Posts Tagged ‘Scotland’

SCOTTISH FOOTBALL: SPL Week 1 Draw

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

The SPL fixture list has been drawn randomly by some sort of weird computer thingy.

Week 1 is as followsspl

by Marc Roseblade

2010/11 Clydesdale Bank Premier League fixtures

Kick-off 3pm unless stated. TV selections will be announced in due course.

Saturday August 14
Aberdeen v Hamilton Accies
Hearts v St Johnstone
Inverness CT v Celtic
Motherwell v Hibernian
Rangers v Kilmarnock
St Mirren v Dundee United

I am not going to list all the fixtures as there are way too many, visit the SPL website.

read more from Marc at My Scottish Football!

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RANGERS WIN WORLD RECORD 53rd LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP

Sunday, April 25th, 2010

by Marc Roseblade

Glasgow Rangers won the SPL title today with a 1 nil victory over Edinburgh side Hibernian (Hibs) with 3 games remaining in the league.

This is a world record 53rd league title for Rangers and makes it 9 in total for manager Walter Smith.

Walter Smith makes history with Rangers

Amazingly, Rangers have still to secure Smith as manager for next season after an uncertain financial year for the Glasgow side. Their owner David Murray put the club up for sale and Smith was put on a rolling contract as any new owners may want to bring in their own people. With Rangers now winning the title again, as well as the CIS League Cup this season, anyone in Scotland would tell you that Smith is the best manager in the country and any new owner of Rangers would be crazy not to secure his services.

The league title this season also secures automatic Champions League entry for Rangers next season, unless Lyon win the Champions League this season. If Lyon win, they drop Scotland’s European coefficient, in which case Rangers would need to play in the 3rd qualifying round.

Good news for USA fans as Maurice Edu played a part in today’s victory. He’ll bring home some more silverware and another medal in time for SA.

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ROONEY TO SET SPL ALIGHT NEXT SEASON

Saturday, April 24th, 2010

by Marc Roseblade

Rooney is set to play in the Scottish Premier League next season for newly promoted Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

No, it’s not the Rooney you are thinking off.  It’s a lesser-known Irishman called Adam Rooney and he has lit up the scoring charts in Scotland this season with a 25 goal haul, helping Inverness to the Scottish First Division title.

Irish sensation Adam Rooney netted 25 goals this season

Had you going though, didn’t I?

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SCOTTISH FOOTBALL: OLD FIRM TO PLAY IN THE USA?

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

By Marc Roseblade


Much has been said in recent years about the Glasgow Old Firm Giants trying to leave the Scottish league and joining a bigger more lucrative league elsewhere with the English Premiership being mooted as their preferred option.

But if rumors today hold any water, they will be joining the MLS this summer!

No more Glasgow Celtic and Glasgow Rangers.  From now on they may be known as Georgia Celtic and Galveston Rangers, but don’t worry, that’s not really on the cards, YET.  Due to a huge following in the States, both Glasgow teams are tentatively in talks to hold a match together outside of Scotland for the 1st time in their history.

Yes they have played friendlies in the US before but they have NEVER played each other abroad before with Boston’s Gillette Stadium being touted as the place to be this summer.

For those of you unsure of who and what the Old Firm are about, get yourself along there to see the oldest football rivalry clash in the unfriendliest friendly you will ever see.  Neither team’s fan base (nor their history) will accept this as an exhibition match and fireworks are always on show when these 2 meet. I only wish I could be there to see it!

It appears that this will be the finale to a series of matches being planned by both teams in Canada & USA with Manchester United another match that may be on the cards for Celtic.

Watch this space for more details…

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SCOTTISH FOOTBALL: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

by Marc Roseblade

A weird and wonderful weekend has come and gone in Scottish football.

It was Scottish Cup semi-final weekend and first up was the David-and-Goliath match up between Glasgow giants Celtic and minnows Ross County.

Ross County had up until 1995 been playing in the Highland leagues which is the tier of football below the Scottish professional football leagues, so it was an achievement in itself just to get to this stage.

Currently playing in the Scottish 1st division, Ross county had already beaten 3 Premier league teams on route to the semis but Celtic were a step up the ladder, supposedly.

Ross county dominated the game and never really looked out of their depth in what was without doubt, the club’s largest ever game. 15′000 County fans turned up at Hampden, not bad considering the highland town of Dingwall, where Ross County come from, only has a population of 7′000.

From start to finish, the County players never looked overawed by the big occasion and ended up deserved winners by 2 goals to nil.

Celtic were woeful and their interim manager Neil Lennon may have lost the chance to be offered the job full time with this loss. He was clearly unhappy with the poor performance of his players and he let them know it. He did not miss them when being interviewed live on TV and made it clear that if he was not in charge of Celtic next season, a lot of the underachieving players wouldn’t be there either. Strong words from an angry and embarassed Lennon.

So Ross County progress to the final. Magic stuff.

Other results from the weekend saw Dundee United beating another 1st division side Raith Rovers in the other semi final by 2 goals to nil.

My ‘game of the SPL’ was between basement battlers Falkirk and St Mirren.

Falkirk have been bottom of the league for most of the season but since new manager Steven Pressley took over, they have vastly improved and the game on Saturday proved that they will fight right to the end. They were the better side throughout the 90 minutes and apart from losing a goal in the 90th minute, the 3 points were never in doubt. Final score 2-1 to falkirk and that win pulls them level with St Mirren with 5 games to go and as a bonus Kilmarnock who lost on Saturday, are now only 1 point above both those teams.

About the Author: Marc Roseblade is ONELOVE FC’s Scottish Football correspondent. For more of his insights on the Scottish game, visit http://myscottishfootball.blogspot.com/

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MAURICE EDU RETURNS TO FORM IN SCOTLAND DERBY

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

The American scored a stoppage-time goal against Glasgow Celtic to give his Rangers a 1-0 victory. The American is in tip top shape coming off of knee surgery and should making Bob Bradley’s shortlist for South Africa. Edu and Rangers teammate DaMarcus Beasely have already been selected to play in the upcoming Netherlands friendly.

American International Edu get’s game-winner at Ibrox – photo credit: David Moir/Reuters

Glasgow Rangers are now 10 points ahead of second place Celtic in the Scottish Premier League. Keep it up fellas!  Also, props to Rangers goalie Allan McGregor for brushing off the bar-room attack and jumping back into the game unscathed.

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