SPFL Archives - Page 2 of 17

Rangers salvage win against Killie to kickstart Ferguson era

The Barry Ferguson era began with a bang as Rangers clawed back a two goal deficit to come away 4-2 winners against Kilmarnock. In the ascendancy, Kilmarnock put themselves ahead as Joe Wright escaped his marker to head in Fraser Murray’s pinpoint corner with just over ten minutes played. Despite a backroom overhaul, it looked as though Rangers were on the verge of a rinse and repeat rather than any clean break as Brad Lyons doubled the hosts’ lead as nicking the ball and firing it home from outside the box. Facing another humiliating defeat, Rangers rallied to claw back a goal. Mohamed Diomande summoned an excellent through ball whilst playing the advantage to put Václav Černy through, the winger producing a deft finish for his 15th of the season. In a night to be enjoyed by set-piece enthusiasts, James Tavernier landed his corner on a dime to find Cyriel Dessers for the side’s equaliser. Victory would sealed by the Nigerian international with a sublime finish, bettered only by the long range pass from Ridvan Yilmaz that found him before Nedim Bajrami capped off the night’s turnaround with Rangers’ fourth. Despite the lopsided opening scoreline, Rangers were almost in front as Kieran O’Hara denied a strong volley from Hamza Igamane. Although they were somewhat fortunate to not be three down as Marley Watkins bore down on Jack Butland’s goal following a misread of the bounce from Clinton Nsiala, the Welshman taking aim between the sticks but the English keeper equal to it. Dessers was denied his first of the evening by a terrific goal-line block by Wright after an excellent ball through the eye of the needle from Igamane across the face of goal. Title gone but Ferguson instills professional pride Two goals is one thing but thirteen points is another as even the greatest fantasists would struggle to conjure a story that would see Rangers snatch the title this year. It’s fair to say that without a Europa League run, the club risks ended their pre-49ers era with an embarrassing whimper. And whilst it the criticism of interim manager Barry Ferguson’s appointment is fair indictment on the haphazard running of the club, the performance tonight indicated that the players still held some professional pride after going down to a side now sat in 10th. This may not be a vintage Rangers year, but there appears to be a glimmer of hope that the man with 288 appearances for the club can at least stop this season ending on a sour note. Mystifying Killie leaving revival too late It would take Kilmarnock seven games to earn their first league win. Nineteen to earn their fifth. By the time the side had woken from their daze, all hope of matching last season’s fourth place finish looked as good as gone. This is side that can lose 6-0 to Rangers in December, but hold a 2-0 lead over them in February. That can do the double over Hearts and then go six without a win. For reasons that fans would love to be able to put their fingers on the season that began with a thrilling if heartbreaking European journey looks set to end with a relegation dogfight. More worrying perhaps is whether Derek McInnes will have the energy, or even the desire to rejuvenate this side desperately in need of new faces. Line-ups: Kilmarnock: O’Hara, Ndaba, Deas (Watson 81), Mayo, Wright, Murray, Magennis (Polworth 70), Lyons (c), Armstrong (Donnelly 61), Wales, Watkins (Cameron 81) Unused subs: Anderson, Kennedy, McCrorie, Ramsay, Wilson-Brown Booked: Magennis, Watson Goals: Wright (11), Lyons (14) Rangers: Butland, Jefté, Nsiala (Yilmaz 31), Pröpper, Tavernier (c), Raskin, Diomande, Hagi (Lawrence 78), Igamane (Bajrami 78), Černy (McCausland 87), Dessers Unused subs: Curtis, Kelly, Danilo, Rafael Fernandes Booked: Hagi, Dessers, Pröpper, Lawrence Goals: Černy (35), Dessers (53, 62), Bajrami (85) Referee: Don Robertson Attendance: 8,751

