Football News: Ferguson quits as Stranraer manager after 8-2 home drubbing by Stirling

Published on Saturday 24 January 2009 18:41

STRANRAER have parted company with manager Derek Ferguson following yesterday's humiliating 8-2 home defeat by Stirling Albion.

It was announced last night that the former Scotland midfielder, pictured, had left by "mutual consent" with the club teetering on the brink of going out of business. Chairman Nigel Redhead rates their chances of survival until the end of the season as 50/50 with the club in debt to the tune of 250,000.

Stranded at the foot of the Second Division, seven points adrift of second bottom Arbroath, Stranraer were ripped apart by Stirling during yesterday's second half at Stair Park, conceding seven goals in 45 minutes.

A statement issued by the club said: "Following today's disastrous result Stranraer manager Derek Ferguson has left the club by mutual consent."

The departure of the former Rangers, Hearts and Sunderland player comes less than a year after he took charge and follows a run of 11 games without a win.

St Johnstone deny penny-pinching on heating costs as game is frozen off

ST JOHNSTONE supremo Geoff Brown last night defended his club's decision to leave the undersoil heating off – after their game with Dunfermline bit the dust due to a frozen pitch.

The Perth side saw their table-topping First Division clash with the Pars postponed at 12.30pm yesterday.

Brown said: "Don't accuse us of penny-pinching. It's very frustrating and now we're looking at a 6,000 bill for hospitality, policing and stewarding costs.

"The club always monitors the weather forecast during the winter months and it was not predicted to drop below zero in Perth overnight. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case and a pitch inspection had to be hastily arranged to prevent Dunfermline and their fans travelling. Part of the ground which doesn't get the sun was unplayable."

A frozen pitch at Forfar led to their tie with Elgin City being called off in the Third Division. In the Highland League Cove Rangers v Clachnacuddin, Nairn County v Lossiemouth, Forres Mechanics v Brora and Huntly v Deveronvale were all postponed due to waterlogging.

Dalglish turning-point

KENNY Dalglish has revealed how a moment in the last FA Cup Merseyside derby led him to quit as Liverpool manager.

The former Scotland and Celtic hero tendered his resignation the day after Liverpool were held 4-4 by Everton in a cup replay in 1991.

As Scotland on Sunday reported last week, the grieving process after 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death at an FA Cup semi final at Hillsborough two years earlier was also taking its toll on Dalglish, but it was the match when Everton equalised four times at Goodison that proved to be the final straw.

Dalglish said: "I knew that night I had to go. After we took the lead for the final time, I was standing on the touchline and I knew that I had to make a change to shore things up at the back.

"I could see what had to be done, and what would happen if I didn't do it, but I didn't act on what I knew I had to do. That was the moment I knew.

"The wife was busy planning my 40th birthday and I just came in that night and told her I was done. I needed the break. I was shattered and Marina was stunned."

Poor sales for cup ties

THE Co-operative Insurance Cup semi-finals are set to be played out before a half-empty Hampden Park as cash-strapped fans struggle for enthusiasm.

Attendances for both ties involving Rangers and Falkirk on Tuesday and Celtic and Dundee United on Wednesday seem poised to fall short of expectations.

At close of play on Friday, holders Rangers had shifted 20,000 briefs while Falkirk – chasing their first cup final in 12 years – had sold only 3,500 for the non-televised meeting at the 52,000-capacity stadium.

Sales figures for the Celtic-United match the following night are even worse, inevitably due to terrestrial live coverage on BBC Scotland, with only approximately 15,000 tickets sold between them.

Juve join Inter at top

JUVENTUS moved level at the top of Serie A with Inter Milan when Claudio Marchisio's goal sealed a 1-0 win over Fiorentina. Champions Inter can reclaim the lead outright tonight if they draw at home to Sampdoria.