ian1964

Celtic midfielder Aiden McGeady has been fined two weeks' wages and suspended for the next two games for a breach of club discipline. McGeady was reported to have clashed with manager Gordon Strachan following the 1-1 draw with Hearts on Saturday Celtic said in a statement: "Gordon's decision has the full support of the Celtic board of directors." McGeady's agent David Holbrook said he was disappointed and told BBC Scotland that the 22-year-old would appeal. Reports claim that relations between the pair are at an all-time low after an argument in the dressing-room following Saturday's draw with Hearts. Holbrook said: "I can confirm that Aiden has been fined by the club and suspended. He's shocked, disappointed and I can say he will be appealing. "He feels that the action is completely unjustified." McGeady's agent said he hoped the problems between the midfielder and Strachan could be resolved. MY SPORT: DEBATE What do Celtic fans think of McGeady's suspension? Holbrook said that the Republic of Ireland international would be disappointed to miss the Old Firm derby at Ibrox on 27 December. "He wants to play in that game and every Celtic game," Holbrook added. "He remains 110% Celtic; he's supported them and loves them. "But there's a difference between how Aiden feels he's been treated by the club's hierarchy as opposed to his relationship with the club at large. "He's as disappointed as the fans that he won't be turning out for the Old Firm game." Holbrook would not be drawn on whether McGeady would now consider his long-term future at Celtic. "Let's just say we intend to appeal the decision and see what the panel decides." The return to Celtic from Aston Villa of Shaun Maloney has increased the competition for the wide berths with the Scottish champions this season. Strachan has at times left McGeady, who has also been hampered by injury, out of his starting line-up. Earlier in the week, Holbrook had denied knowledge of any bust-up between the pair.

McGeadyhino suspended from first team training for two weeks

Under-19 Game Off BILLY KIRKWOOD'S under-19 side will not face Motherwell this Thursday after their SPL meeting was postponed. Kirkwood's team were looking to get back to winning ways after a 1-1 draw with St Mirren on Saturday, but now have no more scheduled fixtures until January 31. They were due to face the Lanarkshire side at New Brandon Park on Thursday just three weeks after a 2-1 victory over the same side at Murray Park. No rearranged date has yet been settled for the match, but details will appear on rangers.co.uk when they are available.

Fook me, I never tire of watching that BUFFOON making an arse of himself :-]

What ?, that's the best goalie in the world don't you know

I think the Rangers fans can assist in that Jon

[ame=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LXGHfkixbXw]YouTube - Andrew Driver v Celtic.flv[/ame] :cheers:

The holy goalie strikes again, he was lying down for the Hertz goal :-}

DUTD 0 Rangers 2, Boyd,Davis

RANGERS enjoyed the perfect weekend last week when their crushing 7-1 victory over Hamilton was followed the day after by title rivals Celtic dropping points to Hibs at Easter Road. Kenny Miller celebrates his goal against HamiltonBut Kenny Miller insists any thoughts of the four point gap between the Old Firm being narrowed with the aid of other clubs is out of Rangers players' minds as they prepare for a tough trip to Tannadice this weekend. A victory against Dundee United in the early kick off on Saturday would narrow the gap to a single point ahead of Celtic's meeting with Hearts at 3pm, but Miller says his side are concentrating only on their own fixtures. He said: "Obviously it's a boost but we can only take care of our own games. The slip ups we've had are the reason we were seven points behind at one stage. "We just have to keep winning games and if Celtic slip up that's a bonus for us. Last week it was the perfect weekend for us with seven goals and a good performance and then the result on Sunday was a big boost for us. "It's another big weekend this week and if we can get the win in the early game it puts that wee bit of pressure on Celtic if the gap is down to a point." Kenny MillerMiller knows that this is another crunch weekend as Rangers aim to pick up maximum points in the run up to the December 27 Old Firm meeting. He said: "It's massive for us. There's no point in us winning 7-1 and seeing Celtic slip up if we don't then narrow the gap again. "We've got Dundee Utd away and then Hibs at home and they don't come much tougher than that. We have to win those games to go in to the Old Firm game a maximum of four points behind. "It's natural when you're in that position that you'll check what their result is to see if we've gained any ground but at the end of the day we can only look at ourselves and try to win games. "If the opposition slips up then that's obviously a boost for us. For us the next game is always the toughest one, it doesn't matter where it is. "Tomorrow's is a big game for us and we know we need to win these kind of games to go on the long winning runs you need to pick up titles." Miller's contribution to that title bid has been to weigh in with 7 goals and help his strike partner Kris Boyd to notch another 16. Their combination drew praise from the Gers No.9 who hailed Miller as his perfect front line foil, a feeling echoed by Miller. Kenny Miller and Kris BoydHe added:"I think the way it's been going it's definitely getting better. It takes a bit of time to form a partnership but we spent some together with the national side and we get on well off the park. "I think you're starting to see that on the pitch. It's been my most productive partnership, certainly over the last 6 or 7 games and there have been a lot of goals flying in - mostly for big Boydy! "I'm enjoying my football and we're playing some cracking stuff at the moment. Myself and Boydy rely on service from the midfield and that's been fantastic this season."