February 27, 2025

Hibs boys keep swinging as Bowie downs United

A first club goal for Kieron Bowie capped off Hibernian’s terrific run of fourteen games unbeaten, leapfrogging defeated Dundee United in the process with the hosts denied a controversial equaliser. As normal time had elapsed, it looked as though the visitors would head home with a creditable draw until a pinpoint through ball set Bowie on course to lash home the winner with a fitting finish for a player who had missed ten months of football prior to his return from injury.. However Hibs were made to work for it after a less than convincing header from Rocky Bushiri saw the ball land at Ross Graham’s feet, the defender firing a shot that took a deflection to loop over Jordan Smith and give the home side the lead just six minutes in. After firing his opening effort comfortably into the palms of Jack Walton, Mykola Kukharevych would make mistake with his second as he met Nicky Cadden’s corner at the back post for the equaliser. With Bowie’s belter setting them on their way, Junior Hoilett put the game out of reach with a goal in the tenth minute of added time after Dwight Gayle’s ball over the top of backtracking United defence left the Canadian to beat Walton one on one. Jim Goodwin’s far for impressed with the way VAR denied Sam Dalby a goal that would have put United ahead, ruling out the header from the league’s top scorer for a handball after a drawn out check offering little clarity to supporters. Dalby will rue not making the most of his header in the first half, sending Ryan Strain’s header well over with Strain’s free-kick in added time almost creating a leveller as the effort was spilled by Smith, the keeper’s blushes spared by the quick thinking of his defenders. Sunshine follows Hibs to Dundee A terrific performance against Celtic at Easter Road was capped off by the rendition of ‘Sunshine on Leith’ sung in unison by adoring fans and delighted players. Yet it seems that, contrary to popular belief, the there can be sunshine of Dundee as Hibernian produced a gritty performance to keep the party going for a remarkable fourteenth game. Tannadice is one of the most difficult grounds to travel to so for the side to earn a win with three goals is an achievement that should and will give them confidence. The result marks their first win in three attempts over Jim Goodwin’s side this season as they hopped over tonight’s losers into fourth and only one point behind Aberdeen. Standing in their way of the highest point in their campaign so far is Hearts, who travel to the ‘Holy Ground’ on Sunday. Turbulent year threatens good season For all the acclaim United have received for spending much of the season in fourth despite only just getting promoted, Jim Goodwin will be far from please with the performances he has seen from his side since the new year. Three wins and six losses have put fans in a bit of tizzle with split fast approaching. VAR decisions not withstanding you could hardly claim they were deserving of much in the game, unable to put Hibs under the kind of pressure they have done in the past. Granted, Sam Dalby will feel he should have added 13th league goal to his tally, if not for the effort chalked off then at least for the header that he will no doubt know he should have done better with. Now they must travel to an Aberdeen side only just showing signs of recovery following a turbulent few months of their own. Line-ups: Dundee United: Walton, Graham, Gallagher (c), Adegboyega, Ferry (Babunski 86), Campbell (Fiorini 86), Ševelj, Strain, Paton (van der Sande 72), Dalby Unused subs: Harding, Fotheringham, Middleton, Richards, Sibbald, Trapanovski Booked: Stephenson Goals: Graham (6) Hibs: Smith, Iredale, Bushiri, O’Hora, N. Cadden (Obita 67), Triantis, Moriah-Welsh, Miller, Campbell (Hoilett 76), Kuharevich (Bowie 67), Boyle (c) (Gayle 67) Unused subs: Bursik, C. Cadden, Ekpiteta, Kwon Hyeok-Kyu, Manneh Booked: Kuharevich, Campbell Goals: Kuharevich (18), Bowie (90), Hoilett (90+10) Referee: David Dickinson Attendance: 10, 674

