Attendances are still hovering around 5,000. On the transfer front, it was busier than usual with Nicky Law, Michael Higdon, Tim Clancy and Omar Daley coming in a bit later on.

Arguably our best player from last season John Sutton left and loan signings from the 2010/11 season – Steve Jones and Gavin Gunning returned to their parent clubs.

Stuart McCall guided the team to the Scottish Cup Final in 2011, but unfortunately the team did not turn up on the day and were beaten 3-0 by Celtic.

That was then, this is now and the Steelmen have been cooking up a storm in the SPL with their blistering away form and their rather colourful East Stand who have brought a bit of colour and atmosphere to Fir Park.

The squad is very similar to last season’s apart from the new signings and the departures that I mentioned above, but somehow Motherwell have blitzed the rest of the SPL and were even breaking the Old Firm for a month or so in the Autumn, but I think most ‘Well fans will agree that splitting the Old Firm is an unrealistic target for a team the size of Motherwell as their resources are nowhere near the standard of Celtic or Rangers.

The Starting Eleven

What can you say about Darren Randolph, whether you support Motherwell or not, you will be running out of superlatives to describe his performances in a Motherwell shirt, he has made one mistake in his Motherwell tenure, that being against Leeds in a friendly. He is a definite fan favourite with the ‘Well support and with 24 SPL games and nine clean sheets, who can blame them?

Tom Hateley has been a make-shift right back since Steven Saunders long-term injury but thankfully is very comfortable and since is a natural right midfielder he is very comfortable going forward and has pitched in with a few crucial goals, one of those being the last kick of the ball at St. Mirren, where he swung a free kick into the top corner to win the game 3-2. Tom will forever be judged on whether he is as good as his dad but with 24 SPL games, two goals and six assists, I’m quite happy with how he’s doing.

Shaun Hutchinson is a strong, reliable, old-fashioned, tough centre-half who is not afraid to put some hard tackles in and is my favourite ‘Well player. He has played 17 SPL games and has even contributed with a goal, but sometimes his potential going forward is not shown as he is often having to cover for the next ‘Well player in our list. Despite this I still believe he is as good as Rogne at Celtic.

Stephen Craigan boasts the record number of SPL own goals with eight. Not the type of record you want on your CV, but “Craggs” has been a great servant to the club and would do anything for his beloved ‘Well and showed his passion after last season’s Scottish Cup semi-final when he came over and celebrated with the ‘Well fans before full-time. Craigan is one of my favourite players, even if he does cost us goals. He is the club captain and helps young players develop and played for his country more than 50 times, playing 23 times in the SPL this year and even contributed with an assist.

Steven Hammell is in my opinion, the best left back in the SPL apart from Emilio Izaguirre. He has been a great servant to the club and will continue to be so. He has said that he wants to stay at Fir Park until he retires and not a single ’Well fan will be disappointed at that. He has played a big part in guiding the Steelmen to their current position. He defends the left flank superbly and is not afraid or uncomfortable when going forward. When Craigan finally hangs up his boots, Hammell will have no problem filling his role as captain.

Nicky Law and Jamie Murphy are Stuart McCall’s most recent wide-men, with Murphy on the left and Law gracing the right-wing. Law joined from Rotherham in the summer on a free and since joining he has become a fan favourite, finding himself in the starting eleven almost every game. Jamie Murphy recently made the headlines after turning down a £250,000 move to Blackpool. He is usually considered a striker but since Ojamaa has joined he has switched to a winger and is coping very well. He has always been a hit with the Motherwell support and has been around for a long time, despite only being 21. Making his ‘Well debut at 17, he has really matured and will probably leave in the summer, but showing some loyalty to a team that is used to its stars leaving at the first sniff of cash has made him even more of a hit with the fans.

With a centre midfield pairing of Keith Lasley and Steve Jennings, you are transported back to the good old days of football with rough, hard-hitting tackles and players that aren’t afraid to stick their feet in. Both are popular with the majority of the ‘Well support but a minority of fans believe that they are “dinosaurs” and that we need smaller, faster midfielders but I completely disagree. They bring a bit of excitement and make tackles that can win games. Lasley has four goals in 22 games and Jennings has played 22 games with no goals or assists but his tackles are priceless.

Our current strike-force is Henrik Ojamaa and Michael Higdon. Let’s start with Ojamaa, he joined in January on a six month deal and has so far scored in every starting appearance. That’s four goals in 5 games (he came on as a sub against Dundee United and failed to score). He has since been snapped up on a new two and a half-year deal, much to the delight of the Motherwell support. He brings an air of excitement when he gets the ball and looks like he could score every time he gets possession. Long may it continue! Michael Higdon is the club’s top scorer with eight goals and hit the headlines after his supposed “offensive gesture” but let’s focus on football and not bans and sanctions. He is quite frustrating to watch and sometimes it seems as if he has to miss five sitters before he can score, but his goals have been crucial and I would love him to get a few more this season.

The Fringe

Tim Clancy was brought in during the summer from Kilmarnock and in my opinion is a good, consistent defender who does not get the credit he deserves. He does start often, especially during Craigan’s current suspension.

Omar Daley joined late in the summer window from Bradford City, where he also worked with Stuart McCall and is an attacking winger/striker. He is an exciting player and just like his compatriot Chris Humphrey, he is very fast. He brings excitement when he’s on the ball and is one of my favourite players.

Chris Humphrey, the fastest man in the SPL who in previous seasons was always on the team sheet but since the arrival of Nicky Law and Omar Daley he has found first team action hard to come by, but this isn’t as bad as it sounds because while watching him play last season the first thing you would notice is that, the majority of the time his delivery was poor, but since he has been coming off the bench his performances have greatly improved and with his pace and new-found crossing ability he could rip even the best Scottish defense to shreds!