Dec 12 2008 By Alan Marshall CELTIC will pocket a whopping �£15million Champions League windfall despite ending their latest European adventure with Group E's wooden spoon. Gordon Strachan's men rescued some pride from a miserable campaign thanks to Wednesday's 2-0 win against Villarreal. As Scotland's sole representatives in the tournament the Hoops are in line for a windfall. Last season the TV pool rights allocated to each club earned Celtic �£2.8m and Rangers �£2.2m. However, the Ibrox side's exit to Kaunas in the qualifiers means their Old Firm rivals will bank a minimum �£4.5m from broadcasting rights alone. Celtic's two draws and one win have earned them a further �£900,000 in prize money and each of the 32 clubs in the group stage receive a starting bonus of �£2.7m plus �£350,000 per match just for taking part. Add to that gate receipts of around �£1m per match and Celtic can be sure of a mammoth total in the region of �£15m. The figures won't be much consolation to fans gutted at the side's failure to reach the last 16 or even drop into the UEFA Cup - but it could give boss Gordon Strachan cash to strengthen. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/2008/12/12/celtic-scoop-15m-windfall-from-failed-champions-league-campaign-86908-20964419/

ROD Wallace was a hero of Old Firm meetings in his time in Glasgow and believes victory for the light blues in this month's derby clash will see the title momentum swing to the city's south side. Rod WallaceWallace picked up five medals in a successful three year spell at Ibrox and now feels the current crop of Rangers stars can add a title success to their CVs after the disappointment of missing out last term. The diminutive Englishman took the Scottish game by storm when he switched to Rangers from Leeds in the summer of 1998. Dick Advocaat brought the striker north of the border on a free transfer and he rewarded the Dutchman with a flying start to his Ibrox career. His debut season in a light blue shirt saw him bag 27 goals as Advocaat led his side to the domestic treble in his first season at the helm. And Wallace forever endeared himself to the Ibrox faithful in the final game of that first season when he hit the only goal of the 1999 Scottish Cup final against Celtic. His 49th minute strike was the goal that secured the treble for Advocaat's team just weeks after they had landed the title at Celtic Park It also ensured that Wallace ended his incredible debut season on a high note with three medals in his first year in Scotland. He went contribute another 20 goal haul the following season to help his side to the domestic double and take his silverware tally as a Rangers player to five trophies in two seasons. Now, having watched Walter Smith's current side narrow the gap to Celtic to just four points over the weekend he feels the title might just be heading back to Ibrox after a three season absence. He said: "I always keep an eye out for the results to see how the club are getting on. Of course they lost last week but it's good to see them get a result this weekend. "Hopefully they can pick up a few results and go on a bit of a run now and kick on from there. If they can do that I don't see any reason why the title won't come back to Ibrox this season." With an Old Firm game to come at the end of December, Wallace knows Gers will have a chance to further decrease the gap at the top of the table.Rod Wallace And he admits he will be keeping a keen eye on events when the two rivals lock horns again after Christmas. Walter Smith will be looking for one of his stars to deliver a belated Christmas gift on the 27th of the month and Wallace knows all about being the man who makes a difference against Rangers' rivals. As well as that Scottish Cup winner in '99, Wallace grabbed the only goal of the game in March 2000 as Rangers left Parkhead with full points on their way to a second successive title success. He was also part of the famous team that clinched the '99 title on their neighbours' patch just weeks before his Hampden triumph. Although he was on the receiving end of a late red card in that title winning visit to Parkhead he remembers his appearances in derby matches throughout his Gers career fondly. He added: "I had a few good times here and it's hard to pick out one that stands out over the rest. "The Cup final was a great experience, without doubt one of the best. It was a great occasion and one of the first finals at the new Hampden which just added to the experience. "Scoring the winner at Parkhead was another great occasion but there were so many in my time up here that it's hard to really pick one as the real highlight. "That would certainly be one of them though and I'll be looking out for the boys to see how they got on at the end of the month." Wallace was back at Ibrox as a half time hero against Hamilton