Rumour Mill: Footballer banned over cup final pitch invasion | Johansson to Rangers? | Ricken charity match
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Johansson to Rangers
Jonatan Johansson has been the latest Rangers player to emerge as a candidate for the No.3 role in Pedro Caixiha’s management team. The Finn joins John Brown, Barry Ferguson, Peter Lovenkrands and Alex Rae in contention for the position which, according to Dave King, should be filled by the time Rangers host Motherwell at Ibrox next weekend. (Scottish Sun)
Footballer banned
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Hide AdA former SPFL player has been banned from every ground in the UK for his part in the pitch invasion that marred the end of Hibs’ Scottish Cup final triumph over Rangers. Brian Martin, an ex-centre back with Berwick Rangers, was fined £800 for invading the field, though his not guilty plea regarding a charge of attacking a Rangers supporter was accepted by the court. Martin hung up his boots in January, though he insists it was purely for work reasons and not because of the banning order. (Daily Record)
Fernando Ricksen charity match
A charity match for Fernando Ricksen on Saturday afternoon was hailed a huge success as the former Rangers defender continues his fight with Motor Neurone Disease. Around 5,000 fans turned up at Fleetwood Town’s Highbury Stadium as a Rangers Legends side - featuring Pieter Huistra and Marvin Andrews - were defeated 3-2 by an England select XI. Ricksen watched the action from beside the dugouts. (Daily Record)
Griffiths likely to start
Leigh Griffiths will start for Scotland against Slovenia at Hampden on Sunday evening, according to the Scottish Sun. It is understood Gordon Strachan will once again turn to the Celtic hitman as he looks for a crucial victory to ignite Scotland’s failing World Cup qualification campaign. Griffiths started the last competitive match, the 3-0 defeat to England at Wembley. (Scottish Sun)
Boyd: Strachan might consider 4-6-0
Gordon Strachan should maybe consider bringing back the 4-6-0 formation made notorious by former boss Craig Levein, according to Kris Boyd. The ex-international striker doesn’t think any of Steven Fletcher, Jordan Rhodes, Leigh Griffiths or Chris Martin have been playing enough football recently to warrant a start, while midfield is Scotland’s strongest area. (Scottish Sun)
McCoist advice to Garner
Ally McCoist has called on Rangers striker Joe Garner to channel his aggression in the right manner. The £1.5m man recently nabbed a hat-trick against Hamilton Accies in the Scottish Cup, though the performance was marred by a brutal tackle on Dougie Imrie. McCoist believes Garner needs to continue playing his no-nonsense game but should recognise the line he can’t cross. (Sunday Post)
McKinnon hopes win heals scars
Dundee United boss Ray McKinnon hopes the 2-1 victory over St Mirren in the Irn-Bru Cup final has helped heal some of the scars left by the club’s relegation from the Ladbrokes Premiership. Goals from Anthony Andreu and Thomas Mikkelsen, either side of Rory Loy’s equaliser, won the lower league cup competition for the Tannadice club. They’ll now focus on the task of getting their promotion chase back on track, with both Morton and Falkirk, the two sides ahead of them in the play-offs, losing at the weekend. (Brechin Advertiser)
Scotland set for low crowd
Gordon Strachan has maintained that apathy will not be the enemy of his Scotland team this evening as they face the prospect of playing in front of the lowest Hampden crowd for a competitive fixture in almost 16 years. The national stadium is set to be half empty for the World Cup Group F encounter against Slovenia that is make-or-break both for hopes of making next year’s finals and Strachan’s future as manager. (The Scotsman)