Changing room chat: Annan's final school of thought

Published on Thursday 1 October 2009 23:37

ANNAN Athletic chairman Henry McClelland reckons that fate has already decided that his side will triumph over Dundee during Sunday's ALBA Challenge Cup semi-final at Dens Park.

The Galabank chairman is following the example set in the past by his counterparts at Gretna and Queen of the South, and reckons it is a failsafe way to ensure his side line up in a cup final.

McClelland explained, "There is a primary school in Annan called Elmvale and in 2005, Brooks Mileson (the late Gretna owner] presented their end-of-year school certificates and within 12 months he was in a national final.

"In 2007, David Rae of Queen of the South did the honours and he was at Hampden within a year. I presented them in June this year so I reckon our place in the final may just be around the corner."

Gretna lost on penalties to Hearts in the 2006 Scottish Cup, while Queens went down fighting to Rangers at Hampden two years later. McClelland will be hoping to make it third time lucky for the south west, but even taking to Annan to a final in their second season in the SFL would be quite an achievement.

Audley's sights are lowered

HOW the "mighty" have fallen. Audley Harrison, the gold-medal star of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and touted, touted and touted again as a future heavyweight champion of the world, fights tonight live on Sky in the reality boxing show Prizefighter.

Bookmakers make Harrison, 37, 6-5 favourite to win the tournament in London's ExCel Arena, in which he would have to come through three bouts on the night, but are happy to offer odds of 50-1 that he will go on and claim a major world title.

Harrison's great rival Danny Williams is 13-8 to win tonight.

Gloves are off at Kahn vote

FORMER Germany and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn nearly came to blows with a speaker at the election of a new president of his hometown club Karlsruhe.

Kahn, whose father Ralf ran unsuccessfully for the position, wanted to take the microphone before the ballot. But a club member who had been addressing the gathering wouldn't let him, requiring security personnel to jump in to prevent a brawl. "That's football – emotions play a great role," Kahn said after the incident.

Of the four candidates, Ralf Kahn received the fewest votes.

TALES FROM THE TABS

SIVES SPILLS THE BEANS

FORMER Hearts defender Craig Sives 'lifted the lid on Tynecastle' and 'branded the club a shambles', the Daily Record informed us.

Sives, who was released by the club in January and has since joined Shamrock Rovers, was left disillusioned by events at Hearts. "I could write a book about the things that went on at Hearts. Honestly, I'm not joking. It was a complete shambles... I didn't even go to training some mornings. I'd get up and just not go in and the club was so much of a shambles, they didn't even question it."

Sevilla midfielder Didier Zakora believes Rangers will join his team in the last 16 of the Champions League, despite the Scottish champions' 4-1 loss at Ibrox to the Spaniards. He told the Daily Express: "I still think Rangers can get second. We watched them on DVD against Stuttgart and they came back so well in that game."

Under-fire Ipswich manager Roy Keane has received backing from his chief executive – just what every manager needs. Simon Clegg told the Daily Mirror: "We still have absolute confidence in Roy and believe he is the right man for the job." That's him safe then...