged the sport under both codes since last October.

SKY cricket commentator David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd has become a director of League 2 side Accrington Stanley.

Lloyd, who played for Accrington in the Lancashire Combination League before his cricket career took off, became a shareholder at his hometown club last year and will join chairman Ilyas Khan, chief executive Rob Heys and directors Peter Marsden and Peter Shaw on the board.

The 64-year-old said: “I am honoured to be a part of the ongoing success of the club. My links with Accrington have never waned.”

DUNDEE United moved into the top six of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League with a crushing victory over Kilmarnock last night.

Jon Daly got the ball rolling when he netted from the penalty spot ten minutes into the second half, after Liam Kelly was dismissed for a last-man challenge on Johnny Russell. Further Paul Dixon, John Rankin and Scott Robertson goals capped an impressive evening for the hosts.

Willo Flood returned to the United starting line-up, the former Celtic midfielder replacing Stuart Armstrong, while Kenny Shiels stuck with the same Kilmarnock side that began the shock 1-0 victory over Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday.

Daly passed up a glorious opportunity to open the scoring with the first chance of the game after five minutes. Johnny Russell combined with Robertson who slipped the ball inside to Daly. The striker only had goalkeeper Cammy Bell to beat but his effort sailed over the bar.

The first half remained goalless, United failing to convert their superior possession into goals, but they did break the deadlock on 56 minutes when referee Craig Thomson pointed to the spot after Kelly upended Russell inside the area after he latched on to Daly’s flick-on.

Kelly received his marching orders after Thomson deemed the defender to be the last man and Daly fired the resulting kick into the back of the net.

Peter Houston’s men doubled their advantage just before the hour mark when Dixon’s stunning 30-yard drive left Bell with no chance.

Dixon struck the base of the post as United looked to put the game beyond the reach of their opponents. And they did just that soon after when Rankin blasted home the home side’s third with 20 minutes remaining after Kilmarnock failed to deal with Flood’s corner. Bell’s punch broke to the midfielder who slammed the ball high into the net.

United continued to press and Gary Mackay-Steven should have done better when he found himself clean through on goal. But the rout was complete with five minutes left as Armstrong – on as an 80th-minute substitute – chipped a lovely through-ball to Robertson and he made no mistake in firing low beyond Bell.

Dundee United: Pernis, Neilson, Dillon, Gunning, Dixon, Flood, Robertson, Rankin, Mackay-Steven (Ryan 82), Daly (Lacny 75), Russell (Armstrong 80). Subs not used: Banks, Watson, Douglas, Dow.

Kilmarnock: Bell, Toshney, Nelson, Sissoko, Hay, Kelly, Johnson (Van Tornhout 59), Fowler, Gordon, Shiels (Dayton 74), Heffernan (Kennedy 70). Subs not used: Letheren, Kroca, Racchi, McKeown.

HIBERNIAN manager Pat Fenlon recognises that recent events have granted a further edge to tonight’s rearranged Premier League clash with Motherwell at Fir Park.

For the home team, Rangers’ fall into administration and the subsequent ten-point deduction means the prospect of Champions League football coming to Fir Park is a slightly more realistic one. While one side chase the glamour, another will look to take a step away from the gutter. Fenlon has said it before, but Hibs are playing for their futures tonight. Motherwell’s lofty ambitions are in contrast to Hibs’ more basic, and perhaps more critical, needs.

“There’s a big incentive for them, but there’s a bigger incentive for us,” said Fenlon, who knows that failure to beat relegation means there will be cutbacks at Easter Road.

“You’re talking about everybody’s livelihood here, and if that’s not an incentive for people, you’re wasting your time,” he said. “People have got to realise that that’s what’s on the line here. We’ve spoken about [relegation] and the consequences of it, and if we don’t survive it’s massive for everyone, including the players, staff and everyone else. The goal is to stay in the league and whatever it takes to win football matches, that’s what we have to produce.”