February 27, 2025

Rocky 33 – the story of a career reborn, fit for the silver screen

Hollywood could do worse than take a page out of born again Hibs hero Rocky Bushiri’s script. As he was being helped off the pitch, suffering an injury yet still somehow denying Jota on the line with his final act you could almost hear the whisper ‘Careful, he’s a hero’. For Rocky Bushiri has always had a touch of the super-heroic about him, even if it is Nicky Cadden who wears the mask these days. It’s not just the way he plays, but the way he speaks too. “You work in secret a bit, so you’re ready when you can go again,” he had said about the time spent out of the squad as the season looked set to pass him by. Lurking in the shadows, analysing from the bench as his teammates tumbled from bad result to bad result. Nowadays, Bushiri is his club’s own Superman, the beating heart of a Hibs back-three that has gone thirteen games unbeaten, including the victory over Celtic, condemning the league champions to a second consecutive defeat and resulting in one of Scottish football’s finest spectacles, the moment ‘Sunshine on Leith’ blasts out the tannoys surpassed only by the gusto of the fans who made their appreciation known to the players, “a special moment” to cherish as Gray put it. Yet far from sunshine and rainbows, Rocky’s career could have been the script for the film that carries his name if only Sylvester Stallone hadn’t lived it first, albeit the defender has never had to sell his dog to make it happen. From a young talent on the fast-track to notoriety, Bushiri was breaking records right from the start as he became K.V. Oostende’s youngest ever debutant. The now defunt club’s doors passed through by some familiar faces to fans in the country with none other than Fashion Sakala, Jack Hendry, Ante Palaversa and Ewan Henderson (who spent time with Rocky at Hibs no less) all plying their trade at Oostende at various intervals. There would be a successful loan with Eupen as he cut his teeth in the professional game, the centre-back’s star rising with appearances at the U21 Euros for Belgium and signing for then Premier League side Norwich City in 2019. Then, the 6 foot 2 motor stalled. Three years and no appearances for the Canaries. Loan spells didn’t help much either with a move to Blackpool in League 1 yielding just 7 appearances before being cut short. Manager Simon Grayson saying “We thank him for the bits he did for us, it didn’t quite work out that one”, the indifference for a 20 year old who had only recently uprooted from Belgium somewhat striking. Bushiri’s return to Belgium did little to get the engine going, spells at St Truiden, Mecheleh and a return to Eupen led to 21 appearances across three seasons. Not an ideal platform for development in your formative years. By the time he had joined Jack Ross’ Hibernian on loan in 2022, there remained excitement at the prospect of what the player could bring to a vastly under-perfoming side and whilst game time was forthcoming, the performances fans applaud today were less so. 12 games would bring 11 starts but also 5 yellow cards, including a double against Dundee. The season itself was as chaotic as the managerial changes suggest. Jack Ross (fired), David Gray (caretaker), Shaun Maloney (fired) before a return for caretaker Gray. 0′, 0′, 2′, 90′, 0′ minutes during the split showed just how much Gray believed in the young defender when it came to the crunch. An ignomonious end to a season but joy of a loan move made permanent was overshadowed by the rumours that the club had forgotten the agreement with Norwich had a clause that forced them to Bushiri after a certain number appearances. Hibs would call it a canard but the rumour was supported by the fact that Bushiri’s name appeared on the list of players set to leave the club at the end of the season. It didn’t stop there either, Bushiri’s name became entangled once again with a club failing to master the fundamentals of administration. Playing 90 minutes against Morton in the League Cup despite having been suspended, resulting in a 3-0 forfeit and swift exit from the competition. Rocky needed an Adrian, but he was surrounded by Paulies. Injury capped off insult for once as the next season saw Rocky miss 17 games with an ankle injury despite having gone from a player Lee Johnson said “he was probably happy to move on” to one “he wouldn’t sell for £10m”. Last season looked set to be a breakout season for the player who, whilst not exactly earning acclaim outside the confines of Easter Road, was at least starting consistently. Then came David Gray, and this time no more Mr Interim. This was a manager who hadn’t shown much faith in the defender’s abilities in the past and the signings of Warren O’Hora, Marvin Ekpiteta and Jack Iredale in the summer could have told you that he was didn’t have much of it for the future. And so it was, Bushiri would sit on the bench for 15 league games, giving his seat the appearance of memory foam, playing just 7 minutes of SPFL football. Hibs were rock bottom of the table, injuries began to bite the side and Gray was forced to bring the by now DR Congo international in from the cold. A 4-1 defeat to Dundee looked to be the last straw for both of them, and then … Pandemonium. There’s only one word for a game that made absolutely no sense. A flying Aberdeen side with just one defeat to date arrived in Edinburgh accompanied by a narrative that had been swelling with each passing week and looked set to unfold as expected. The side had conceded the most goals after scoring first had … conceded two goals after scoring first. 2-1 down with added time running out before the

