ian1964

Scotland are now in the top 50 sides in the world after Fifa published their latest national team ranking. Craig Levein�s side have climbed three places in the table and now sit in joint 50th place alongside Colombia. The climb up the table comes from the defeat of Northern Ireland in the inaugural Carling Nations Cup last month. Goals from Kenny miller, James McArthur and Kris Commons sealed victory over Nigel Worthington�s side and had the added bonus of a rankings boost. Scotland have leapfrogged Costa Rica and Bosnia-Herzegovina to move into the top 50 and now sit ahead of Romania and just behind Jamaica and Ecuador. Craig Levein�s squad have no competitive internationals until September but face Brazil in a glamour friendly this month at Arsenal�s Emirates Stadium. They then face Wales and Republic of Ireland in a double-header to conclude the Nations Cup in May. Of the four countries competing in the tournament, Republic of Ireland remain the highest ranked in 34th place, with Northern Ireland in 40th. Wales, who lost 3-0 in Dublin in their Nations Cup opener have slipped to 116th in the table. Scotland�s Euro 2012 Group I rivals Spain remain at the top of the rankings, the world and European champions staying ahead of Netherlands and Germany, with Argentina and Brazil completing the top five. The other teams in Scotland�s qualification group also changed ranking. Czech Republic dropped a place to 31st, Lithuania moved up to 54th and Liechtenstein climbed to 143rd. http://sport.stv.tv/football/scotland/233905-scotland-move-into-top-50-in-fifa-rankings/

It's a mercy John Reid wasn't on the pitch for the Celtic v Rangers punch-up As a privy counsellor, we might have hoped former Labour minister John Reid – now Baron Reid of Cardowan – would be discreet when discussing the controversial Celtic v Rangers punch-up. Celtic’s thuggish manager, Neil Lennon, was seen lunging at Rangers coach Ally McCoist. But Reid’s view is indulgent. ‘We have a great manager who is doing a great job,’ he says. Isn’t it a mercy pugnacious Reid wasn’t on the pitch himself when the fracas took place? If he had, the current inquiry might be under the auspices of the UN. By Ephraim Hardcastle http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1364368/Its-mercy-John-Reid-wasnt-pitch-Celtic-v-Rangers-punch-up.html

PSV 1/2 Draw 11/4 Rangers 5/1 http://www.skybet.com/betting/football/europa-league/t31.html#

Gregg Wylde is set to become the latest Murray Park graduate to commit his future to Rangers. After agreeing long-term deals with youngsters Jamie Ness and Darren Cole, the champions have now moved to tie down Wylde, who has made seven appearances since making his first team debut last season. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks/kirk-broadfoot-is-ready-to-offer-his-services-1.1089454

http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/2011/03/get-set-for-singing-row.html

