McGregor protests innocence over v-sign

December 30, 2009

Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor says he would take a lie detector test to prove the infamous v-sign gesture that threatened to end his international career was not aimed at Scotland fans.

McGregor is in line for a recall to the Scotland squad following the appointment of Craig Levein as replacement for sacked boss George Burley.

McGregor and Scotland team-mate Barry Ferguson were told they would not play for Scotland again after being caught on camera making v-sign gestures during the World Cup qualifying win over Iceland in April.

The incident occurred after McGregor and Ferguson were dropped to the bench by Burley following reports they had been drinking for more than eight hours before the match at the team’s hotel.

McGregor is adamant the gestures were not directed at the Tartan Army and he hopes he can be forgiven if Levein does hand him a recall.

“I’m not a bad guy – anyone who knows me will tell you that,” McGregor told the Daily Record. “But that night at Hampden I felt I had been thrown to the wolves if I’m honest.

“The whole Boozegate thing had not been well handled and Fergie and myself felt we were being hammered for something others had been involved in.

“Then we had to sit there with 300 cameras pointing in our faces. And that’s when it happened.

“People think we hatched it between us in the dressing room as some kind of way of sticking our fingers up at the whole country.

“But that’s honestly not the way it was. It happened at the spur of the moment when we were sitting there with all the cameras flashing.

“I can say this with my hand on my heart – the V signs were not meant for the Tartan Army or for all of Scotland.

“It was just a stupid, childish reaction to the situation we were in. If I had felt that way about the fans I would have walked out into the centre circle and stuck two fingers up there.

“What else can I say? I’d take a lie detector test if I could – that’s how strongly I feel about it. I wish I could turn the clock back.”

GLASGOW (AFP)

Tags: Allan McGregor, barry ferguson, craig levein, daily record, dressing room, eight hours, george burley, gestures, Glasgow, hampden, hand on my heart, Iceland, international career, lie detector test, mcgregor, scotland, scotland fans, scotland squad, scotland team, spur of the moment, tartan army, team mate, two fingers, v sign

Redknapp in favour of Old Firm England bid

November 10, 2009

Glasgow rivals Celtic and Rangers have won backing for their bid to join the English Premier League from Tottenham coach Harry Redknapp.

The long-standing Old Firm campaign to join the English setup was given a boost last week when both Everton’s David Moyes and Aston Villa’s Martin O’Neill endorsed Bolton chairman Phil Gartside’s plan for them to be included in a new two-tier top flight.

Gartside’s proposal is expected to be discussed at a meeting of Premier League clubs this week and Redknapp has become the first English boss to publicly back the concept.

He told the Daily Record: “Absolutely, I would welcome Celtic and Rangers to English football if they wanted to play down here. No doubt about it. I’m sure they would be good for the English game.

“We are talking about two huge football clubs and if they were to join our league you would be looking at great games in great stadiums.

“I was up in Scotland only a couple of months ago to watch Celtic play Arsenal in the Champions League qualifiers and the atmosphere was out of this world.

“It was incredible and I’d love to see games like that on a more regular basis.

“The one worry I would have is what happens to the rest of Scottish football if the two of them are allowed to leave but only the people up there know the answer to that.

“If you’re asking me if it would be good for the English game then the answer is yes.”

Former Celtic player Moyes and ex-Parkhead boss O’Neill have emotional ties to their former club but Redknapp is a more dispassionate observer.

And despite acknowledging the Old Firm would eventually become a threat to his own club, he would still welcome them with open arms.

He said: “It’s true, with the extra money they would get down here the two of them probably would end up challenging clubs such as ourselves for European places but that’s nothing something we should be scared of.

“We are talking here about two great clubs and it would be fantastic to compete against them. It would only make the game in this country stronger if we had two clubs with their tradition operating in our league.”

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: aston villa, champions league qualifiers, coach harry, daily record, David Moyes, emotional ties, England, english game, English Premier League, football clubs, gartside, Glasgow, great clubs, great games, Harry Redknapp, london, martin o neill, Martin O'Neill, Neill, no doubt, parkhead, Phil Gartside, premier league, premier league clubs, s david, s martin, scotland, scottish football

Scotland blues for desperate McFadden

August 22, 2009

Birmingham striker James McFadden has revealed that he considered ending his Scotland career after failing to get into coach George Burley’s starting lineup.

The 26-year-old former Everton and Motherwell player has been a key figure in the national team for several years, but he still found himself on the bench for the demoralising 0-4 World Cup qualifiers loss to Norway in Oslo this month.

McFadden said he hates travelling with Scotland and not getting to play and is desperate to start the must-win Group Nine clash with Macedonia in two weeks’ time.

