Im bringin Scottish Cups back

Source: CBC.ca (Original Article)

Moments frozen in time
The top 10 Euro moments of all-time
By John F. Molinaro, CBCSports.ca

The European soccer championship has provided fans with hundreds of memorable moments over the years. Here are 10 that stood out:

1) Danish delight
They don’t write Hollywood scripts better than this. After failing to qualify for Euro ‘92 in Sweden, the Danish national team decided to forget about its troubles and go on vacation. Two weeks before the start of Euro, UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, banned Yugoslavia (one of the favourites) from competing at the tournament over security reasons stemming from the outbreak of civil war in the Balkans.

The Danes were forced to cut their beach vacation short and were recalled by UEFA to take Yugoslavia’s place. Danish expectations were low. Denmark crashed out of Euro ‘88 with three first-round losses, and veteran Michael Laudrup, one of the most talented players of his era, refused to play in Sweden. Another first-round exit looked to be a certainty.

Somebody forget to tell Denmark. After dismissing the reigning Euro champions (the Netherlands) in the semifinals, the Danes found themselves up against two-time Euro champions Germany in the final. It looked bleak, but once again, Denmark deviated from the script by posting an improbable 2-0 win over the Germans. After authoring one of the most shocking upsets in Euro history, Denmark hoisted the Henri Delaunay Trophy amidst wild celebrations in Gothenburg.

2) Marco van Basten’s volley
The scene: Munich’s Olympic Stadium. After dispatching the Germans on their own turf in the semifinals, the Netherlands found itself up against a tough Soviet Union squad in the final of Euro ‘ 88. The Dutch took a 1-0 lead at the 32nd minute thanks to a Ruud Gullit header, but the game was far from over as the Soviets hung tough, trying to contain the creative Dutchmen. It took an inspired moment of brilliance ANZ Debit Card from striker Marco van Basten to …continue reading

Source: Sportinglife.com (Original Article)

Steven Naismith has backed Scotland to compete at the highest level again - insisting boss George Burley has plenty of quality within his ranks.

The Scots narrowly missed out on Euro 2008 when their dream of participating at a major finals for the first time in a decade was snuffed out by Italy in their final qualifier.

Naismith has spent much of the summer watching the tournament on television as he recovers from a serious knee injury, and the Rangers striker insists Scotland would not look out of place in such elite company.

“As a country we have some great youngsters coming through and we are pushing on,” said the striker who won his first cap last year.

“We have quite a few players playing at the highest level in Scotland and England. That is obviously a positive for us.

“We only have to look at some of the other smaller countries and how well they have done at the Euros.”

While Spain and Germany prepare to battle it out to be crowned kings of Europe in tomorrow’s final, Scotland have already switched their focus to the World Cup qualifiers.

The campaign begins with games away from home against FYR Macedonia and Iceland which will represent Burley’s first competitive outings since taking over from Alex McLeish in January.

However, Holland are likely to represent the toughest test for the Scots, who had the misfortune to be grouped with the might of France, Italy and Ukraine in their last qualifying campaign.

Naismith has been ruled out of action for up to a year but could be pushing for a return by the time Scotland travel to the Netherlands next March, providing an opportunity for him to add to the cap he earned against the Faroe Islands in June 2007.

The Dutch impressed in the European Championships with emphatic wins over France, Italy and Romania before crashing out at the hands of Russia.

“Holland were a team that everyone would have backed to win at Low Rate Credit Card the start of the tournament,” said …continue reading

Source: Sportinglife.com (Original Article)

Lee McCulloch insists the best is yet to come as he prepares to hit top form with Rangers next season.

The midfielder had a reasonably successful debut campaign at Ibrox, scoring six goals, and helping the club claim a Scottish and CIS Cup double.

However, the 30-year-old feels he has much more to offer now that he has had time to settle following his summer switch from Wigan last year.

“On a personal level, I want to do a bit better and score more often than I did last season,” he said.

“I look upon the last 12 months as my settling-in campaign and now it is all about showing what I can do.

“Hopefully this is when people will see the real me. At times last year, the football was a bit different to what I’m used to.

“It took time to adapt to that but I feel I’ve been able to do that and I’m ready to go again after a good break and give it my all.

“I’m really looking forward to it.”

McCulloch was initially feared out for the remainder of the season after suffering a foot injury against Celtic in April.

But he was able to return to action a month later, as Rangers narrowly missed out on both the UEFA Cup and the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

Fitness is now the top priority for a player who was one of the first through the gates at Murray Park on Thursday as several first-team players checked in for the first day of pre-season.

“We go away on July 12 and that gives me a target to aim for,” said McCulloch.

“Now it is a case of building up my fitness as much as possible between now and then.”

McCulloch missed the start of pre-season this time last year because of the protracted nature of his move from Wigan.

He told www.rangers.co.uk: “It’s better to be in with the boys from the first day rather than coming in halfway through pre-season.

“Missing the first week last season didn’t affect me too much but THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE dvd being here throughout allows me to focus on things more.”