Yesterday, Scottish authorities set out a plan to tackle Glasgow's football violence. But the Rangers and Celtic divide is part of the city's soul, argues Richard Wilson Blue or Green? Billy or Tim? In Glasgow, your identity is reduced to a single imperative, something that your surname or the school that you attended reveals; or the football club that you support. Rangers or Celtic? The Protestant/Catholic division across this city, and the entire west of Scotland, is deeply felt enough to be relevant still, to still shape the behaviour of different generations, that it survives even the erosions of time. The Old Firm clubs have come to be its most lasting, most forceful, on occasions even its most repugnant expression; nowhere else in world football is a rivalry based quite so clearly along religious lines, making it something unique, however thrilling or bleak it can turn. This enmity should have diminished, since it reaches back two centuries and has never been more under siege from changes in society, but Glasgow remains vulnerable to its old tribalisms. Many of the segregation lines are now blurred: the city is increasingly secular, mixed marriages between Protestants and Catholics have never been higher, the middle classes are spreading in number and influence, and the old certainties of the Protestant working class voting Conservative and the Catholic working class voting Labour are now lost. These evolutions affect the followings of both clubs, so that the two supports have never been more homogenous, but they still cling to that solitary divide: religion. Why can a football match between Rangers and Celtic end in a riot, or in a young man being stabbed to death because of the football jersey he is wearing? Why is it that players from outwith Scotland can become so inflamed that three Englishmen playing for Rangers ââ?¬â?? Terry Butcher, Chris Woods and Graham Roberts ââ?¬â?? ended up in court with Frank McAvennie, the Celtic striker; or that Paul Gascoigne could receive death threats after miming playing a flute (in reference to Orange Walks); or that Artur Boruc, a Polish goalkeeper, could be cautioned for gestures made to Rangers fans, including blessing himself? Why is it that the police report spikes in assaults, disorder and domestic abuse in the aftermath of Old Firm games? Or that paramedics and accident and emergency departments are inundated with drink and violence-related cases? Rangers and Celtic have become symbols for their communities, they provide a sense of identity that still relates to the sectarian divide that was once prevalent in Glasgow; in the songs and banners of the rivalry, a language of hate persists. A kind of madness can arise on Old Firm days, something absurd but also deep-rooted and vehement. It is expressed in songs that glorify the IRA, or about being "up to our knees in Fenian blood". They are Scottish clubs, but the rivalry is shaped as much by Irish politics, immigration, unionism and republicanism, as religion (the Catholic church and the Orange Order once feared that the Troubles would spread across the Irish Sea). Rather than Saltires, it is Union Jacks and Irish Tricolours that are the flags of these games. King Billy, Bobby Sands, The Sash, The Fields of Athenry; an Old Firm match is an untidy accumulation of history, spite, anger, and confusion. It is a football derby, like those in Milan, Buenos Aries or Istanbul, but one in which the rivalry has become entrenched in ancient hostility. It is this tension that provokes such an intense environment that matches between Rangers and Celtic can become overwhelmed by the baggage carried into them (or make them compelling spectacles). In 1980, the Scottish Cup final between the two sides ended with supporters fighting on the pitch, and a subsequent ban on alcohol being served at football grounds. In 1999, when Rangers won 3-0 at Celtic Park to effectively clinch the championship, Hugh Dallas, the referee, was hit by a coin in the forehead, and individual Celtic fans tried to invade the pitch. Football dominates ââ?¬â?? Istanbul is the only other city to house three stadiums with capacities over 50,000, but has a population of 13m compared to only 600,000 in Glasgow ââ?