Rangers duo Kris Boyd and Lee McCulloch have both walked away from the national team in the last year and McFadden admits to having briefly considered doing the same.

“I think there comes a time in every player’s career when he thinks about stuff like that,” he said in the Daily Record.

“You think to yourself, ‘I hate going on these trips and I hate not playing. Why am I here? Maybe I should be sitting in the house’.

“But it passes quickly enough. No matter how fed up you get, you realise this is your country – and you can’t beat the feeling of playing for your country.

“Okay, some players have enough of it and decide it’s not for them. But I don’t think I’ll ever get to that stage. The only way I can see myself walking away from Scotland is when I feel I’m not good enough to make a difference.

“Even if I’m sitting on the bench, I’m still itching to get on and make a difference. Let’s face it, about half of my appearances for Scotland have come from the bench anyway.

“Different managers do different things and you never know what is going to happen in any game so I’ll be ready whenever I’m needed. I’m only 26. By the time the next World Cup starts, I’ll be 27. If we get there, it would be a dream come true.”

GLASGOW (AFP)

Tags: Birmingham, Boyd, clash, coach george, daily record, different things, everton, game, george burley, Glasgow, James McFadden, Macedonia, motherwell, Norway, oslo, scotland, sitting on the bench, starting lineup, striker, time rangers, world cup qualifiers

United to sign Argentine

July 18, 2009

Scottish Premier League side Dundee United have offered Argentinian striker Damian Casalinuovo a move to Tannadice after the player impressed on trial.

The 22-year-old has caught the eye of United boss Craig Levein during two trial stints on Tayside.

The former Velez Sarsfield star, who does not require a work permit as he holds an Italian passport, has impressed Levein with the manager believing that Casalinuovo is very much the one for the future.

“I’ve made my mind up on Damian and we’re going to give him a contract,” Levein told the Daily Record.

“He’s been here twice and has impressed me. He’s just a young boy and I’d put him in the same category as the likes of Mihael Kovacevic and Andis Shala when they came over.

“It’s an opportunity for him to show what he can do.”

By: Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: Argentine, boss, craig levein, daily record, damian, Damian Casalinuovo, Dundee, dundee united, italian passport, kovacevic, rajput, Scottish, Scottish Premier League, shala, stints, Tannadice, Tayside, velez sarsfield

McLeish ready to move for Ferguson

June 18, 2009

GLASGOW (AFP) – Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has revealed the newly-promoted Premier League club have made an enquiry about Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson.

Ferguson, who was McLeish’s skipper during his reign at Rangers, could be allowed to leave Ibrox after being stripped of the club captaincy for his drunken behaviour while on international duty with Scotland earlier this year.

McLeish wants to add an experienced midfielder to his squad as he seeks to keep Birmingham in the English top-flight and Ferguson could fit the bill, although he is yet to make an official approach for the former Blackburn player.

“I haven’t made a move for Barry but I have enquired about him,” McLeish told the Daily Record.

“He is one of a number of players I’m interested in. I’m on holiday right now but I’m still working away at some things.”

Tags: alex mcleish, Barry, barry ferguson, Birmingham, blackburn, daily record, English, English Premier League, enquiry, Ferguson, Glasgow, premier league, rangers, scotland, Scottish Premier League, skipper

No room for Ferguson at Zenit says Advocaat

April 7, 2009

GLASGOW (AFP) – Barry Ferguson, whose future at Rangers is uncertain after his antics on international duty for Scotland, can forget about joining Zenit St Petersburg, Dick Advocaat, the Russian club’s manager, said.

Advocaat made Ferguson his captain during the Dutchman’s spell as manager of the Ibrox club, but insisted Tuesday that he had no plans to lure the 31-year-old midfielder to Russia.

Ferguson was stripped of the Ranger’s captaincy, suspended without pay for two weeks, and told he would never play for his country again after a drinking binge after Scotland’s defeat to Holland.

He and teammate Allan McGregor then compounded their plight when caught making V-signs on the substitute’s bench in last week’s win over Iceland.

Advocaat, while still an admirer of Ferguson, told Tuesday’s Daily Record he had no intention of trying to sign him.

“I was asked if I would be interested in signing Barry if he is leaving Rangers in the summer.

“My answer was clear. If I did not have a player for that position then Ferguson would have been one of my choices – but I don’t need a player for that position,” he told the paper.

The former Holland boss added: “(Anatoly) Timoschuk has done an excellent job for me and is a real quality player. So, in principle, I have no need for Barry.”

Commenting on the Ferguson saga he commented: “I find what happened strange. But then, I believe Barry has been at the club for too long.

“It is better for him to leave Rangers and get a new motivation.

“I think he is still a great player but not for Rangers any more. Walter Smith will realise this because he is a very bright man.”

Written by: AFP