I believe that with that squad and the hunger and passion the team has been showing, Motherwell will come third quite comfortably and possibly bring back the Scottish Cup back to Fir Park.

With Motherwell in the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup and looking favourites for third place, the future is bright for the club.

Written by Nathan Ross

Steve Lomas on the other hand had possibly the most beneficial January of all SPL managers in acquiring to promising under 21’s in James Keatings (Celtic) and highly regarded Kudus Oyenuga (Tottenham Hotspur) on loan to enhance his options from the bench, while managing to hold onto top scorer Francisco Sandaza and club captain Jody Morris. One key change in the St Johnstone line up was David Robertson coming in for Marcus Haber.

With both teams starting with intent, the game simmered quite nicely with both teams flitting between good football and slack play neither could grab a foothold in the game. With the game end to end it was Hearts who managed to find that bit of play and composure in the final third. In the tenth minute McGowan had time to pick out Templeton unmarked on the edge of the box and with no need for a second invite he stung in a shot from the edge of the area beating Enckelman to easily at the near post.

With the home side keen to build on their lead they pushed forward at every opportunity, limiting St Johnstone to sporadic attacks and scrambling defending. As time passed and the second goal still not arriving, the Saints spirit which impresses Lomas seemingly every week, managed to claw their way back into the game, with captain Morris leading a midfield through heart and grit. With Davidson dived into tackles trying everything to create the break to bring them back into the game.

As they pressed forward, the Perth Saints had to constantly be on their guard as the impressive and dangerous Templeton constantly posed a threat backed up by the borderline tenacity of Black.

As the game marched towards half time with both teams not backing down from their intent to win, this was turning into a fair old cup tie.

Into the second half St Johnstone manager Lomas was the first to roll the dice in bringing on Sheridan for the ineffective Robertson hoping that the reformation of the SaS can spark the Saints come back.

Within two minutes of the restart Sheridan broke clear on the left and pitched in a perfect cross for Sandaza to connect from six yards out but with a free header he could only guide it onto the bar, this seemed to be the catalyst for sustained pressure from the visitors with wave upon wave of attack ultimately fruitless with some last stand defending and poor finishing.

After chances went begging through slick play, Liam Craig caught the ball on the half volley on the hour and with the ball moving through the air MacDonald did well to get his body behind it and beat it to safety.

After an hour of the game and after both teams had put so much into it, the game started to get bogged down in midfield with only flashes of the skill we had seen previously from both teams. With a succession of free kicks and referee Craig Thomson managing to take the attention from the players and focus it squarely onto himself the game was in danger of being ruined as a spectacle.

Just under twenty minutes left Thomson incurred the wrath of the away fans by brandishing a dubious second yellow to MacKay after he had caught the ever dangerous Templeton on the side whilst trying to hook away a clearance, sending him for an early bath.

Fortunately both sets of players continued to play to win and managed to regain the attacking threat they had both posed earlier and on 77 minutes it was the away fans who erupted after Sandaza played an inch perfect pass for Sheridan to break the offside trap and coolly drawing MacDonald before slotting it passed him and into the net.

As both teams pushed for the winner, the defences held firm and the game rightly and fairly ended with honours even setting up a reply at McDiarmid Park on 14th February.

Hearts: Enckelman, Mackay, C Davidson, Morris, Anderson, McCracken, M Davidson (Millar), Croft (Keatings), Robertson (Sheridan), Sandaza, Craig.
Subs not used: Mannus, Oyenuga,

St.Johnstone: MacDonald, Webster, McGowan, Zaliukas, Hamill, Black, Templeton (Driver), Skacel (Taouil), Mrowiec, Elliott, Robinson.
Subs not used: Ridgers, Barr, Glen

Att: 9,185

I do not know why this should be, other than the effect of the Daily Record “exclusive” on the Ticketus story.

Some of us had pointed the way in June of last year.

The story was always there for a sports desk to run with it. The unthinkable is now being planned for by the people who hold positions of power and authority in Scottish football.

Stewart Regan seems to think he can reach the nation through Twitter. The defence of the “Old Firm” brand is in full swing.

Should the “big tax bill” crystallise and the cash flow situation at Rangers deteriorate then the club established in 1872 (I know it has 1873 on the crest) will cease to exist.

It will, literally, be the end of “The Rangers” and the connection with the past will be broken.

A new company and new club could be set up and it could call itself Rangers, but it would not be the club established when Queen Victoria was on the imperial throne.

“Rangers 2012” would be a new club.

The movers and shakers in this are already positioning their ducks in the correct order for the “New Co” to be parachuted into the SPL without any penalty.

If Rangers (1873) go into administration then there is mandatory 10 point penalty in the SPL. If the liquidation occurs then the “NewCo” does not have any penalty laid down in the SPL rules.

The penalty could be draconian or there could be no penalty at all.

Given that Planet Fitba is considering the unthinkable (Rangers being liquidated) then perhaps you might want to consider this:

If Rangers were liquidated and, for the sake of this argument, were not allowed to come back straight into the SPL as a “NewCo” then what would happen?

I suspect that the “provincial clubs in the West of Scotland might benefit. Perhaps Chick Young might indeed become a St Mirren fan. Ok, perhaps not.

Certainly Motherwell would get some erstwhile patrons of Ibrox. The Ayrshire clubs, especially Kilmarnock, would get a lift. Hearts would probably get more people through the gates though I doubt Hibernian would.

Fairly quickly Celtic would start to find that they would be coming up against a clutch of teams capable of beating them.

It would be like having several clubs the size of Hearts in the West of Scotland. The financial disaster prophesied by people like Stewart Regan is shrill and fact free.

The backward multiplier effect of a Rangers free SPL is heavily over stated by these hand-wringing adherents of John Maynard Keynes.