at the weekend and he admits it was great to bring back some happy memories from his time in Glasgow. Rod WallaceAfter reuniting and reminiscing with some familiar faces around Ibrox he said: "It's been great being back here. "I've really enjoyed seeing some old friends and having the chance to catch up with what they've been doing. "I had a great three years up here and have got some great memories from being part of this great club. "Of course I won a few things but I also met some really good people and that helped make for a really enjoyable time up here for me." It is little wonder that Wallace enjoyed his three seasons north of the border as he built up an impressive record in his time as a light blue, scoring 54 goals in 120 games over the three years. After leaving Glasgow Rod returned south where he had a further three seasons in England with Bolton and Gillingham before injury forced him to quit his playing career at the age of 34. Since then he has maintained a keen interest in remaining in football and is now working towards his coaching badges whilst gaining hands on experience with Kingstonian FC's youth teams. And at just 39 he is hoping to continue his involvement in the game with more senior coaching roles to come once his professional coaching courses have finished. He added: "I finished in 2004 because of the toll the injuries took on me. Since then I've been looking in to the coaching side of things. "I'm working on level three at the moment and I've been concentrating on that for the last couple of years now. "I'm keen to stay involved in the game if I get a chance. It's all about luck really, but once I get the qualification I'll see how things go from there."

Rangers have been forced to delay a �£2m offer for Sporting Lisbon defender Tonel due to difficulty offloading fringe players at Ibrox. (Scottish Sun)

He's a striker no ?

Agreed, that's the point I was trying to make

No problem with Keane or anyone else for that matter, as long as they do the business,pity we can't afford him

Ok, I can see what you're saying, I suppose for the Mopes game and the Sheep game you would get the fans singing, it would be interesting if they would do it on a trial basis like you and Frankie are saying, but then again that would leave our masters open to some dodgy songs

I would agree with you here Frankie, however the fans don't sing !!!, so it would be worse IMO.

by Alison McConnell RANGERS midfielder Aaron has revealed he was so excited to make his Ibrox debut that he shunned a club night out to go home and call his folks. The 19-year-old, currently on loan from Valencia, set up a goal for countryman Nacho Novo in the 7-1 win over Hamilton and was thrilled to finally get the chance to take his bow in front of the Ibrox support. "After the match there was a get-together to celebrate the victory," he said. "I didn't go because I wanted to go home and think about my debut. advertisement "I tried to call my father but I couldn't remember his number because I was so excited. "I had to get my contacts book out to get the number to call him. Then I spoke to my brothers, my mother and my friends." Aaron's mentor during the past few months has been Novo, and the striker has been giving the player plenty of advice. "Nacho dedicated his goal to me in the celebrations and I was delighted with that," he said. "Nacho had always told me to gamble and send crosses into the box because there would always be people there to finish them off - and if they weren't then it would be their fault, not mine. "So I sent the ball in and fortunately Nacho was there to put it in the net. "Afterwards all the coaches and my team-mates congratulated me on my debut. Nacho said less at that point, I think he just wanted to stay in the background. But he has helped me so much over these past few months." And the player is looking to make his mark in the SPL in the weeks to come. "I know I must continue working hard, but at least the coach knows he can count on me when he wants," he said. "My debut has served to show the level that I can give in matches of this significance." Meanwhile, Maurice Edu has admitted that he is struggling to adapt to the physical demands of the SPL. The American international cost Rangers �£2.7million this summer when he was plucked from Toronto, but he has featured only twice for Walter Smith's side. "I've found the SPL to be a lot more physical than the MLS and the National Collegiate Athletic Association," he said. "Though I've not been involved in too many games yet, you can see the level of intensity that everyone competes with. "The amount of challenges and tackles are increased and every game is a battle. Even in training it is more physical as everyone is competing for a spot on the pitch." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2474006.0.0.php