February 26, 2025

SPFL Weekly: Five Talking Points

Rangers gave Philippe Clement his marching orders, Hibernian defeated a lethargic Celtic, there was no new manager bounce for Motherwell, and the cool-as-ice Kabangu kept Hearts ticking. Meanwhile, Ross County continued their push for the top six, and Aberdeen stave off capitulation with back-to-back wins. Here’s our round-up of the big talking points from Matchday 27 in the 2024/25 SPFL season. Clement sacked – Who’s next? Rangers 2-0 home defeat to St Mirren was the straw that broke the camel’s back. A dismal showing at Ibrox sealed Philippe Clement’s fate in a week filled with speculation about a potential US-led takeover by San Francisco 49ers’ investors. His dismissal came just hours after our report last night, which anticipated the club’s official announcement. After the match, Clement apologised to the fans, telling BBC Sport: “I can only say sorry and apologise [to the Rangers fans] from me and the team. This is not what Rangers teams need to show on the pitch. We all know this was by far below the standards we all expect.” However, for Rangers supporters, it was too little, too late. Some even set up a JustGiving page to fund his rumoured £1.2 million compensation fee. During his 16-month tenure, Clement showed rare glimpses of promise, particularly in Europe, where Rangers secured automatic qualification for the Europa League round of 16. Yet, he struggled to translate those performances into domestic success, leaving the club 13 points adrift of league leaders Celtic. Attention now turns to his long-term successor, with former Everton boss Sean Dyche, ex-Rangers title-winning manager Steven Gerrard, club legend Barry Ferguson, and former Light Blues midfielder Gennaro Gattuso all linked. Ferguson has been announced by the club to manage until the end of the season. VAR controversy mars heroic Hibs performance The heat on VAR grows with Brendan Rodgers’ latest comments following Celtic’s 2-1 defeat to Hibernian. An equaliser for Celtic was ruled out in the second half after the VAR overruled the on-field officials. Their decision was that Alistair Johnston crossed the ball after it was out of play, with the linesman originally calling it in. Regarding the controversy, Rodgers told BBC Sport: “I was very disappointed we didn’t get that, especially when the linesman didn’t think it was out. He probably has the best view. “I don’t know how you can tell the ball is definitely out from an image from the 18-yard line. We need to see evidence the ball was out. If you don’t have that, you’re having a guess.” However, the debate surrounding the decision has unfairly overshadowed Hibernian’s outstanding and fully deserved performance. They fought with grit and determination to withstand Celtic’s attacks while capitalising on a fatigued Hoops defence in transition. A defining moment came when Rocky Bushiri heroically cleared the ball off the goal line following a surging run from Jota, sparking a deafening roar from the home crowd. By the final whistle, as Sunshine on Leith echoed around Easter Road, there could be no denying that Hibs had earned their moment of celebration. No new manager bounce for the ‘Well One could forgive the neutral fan who gave little thought to this fixture last weekend. However, there has been renewed interest following the appointment of Michael Wimmer as Motherwell’s manager. The German spoke about bringing “intensity, energy, and passion” to proceedings. Still, there was little evidence of this in the first half of a 1-0 defeat to Dundee United. Both sides came into the game in poor form, but the Tangerines struck first and stopped the Lanarkshire side from having a new manager bounce. The visitors did react positively in the second half but lacked the clinical edge to get back into the match. On the second-half performance, Wimmer told BBC Sport: “We can work with the second half. It was really good. It was aggressive, we had opportunities, and we played forward. That’s what we want to see.” The Steelmen are now on their joint longest losing streak in ten years and worryingly looking over their shoulders at the teams behind them in the table. Kabangu injection saves Hearts Nine years ago, the Perth club witnessed a bejewelled Elton John in a stellar concert at McDiarmid Park, singing hits such as Crocodile Rock and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. This weekend, they saw another Elton dazzle before their eyes. Elton Kabangu, the January recruit from Hearts. The Belgian scored twice in a 2-1 away victory to see Hearts look towards the top six and European places. Putting aside last week’s disappointing home result to Rangers, where he failed to take his chances, he was a thorn in the Saints’ side throughout and put away two clinical finishes to take his toll up to six goals from seven games. Hearts boss Neil Crichtley told BBC Sport about his performance: “I’m delighted for Elton Kabangu to get two goals after his disappointment last week. He’s such a great personality to have at the training ground every day. I thought he was fantastic again.” The Saints are running out of games to turn things around, languishing six points adrift at the bottom of the table. Their manager, Simo Valakari, joined the club in October to do just that. With each passing game, that is looking increasingly less likely, and preparations for the Championship may lie ahead. Battle for top six Ross County is on an excellent run of form, with five wins from their last 9. Their only two defeats from that run came against the two Glasgow giants. They came from behind this weekend to beat Dundee 3-1. On the performance, Cowie told BBC Sport: “I was most pleased with how we responded to going behind, we were not spooked by it and deservedly got back in the game at 1-1. “We came out the traps flying after half-time and scored two goals. A fantastic win, and it keeps the momentum going.” The man from Inverness has given the Dingwall fans hope, as the club is only two points off the