Celtic would, for a while, dominate, but the Parkhead side would not be invincible and these provincial clubs would grow.

The model would be a self-sustaining one with most clubs fielding the product of their own youth systems. Rangers’ financial doping poisoned the well of talented Scottish youth. Murray Park became a training facility for foreign imports not an academy for home-grown talent.

Celtic was forced into a borrowing driven arms race under Martin O’Neill.

A generation after the tax-free steroid enhanced Rangers of the Advocaat years the SPL could see more and more players like James Forrest and James McCarthy breaking through into the top flight while still in their teens.

In the 1980s when Rangers were enfeebled the new firm was in their pomp and Celtic had real competition from Aberdeen and Dundee United and Hearts came within a whisker of winning the double.

Apart from the lifting up of several provincial clubs there would be a wider societal benefit from the extinction of Rangers.

What WOULD be gone in a landscape without Rangers would be a gathering point for anti-Irish racism and anti-Catholic hatred in Scotland.

Although there would be ex-RFC fans supporting these other clubs they wouldn’t be facilitated in their ethno-religious hatred which seems to define their very existence.

Ex-RFC fans attending these clubs would find Pepperamis in green wrappers, eggs Benedict on the lunchtime menu and, whisper it, a player from the Republic of Ireland in their first team.

Rangers have been the nexus for much of the anti-Irish racism that has characterised modern Scotland in my lifetime.
Without this grand central stain of poison Scottish football and Scottish society will be the better for it.

In fact I can think of no better bit of national housekeeping as the independence question is about to be asked.
Rangers, a creation of Imperialist North Britain, are an embarrassing bit of baggage that the new Scotland can do without.

Written by Phil Mac Giolla Bhain

Phil Mac Giolla Bhain is an author, blogger, journalist and writer based in Donegal, Ireland. He has broken some of the most high-profile stories in recent times regarding Scottish Football. From the Hugh Dallas email scandal to the Rangers tax issue, the Neil Lennon letter bomb attacks not to mention tackling the racist Famine Song. Phil has written for the likes of the, Caledonian Mercury, Celtic View, Guardian, Magill, Irish Independent and the Irish Post. Phil is an active member of the NUJ sitting on the Irish Executive Council and the New Media Industrial Council.

Top scorer Nikica Jelavic was sold to Everton on transfer deadline day and no replacement were brought in, leaving David Healy as the only fit striker at Ibrox.

Ally McCoist had to deny internet gossip that he was about to walk away as manager with the club legend apparently having been furious at a lack of investment from upstairs.

Throughout the week many Rangers fans have vented their fury at different figures including Whyte, McCoist and members of the old board such as David and Paul Murray and Alastair Johnston.

Well I have had enough of people pointing the blame at their favourite target. It simply plays into Celtic’s hand as they try to wrestle the league title off Rangers for the first time in four years.

Rangers are still well in the hunt for two trophies, and the fight for them continues on Sunday at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup against Dundee United.

The only positive Rangers and Ally McCoist can take from the last week came on the pitch when they emphatically beat an albeit dreadful Hibs team 4-0 without star man Nikica Jelavic.

After the match, McCoist said this proved his team could survive without the Croatian, having also beaten Motherwell 3-0 in January without him.

But no Rangers fan should kid themselves, with only Healy fit enough to start up front, there is a severe worry where goals are going to come for Rangers. That’s precisely why Rangers fans must stop the in-fighting and get behind the manager and the team over the next few months.

Let’s not beat around the bush, if Ally McCoist pulls off this title win for Rangers this season, it would be one of the greatest ever achievements by any Rangers manager.

With some of the negative press this week, you could be forgiven that Rangers are only ONE point behind Celtic in the league (with Celtic having a game in hand), albeit having blown a 15 point lead at one stage in the season (although Celtic did have two games in hand).

Since Steven Naismith got injured in October, Rangers have been devoid of creativity and energy but there has been no better side at facing up to adversity in recent years than the Ibrox men.

Remember season 2008-09? After Scott McDonald scored a post-Christmas Old Firm winner at Ibrox, Rangers slipped seven points behind Celtic and with their superior financial position the Parkhead side were all set to win the title.

But after failing in a bid to sign Steven Fletcher (then at Hibs), Celtic allowed Rangers back into the title race, with Rangers eventually winning the crown at Tannadice on the final day.

That can happen again. Players such as Sone Aluko and Maurice Edu are currently in excellent form and if Steven Davis can get back to his inspirational best, then Rangers still have the attacking options to win the league.

And whose to say players such as new signing Mervan Cellik and Salim Kerkar can’t step up and become Rangers heroes overnight. McCoist is the ultimate Rangers legend and will drum what it means to play for such a big club into players like that.

So Rangers fans should be optimistic about winning four in a row and get behind the team rather than pointing the finger at the way the club is ran.

As big Marvin Andrews once said “Keep Believing”.

According to the report, Rangers director Dave King and former board member Paul Murray have been talking to tax officials as part of the HMRC investigation which has revealed that £24.4 million has been borrowed against future season ticket sales.

The tickets over four seasons have been sold to Ticketus, a London-based company, a deal that was claimed to help finance Whyte’s operating costs after his takeover of Rangers Football Club.

The Daily Record stated that Whyte had confirmed that he sold off the tickets, but denied that he used the money to pay off Lloyds Bank insisting that the £18 million for the bank debt came from one of his companies.

Mr Whyte – If the money did not go to the bank debt? Where did it go then? And how much is left? Also which company?

The current debt at Rangers Football Club sits at £21 million, which is owed to Ticketus plus £5 million VAT on the ticket deal. This is before other bills are due – including interest payments to Ticketus – and the club are still awaiting the verdict of the EBT tax case with HMRC.