Source: Telegraph.co.uk (Original Article)

Liverpool to visit Ibrox in pre-season
By Roddy Forsyth
Last Updated: 1:18am BST 20/06/2008

Rangers will meet Liverpool in a friendly at Ibrox on August 2, a week before the Scottish Premier League campaign begins, in an echo of last year’s pre-season visit by Chelsea.

Rangers’ chief executive, Martin Bain, commented: “We are pleased to confirm Liverpool will be heading to Ibrox as part of our pre-season programme in early August.

“Like Rangers, they are a club with a rich history and tradition and I know our fans will enjoy watching players of the calibre of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. We enjoyed a terrific game with Chelsea last pre-season and Liverpool will provide another great test for Walter Smith and his players as they prepare for the new campaign.” The visit of a side from the north-west of England will also provide Rangers with an opportunity to generate positive publicity in that neck of the woods after their Uefa Cup final against Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester last month was accompanied by unruly and violent scenes in the city centre when crowd control and live screening arrangements broke down.

The staging of the event has been the subject of an investigation by Manchseter City Council, which has also identified a likely total of 180,000 visitors for the game and a benefit to the local economy of £20?million.

Celtic, meanwhile, have had talks with the Derry City winger, Paddy McCourt, after West Brom declared that they had no further interest in the player. The newly-promoted Premier League club agreed a fee last week for McCourt, whose contract at the Brandywell ends in November, at the end of the League of Ireland season.

West Brom’s offer is understood to have been for £100,000 with the same sum payable again if the player made a set number of appearances. However, a statement from West Brom confirmed that they have no cheapflightstips further interest in McCourt.

The Baggies’ manager, …continue reading

Source: Sportinglife.com (Original Article)

Motherwell manager Mark McGhee is waiting for an answer from midfielder Bob Malcolm over his contract extension offer.

The former Rangers player helped the Steelmen qualify for the UEFA Cup after joining on a short-term deal in February following his exit from Derby.

McGhee said: “Bob said that for the next couple of weeks he would like to keep his options open and see what’s out there, he doesn’t want to rush anything.

“I have given him until the start of pre-season training, which is July 3, before we have to look elsewhere.”

While Malcolm could be swayed by the prospect of European football, McGhee faces losing Ross McCormack and Simon Lappin from the squad that ended the season in third place in the Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League.

McCormack, who held talks with Wigan in January, is keen on a move to England, while Lappin is eager to establish himself at Norwich after his loan spell at Fir Park ended.

Lappin impressed during the run-in and could yet end up at Fir Park but he wants another chance at impressing City boss Glenn Roeder, who dropped the former St Mirren midfielder shortly after replacing Peter Grant as manager.

“I have spoken to Ross,” McGhee said. “He has one or two options that might come to fruition, and if they do it will be really hard to keep him at Motherwell.

“If they don’t then we might be in with a chance.

“Simon Lappin is someone who wants to go back to Norwich and see where he stands.”

McGhee added: “We are still hopeful of brining in a few new players. I’m trying MasterCard Credit Card hard, speaking to a lot of people all the time.”

Source: Telegraph.co.uk (Original Article)

Dan Parks raises eyebrows in new-look Scots
By Alasdair Reid
Last Updated: 11:59pm BST 05/06/2008

This has been a season of highs and lows for Dan Parks, a switchback ride that hit an upward curve again yesterday when the Glasgow fly-half, a wretched and forlorn figure at the conclusion of the RBS Six Nations Championship, was named in the playmaker’s berth in the Scotland side to face Argentina in Rosario on Saturday.

It says much for the standing of Parks in the eyes of many Scottish followers that his selection in the position is likely to be viewed as a more controversial choice by coach Frank Hadden than the decision to award debut caps to centre Ben Cairns, winger Thom Evans and lock Matt Mustchin in a match which could have a critical bearing on Scotland’s seeding for the next World Cup. Parks appeared to have lost his place as first choice No 10 to Chris Paterson at the start of the season, but regained it ahead of the World Cup and went on to be voted Scotland’s player of the tournament by his team-mates.

His Six Nations displays never reached those heights and he hit his nadir in the final match of the championship when he effectively gifted two tries to Italy in the course of a 23-20 defeat in Rome. However, Hadden is confident that Parks has put those difficulties behind him, adding layers to his game in the process.

“Dan was possibly a bit jaded during the Six Nations,” Hadden explained. “He hadn’t been offering himself as a threat. What I said to him straight after the Six Nations was that he had to do that. He did it in his very first game and he finished the season as Glasgow’s second-top try-scorer. He constantly rises to the challenge and he’s an absolute pleasure to work with.”