¬â?? because it is the sport of the working man. The grime of Glasgow's industrial past, the sweat, dirt, pride and poverty that were for so long the defining influences, still cling to every surface, however often they have been whitewashed. In the days when the Clyde shipyards and the narrow housing tenements of the Gorbals were domineering places, men would surge out at lunchtime on a Saturday and head straight for the football. The sport combined with drinking to provide the main sources of relief from the terrible grind of working life. And the city's two teams became the country's two major clubs by the same forces of history and culture that shaped Glasgow itself. Celtic were formed in Glasgow's east end in 1888 by Brother Walfrid, a Marist monk, to raise money for the city's impoverished Catholic community, and also keep the youths away from the Protestant soup kitchens. As the club of the Catholics, Celtic's early glories prompted a form of indignation in Scottish society, as the country was resolutely, defiantly even, Protestant. Rangers were established in 1873 with no religious ties, but the club's size, success and location in the city's south side saw it become the club that the Protestant majority gathered behind to stand up to Celtic. There were two waves of mass immigration from Ireland to Scotland; one mostly Catholic, in the 19th century, the other, in the 20th century, more mixed. The first influx prompted an anti-Catholic sentiment in the west of Scotland, a feeling that was exacerbated by the second, when workers arrived to find jobs in the Govan shipyards (in the 1920s there were even anti-Catholic political parties). Other British cities, such as Liverpool, Manchester and Cardiff, also received thousands of Irish settlers, and each suffered sectarian tensions and riots of their own in the early 20th century, only for them to fade out over time. The division remained in Glasgow because of its proximity to Ireland, allowing ease of travel and communication between the two countries, and Scotland's sense of itself as a Protestant nation. There was a time in the west of Scotland when certain jobs and firms were widely known not to employ Catholics, a stance mirrored by Rangers' never having signed a high-profile Catholic player until Mo Johnston, the former Celtic striker, moved to the club from Nantes in 1989. Johnston was protected by a bodyguard, and some fans were aghast at his arrival, until he scored the winning goal in an Old Firm game. Now, Catholics have captained and managed the club, and a player's religion is no longer relevant. Bigotry remains the background noise of Old Firm matches, even although the majority of fans no longer even practise their religion, and the encounters often teeter on the edge of malevolence. There are Celtic-only and Rangers-only pubs, supporters travel to Ibrox or Celtic Park on pre-ordained routes so that they cannot encounter each other, the matches kick-off at midday on a Sunday to prevent drinking beforehand, and the city tenses, so that you feel something fraught in the air. The derby is combustible because of the religious divide ââ?¬â?? which provides the means of expression, the context of the hatred ââ?¬â?? but also other factors. Rangers and Celtic are Scotland's two dominant clubs, so their games inevitably influence the title race and the outcome carries a great weight of meaning; Scotland is so small, and the teams so big that it might be described as a national derby (more people followed Rangers to the 2008 Uefa Cup final in Manchester than attended the papal mass in Glasgow last year); there is an element of supporters living up to the game's reputation, so that the theatre of it ââ?¬â?? the noise is deafening and relentless ââ?¬â?? is self-fulfilling. It is a football rivalry, but one that is darkened by its surroundings. Heavy drinking is rife in the west of Scotland, Glasgow has an entrenched gang and knife culture that treats violence as customary, and there are areas of such poverty, low life expectancy and unemployment that the sense of identity provided by Rangers and Celtic is clung to desperately. There are good and bad elements to both sets of supporters, and the flares of anger and resentment on the field are no worse than other derby matches. Alex Salmond, Scotland's First Minister, is not the first politician conspicuously to intervene, but his time might be better spent promoting anti-sectarian education (although many Scots believe that support for Catholic schools, which separate children from a young age, is a mitigating factor) and in tackling the problems of heavy drinking. Sectarianism is no longer prevalent in Scottish culture, and religion no longer the central influence in people's lives. Yet the Old Firm game is blighted by the language of its enmity, the history it drags back into prominence. The football rivalry exists within this last remnant of hatred, so that the occasion reflects Glasgow's old antagonisms. Richard Wilson is writing a book on the Old Firm called "Inside The Divide" that will be published by Canongate http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/rangers-and-celtic-disunited-they-stand-2236083.html