Whyte’s spokesperson insisted that everything was legal and normal practice for football clubs, he said: “The suggestion that the Rangers takeover was funded through financing arrangements on season tickets is categorically untrue.

“Rangers FC is no different in that it has a working capital facility with Ticketus, as have many, many other clubs. It is a common arrangement in football. This facility was in place at Ibrox long before the takeover.”

Former board member Paul Murray spoke to the Daily Record, stating: “These documents prove to me that Rangers fans have actually paid and will continue to pay for the sale of their club.”

Murray has also stated that HMRC have told him that they are due VAT, around £5 million, in relation to the deal with Ticketus.

HMRC officials are looking at the documentation which has revealed the borrowing against ticket sales from this season, season 2012-12 and 2013-14 as Whyte raised £24.4 million.

The first repayment occurred on June 27th, around £9.5 million, but Whyte could only come up with £3.5 million and to make up for that deficit he mortgaged off part of season 2014-15 to value of £6 million.

British football clubs have used this practice of selling future ticket sales, although clubs have seen problems arise – including Leeds United – who borrowed too often and too much.

Murray added: “HMRC asked for a meeting at the end of last week to find out what knowledge I, having been a director of the club at the time, had of these transactions prior to the takeover. I knew nothing about this and although I have been questioned by HMRC and seen some especially revealing documents which are in their possession, it is still very hard to take in what has been going on.

“Collyer Bristow were acting for Craig Whyte during the takeover and I have been shown their client account, from the opening of it until today. I’ve also seen all invoices from Ticketus to Rangers and Rangers to Ticketus supporting all these actions. I can’t believe Rangers have been handed over in this way.

“Remember also, the Independent Board, set up to make sure any potential buyers were capable of making the purchase and then funding the business, asked repeatedly where Craig Whyte was getting the money.

“He said it was from his own personal wealth and through Liberty Capital, which he insisted he owned 100 per cent, in the British Virgin Islands. Plans were being made to sell off future ticket sales but the directors were never told. This was all being done behind our backs.”

Dave King, who has had his own fair share of financial issues, was shocked to learn of Whyte’s deal and said: “Securitising season tickets is a valid seasonal funding strategy to smooth cash flows within the year – but no longer.”

However, Whyte’s spokesperson has claimed that Rangers and Ticketus were already linked before Whyte took over. He said: “The takeover team instigated discussions with Ticketus prior to the takeover because the relationship with Rangers was already in place and the new owners wanted to continue it. They were clear from the outset they wanted to ensure there were robust working capital provisions in place that could deal with the many financial challenges the club faces.

“The takeover was funded by one of Mr Whyte’s companies. Several months before then – and long before any discussions with Ticketus – Mr Whyte was asked to provide proof of funds for the takeover and he did that to the satisfaction of the previous owners, Lloyds Banking Group and professional advisers.”

In the lead-up to taking ownership of the club and after it was finalised, Whyte claimed that he would:

• Provide £5,000,000 for investment in the playing squad.
• Invest £20million by 2016 for investment in the playing squad. Up to £5m per year – which will come out of the £20m investment.
• Provide up to £5,000,000 of additional working capital facilities to the Club.
• Contribute to the Club the amount required to meet a liability owed by the Club to HM Revenue & Customs in relation to a discounted option scheme tax.
• Provide £1.7m to the Club to improve kitchen and public address equipment at Ibrox.

After eight months of ownership has Whyte lived up to his promises?

Rangers debt now stands at £35.4 million specifically relating to the Ticketus deal alone, which does not include interest payments also. Ticketus will also have the right to sell the tickets they have bought at a price they set and not the club, who sold them at a discounted rate – the usual way that Ticketus works.

Former Rangers chairman Alastair Johnston was in a sort of ‘it old you so’ kind of mood when he spoke to the Daily Record, but was far from gloating.

He said: “We asked Murray International to ask that specific question: Is he raising the money to buy the club or to finance the operations of the club against the assets of Rangers Football Club? He said he wasn’t doing it. But we didn’t believe him.

“We were trying to say at the time that selling the club to Craig Whyte could be a disaster. We were ridiculed by a lot of people for saying it but I take no gratification or satisfaction from being proved right.Inevitably, it was only a matter of time before this happened. The destiny of the club is now clearly not in its own 
hands – it’s in the hands of Octopus.

“Unfortunately I think administration is now almost inevitable because the club’s debts are unsustainable and Octopus want their money back. In my view, the only way the club can clear these debts now is by going into administration. I just wonder if he still has his position as the secured creditor. It was always his intention to be the guy on the other side of the river when the club came out of administration. But it looks to me as if Octopus is now essentially the secured creditor.”

He added: “First, during the process of due diligence it became clear he didn’t care about cash flow. That indicated to us they were in for a short ride. They had no interest in operating the club. Also, the day after we won the championship at Kilmarnock I had a meeting with Whyte and his lawyer during which they both asked me to disband the Independent Committee.

“They said now the sale had taken place the Independent Committee had no value. I said no as I had a written agreement we would remain in place until he provided our shareholders with a circular. That was a warning. They were trying to get rid of us because they knew at that point in time they had embarked on a track of borrowing against season-ticket money.

“He had told us it was all his money and it hadn’t been borrowed against the assets. He then used all sorts of excuses to get myself, Paul Murray, Martin Bain and Donald McIntyre off the board. The day before that happened I had seen the latest financial statements and knew there was a real problem.

“That’s why they got us out. They knew we would never approve their plan. They then spent the next couple of months discrediting us and saying we were yesterday’s men. But we knew we were right. We knew we had an obligation to the fans and shareholders.

