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Doubts surface on Gretna future
Gretna caretaker manager Mick Wadsworth
Wadsworth admits the club are facing an uncertain future
Caretaker manager Mick Wadsworth admits Gretna face a battle for survival after the 3-0 loss to Dundee United.

Just 501 spectators - a record SPL low - turned up at Fir Park to watch the bottom club slip to yet another defeat.

"There's a lot of difficulty at the moment. We have got some very important meetings tomorrow," said Wadsworth.

"The finances and the survival of the club is on everyone's minds and that takes precedence. We are on a sticky wicket, put it that way."

Gretna have picked up just 16 points from 28 games in their first season in the top flight.

Although the players have been paid following a delay last month, no money is forthcoming from ill owner Brooks Mileson, who was discharged from hospital last month after being hit with a brain infection.

And Wadsworth could give no guarantees that Gretna w ... Read more »

Dundee United closed the gap on third-placed Motherwell at the top of the SPL with a fine win over Gretna.

Garry Kenneth nodded United in front from a corner in the 15th minute, amid the first goalmouth action of the game.

David Robertson and Noel Hunt squandered chances to make it two before the break as Gretna struggled.

Morgaro Gomis struck on 51 minutes and then David Robertson beat the offside trap to stroke home a third goal as United ran out easy winners.

The opening stages held little to excite the small crowd, who were all housed in the main stand at Fir Park.

But Kenneth headed United into the lead amid a goalmouth scramble after the first corner of match in the 15th minute.

Christian Kalvenes' connected with Jim O'Brien's inswinger but his header came back off the bar.

Gretna keeper Greg Fleming spilled the rebound and Kenneth was there to nod home from close range.

The lacklustre hosts won their first corner midway through the half.

Chris ... Read more »

Foulkes wants Romanov departure

Happier times for ex-Hearts chairman Foulkes with Romanov
Former Hearts chairman George Foulkes says it may now be time for club owner Vladimir Romanov to leave Tynecastle.
"Vladimir seems to have lost interest and Hearts require a hands-on owner," he told BBC Sport, following the 4-0 home defeat to Rangers.

"He seems to have written this season off but Hearts can't afford to do that.

"It looks like the club will be stuck in the bottom six for the first time since the SPL began, and that would be awful for a proud club like Hearts."

Interview: Former Hearts chairman George Foulkes

Stephen Frail is currently caretaker manager of the Edinburgh club, and the loss to title-chasing Rangers ensured Hearts now languish in eighth place.

In addition, the club's leading scorer, Andrius Velicka, has joined Norwegian side Viking Stavanger with no sign of a replacement being sought.

And Foulkes lamented: "I sat thro ... Read more »

Gordon Strachan
Strachan says young players benefit from financial constraints
Gordon Strachan says he is proud of his club after they posted interim pre-tax profits of over £10m.

But the Celtic manager says rather than spend big in the summer he will try to continue bringing through young talent.

"I 've been happy with the help I've had to bring in players, but my job is also to coach players" said Strachan.

"It's perhaps a blessing that I never had £50m to spend when I came here, or you might never have seen the likes of McGeady or Maloney or McManus."

And Strachan insists he is comfortable with his current spending power.

"There's a lot of gnashing of teeth when he has to make cuts, but I understood that when I came here," he said.

"We were just thinking the other day about the number of players that have come through the youth system."

While the club announced a pre-tax profit of over £10m, the corresponding figure from the previous financi ... Read more »

Strachan hails Celtic performance

Strachan paid tribute to winger Aiden McGeady
Gordon Strachan declared himself delighted at the style of Celtic's 5-1 victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie.
"That was our best performance of the season away from home - our ability and attitude was first class," said the Celtic manager.

"Aiden McGeady dazzled throughout with his skills and you'll be hard placed to find a better individual performance.

"I'm a huge fan of Jimmy Calderwood and he has been magnificent here. To come and beat his team 5-1 is fantastic."

Interview: Celtic manager Gordon Strachan

Celtic were rampant throughout against a dismal Dons outfit, and have closed the gap on Rangers at the top of the SPL to four points.

And Strachan added: "Rangers have been in good form as well at the moment, so to play so well at Pittodrie and to score five goals is absolutely great for us."

New Celtic signing Barry Robson made a dream debut, scoring wi ... Read more »

Motherwell's twice-postponed match against Celtic in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League has been rescheduled for March 15.

Motherwell and Celtic had league fixtures against Rangers and Dundee United scheduled for that Saturday.

However, those games were postponed after Rangers and United reached the CIS Insurance Cup final, which takes place the following day.

The death of Phil O'Donnell in December prompted the first postponement of Motherwell's Fir Park clash with Celtic, which was set for January 2, while a waterlogged pitch caused the rearranged game on January 30 to be called off at late notice.

Instead of both clubs having a free weekend in the middle of March, they have taken the opportunity to play each other.

The SPL have also revealed new dates for two further rescheduled games involving Motherwell, with the home game against Inverness now set for February 20.

The match had been set for January 26 but the Fir Park pitch was unplayable due to heavy rain ... Read more »

Rangers striker Jean-Claude Darcheville must serve a three-game European ban after UEFA turned down the club's appeal against the punishment.

The French forward was sent off in Rangers' Champions League match against Lyon on December 12 after stamping on Kim Kallstrom.

Rangers lost the game 3-0 to miss out on a place in the group stages, and will resume their European campaign in the UEFA Cup with a last-32 clash against Panathinaikos.

The Scottish league leaders hoped to see UEFA rethink their decision on the 32-year-old former Bordeaux striker's ban, but the initial suspension was upheld at a hearing in Nyon, Switzerland, on Thursday.

Darcheville will miss the matches against Panathinaikos, on February 13 and February 21.

He wi ... Read more »

Chris Burke and Paul Hanlon tussle for possession
It was an end-to-end contest at Easter Road
Hibernian and Rangers cancelled each other out in an entertaining, open Scottish Cup tie at Easter Road.

Both sides came close on several occasions, but neither was able to break the deadlock.

The home side twice had efforts cleared off the line, and Alan McGregor saved a powerful Steven Fletcher drive.

Barry Ferguson, Lee McCulloch and Charlie Adam were all denied goals for Rangers, who ended up with ten men after McGregor was harshly sent off

Early in the match Hibs' Merouane Zemmama showed his ability by leaving two players for dead.

But the Moroccan then frustrated, by holding on to the ball with Brian Kerr free in the box, and Kirk Broadfoot cleared to safety.

Rangers then had an appeal for a penalty waved aside when Steven Naismith appeared to be tripped by Kevin McCann just inside the box.

Hibs keeper Yves Ma-Kalambay kept his team in the match, ... Read more »

Scotland has been under heavy rainfall for many weeks

The Scottish football card has again been affected by the bad weather with two SPL matches being postponed.

Hibernian's match with Gretna at Easter Road has been added to the earlier call-off at Fir Park, where Motherwell were due to host Inverness.

In the Third Division, the match between Albion Rovers and Str ... Read more »

Boyd was on target three times as Rangers strolled to victory

Kris Boyd bagged a hat-trick as Rangers saw off East Stirlingshire to set up a Scottish Cup fifth round tie at Hibs.

After a sluggish start, Lee McCulloch slipped a 24th minute shot past keeper Michael Brown and Alan Hutton finished off a one-two with Alan Gow soon after.

Gow then set up Kris Boyd to slot home and the same player bagged a second cl ... Read more »