February 24, 2025

I’m ready for the chance to cement my place in the team – says Bowie after return from injury hell

Hibs forward Kieron Bowie says he had to insist he was ready for a first league start in ten months despite hesitation from club staff after his long injury lay-off. “I was speaking to the gaffer a few weeks ago and he was asking me, psychologically was I ready?”, said Bowie “I was like, definitely! I’m ready for my chance and take to try and cement my place in the team”. Bowie endured a four month wait to come back from a hamstring injury suffered whilst playing for the Scotland U21 side, having only just returned from a spell on the sidelines that saw him miss the majority of his first pre-season since signing for a reported £600k from Fulham. However both manager David Gray and himself will be more than pleased with the gamble paying off, as Bowie received a standing ovation to cap off a remarkable win. “I think it’s been a long time coming and usually I’m getting that ovation coming back onto the pitch,” he said before joking “It was good to come off, my legs were gone”. Although you would have struggled to notice as Bowie made his 64 minutes feel like a lifetime for “the two best defenders in the league” in Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty, according the Hibs man. “To know that I can go up against them is really good and it gives me a lot of confidence.” Bowie said after getting enough of their shirts to come away with a memento, walking into the room with a Carter-Vickers strip in hand. “I don’t know if he wanted my shirt but I got his anyway,” he laughed “I thought I should get somebody’s shirt and I went to the kit man and asked but he said ‘you need to give me yours’, I’m not sure Pedro (the Hibs kitman) was happy!” A big scalp in more ways than one given that taking home the three points was no guarantee after the early goal from Josh Campbell. “You’ve seen the last couple of times we’ve played Celtic,” he told the media “we conceded so early and obviously it was the opposite way around this time and you think ‘oh no we’ve poked the bear!’ – but we managed to maintain the pressure and get another goal before half-time.” With victory under their belt, Bowie said the message from the manager was to “cement their place in the top six”. A task that looks far easier given the five point cushion they have on Ross County in seventh. Looking ahead, the Scot is eager to continue the Scottish Cup run with another game against Celtic coming in just a few weeks. “We went into the Cup thinking this is a possibility, we can win this and now we’ve shown what we can do against that opposition and hopefully do that again.”