STEVEN NAISMITH marked his long-awaited return to action with a well taken goal on the stroke of half-time as Rangers Reserves beat St. Mirren 3-1 at Murray Park this afternoon. The 22-year-old forward had not pulled on a Light Blue jersey since April due to cruciate damage but looked sharp and fit throughout his 73 minute run-out on the left side of midfield. Steven NaismithWalter Smith and Ally McCoist watched the action from their office balcony on a bitterly cold afternoon in Auchenhowie and the management team must have been delighted with Naisy's contribution and goal. Chris Burke cut inside from the right flank and played a delightful through pass to his on-rushing teammate. Steven controlled the ball with his chest and used his strength to hold off Saints defender Marc McAusland before beating keeper Chris Smith with a composed finish. The club's �£2million signing was clearly delighted to be back in action and insists his knee felt strong after today's hard fought clash. He said: "It's great to be back involved again. "I have played a few bounce games in training but today's match was competitive and I enjoyed it. "I have been in the gym for so long now that being out on the pitch with the boys is great. "Getting the goal was obviously a big bonus but I have to remember it was only my first game back. "We will wait and see how my knee has reacted in the morning and we will take it from there. "That was the last Reserve game of the year so hopefully a couple of bounce games can be organised and that I can be involved in them also."Steven Naismith in action against St Mirren Reserves Rangers had not won a match at home going in to today's league fixture against third place Saints but Tommy Wilson's side dominated throughout and showed their intent from referee Greg Aitken's first whistle. After only four minutes Burke fed the ball to Rory Loy but the striker's right foot shot was well saved by Smith at his near post. The striker, however, made no mistake moments later when Charlie Adam, who was excellent on the day, won the ball with a terrific tackle in the heart of midfield before picking out Loy with a raking pass over the Saints' static defence. The young striker had time to look up before picking his spot for his ninth goal in eleven Reserve appearances. The visitor's had to wait until the 26th minute for their first real effort on goal when first-team forward Billy Mehmet tried his luck from 25 yards but the ball took a nick of Lee McCulloch's boot and went a foot over Lee Robinson's goal. Stevie SmithAgainst the run of play the Paisley side then equalised on 39 minutes through former Ger Tom Brighton. Mo Edu was dispossessed in the middle of the park and when Mehmet slipped the ball to his strike partner he made no mistake with a low finish across Robinson. The first-half looked to be finishing level until Burke's vision allowed Naismith to score and it was a great moment for the young Scot who showed a glimpse of his undoubted quality. Rangers once again bossed the game after the interval with Burke a constant threat on the right while Steven Smith and Jordan McMillan, playing a left and right-back respectively, were impressive. Kyle Lafferty joined the action in the second-half as a replacement for the industrious Loy and he had a hand in Rangers third goal on 75 minutes. Adam again won a crunching challenge before finding the Northern Ireland star who struck a powerful right foot shot across goal from 20 yards which keeper Smith could only fumble. And Andrius Velicka was there to fire the ball home from close range to secure all three points. Wilson's Reserves now move six points clear of today's opponents in the Reserve League and remain one point behind league leaders Celtic who also have two games in hand. RANGERS: Robinson; McMillan, McCulloch, Dailly, Smith; Burke, Edu, Adam, Naismith (Fleck 73); Loy (Lafferty 46), Velicka (Efrem 87) Subs Not Used: Vaiculis, McLachlan, Little