Do you say the same about Diouf Liewell?,I'd say he has had more abuse than TLB since he arrived in Scotland,hell your fans even tried to give Diouf cash to send him home when they showered him with coins @ Ibrox,oh wait,that never happened right!!!

Of course it's a boost,having all our players fit and available is a boost.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/default.stm

On the sauce again mate:smile:

Our form has been so poor for weeks now,however I'm going for a squeaky bum draw: PSV 1 Rangers 1 Edu :boogie:

Any and all the players are available at the right price,maybe there is a clause in his contract regarding a sell on fee?,then again!!!!!!!!!!

Agreed. Still a step in the right direction though.

Hers's a link to the interview for anybody that missed it,like me!! http://www.4shared.com/audio/t3-C1tR1/sportsound_7-3.html

Good news,the lad looks the real deal. Considering his run in the first team is his longest run of games at any level since WS came back to the club,due to injuries,he certainly has taken the opportunity to impress and would no doubt still be playing regularly now if he hadn't picked up another injury.

Another dissappointing under par performance. I'll go for SDOW.

RANGERS striker El Hadji Diouf last night defended Celtic boss Neil Lennon - and insisted: "He's no racist." Diouf insisted he WON'T make a complaint to cops about Lennon - because he believes "what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch". Police have launched an investigation into claims Lennon called the striker a f****** n***** during the fiery Old Firm Scottish Cup clash last week. But last night sources close to Diouf, 30, insisted it is "nonsense" to say Lennon made the vile racist comment. An insider said: "El Hadji Diouf won't be making any complaints to the police. He isn't interested. "As far as El Hadji is concerned what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch. It is a high-intensity atmosphere and it is finished. "It is nonsense to think that Neil Lennon said what is being reported. Trying to make out Lennon is racist is a lot of rubbish." On-loan Blackburn ace Diouf's agent Willie McKay said: "The only thing he is concentrating on is playing for Rangers and winning a contract." Cops were hit with around 200 complaints from fans. It's thought they were based on a YouTube clip showing the 39-year-old Hoops boss and the Senegalese striker exchanging angry words in the first half. It's believed cops will speak to Lennon over the next few days. Top QC Paul McBride, who's been instructed by Celtic to represent their manager, said the allegations of a racist tirade "are defamatory and outrageous with no substance whatsoever". We told on Saturday how Lennon is on the verge of quitting after being targeted in a bomb scare. He took his seat in the stand for Saturday's victory over Hamilton Accies. Wife Irene, 34, and the couple's five-year-old son Gallagher also attended despite claims they were staying in a safe house under 24-hour guard. Lennon and Rangers assistant boss Ally McCoist were blasted by footy chiefs, top cops and First Minister Alex Salmond last week for squaring up to each other after the final whistle of Celtic's 1-0 win at Parkhead. Yesterday, Church of Scotland head the Right Reverend John Christie waded into the storm. He said: "There can be no excuse for highly-paid professionals behaving in a manner which could inflame an already heated atmosphere." Mr Salmond will hold a crisis summit at Hampden with Celtic and Rangers chiefs and police tomorrow. A Strathclyde Police spokesman said they "received complaints from members of the public". He added: "We are investigating." Neither Celtic, Rangers nor Diouf have been contacted by cops. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3450848/El-Hadji-Diouf-Neil-Lennons-no-racist.html#ixzz1Fu3Swloc

2-2 now,40 minutes palyed,Hutton booked for giving away a pen,it should have been a red card tbh

Two fantastic goals from Defoe there,absolute quality. Wolves 1 Spurs 2

Never heard anything from the Rangers fans today!!!!,were they there??,strange as they can normally be heard regardless of the teams performance!!,maybe the microphones were removed from the Rangers end???