February 24, 2025

Celtic will ‘get back on the horse and go again’ – captain McGregor after Hibs loss

Celtic captain Callum McGregor believes his side’s experience will help them recover from a shock second defeat in a week after they were beaten 2-1 by Hibs at Easter Road. “Whether you win, lose or draw, you get back on the horse and you go again. The players have been here a million times before. We know what it takes to be a winning team,” said the 31 year old. Defeat in the capital followed a cruel exit from the Champions League in Munich, which seemed to have draining impact on the players both physically and mentally at the weekend. However McGregor, was quick to praise the opposition rather than dwell on the damage done midweek. “We knew that was the type of game so it was just about trying to get ahead of that. We never quite did it and then the stuff with the ball was a little bit passive. Credit to them, they played well, they had a good game plan and they got their goals at the right time.” McGregor said during his post-match conference. With the defeat behind them and a League Cup under their belt, Celtic will no doubt have their sights on a ninth domestic treble, of which McGregor has won an astonishing five. The skipper stressed that they did not see it as already won despite a titanic thirteen point lead, “we’ve never said that. It’s one thing that we don’t do, we don’t speak out of turn. We take every game and we respect every single opponent,” he added, “we try and do our talking on the pitch as much as we can. We know that we’re a mile away from any success. We’ve obviously won the League Cup but that’s it.” As the side prepare to take on an Aberdeen side recovering from one of the league’s worst ever runs of form, McGregor believes his side are relishing the opportunity to take to the pitch despite a taxing February that has seen them play seven games in three weeks. “In the football the best thing is having a game in three days time,” he remarked “we know what it takes to be a winning team.” Celtic face Aberdeen on Tuesday at Celtic Park with kick-off at 20:00.

February 24, 2025

Hibs condemn Celtic to second loss of the week

A Josh Campbell double saw Hibernian cause a major upset for a Celtic side still licking their wounds following a Champions League exit. Victory at Easter Road extending their unbeaten run to thirteen in all competitions. Just over a minute and a half in, Josh Campbell stunned both sets of fans after his clever run between the Celtic defenders saw him take full advantage of a Nectar Triantis through ball to slide a finish past Kasper Schmeichel to open the scoring. In a rip-roaring first half, there were seconds to go until the break as Campbell earned himself a brace, his header blasting past a helpless keeper that sent the crowd into elation after a lengthy VAR check. However a defensive mishap for the home side allowed Celtic to muscle their way back into the game not long after the hour mark. Jordan Smith guilty along with his defenders of not clearing a simple ball as Daizen Maeda snuck in to pull a goal back for Brendan Rodgers’ men. The clock winding down for full-time Hibernian looked as though they had blown a golden opportunity as Alistair Johnston fired home a leveller only to have the effort ruled out after it was found the ball had gone out of play. Celtic were put in the unusual position of having to withstand pressure from a domestic opponent but Warren O’Hora almost had a goal of his own when he met Nicky Cadden’s corner by the front post but could only fire the shot wide. Schmeichel was forced into action soon after as Keiron Bowie’s thunderous volley travelled towards him but the Dane was equal to it. Preventing his side from going even further behind the Celtic shot stopper would deny Campbell a hat-trick with an excellent save to tip the midfielder’s header from a Martin Boyle free-kick over the bar. His opposite number Jordan Smith was no stranger to the action, called to make an awkward block to keep out Luke McCowan’s floating cross before denying Alistair Johnston from an acute angle. Producing arguably the best save of the day was none other than Rocky Bushiri, who continues to be a rock at the heart of this resurgent Hibs defence. Denying a weaving Jota what looked like a certain goal on the line. Hibs mastering the defensive arts Where once every cross or pass into the box looked certain to cause chaos amongst the backline. Hibs defenders now look assured against even the best sides in the league. Rocky Bushiri has been arguably one of the Premiership best players in the past few months, commanding a defence that has conceded just four goals in seven from all competitions. Throwing their bodies into everything, Bushiri and O’Hora celebrated tackles like goals as they held on the earn the side a six point cushion in the top half. Credit too must go to those providing at the other end of the park, Josh Campbell’s double the difference but Keiron Bowie’s gradual return to action has given Martin Boyle another foil off which to work. David Gray will hope they can repeat the trick as they travel to face Dundee United midweek. Celtic off the boil as heartbreak bites Despite the Rodgers being adamant that their, there is little doubt that the midweek exit has had an impact, be it mental or physical, on today’s result. Perhaps more for the former as the Celtic players struggled to play through balls that would normally on a dime. It did not help either that the three players brought in to help freshen things up in Idah, McCowan and Taylor were hauled off at half-time as the manager looked to create chances that were not forthcoming. Yet for all the disappointment, Celtic will remain ten clear even if Rangers win and look set for a treble. If only they didn’t have Hibs in the next round. Line-ups: Hibernian 2 Hibs: Smith, Iredale, Bushiri (Ekpiteta 78), O’Hora, N. Cadden, Triantis, Moriah-Welsh (Obita 73), Miller, Campbell, Bowie (Kuharevich 64), Boyle (c) (Hoilett 78) Unused subs: Bursik, Molotnikov, C. Cadden, Newell, Gayle Booked: Bushiri, Campbell Goals: Campbell (2), (45+4) Celtic 1 Celtic: Schmeichel, Taylor (Schlupp 46), Trusty, Carter-Vickers, Johnston, McCowan (Hatate 46), McGregor (c), Engels, Maeda, Idah (Jota 46), Kühn Unused subs: Sinisalo, Bonnar, Kenny, Ralston, Scales, Yang Hyun-Jun Booked: Taylor, Johnston Goals: Maeda (69) Attendance: 18,357