Fenlon returns to where it all began tonight, since this fixture is the one he was supposed to begin his reign with in December. All was going well until the floodlights failed, leading to the game’s abandonment. Hibs were 1-0 up at the time and it’s possible to wonder whether, had circumstances been different, the Easter Road might have kicked on after starting Fenlon’s reign with a win. Instead, Hibs lost their next game at home to Rangers and have struggled. “It feels like a lifetime ago, to be honest,” shrugged Fenlon, who has added Tom Soares to the squad for tonight’s fixture.

For the first time in his young golfing life, Rory McIlroy starts a tournament today knowing that, by the end of it he could be world No 1. That is the extra incentive for the 22-year-old Northern Irishman in the first of this season’s world championships, the 64-man Accenture Match Play at Dove Mountain near Tucson.

McIlroy, who faces South African George Coetzee in the opening round, will go top of the rankings if he wins the title on Sunday and defending champion Luke Donald falls at the first or second hurdle. Given that he starts against Ernie Els, a seven-time winner of the sport’s other match play event in its days at Wentworth, Donald is taking nothing for granted.

His nine-month hold on the No 1 spot is also under threat from Lee Westwood, the man he took the crown from in a play-off last May. Westwood, up against Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts today, will regain the position with victory this weekend as long as Donald does not make the quarter-finals.

But the possibility of McIlroy reaching the summit three months before his 23rd birthday is a headline grabbing development. “The rankings are sort of a by-product of what you do,” said McIlroy. “I’d rather just concentrate on trying to win tournaments and trying to improve as a player.If I happen to do that, then hopefully the ranking will take care of itself.”

]]> 1.2130160 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/rangers_crisis_craig_whyte_admits_using_season_ticket_cash_in_takeover_1_2129982

RANGERS owner Craig Whyte has admitted using future season ticket sales to complete his takeover of the club, but said he is “personally on the line for £27.5 million in guarantees and cash”.

Addressing reports that he financed his takeover of the club from Sir David Murray last May by selling season ticket incomes to London firm Ticketus for money upfront, Mr Whyte said that the deal was “the best way to protect the club”.

He said: “The arrangement with Ticketus – which was a three-season deal NOT four, as has been reported – was originally to provide additional working capital as had been the case previously under the old board. My corporate advisors came to me with the proposition that it was entirely possible, as well as highly beneficial, to negotiate a deal with Ticketus that would allow us to complete the takeover and maximise working capital for the club’s day-to-day business.

“The Ticketus deal was by far the best way to protect the club given the circumstances in that they have no security over any assets. The only person at risk from the deal is me personally because I gave Ticketus personal and corporate guarantees underwriting their investment; the club and the fans are fully protected. In terms of exposure, I am personally on the line for £27.5 million in guarantees and cash.

• {http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spl/rangers_crisis_craig_whyte_statement_in_full_1_2129955|Craig Whyte statement in full|Craig Whyte statement}

Administrators Duff and Phelps, who took control of the Ibrox club last week, said they are investigating the matter of the Ticketus money.

David Whitehouse, joint administrator, said: “Since being appointed administrators last week there has been widespread concern raised with us, not least by Rangers supporters and season ticket holders, about the agreement between the Club and Ticketus.

“Following information received, it is now apparent that the proceeds from the Ticketus arrangements amounted initially to a sum in the region of £20 million plus VAT. Subsequently, £18 million was transferred to the Lloyds Banking Group.

“The application of the remainder of these proceeds is subject to further examination.

“We are now investigating all the circumstances surrounding both the purchase of the majority shareholding in Rangers Football Club plc and the flow of funds which stemmed from the transaction and were intended to fulfil the purchasers’ obligations at the time of the sale.

“We cannot comment further on these matters while enquiries continue.”

Mr Whyte defended his decision to keep the details of the Ticketus arrangement private: “I regret now not making the arrangements more transparent, but at the time I regarded it as I do with all my other business dealings, as a confidential transaction. In retrospect I should have been completely open about it, but I’m not sure Ticketus would have been very happy about their confidentiality being breached.”

Mr Whyte also confirmed he will stand down as chairman when the club comes out of administration.

‘I will not continue as Rangers Chairman post-restructuring,” he said. “Regardless of administration and irrespective of the tax case, the club had serious long-term structural problems financially and they needed to be addressed with some urgency. I knew that when I stepped up to the plate and, despite the accusations and abuse that I have suffered over weeks and months, I was determined to see things through. I will admit there have been times when I have wished that I had never entertained the idea of taking over Rangers.”