Thursday, Europa League last 16 ESPN, 6pm By Paul Forsyth FOR a club based in one of Holland's less fashionable regions, PSV Eindhoven have the most distinguished history. Quite apart from the European Cup, the UEFA Cup and the 21 domestic titles on their CV, they also have been a launch-pad for many of the game's superstars, from Ruud Gullit and Ruud van Nistelrooy to Ronaldo, Romario and Ronald Koeman. Until the season before last, they had a firm grip of the Dutch Eredivisie, and were almost a fixture in the Champions League. Success of that sort brings a level of expectation that is increasingly difficult to meet. As the game's riches gravitate ever more to the big clubs in the big countries, the need for the money that comes with Champions League football grows greater by the year. Although Rangers have filled their pockets with some of that this season, PSV have had to content themselves with the Europa League, where the two clubs are about to meet in the last 16. Whisper it, but progress to the quarter-finals is not a priority for either of the teams who will meet in Thursday's first leg. What both of them desire more than anything is the domestic success that will guarantee them a place in Europe's most prestigious competition. That's where the money is nowadays. When they miss out on that jackpot, as PSV have for the last two years, they find themselves trying to do the same old things with only a fraction of the resources. Big clubs in small countries; who would be one? The Netherlands' big three are trying desperately to remain dominant on a playing field that no longer slopes in their favour. "For clubs like Ajax, it's terrible," says Arthur Numan, the former PSV and Rangers player. "Their supporters expect them to win the league at least every three years, but it's six or seven years since they've done it. Feyenoord are even worse. They used to be the big team in Holland but they are in a terrible situation now. They have debt, and for the last five or six years, have been forced to sell players." By those standards, PSV are in decent shape, top of the league, and led by a resourceful coach but they, too, are feeling the pinch all right. Spending has been reduced, wages cut and, at the end of last year, they sold their best player, Ibrahim Afellay, to Barcelona for a reported �£2.6 million rather than risk losing him for nothing at the end of the season. According to some, they even considered ditching their lifelong sponsors, Philips, in favour of a more lucrative arrangement, but loyalty got the better of them. Fred Rutten, who made his name with Twente Enschede, is the man charged with bringing the title back. The 48-year-old coach, who spent four years at PSV as an assistant to Guus Hiddink, returned two summers ago from an ill-fated stint with Schalke 04 in Germany. Although last season never fulfilled its early promise, there is optimism that this one will. His team are a solid unit, as disciplined at the back as they are quick and imaginative going forward. Numan, left, is a big fan of Rutten's. When the two played together at Twente, he could see that the older man was a manager in the making. In the second of two spells in the Twente dugout, Rutten rebuilt a club that had almost gone out of business. According to Numan, the title they won last year under Steve McClaren, the former England coach, would not have been possible without the work of his predecessor. Without Rutten's vision a few years back, Twente would not be in their current rude health, challenging PSV for the title. "I can see him becoming the coach of a big team in Europe," says Numan. "He has the qualities. He has the kind of football mind that attracts a lot of clubs. He wants the structure to be right. You could see that at FC Twente. They have done really well in the last three years, especially when McClaren won the league, but Fred Rutten was at the start of it. Twente had so much debt they nearly went bankrupt, but he was their coach for two years, laying the foundations. It's all down to him that the club is where it is now." Rutten is not the most flamboyant of souls. Sometimes derided for his softly-spoken manner, he makes no attempt to compete with the charisma Frank de Boer brings to Ajax, but he earns the respect of his players. Numan says that very few, even those who are left out of the team, have a bad word to say about him. He is honest and true to himself, the kind of character they appreciate in Eindhoven. With a reputation as the "tractor boys" of Dutch football, there is a homespun feel to PSV, however successful they have been. Numan, who was there for six years before his move to Ibrox in 1998, talks of a family atmosphere that made him feel welcome. That may explain why so many prodigious young footballers have chosen the club as the stage on which to prove themselves. "They are a provincial club. Ajax are from Amsterdam, the big city. Feyenoord are from Rotterdam, another big city. Eindhoven is in the south, where people are more relaxed. The supporters call themselves "farmers". That says enough, I think. In the west, people have big mouths and lots of opinions. In Eindhoven, the people are warmer. It's a good place to go if you are a young player." With Afellay gone, PSV's biggest asset is now Balazs Dzsudzsak, a 24-year-old Hungarian who terrifies defenders. Signed three years ago from Debrecen, he is a crowd-pleasing, left-sided forward with pace, tricks and a thunderous free-kick. He has signed an extension to his contract but talks about his plans to play in England's Premier League. "I'm 100 per cent sure that a lot of big clubs are knocking on PSV's door, trying to take him away," says Numan. "He goes inside, outside, creates chances, scores goals. You can see his confidence growing with every game, and a lot of that is down to Rutten." The coach has given PSV a nice mix. They are bolstered at the back by Wilfred Bouma, who returned from Aston Villa to his spiritual home last summer, and captained in central midfield by Orlando Engelaar, a 6ft 5in player whose languid style isn't to everyone's tastes. In attack, they have two 24-year-old Swedish strikers who played in the 3-0 defeat of Scotland last August. Marcus Berg is on loan from Hamburg. Ola Toivonen, who scored in Stockholm that night, can be brilliant one day, invisible the next, but he will be invaluable when consistency is added to the package. Numan is too diplomatic to predict a winner but, reading between the lines, his money is on the Dutchmen. "We know how Rangers play, especially away from home in Europe. Very defensive, five defenders, four midfielders, one striker. PSV are a more attacking side. If you're pushing me, I think PSV have more quality, especially up front. Rangers will be the underdog." http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sport/PSV-v-Rangers-PSV-for.6729219.jp?articlepage=1