February 22, 2025

Bears set for Billionaire Backroom takeover!

Speculation is swirling that Rangers are poised for a US-led takeover from the investment arm of NFL giant, the San Francisco 49ers. It is understood that Leeds United Chairman Paraag Marathe is the key man involved in discussions. It is rumoured that the talks have been ongoing for months and are at an advanced stage with a “broad agreement” in place among all parties. For fans of the Ibrox side, it is something to look forward to amidst a poor inconsistent season with not much to celebrate. The club find themselves in a position where their best bet at silverware this season resides in the Europa League where they find themselves in the last 16 with a face-off against Turkish giants Fenerbahçe. They narrowly lost the League Cup final to their Glasgow rivals, Celtic, and find themselves 13 points behind them in the league. And let’s not forget their shock exit from the Scottish Cup less than two weeks ago to Championship side Queen’s Park. Following administration, liquidation and relegation in 2012 fans have had to endure watching their bitter rivals Celtic dominate Scottish Football. As of today, they have won 26 of the 37 available trophies domestically since the 2012/13 season. That includes 11 league titles and five trebles. Fans have been able to enjoy a European final and winning their first top-flight title in a decade. But when you compare that the green side of Glasgow has collected 70% of domestic silverware since 2012/13 to 8% from the blue side, it is pretty damning. Envious eyes were also cast from Govan to Parkhead earlier this season when both sides published their annual fiscal reports and it showed not only was there a gap on the pitch, but financially as well. The reports showed that the Rangers recorded record losses financially compared to Celtic, who recorded record profits. That doesn’t include their recent Champions League Campaign where not including ticket sales and commercial revenue the Bhoys pocketed over 38 million pounds. When considering all that, this potential takeover must be looked at as a very positive thing for the club. It has seemingly been met by only positive reactions from the Gers fan base. The only small amount of negative response has been met with the argument ‘Are they Rangers men? Do they understand the club?’. There is also the concern over being part of Multi Club ownership. Will Rangers get an equal slice of the pie or will they simply be a small cog in a large mechanism? Former Gers Captain and Club Legend Barry Ferguson said: “The new chairman and chief executive, they have to bring external investment into the club and it’s been clear that that’s what’s needed… For Rangers fans, I wouldn’t get too excited now. But it is good to see that things are happening in the background”. New cash-rich owners would bring about financial stability to the club. Many have noted the squad needs overhaul but have not been able to do so due to their financial situation. It would also allow a bigger transfer pot for the manager to create a better depth within the squad. However, Rangers are currently owned by a multitude of shareholders that would need to be convinced to sell. They would need to be paid before any money could be invested in the team, which will cost a lot of money out of a potential investor’s pocket. Speaking to Sky Sports Football Finance Expert Kieran Maguire stated: “It does appear there’s been issues as far as the board of directors and shareholders at Rangers are concerned that there has been some historically some inviting taking place. And I think the club, if it wants to move forward does need external investment… Having a single party with a controlling interest allows the club to go forward with a strategy and culture, including everyone on board”. He went on to discuss the benefits of American owners in that they are very enthusiastic about British Football now. There are some very rich and wealthy investors in America taking a closer look at investment opportunities due to the strength of their economy. On the topic of the direction of the club at the board level concerning current shareholders, he said: “The first thing that has to be done as far as investors are concerned is they have to pay the existing shareholders…. Currently, Rangers have around 500 million shares. They issued some shares yesterday at 20 pence each, so that gives you a sort of baseline figure of just over 100 million. But you would have to pay a significant premium on that to convince existing shareholders to sell”. With their rival’s domestic and financial dominance fans have demanded change at the top for a long time now and it looks like that may be on the horizon as early as the summer.