RANGERS owner Craig Whyte issued a statement today in which he attempts to answer some of the questions surrounding his handling of the Ibrox club’s finances since his takeover last year.

The statement in full:

Craig Whyte today promised that if he emerges from administration still in control of Rangers FC that he will give immediate consideration to gifting the majority of his shares to a supporters’ foundation.

And he provided detailed answers to the blizzard of questions and allegations that have surrounded his decision to put the club into administration a week ago.

TICKETUS:

On the Ticketus arrangement he said that, it was ‘without any shadow of a doubt, the best deal for Rangers.’

The Ticketus funds, which amounted to £20 million plus VAT, was agreed as bridging finance while negotiations with HMRC were under way to try to reach a compromise on both the ‘wee’ and ‘big’ tax cases.

Mr Whyte said: ‘The arrangement with Ticketus – which was a three-season deal NOT four, as has been reported – was originally to provide additional working capital as had been the case previously under the old board. My corporate advisors came to me with the proposition that it was entirely possible, as well as highly beneficial, to negotiate a deal with Ticketus that would allow us to complete the takeover and maximise working capital for the club’s day-to-day business.

‘The Ticketus deal was by far the best way to protect the club given the circumstances in that they have no security over any assets. The only person at risk from the deal is me personally because I gave Ticketus personal and corporate guarantees underwriting their investment; the club and the fans are fully protected. In terms of exposure, I am personally on the line for £27.5 million in guarantees and cash.

‘By any stretch of the imagination that is a very substantial commitment to the football club of which I have been a supporter since I was a boy and dearly wish to see through this crisis so that Rangers emerge as a financially fitter and stronger institution. I am the biggest stake-holder in Rangers and I face huge financial losses personally if the restructuring fails or is not allowed to proceed.

‘Despite the frenzy of media speculation and misinformation everything I have done has been with the best interest of this football club at heart. Any suggestion that I am trying to make a fast buck or have indulged in illegal manoeuvring is clearly ludicrous.’

PROOF OF FUNDS:

As far back as November 2010, at the start of the takeover plans and long before there was any discussion about approaching Ticketus, Sir David Murray and Lloyds Banking Group were provided with – and were satisfied with – proof of funds amounting to £33 million. It was several months later, when negotiations were still on-going that the proposed Ticketus deal – ‘100 per cent the best deal for Rangers’– was mooted.

‘There is nothing irregular or untoward about it, much as certain sections of the Press would like everyone to believe,’ said Mr Whyte. ‘In business terms it makes perfect sense and is the best possible deal for the club.

‘I regret now not making the arrangements more transparent, but at the time I regarded it as I do with all my other business dealings, as a confidential transaction. In retrospect I should have been completely open about it, but I’m not sure Ticketus would have been very happy about their confidentiality being breached. In any event, the deal was, and still is, fully guaranteed by me so the accusation that I paid the bank debt without any personal inancial commitment is just plain wrong and quite ridiculous. This was a way of trying to maximise working capital for the club.

‘It also has to be remembered that this was not me working alone and in isolation. I hired top-rate corporate, financial, legal and tax specialists to guide me through this process and when you’re paying for that kind of advice, it would be daft not to follow it.’

£9 MILLION PAYE AND VAT ISSUE AND THE BIG TAX CASE:

Craig Whyte explains: ‘It is simply not true to say that Rangers or I have reneged on paying these liabilities since the takeover. The truth is that around £4.4 million of the £9 million demand is, in fact, the ‘wee tax case’, including penalties, and which is in dispute. We offered to pay £2.5 million of the PAYE and VAT up front with the remainder at £500,000 a month, but HMRC flatly rejected that.

‘On the big tax case – and, of course, no one yet knows whether that has been won or lost or how much the liability would be – we wanted HMRC to confirm that they would accept repayments of £2.5 million a year if we lost. But again they said, “No”’.

Given that HMRC had seen fit to reach agreements with huge corporations owing far more than Rangers – Vodafone, for example – it was difficult to understand why they were being so inflexible unless, of course, they were simply determined to make an example of Rangers.