NON-LEAGUE Spartans have demanded their Scottish Cup clash with Elgin should be replayed because they insist the Highlanders fielded an ineligible player. Keeper Joe Malin was named man of the match for Elgin in Saturday's 2-1 victory, just 24 hours after the club signed him from Ross County. Spartans believe his arrival at the Third Division side came too late for him to be eligible to play in the tie and have asked the SFA to replay the game. Edinburgh-based Spartans yesterday asked Hampden officials to investigate as former Celtic youth player Malin had not signed prior to the postponement of the initial match the previous Saturday. After Spartans chairman Craig Graham was alerted to the fact Malin appeared for Elgin, he contacted the SFA about the possibility the player had made an illegal appearance. Graham said: "The rules state that a player needs to be signed before the initial Saturday and we have asked the SFA to clarify the ruling. "Rule 27 also states that if you have an issue you have to raise it to the match official within half an hour of the game finishing but we were unable to do that because we had no idea who Joe Malin was. "I think the SFA have three options; they can fine Elgin and let them continue in the competition, they can replay the match or throw them out." But Elgin secretary Ian Allan is confident his club would be saved. He said: "The rules state that Spartans should have made their complaint no later than 15 minutes before kick-off. "The SFA only told me about Spartans' claim this afternoon." The SFA have already begun a probe after Spartans raised the issue yesterday. A spokesperson said: "That matter has been brought to our attention and all I can say is that we are investigating it." Spartans were also the opposition when St Mirren failed to play two outfield players under the age of 21 in their Scottish Cup tie in 2006, leading to the Buddies being hit with a �£12,500 fine after the initial �£25,000 sanction was halved on appeal. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/2008/12/09/spartans-demand-scottish-cup-rematch-with-elgin-city-86908-20957363/

RANGERS star Stevie Naismith will today make a stunning return from injury - six months earlier than his original comeback date. Record Sport can reveal the 22-year-old will this afternoon play at least 30 minutes of a reserve match against St Mirren at Murray Park. Naismith snapped his cruciate ligament in April's Scottish Cup semi-final against St Johnstone and was warned a couple of weeks later to expect a year on the sidelines. And even when he began to make fantastic progress in his rehab, manager Walter Smith did not think the former Kilmarnock forward would be anywhere near a return to match action until the New Year at the earliest. But Rangers medics and coaching staff have been amazed by Naismith's progress and also full of admiration for the way he has never missed a day's work in his bid to get back to full fitness over the past eight months. And while he may still be a bit away from playing for the first team, this reserve outing is a step in the former Young Player of the Year being back in the side again this season. Naismith had to watch from the stands as Rangers played in the UEFA Cup Final and then underwent career-saving surgery from English surgeon Dr Steve Bolan a week later. The prognosis then was he would be looking at 12 months before he could play again but he fully dedicated himself to getting back to his best quicker than anyone expected. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/2008/12/09/exclusive-stevie-naismith-set-for-early-rangers-return-86908-20957359/

RANGERS' left-back Steven Kinniburgh has joined Queen of the South and could be set to make his debut for the Doonhamers this weekend against Dunfermline Athletic. Kinniburgh joined Gordon Chisholm's side in time to sit on the bench during Saturday's 0-0 draw away to Division One leaders St Johnstone. The 19-year-old graduate of the Ibrox youth system is due to remain at Palmerston for two months and will be hoping to gain vital first-team experience before returning to Murray Park.

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/article2017494.ece

1 Celtic 17 8 0 1 23 8 6 1 1 17 9 +23 43 2 Rangers 17 7 1 0 25 7 5 2 2 17 7 +28 39 3 Dundee United 17 5 2 1 13 6 3 3 3 12 12 +7 29 4 Hearts 16 6 1 2 13 10 3 1 3 6 9 0 29 5 Hibernian 17 3 2 3 11 12 3 3 3 11 11 -1 23 6 Aberdeen 16 3 1 4 8 8 3 2 3 9 10 -1 21 7 Kilmarnock 16 4 0 4 8 11 2 1 5 6 11 -8 19 8 Falkirk 17 3 2 4 10 9 1 3 4 10 15 -4 17 9 Inverness CT 17 1 2 6 9 14 4 0 4 9 12 -8 17 10 Motherwell 16 3 2 3 11 13 2 0 6 6 12 -8 17 11 St Mirren 17 1 3 4 3 8 3 0 6 9 14 -10 15 12 Hamilton 17 2 1 5 9 12 2 1 6 6 21 -18 14