Changing room chat

Published on Monday 11 August 2008 23:53

Harrington Open for some credit

PERHAPS Padraig Harrington will finally get some recognition in America following his thrilling victory in the US PGA championship in the early hours of yesterday morning. Although, judging by the way he has been introduced to the galleries Stateside over the past few weeks, you wouldn't bet on it.

The starters in America just don't seem to want to make mention of the Irishman's Open championship victories.

At last year's WGC Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio, Harrington, fresh from his victory at Carnoustie, admitted he was a little miffed that the starter on the first tee did not introduce him as the 'Open champion'.

And the same happened again this year. Harrington had just claimed back-to-back Open titles at Royal Birkdale, but still Ohio officials just said: "On the tee, from Ireland, Padraig Harrington."

At the US PGA over the weekend, Phil Mickelson was proudly introduced as the "2005 US PGA champion" but Harrington was, you guessed it, plain old "Padraig Harrington". Given he went on to win the tournament, maybe America will give Harrington the recognition he deserves.

Dazed Cowan goes Abba daft

DUNDEE defender David Cowan has recovered from the head knock he took against Clyde at the weekend, but the damage has been done: he has been outed as an Abba fan.

The dazed centre-half was taken off early in the first half blurting out the words to Abba's Dancing Queen, featured in the hit film Mamma Mia! "David took a sore one and was all over the place," revealed skipper Paul McHale. "He was feeling sick, and as he was walking off he was singing Abba songs. I'm not sure if he's been to the pictures this week."

Who has Vlad's mobile number?

HEARTS may have got off to a winning start on Saturday, but for some supporters a win over Motherwell is only a short-term fix.

Take the fan of many years standing who contacted The Scotsman yesterday. "Could you give me a number for Hearts?" asked the caller, who explained that there are questions that need to be answered. "Sure," we replied. "Who is it you are trying to contact?"

"I'd like to speak to the boss man, Mr Romanov," he said, and he wasn't joking.

If only it was that easy.

TALES FROM THE TABS

NOVO GOING NOWHERE

NACHO Novo says in the Daily Mail that he will not be tempted by a move to the glamour of the Barclays Premier League. Maybe it's something to do with the fact that it is newly-promoted Hull City who are rumoured to be preparing a bid for the Rangers forward, and not Chelsea or champions Manchester United.

"I am happy here. I love the fans and that is a big thing for me," says Novo. "If the fans were against me, that would be different."

The Daily Express goes further. In addition to linking Novo with Hull, they say that key defender Carlos Cuellar is on the wanted list of another promoted Premier League team, Stoke City, while German teams Bayer Leverkusen and Cologne are linked with misfit Rangers striker Kris Boyd.

An exclusive in the same paper says that St Mirren are about to splash out, for them, the sizeable sum of 100,000 for Livingston captain James McPake.

Scottish Premier League rivals Motherwell are also reported to have their eye on the player.