“But he launched a very effective PR campaign and used lawyers to intimidate everyone. He made out any criticism of Craig Whyte was actually an attack on Rangers. Fans rallied around him. But it was like a human shield. He used Rangers Football Club as a human shield to protect himself.”

However such revelations are not new to those who are regular readers of the Rangers Tax Case blog or Phil Mac Giolla Bhain’s website, who have been covering these issues since Whyte came on the scene and took over at Ibrox.

Source: Daily Record

23.00

AND THATS THE WINDOW SHUT… Now turn the bloody heating!

22.58

MK Dons have signed Celtic midfielder Paul Slane on loan until the end of the season, subject to him receiving international clearance.

22.48

Hibernian confirm Matt Doherty joins the club on loan from Wolves until the end of the season

22.38

Hearts keeper Marian Kello has turned down a move to Austria Vienna, while Bristol City weren’t willing to meet David Templeton’s valuation.

22.35

Hibernian have confirmed that striker Akpo Sodje has parted company with the club by mutual agreement.

22.17

Speculation that Leon Best is in discussions with Celtic about a loan move until the end of the season, however the player has rejected a move to the club to fight for his place at Newcastle.

22.14

Hibernian have confirmed that defender Michael Hart has parted company with the club by mutual agreement.

21.51

No signings at Rangers as Ally McCoist has failed to persuade owner Craig Whyte into parting with some cash. So was that Grant Holt bid just smoke and mirrors to try and appease the fans into thinking that they were priced out of a move then?

21.12

Graeme MacGregor has just signed for Hamilton Accies on loan from Bolton until end of season

21.09

Nigerian Under 23 international Daniel Uchechi has become the fifth and final signing for the Dons during the January transfer window.

21.07

Kallum Higginbotham moves to Huddersfield Town after a six figure sum was accepted by Falkirk. Player moves with immediate effect.

20.52

Everton have officially completed the transfer of Nikica Jelavic from Rangers on a four and a half year deal. Transfer fee is around £5 million.

20.25

Conrad Balatoni has partied company with Hearts and is now a free agent. The defender was on loan to Partick Thistle in the first half of the season and his contract was up in the summer.

20.15

Dunfermline have signed Jordan McMillan joins from Rangers until May 2013, while John Potter has gone out on loan to Queen of the South until the end of the season.

20.13

Clyde Superscoreboard have stated that Rangers offered a mere £500,000 for Norwich City captain Grant Holt. Which was promptly rejected by City.

20.07

19-year-old striker Stephen Reynolds has left St.Johnstone by mutual consent

20.07

Rangers are ‘unlikely’ to add to their squad before the close of the January transfer window according to STV Sport

20.06

Craig Brown is busy trying to get the Nigerian FA to process Uchechi registration with a two-and-a-half year deal agreed with player.

20.05

Hibs have beaten Rangers to the signing of Honduran Jorge Claros and joins the Easter Road side until the summer.

20.05

18 year old Dyer returns to Ayr having previously played for the Ayr United Academy side before signing on at Murray Park in June 2010.

20.04

Dundee United Chairman Stephen Thompson confirms club do not envisage any more transfer activity before end of business tonight.

20.01

Kyle Hutton has signed a one-year contract extension but will go out on loan to Dunfermline for the rest of the season.

17.22

Rangers reportedly back in for Francisco Sandaza according to Sky Sports

16.58

Blackpool still interested in signing Paddy McCourt, but Celtic holding firm and stating that he is not for sale.

16.56

Celtic target Jamie Vardy has had a £1 million from an unnamed club for him rejected by Fleetwood Town

16.53

Fraser Fyvie has turned down offer of a contract extension at Aberdeen. Deal actually expires in December. Free to talk to clubs in summer according to Liam McLeod of BBC

16.52

St.Mirren have announced that they will not be doing any further business in this transfer window

16.49

Striker Roy O’Donovan has signed for Hibernian on loan from Coventry City

16.44

Jamie Murphy has rejected a move to Blackpool from MOtherwell according to Scott Burns of the Scottish Daily Express

16.39

Rob Ogleby has left Hearts on a free transfer and signed for Wrexham

16.31

Norwich have knocked back a bid for striker Grant Holt from Rangers

16.31

Austria Vienna interested in signing Hearts keeper Marian Kello.

15.05

Hearts youngster Jamie Walker has signed for Raith Rovers on loan until the end of the season.

14.43

Rangers have made a bid for Norwich City captain Grant Holt according to Sky Sports news, but Paul Lambert was adamant this morning that no first team player would be sold.

14.41

Huddersfield sign Murray Wallace from Falkirk for initial £300,000 rising to £700,000 and promptly returns to Falkirk on loan until end of season – Sky Sports

14.26

Efrain Juarez has returned to Celtic Park after his loan with Real Zaragoza was terminated by the Spanish club.

14.22

Jordan McMillan has left Rangers for Dunfermline for an undisclosed fee on a one and half year contract

14.08

St.Johnstone’s Steven Anderson has signed a two year contract extension taking him through to the end of season 2013/2014.

14.01

Partick Thistle defender Johnny Lindsay joins Brechin on loan until the end of the season

13.41

Derek Riordan in talks with Polish side Legia Warsaw

13.38

Looks like Falkirk’s 3-1 defeat to Celtic on Sunday in the League Cup semi final could be Kallum Higginbotham’s final game for the Bairns as he is en route to Huddersfield for talks, with clubs negotiating a fee currently.

13.33

St.Johnstone striker Sean Higgins has signed for Ayr United on loan for rest of season

13.23

Watford FC are looking to sign Motherwell centre-back Shaun Hutchinson

13.18

Sky Sports reporting that Hibs are set to sign Gambian defender Pa Saikou Kujabi

13.15

Watford are interested in signing Hearts’ 23-year-old winger David Templeton before the deadline tonight according to Sky Sports News.