February 21, 2025

Drama, Decisions & Deciders: Scottish Football Managers in the Spotlight!

With a crucial Champions League showdown looming, Brendan Rodgers has issued a rallying cry to his Celtic squad—go bold or go home! The Hoops boss is urging his side to seize the moment in Germany, where they must overturn a 2-1 deficit against Bayern Munich to keep their European dream alive. Meanwhile, Bayern’s own Vincent Kompany is playing it cool, suggesting that his side’s 0-0 draw with Bayer Leverkusen was the perfect defensive test ahead of Celtic’s visit. But could Jota shake things up? The Portuguese winger has surely staked his claim for a starting spot after a dazzling performance in Celtic’s 3-0 win over Dundee United. Speaking of Dundee United, Jim Goodwin insists that Will Ferry and Kevin Holt were merely rested against Celtic and should be back in action next week. Nothing to see here, folks—just a precaution! Over at Rangers, Philippe Clement is facing the heat. His side’s shock Scottish Cup exit to Queen’s Park has left fans fuming, and his decision to hook Bailey Rice at half-time didn’t go unnoticed. The 18-year-old was dropped for failing to “break the lines” with his passing, but Clement insists he still believes in the youngster. With pressure mounting, Clement is standing firm, refusing to walk away from what he calls the “toughest period” of his career. Elsewhere in Scottish football, Hibs’ new shot-stopper Jordan Smith has been left “blown away” by the standard of the game, while Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin has showered praise on the travelling Dons support after their gritty win at Dundee. And let’s not forget the SWPL drama—Glasgow City’s Leanne Ross has been grilling refereeing chief Willie Collum over some questionable decisions. With all these talking points, Scottish football is delivering non-stop drama on and off the pitch!

February 16, 2025

St Mirren and Hibernian Battle to Hard-Fought Draw in Entertaining Stalemate

Alasana Manneh endured a nightmare start to his Hibernian career, receiving a red card just 13 minutes after coming on, as David Gray’s side extended their unbeaten run to 12 matches with a goalless draw against St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership. The Gambian midfielder, a product of Barcelona’s famed youth academy, entered the pitch in the 70th minute but was booked almost immediately for a trip. His debut went from bad to worse when another reckless challenge saw him pick up a second yellow. Despite being reduced to 10 men, Hibs held firm to secure a point, though they missed the opportunity to climb to fourth. Meanwhile, St Mirren moved up to sixth, edging ahead of Kilmarnock on goal difference. Both teams had opportunities, but goalkeepers Zach Hemming and Jordan Smith pulled off crucial second-half saves to ensure the match remained goalless. Hibs thought they had a penalty when referee Ross Hardie pointed to the spot for a handball against Killian Phillips. However, a review overturned the decision, with replays clearly showing the ball had struck the midfielder’s face instead. MORE TO COME…

February 16, 2025

SPFL

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