‘In these circumstances it would have been far too risky to pump further funds into the club while the result of the EBT tax case remained unresolved.

‘People need to understand that the big tax case has had, and continues to have, a huge bearing on Rangers’ future and that I have done everything in my power to safeguard the club against the possible outcomes which could have included the possibility of Rangers being forced into liquidation. Anyone who pretends that this has somehow been my goal as either a fool or has a particularly sharp axe to grind.

‘Remember also, that HMRC had frozen some our bank accounts while we were in dispute. On top of that we had other funds frozen because of legal claims by certain former members of the board all of which contributed to why we fell into arrears on our monthly PAYE liabilities.

‘Negotiations with HMRC about trying to reach a compromise on the EBT case continued right up until the very last minute, but HMRC would have none of it – if they had, that would have released further funds and we could have avoided administration. I understand why the fans are angry and believe that I am to blame, but in the position we find ourselves in meant that administration was the only option.’

HISTORICAL FINANCIAL PROBLEMS:

‘The fact is that Rangers, had they not gone administration now for the reasons I have given, would have done so some time in the future whoever the owner was because they could not go on funding losses of up to £15 million a year. People seem to forget that the previous board under Alastair Johnston were talking seriously about administration two years ago. If things had turned out differently with HMRC, then I seriously believe I had the correct plan that would have avoided administration and put Rangers back on a sound financial footing.

‘Of course, there would have been some pain especially after the spendthrift days when the massive debts were run up in the first place – but that’s the hard facts of life.’

FANS’ DEAL AND FUTURE INVESTMENT:

‘If I can succeed in coming through this administration process I am very keen on the idea of gifting the majority of my shares to a supporters’ foundation. It makes a lot of sense, but fan ownership would work only after the current process if completed because the club has to get into a position where it is running at break-even in order for that prospect to be viable.

‘I am open to all serious offers of outside investment. Indeed, I am currently in active discussion with a number of potential bidders and investors. However, the reality is that every one of needs to have a final settlement of the big tax case one way or another.

‘I remain very confident that Rangers will emerge from this and move on in a much better position than it found itself in before the takeover. There is a lot of raw emotion at the moment, and that is understandable, but I’m sure people will look back on this and realise that I was absolutely right in what I did,

MY FUTURE INVOLVEMENT:

‘I will not continue as Rangers Chairman post-restructuring. Regardless of administration and irrespective of the tax case, the club had serious long-term structural problems financially and they needed to be addressed with some urgency. I knew that when I stepped up to the plate and, despite the accusations and abuse that I have suffered over weeks and months, I was determined to see things through. I will admit there have been times when I have wished that I had never entertained the idea of taking over Rangers.

‘But I am a Rangers fan, and, like other Rangers fans I don’t do walking way.

LORD William Nimmo Smith will chair the SFA’s inquiry into recent activities at Rangers, it was announced today.

He was one of the five judges who heard the appeal of the Lockerbie bomber in 2002.

Lord Nimmo Smith has also served as an insolvency Judge.

The SFA announced the inquiry on Friday - three days after Rangers went into administration.

The probe will focus specifically on whether there have been any breaches of their Articles of Association, relating to rules regarding whether club officials are “fit and proper” to hold such positions.

Stewart Regan, Scottish FA chief executive, said: “I am delighted Lord Nimmo Smith has agreed to chair the independent inquiry. I am certain the experience contained within the panel will enable us to achieve more clarity on the situation regarding Rangers FC. There will be no further comment on the investigation until it is complete and its findings are presented to the Board.”

The SFA said the panel would afforded the same powers as the Association itself and that it would receive its findings in two weeks time.

]]> 1.2129606 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:25:47 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/six_nations_scotland_s_pace_key_to_beating_france_1_2129305

Scotland require to pour on the pace in all areas of the pitch in order to get their RBS Six Nations Championship campaign up and running against France at Murrayfield on Sunday.

That’s the view of an exiled Scot at the heart of the French scene – Clermont Auvergne team manager Neil McIlroy, the former Jed-Forest and Borders prop forward.