12.46

Partick Thistle midfielder Iain Flannigan leaves the club by mutual consent

12.42

BBC Scotland’s Brian McLaughlin reports that Hearts have received two bids for winger David Templeton. One from Rangers and one from an English Championship club, believed to be Bristol City.

12.31

Sky Sports reporting that Jorge Claros has signed on loan for Hibernian following the collapse of Rangers securing the player due to financial issues.

12.27

Hearts captain Marius Zaliukas could be set to leave the Tynecastle club and move to the Championship – BBC Sport

12.24

Isaac Osbourne has agreed a contract extension at Aberdeen that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2013.

12.22

Ronnie MacKay of The Scottish Sun has tweeted that Murray Wallace of Falkirk has agreed to sign for Huddersfield Town.

12.20

Cameroon international Matthew Mbuta will arrive at Rangers for a trial period later – Sky Sports

12.15

Raith Rover’s striker John Baird has stated via his twitter account that he is staying put at Starks Park and not going anywhere.

11.37

Rangers hopes of trying to sign Grant Holt from Norwich City have been dealt a blow with manager Paul Lambert stating that no first team player will leave Carrow Road.

11.06

Bristol City are in the frame to sign Celtic defender Mark Wilson – Sky Sports

10.29

St Johnstone manager Steve Lomas insists there has been no bid from Bristol City for the club’s captain Jody Morris – Sky Sports

10.28

Rangers eyeing up a loan move for Fulham striker Marcello Trotta – Fulham & Hammersmith Chronicle

10.24

Dundee United manager Peter Houston has stated categorically that Johnny Russell will still be a United player come the end of the transfer window tonight. Also added that he doesn’t expect any more comings or goings from the club.

10.23

Aberdeen set to complete the signing of Nigerian Under-23 international Danny Uchechi – Evening Express

10.22

Hearts have slapped a £1million price tag on David Templeton with Cardiff City, Nottingham Forest, Bristol City, Blackburn Rovers and Rangers all swarming around the midfielder with a view to a move – The Scotsman

10.20

Hibernian have bid for Scunthorpe’s Northern Ireland defender Michael O’Connor, with Scunthorpe manager Alan Knill confirming this. – BBC Scotland

10.19

Inverness Caley midfielder Lee Cox has moved to Paulo Di Canio’s Swindon Town side for a fee of around £50,000 – STV Sport

10.17

Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic has agreed personal terms with Everton, with a medical pending ahead of his move to the English Premier League club – BBC Scotland

10.15

Livingston have announced that Mark Fotheringham and Maurice Ross are to leave now that their short-term contracts have expired and will become free agents.

10.12

Everton have agreed a fee with Rangers for top scorer Nikica Jelavic – Scotzine

The League Cup has been moved to a Sunday for many a year now, but this is the first time I can remember the Scottish Cup being moved to a Sunday. But in a shock announcement made today, the oldest cup competition in world football has been moved to give the Champions League top billing on the Saturday and the Scottish Cup top billing on the Sunday.

In a statement issued today by the SFA, it read: “The Scottish FA, in consultation with the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League, can confirm that the William Hill Scottish Cup final in 2013 will be played at Hampden Park on Sunday, May 26.

“The oldest cup trophy in world football will be moved from its traditional Saturday slot to comply with new regulations prohibiting a scheduling conflict with the UEFA Champions League final but also to ensure maximum exposure and attendance figures.

“Under the new Champions League guidelines, national associations must not schedule fixtures on the same day as the final, which takes place on May 25 with an evening kick-off. UEFA have offered each Association one-off dispensation, which will allow the William Hill Scottish Cup final to remain, as planned, on May 19 this year with a 3pm kick-off.

Campbell Ogilvie, Scottish FA president said: “After a period of consultation with the Scottish Premier League, the Scottish Football League, our cup sponsors and broadcast rights holders, Sunday, May 26, was agreed as the preferred date for the William Hill Scottish Cup final in 2013.

“Moving the cup final forward would have been prohibitive to an already congested league fixture calendar.

“We have also agreed to bring forward the date for the fourth round fixtures after research showed an attendance downturn in the traditional January slot. The fourth round will now take place on the weekend of December 1 and 2, which will also enable the SPL to consider the reintroduction of a winter break.

“I am sure the supporters will understand the rationale behind the decision and appreciate that our intention is to ensure the cup final is given its due recognition as the showpiece event of the Scottish season.”

I just wonder if it will take away some of the magic of going to the Cup Final for youngsters?

I remember going to my first Cup Final back in 1982 Aberdeen v Rangers, and it was all about the build up and the week leading up to the match and talking about it with your school mates or family.

This may be a one-off due to the Champions League final being on the same day, but I seem to remember Play-Off finals down south being on the same day as Inter v Bayern, did Blackpool and Cardiff not play on the same day?

I understand the reasons for it but hope this will be a one-off as the Scottish Cup should really be a Saturday, call me an old romantic!

Eric has been out of work since leaving Sunderland and moving to Blackburn to work with Steve Kean will be a new challenge which Eric is looking forward to but this also sees the end of the Bruce/Black partnership that has worked together over the years at Birmingham, Wigan and of course Sunderland.

The 48-year-old previously held a similar position at Celtic where he had highs and lows; he was assistant to Jo Venglos in the famous 5-1 victory over Rangers and was also John Barnes ‘assistant when Inverness Cally knocked Celtic out of the Scottish Cup defeating them 3-1 at Celtic Park.

He enjoyed managerial spells at both Motherwell and Coventry City and also enjoyed temporary spells in charge of both Birmingham and Sunderland following the departure of Bruce.

Rovers boss Kean told the club’s official website: “I am delighted that Eric has agreed to come on board.
He is someone with extensive coaching experience at the highest level and I feel sure he will play a key role over the coming months.”