FOR once the entire country is talking about Scottish football after Wednesday's Old Firm derby. For all the wrong reasons. The reaction to events at Parkhead has been astonishing. Everyone I've spoken to absolutely LOVED the Old Firm meltdown - apart from policemen and politicians! I lost count of how many normally sane English friends and colleagues told me they are already counting down the days to the Old Firm League Cup Final on March 20, following the madness. Scottish football - or the Old Firm at any rate - has become must-see TV in a freaky, 'Big Brother,' kind of way. Sadly it has more to do with their indiscipline than their football. How tragic is it that our top club game, the jewel in our crown, is now regarded as some kind of freak show? The outbreak of childish behaviour has overshadowed the good football we saw in the original tie at Ibrox, yet it turned Wednesday night's event into a nationwide smash hit. At times it was like watching a low-budget horror movie through the cracks in your fingers. You know exactly what's going to happen in every scene, yet you can't take your eyes off it. That's where we are right now with the Old Firm. In an ideal world people would drool over our biggest club game, as they do when Barcelona play Real Madrid, and praise us for our football. But people aren't tuning in to watch Paul McStay and Paolo Di Canio mixing it with Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup any more. They're tuning in to see El Hadji Diouf and Scott Brown and who kicks the s*** out of who first. It's a shame because Celtic actually have quality players like Izaguirre, Kayal and Hooper who look as if they could play at a higher level. The same could be said of McGregor, Bougherra and Naismith at Ibrox. But we seem to have reached a point after five Old Firm games this season where we're entertaining the public but p***ing off the police and politicians. It's always dangerous for football when those two bodies get involved. Salmond described the scenes at Parkhead as 'shameful.' This pair released Libyan mass-murderer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi As the entire country talks about the drama and passion involved, some copper's union chief has a totally different slant on it. He wants the fixture shut down or played behind closed doors. Call me cynical, but was it more than just a coincidence that Les Gray, Chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, claimed police wouldn't have enough resources to cope with seven Old Firm matches this season three days before Home Secretary Theresa May told his members to expect a pay cut. Needless to say the copper's alarmist talk grabbed more headlines than Libya this week, which brings us not-so-nicely to our politicians. It's all kicking off in Tripoli and the Middle East is going up in flames. David Cameron had more on his plate than to concern himself with Wayne Rooney scudding James McCarthy with his elbow. But up here the First Minister Alex Salmond and his Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill are disgusted because Ally McCoist and Neil Lennon squared up to each other. Salmond described the scenes at Parkhead as 'shameful.' This pair released Libyan mass-murderer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, who was convicted of the Pan Am Flight 103 bomb which killed 270 innocent people, and sent him home to a heroes welcome and a party in Tripoli! Now they're going to lecture Celtic and Rangers about the need to clean up THEIR act! It's not so long ago Glasgow was being described as the murder capital of western Europe. Knife crime remains a huge problem. Sectarianism and bigotry are rife in the west of Scotland. We drink too much, eat the wrong things, there's a drug culture and on top of that we take young impressionable children and send them to separate schools - then bleat about the poisonous religious divide in our society. Maybe if we solved some of those problems, most of the issues surrounding Old Firm games would cease. Instead, the politicians are going to put the world to rights by taking the Old Firm to task about their conduct! But they can't help themselves when they are presented with a high-profile opportunity to mouth their opinions. I wouldn't give tuppence for politicians getting involved in football. What sanity has John Reid brought to our game at Celtic by questioning referees' integrity and supporting Peter Wishart's ludicrous proposal that refs should publicly declare who they support? Lennon is crossing boundaries all over the place and upsetting a lot of previously reasonable people Reid also publicly branded Rangers 'Boring Holy Willies.' Has this former Home Secretary done anything to calm tensions ANYWHERE? Yet he has the power and authority to do some good by looking at his own club and recognising there is a problem with Neil Lennon. He has to ask why it is Lennon has become such a hated figure, to the extent he now requires round-the-clock protection and people are sending him bullets and fake bombs. Martin O'Neill was a Catholic who played for Nothern Ireland and went on to manage Celtic. He ticked many of the same boxes Lennon does, yet he was able to go about his business without the same level of animosity. In fact he was grudgingly admired by most Rangers fans. Why is Lennon so different? Whether he admits it or not I'm sure Walter Smith will have had a word with Ally McCoist now he's been confirmed as Gers' next boss. Lennon is crossing boundaries all over the place and upsetting a lot of previously reasonable people. Someone in power has to pull him aside, put a fatherly arm around his shoulder and give him some advice. They must remind him he is no longer a combatant in these games, he's the manager of Celtic and that comes with a whole lot of added responsibility. If a player is over-stepping the mark on the pitch and has lost the plot, it's a manager's job to pull him back in line. How can Lennon do that if he's racing to the touchline to square up to an opponent - even one as objectionable as El Hadji Diouf? Why does he continue to behave the way he does? It's not rocket science. It's because no one he respects in authority has told him not to. Right now no one in power at Celtic seems to be sounding the alarm about their manager's behaviour and warning him enough is enough, cut it out now. And until someone takes on that responsibility I'm not sure Lennon is capable of policing himself.