McIlroy, who crossed the Channel for spells with Nice and Beziers then stayed on in administrative roles, says: “Rather than leave France fresh, the fact their previous game with Ireland was postponed could actually work in favour of Scotland.

“There was a big contrast in the pace and intensity of Scotland’s last match in Wales although they lost.

“If Scotland maintain that urgency and show a bit more creativity in the backs then it would be foolish to write off home hopes.”

McIlroy’s job brings him into daily contact with five of the current French squad and as well as knowing the respect which Scotland’s forwards are generating he has also picked up on the fact France will be keen to attack what is regarded as a solid if unspectacular back line.

“The Scots three-quarters work hard individually but as a unit France will look to take them on,” says McIlroy, who added: “The key will be how Scotland rise to that challenge against players such as Wesley Fofana, who is one of the finds of the season although, to be fair, he was making a name for himself with us at Clermont Auvergne last season.”

Fofana, 24, had a try-scoring debut in the 30-12 win over Italy and McIlroy added: “Fofana is equally good on the wing or at centre and very strong. He always seems to break the first tackle and is particularly good in the air.

“Like his club and country centre partner, Aurelien Rougerie, he is a very good chaser under the high ball and is thriving in the close company of a player he has developed a good understanding with.

“When France ran into problems at the World Cup [there was widespread disregard for the methods of previous coach Marc Lievremont] it was Rougerie who many of the players looked to with his leadership and organisational qualities.

“Despite being on the wrong side of 30 years old, Rougerie will again be crucial at Murrayfield especially with Julien Malzieu, another from Clermont, on the wing.

“People couldn’t believe it when Malzieu was not in the French teams of Lievremont and the try he scored against Italy [Rougerie also scored in that game] showed why he should never have been away.

“Malzieu has a typically French ability to spin out of a tackle then pour on the pace.

“His absence was said to be more about a personality clash with Lievremont than a rugby matter and Scotland should be wary now that him and his X-factor is back.”

Clermont also contribute forwards in prop Vincent Debaty and Julien Bonnaire. McIlroy said: “I spoke with Vincent just the other day and although he’ll be on the opposite side of the front row if he starts I know he has a healthy regard for the abilities of Allan Jacobsen with Ross Ford earning a mention in our conversations.

“But away from the scrums where he is better than given credit for in some places, Debaty is a big lad of 18st who stays on his feet well and more than holds his own at Clermont where, remember, we have other international props in Thomas Domingo and Lionel Faure.

“Among those who will support Debaty’s ball carries – and he could be used as an impact player this weekend – is Bonnaire in his last Six Nations Championship. We regard Julien as a silent assassin type who goes about his business as a flanker quietly but always gets the job done in looking to provide the quick possession all French teams relish as well as contribute at the tail of the line-out.”

That leads on to a direct comparison between two players whom McIlroy knows particularly well with Clermont’s Morgan Parra sure to come off the bench either at scrum-half or stand-off which are roles Greig Laidlaw has covered at international level.

“I helped coach Greig when he was in Scotland under-21s but my knowledge of his abilities goes much deeper as he was around at Jed-Forest as a youngster when I was playing alongside his father and uncle.

“If Scotland can get quick ball, I’d back Greig to use it wisely but in a different way to Parra who is typical of all French half- backs in that there is a nonchalance about them.

“That stems not so much from cockiness as confidence that they will always get a good service from the forwards and Scotland will have to be wary, especially as there is a new mood in the French camp with Philippe St Andre taking over the coaching.

“There is no mistaking the fact players now go to French training sessions and return from them smiling.

“What they are doing under St Andre and his assistants Patrice Lagisquet and Yannick Bru is more like what they are used to at club level where three very experienced guys in the pro game are in charge.

“France’s structure and organisation has turned a corner,” says McIlroy in hinting that Scotland might just be more up to speed as a consequence of playing more often in this tournament.

HEARTS are expected to be without winger David Templeton for this weekend’s encounter with Dundee United due to the persistent groin injury which forced him off against Motherwell.

Medical staff at Riccarton will give the player every chance to prove his fitness throughout the remainder of this week, however Hearts will not risk aggravating the problem further by playing him if he is not fully fit.