Steve Kean will know that he has brought a man with a glowing reputation as a coach and as a player Eric Black was part of a fantastic Aberdeen side before moving to France with Metz.

When he was with Aberdeen he was there during the best era for the club and he played a huge part in the success of the Dons both at home and in Europe as the Dons swept the Old Firm aside winning the league title Scottish Cup and the League Cup not forgetting the small matter of a Cup Winners Cup and Super Cup to add to his collection of medals!

Eric played a vital part in the Dons success scoring the opening goal in the Cup Winners Cup final win over Real Madrid and then coming back to Scotland over a week later to score the winner in a Scottish Cup win over Rangers after extra-time and in the 84 Scottish Cup final he scored the opening goal v Celtic in a 2-1 win.

He was a deadly marksman and scored goals for fun in his time at the Dons (including a hat-trick v Celtic at Celtic Park) and his fellow team mates and striking partners described Eric as a joy to play alongside, so maybe he will be able to show the Blackburn forwards a trick or two!

Eric went on to win the French Cup with Metz in 1988 as he enjoyed his life on and off the field with his young family in France but he was forced to retire prematurely from the game due to a chronic back problem.

For anyone who has met Eric, they will tell you the same as I am about to tell you now, he is one of the nicest, honest, hardworking guys that you could ever want to meet on and off the pitch, a lad that has always had time to speak to fans and pundits alike, Eric always remembers you and takes time out to enquire about how you are doing, rather than how he is doing!

He is a special breed and most certainly still has a special place in his heart not only for the club, but for the man who single headedly turned Aberdeen Football Club into the best team in Europe, Sir Alex Ferguson.

“For an Aberdeen team a provincial club, to achieve what we did and as you say to beat the teams that we did (Bayern Munich and Real Madrid) then ultimately beat the European Champions Hamburg, proved that we were at that time, the best team in Europe and that is a phenomenal achievement for a club like Aberdeen and something that I am really proud to have been part of!”

“I worked under a few coaches in my career but none better than him and I must add Archie Knox to that as well, I worked with Archie, he was my assistant manager when I was at Coventry and without doubt you are formed by the managers you work with and I was fortunate to have worked six years with the best in the world and you cannot take some of that or you can’t form your ideas without him coming back into it and the way he did things obviously you are your own individual but you are without doubt marked by that and it definitely helped me in my career.”

It is no coincidence that members of that Aberdeen team have themselves gone on to be good coaches and managers at other clubs, in the past week or so Neale Cooper (Hartlepool), Mark McGhee (Bristol Rovers) and now Eric have gone back into the game they love.

The school of Sir Alex Ferguson has taught these players something!

The Scottish Executive website publicised this news yesterday here.

The subtitle on the Scottish Executive news headline page says – Approval for important new religious hatred legislation. (Emphasis added)

The focus in the debates on the Bill, both in Committee and in Parliament, was on the various different types of “hatred” which were to be stamped out. The “cancer” as Alex Salmond called it, of “sectarianism” was to be rooted out.

However, the point which politicians miss, either deliberately or accidentally, is that “religion” is not really the root of these problems, I think – unless one is going to treat Rangers and Celtic as religions (and interestingly a wise man pointed out to me this week that, as far as matters of orthodoxy, heresy and schism are concerned, there are certain similarities between religions and the following of football teams).

There is no doubt that there is “religious hatred” in Scotland. However the lazy assumption which appears to be made by politicians is that Celtic = Roman Catholic and Rangers = Church of Scotland.

I accept that, amongst the fans who bellow insults at each other at Old Firm matches, there might be an assumption that the fans in opposing colours represent the “opposing” faith.

The famous, though probably apocryphal, story about Bertie Peacock, the Celtic player from the 1950’s, illustrates the point. During a Celtic v Rangers game, he is said to have complained to a teammate that the opposing fans were calling him a “Fenian b@%&#+d”. When re-assured that the other players got that all the time, Mr Peacock, a proud Ulsterman and not a Roman Catholic, is believed to have said “Aye! But you all are!”

I imagine that similar conversations, from the other side of the divide might have taken place involving some of Rangers’ recent foreign players who have been adherents to Roman Catholicism.

The focus of the various pieces of legislation regarding “hate speech” (an Orwellian phrase if ever there was one) is on the view of the offender. So, if someone had shouted and sworn at Pope Benedict on his visit to Scotland, and told him that “I hate all you @&%$£#* followers of Shinto!”

Then this would have been libelled as an aggravated breach of the peace, even although, as is well-known, the Pope is a Catholic.

Whilst it might be expecting too much to think that the fans whose main pleasure at games seems to be to bait the opposition would appreciate that football teams and religious belief are not synonymous, then surely the politicians are wise enough to see past that? Sadly not.

Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, Roseanna Cunningham made the following comments, with my observations below each paragraph:

“These new laws will give Scotland’s police and prosecutors the additional tools they have asked for to extract poisonous songs of hatred from Scottish football and threats of harm being posted on the internet.”

First of all, as Graeme Pearson, MSP, said in the Committee stages of the Bill, the police have never been known to turn down new powers. Mr Pearson would know, having served with distinction as a police officer for 38 years, ending his career as Director General of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, before turning to politics.

Ms Cunningham seems to be taking the view that, if the police and prosecutors want new powers, then they shall have them. That is surely a dangerous position.

As a headline, “Prosecutors and police want more powers” is up there alongside “Dog bites man”!

Ms Cunningham then states that the Act will be used “to extract poisonous songs of hatred from Scottish football”. The summary at the bottom of the press notice I have referred to above indicates of course that the new offence is far wider than simply “poisonous songs of hatred”.