'' With Kane Hemmings called up for first team duty '' I was wondering when/if we were going to see this lad progress to the first team. He seems a big,powereful lad with pace and knows his way to goal,all of course just reading the excellent reports posted by efideldo.

LEE McCULLOCH admits Rangers and Celtic players have a responsibility to set a good example. The Scotland star insists, however, they should NOT be the fall guys for any violence which spills on to the street after Old Firm derbies. Soccer bosses, top cops and First Minister Alex Salmond have all put the boot into Glasgow's big two following the shameful scenes at Parkhead on Wednesday. A total of 187 arrests were made in Strathclyde on the night, but McCulloch said: "I think it's unfair to blame the players for that. "Players have to take responsibility to act professionally but once you get into that atmosphere it's hard to stay calm." The Gers midfielder, who is out for the season following knee surgery, added: "I watched the game on television and I think a lot of people have blown out of proportion what went on. After the game there was an argument. That's it - nobody's thrown a punch. It's easy in the heat of the moment to do something silly, but I don't think anyone did anything really out of order." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3447984/Arrests-are-not-down-to-players.html#ixzz1FiWENwAx Somebody speaking sense at last,well said Jig

CELTIC boss Neil Lennon has been pushed to the brink by the sickening hate campaign against him, Hoops coach Alan Thompson warned last night. Lennon has been repeatedly targeted by thugs who have sent chilling death threats, brutally attacked him and even posted bullets to him. The latest sinister package - addressed to him at Celtic Park - was discovered by terrified mail workers at a sorting office in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, yesterday. It comes 48 hours after he clashed with Rangers' assistant boss Ally McCoist and controversial Ibrox star El Hadji Diouf during this week's Old Firm game. And Thompson - Lennon's closest ally at the club - revealed how the menacing attacks have taken their toll on the 39-year-old. The former Celtic midfielder said: "I was having a beer with him on the Friday night before the Old Firm game and we got rushed out of where we were. "He was taken home and given 24-hour surveillance for him and his family for two nights - the night before the game and the night after the game. "There has been live ammunition sent to him and then this - this is just unbelievable. People think he should just accept it. But it's a hard way to live your life." Thompson, who took over Lennon's duties at the regular pre-match press conference, added: "It's not new to him, he's had them before and no doubt he'll have them again. But they're going to take their toll." The assistant manager, also revealed how the hate campaign had affected Lennon's family. Thompson said: "His family are first and foremost, both in Scotland - his partner Irene and his little boy Gallagher - as well as his mum, dad and sisters back home. I spend a lot of time with him at work and away from work and I know how difficult it is for his family. "He has been up here 11 years and he has had it from then until the present and will have it until he leaves. I think it is important that he gets the protection and backing that we give him." Asked if Lennon was set to quit Parkhead, Thompson replied: "Only Neil and his family can make that decision. But I'd be surprised if he goes anywhere in the next nine or ten weeks. I think it will be something he'll sit down and look at in the summer." Lennon, a former Celtic captain and Northern Ireland international, has previously been targeted by a string of yobs. He was forced to withdraw from Northern Ireland's game against Cyprus in 2002 after a reported death threat from a paramilitary group. In 2008 he was knocked unconscious after being attacked by two men in Glasgow who were later jailed for the brutal assault. And two months ago he slammed the sick maniacs who sent bullets to him and Celtic winger Niall McGinn, 23, in the post after the New Year Old Firm game. The packages were posted in Northern Ireland and intercepted in a sorting office. The latest chilling find saw cops race to the Saltcoats sorting office before setting up an emergency cordon around the building and removing the package which later turned out to be a hoax. Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell said: "Clearly this most recent sickening event in a long line of threats to Neil and his family is extremely worrying. "No one in any walk of life should have to live their life in this way and those responsible should be condemned." A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that we are currently investigating a suspicious package discovered at a Royal Mail sorting office in Chapelwell Street, Saltcoats. Enquiries are ongoing." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3448089/Neil-Lennon-on-the-brink.html#ixzz1FiPwF7zT