Templeton was withdrawn late in the first half at Fir Park on Saturday after injuring his groin whilst taking a shot at goal. He has suffered with the complaint for several weeks and requires rest to ensure a full recovery.

United play Kilmarnock at Tannadice this evening and victory would move them to within two points of Hearts as they pursue fourth place in the SPL, which guarantees entry to the Europa League’s second qualifying round in July.

“It could take a run of games,” said Peter Houston, the United manager.

“All you need is two or three results in a row and you can jump up the table quite a bit.

“I think ourselves, Aberdeen, St Mirren, Kilmarnock and even St Johnstone are all getting dragged into the last place for the top six.

“I will say that, if we win tonight, we’re two points behind Hearts and we play them on Saturday.

“So they could be drawn back into it as well.”

Meanwhile, Hearts goalkeeper Mark Ridgers has been named in the Scotland Under-21 squad for next week’s European Championship qualifier against the Netherlands.

Dalkeith MW booked their place in the quarter-final of the Lothian and Edinburgh Amateur FA’s Miller Cup following a 3-1 victory over Spartans at Ainslie Park.

The Midlothian club will play either Silverknowes Vale or Glenpark Thistle in the next round.

Laurie Flynn scored two goals for Dalkeith after an unfortunate own goal by Spartans’ defender Chris Aitken handed the visitors a sixth-minute lead.

However, Robbie Laird scored a spectacular consolation goal for Spartans with 23 minutes of the match remaining.

Spartans had the first scoring chance in the opening minute but David Campbell shot wide of the left post from the edge of the penalty area.

Two minutes later, David Campbell’s shot was tipped wide by Dalkeith goalkeeper John Falconer.

Dalkeith took the lead with their first opportunity after six minutes. Paul McDermott played the ball to Flynn inside the penalty area and his shot was parried by Spartans goalkeeper Mark Sinclair, but the ball bounced off centre-half Aitken and over the goal-line.

The away team were dominating possession and Flynn could have added a second goal in the 24th minute after Mark Brown’s through ball into the penalty area. Unfortunately for him, the ball landed into the arms of the grateful Sinclair. Mark Brown continued to create chances for Dalkeith and, nine minutes later, his pass found Craig Brown, who shot over the crossbar from ten yards.

Spartans should have equalised with their next attack. Geoff Aberdein’s chipped pass went to James Campbell but his tame volley was saved by Falconer.

Flynn doubled the lead for Dalkeith in the opening minute of the second half. Craig Brown’s shot from the edge of the penalty area was parried but Flynn was first to the ball to tap it into the goal.

Four minutes later, Mark Brown’s shot from the left corner of the penalty area went narrowly wide of the right post. Spartans briefly looked like they were getting back into the match around the hour mark with Martin Douglas’s shot parried by Falconer.

But Spartans’ period of dominance did not last long and Flynn put the result beyond doubt in the 67th minute, heading into the left-hand side of the net from close range after Sean McDermott’s corner.

Laird replied immediately for Spartans with a spectacular 20-yard shot which flew into the roof of the net.

Dalkeith continued to push for a fourth goal, and they had penalty appeals turned down by referee Campbell Duncan, who deemed that Aitken had tackled Mark Brown fairly when he was squaring up to shoot.

With ten minutes remaining, a Dalkeith corner was headed narrowly wide by Mark Malone.

East Calder United also advanced to the quarter-final stage of the Miller Cup after winning their third round home tie against Arniston by 1-0.

Spartans: Mark Sinclair, Geoff Aberdein, Ross Hutchison, Chris Aitken, Marc Proudfoot, John Hall, Robbie Laird, James Campbell, Iain Cartwright, Martin Douglas, David Campbell, Garth Fitzsimmons, Liam Grandison, Cameron Clark, Jonah Fransson.

Dalkeith MW: John Falconer, Sean McDermott, Darren Combe, John Taylor, John Cooper, Mark Lothian, Darren Stewart, Paul McDermott, Craig Brown, Mark Brown, Laurie Flynn, Calum Gordon, Michael Laing, Mark Malone, Christopher Wright, Kevin Connolly.