Hadden will be particularly keen to see more of Parks in attack, as Cairns and Evans have the talent to exploit opportunities he may open up. As a youth, Evans was singled out as a credit card au potential international sprinter of the future, …continue reading

Source: This is London (Original Article)

 Add your view

THE COBURG BAR AT THE CONNAUGHT
Carlos Place, W1 (020 7499 7070, www.the-connaught.co.uk)
Décor: luxuriously designed by Paris-based India Mahdavi. The small room is dimly lit, with large armchairs and a long bar with stools for the solo drinker. Artworks by Julian Opie.
Bar tribe: a smart, cosmopolitan bunch, who are as likely to peruse the wine list as opt for a cocktail.
Signature drink: an apple martini (£12), made with the hotel’s home-marinated cinnamon, pear and apple liqueur.
Finger food: olives and crisps for now, but Michelin-starred chef Helen Darroze arrives shortly and will design a French tapas-style menu.
Night to visit: Thursdays are buzziest.

WHISKY MIST AT ZETA, THE HILTON
The Hilton, Park Lane, W1 (020 7208 5067, www.whiskymist.com)
Décor: excessive. Designed in part by Christopher Bailey, the bar is covered with animal prints and crocodile-effect wallpaper.
Bar tribe: the brains behind it are Nick House and Piers Adam, founders of Mahiki, along with blond society party-boy Jacobi Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe. Expect young, beautiful and well-heeled punters.
Signature drink: whisky is a big feature, but show-offs can order the Tree of Life (£700), a drink serving eight people served in a silver trophy cup. Vodka, fresh lemon and pear juice, honey and a magnum of Krug.
Finger food: Scottish. Smoked salmon, Aberdeen Angus steak and scallops.
Night to visit: their opening night is next Tuesday. Beg, borrow or steal an invite.

REFUEL BAR AT THE SOHO HOTEL
4 Richmond Mews, W1 (020 7559 3000, www.firmdale.com)
Décor: reminiscent of an Importance of Being Earnest stage set with its pale greens and neutrals, though a vast mural injects some life. Kit Kemp, who with her husband Tim owns the string of Firmdale hotels, is responsible.
Bar tribe: a hip Soho media crowd conducting meetings over mojitos. Clientele includes Kevin Student Credit Cards Spacey, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kylie Minogue. …continue reading

Source: PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung) (Original Article)

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) - Struggling Scottish soccer club Gretna was relegated to the third division on Thursday after it could not guarantee it could complete another season in the first division.
Gretna was put into financial administration in March and now has a week to find a buyer to avoid being expelled from the league

altogether. If that happens, the Scottish Football League will invite applicants to replace Gretna.
SFL chief executive David Longmuir said he did not believe a consortium fronted by soccer agent Paul Davies would be successful in a takeover by next week.
«That remains to be seen,» Longmuir said. «But we and the SFL had to make sure we protected the integrity of our league. There was no commitment from the administrator that Gretna could fulfill the fixtures at all in the coming season, which means we had to do what we thought was right for our league.
The SFL said as a result of Gretna’s demotion, Airdrie was promoted to division one and Stranraer to division two for next season.

Gretna has been struggling to survive since owner Brooks Mileson fell ill in March and was forced to withdraw his financial support. The club was deducted 10 points while being forced to let players go and was relegated from the Scottish Premier League to division one.
On May 19, financial administrators laid off the entire staff, including players.
Under Mileson’s backing, Gretna shot from non-league soccer to the top flight between DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES dvd 2002-07 and reached the 2006 Scottish Cup final.

Source: The Press Association (Original Article)

George Burley

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Source: TVNZ (Original Article)

“It’s got to the situation now where - do you criticise Reuben
Wiki? Does anyone in the media [or] anyone in the fan base actually
have the guts to come out and say - Is Reuben Wiki past it?”

AUDIO: Listen to Tony
Veitch with tvnz.co.nz’s Michael Burgess (5:37)

“I’m not sure if any of us do have the inclination, the passion
or the ability to criticise an icon like Reuben. It’s almost like
he is the untouchable sporting personality in New Zealand.”

“I guess it is that situation - and we hear it all the time -
with every code - how long is too long? Do you push the
envelope?”

“Some people now are starting to ask - has it been one season
too long? We know he is brilliant leadership wise - but you have
got to ask - does Reuben Wiki deserve his position in the
team”.

“If Reuben Wiki was a 19-year-old kid - and doing what he is
doing on the field - with the amount of game time - would that be
enough to keep his place? I’m not sure.”

On the McCaw comparsion

“We never thought [Richie]McCaw would get criticised in the All
Black jersey. It was a standard joke 12 months ago when he was
playing for the Crusaders - he would get caned by opposition fans
and coaches for being a cheat. But when he played for the All
Blacks - ‘you little ripper, you go for it Richie as long as you
get the ball back and we win’.”

“But he copped it [post World Cup] and admitted it was
difficult.”

“Dan Carter is getting it too - being called money-hungry and
some saying ‘bugger off Dan we don’t need you in the country’.”

The Mark Graham syndrome

“With Reuben Wiki he has this real mana about him - the old Mark
Graham syndrome - he played on through the injuries, he is a damm
fine bloke, we know the players love him, the clubs love him, he is
a family man, down to earth, loves his kava sessions&.”

“It is a very Kiwi identifiable thing about Reuben and when you
have American Express Platinum Credit Card got that - and all these …continue reading