The existing law of breach of the peace covered these matters exactly, which was one of the beauties of that offence as it had evolved. But even more so, the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 introduced a statutory offence of “threatening or abusive behaviour” in section 38.

As was repeatedly pointed out in the debates re the Bill, there had been no time to assess whether the creation of this new offence had been successful in clamping down on such conduct.

Usually it is the critics of legislation who are accused of coming up with ever more convoluted scenarios to show its ineffectiveness. Here though, the Minister and the Lord Advocate were the ones presenting the pretzel-contorted situations where neither s38 nor breach of the peace would apply.

In addition, despite the fact that the “Threatening Communications” part of the Act is not exclusively football-related, the fact that the Minister lumps both parts together, and that the Executive webpage re this story is illustrated with a football, seems to be saying, incorrectly, that it is.

And as far as the “Threatening Behaviour” part of the new Act goes, I find it hard to see how something might be caught by the new rules, but would have been legal under s38.

“The passing of this Act sends out an important message about the kind of Scotland we want to live in and tells the bigots in no uncertain terms that this behaviour will not be tolerated in a modern Scotland.”

This sentence is the key. A message is being sent out. As the saying goes, “Something must be done, therefore we are doing something.” It is proper for legislation to be used to “send a message”. The court system does so every day.

The problem is that, the more precisely offences are defined, the more risk there is for confusion in the minds of judges, and much more likely, juries. We simply need to recall how, apparently due to the addition of a religious aggravation to the charge of assaulting Neil Lennon, Mr John Wilson found himself acquitted of an attack carried out on live TV!

Already supporters of each side of the divide pour over law reports to find which word has been criminalised. The danger is that, should there be a high-profile case under the new Act, and at least at first all such cases will be high-profile, then a decision made on the facts of the case regarding a particular word, phrase, chant or song will be treated, by media, police and opposing fans, as having set a cast-iron precedent.

No one wants bigots, but, in a free society, how far should the State go in preventing people being “offended”? That debate seemed to be ignored in the rush to “do something”.

“By all means enjoy the banter and passionate support for your football teams, even passionate opposition of other football teams – it is the lifeblood of football. But sectarianism and other expressions of hate are not acceptable and it is time for it to stop. Those engaging in it will face the full force of the law.”

In the Walls case, Lord Carloway made similar comments. He said, “In the context of a football match … shouting and singing, or hearing shouting and singing, are undoubtedly part of the match experience expected by all attending the stadium. As a generality, a complaint of someone shouting and singing could not ground a complaint of breach of the peace at a football match, as it might at other locations. Equally, occasional standing up and even leading communal singing are unlikely to amount to conduct severe enough to threaten serious disturbance. However, presence inside a football stadium does not give a spectator a free hand to behave as he pleases. There are limits and the appellant’s conduct went well beyond those limits.”(Emphasis added)

This case was an example of the sensible approach of the judiciary to these matters, even before s38 came into force. The more prescriptive the rules, the less discretion open to the courts.

Finally, the timing of the introduction of the Act is interesting. In Committee last year, there was an initial effort to rush the Bill through in time for the start of the football season. As the Minister put it, the Act needed to be in place in time for the police to be trained in how to deal with it, and so that there was no confusion for police and for the fans caused by the law changing mid-season. This necessity of course could only apply to the Offensive Behaviour part of the Act, as the Threatening Communications part is not exclusive to football.

Here we have situation where the new Act comes into force mid-season, and therefore one would expect there to be a different attitude from the police and prosecuting authorities – after all, the existing law was repeatedly stated to have been inadequate.

The Lord Advocate has published his draft guidance in connection with the Bill. This is more important in advising what can, and cannot, be done by football fans, than the Act itself. The guidance was not subject to debate.

I foresee many cases coming under the new Act, and a clear conflict arising in relation to the rights of free speech enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights as opposed to the restrictions envisaged in the Act and the guidance.

As the guidance puts it:-

“The offence WILL NOT
Criminalise singing national anthems in the absence of any other aggravating, threatening
or offensive behaviour
Criminalise making religious gestures in the absence of any other aggravating, threatening
or offensive behaviour
Criminalise football banter or bad taste in the absence of any other aggravating,
threatening or offensive behaviour
Officers should have regard to proportionality, legitimate football rivalry and common sense when assessing whether the conduct would cause offence to the reasonable person.”

Therefore, singing national anthems, making religious gestures and “banter and bad taste” can be offences if there is other “aggravating, threatening or offensive” behaviour. The Minister referred in Committee to people “aggressively making the Sign of the Cross.”

On that basis, if a police officer, and then a fiscal, have the same view as Roseanna Cunningham of such an event, an accused would be tried for breach of the new Act.

In addition, as the Lord Advocate’s guidelines state, “Where there is evidence that an offence has been committed the accused should be reported in custody. Only in extenuating circumstances should an accused be liberated subject to an undertaking to appear at court.”

I suspect that the cells might find themselves rather full on 25th March, after the Rangers v Celtic game that day.

And, as we have seen with the Twitter Joke case, a prosecution for what most people saw as a joke has resulted in a criminal conviction, and loss of employment, for the accused.

I fear that the Scottish justice system faces appearing ridiculous very soon.

Written by Paul McConville | Scots Law Thoughts Blog

A judgement by the tribunal will be released later, which could take from a month to six months, if not longer.

HM Revenue and Customs claim that the club owe £35 million in back taxes, along with £14 million in penalties, over Rangers’ use of the Employee Benefit Trust to pay players between 2001 and 2010.

While fans outwith the Ibrox side will be rejoicing in the misery that is being subjected to the club and it’s fans currently, former Celtic midfielder Bobby Petta speaking exclusively to Scotzine, stated that Celtic need Rangers, that Scotland need Rangers.

He said: “When people talk about Scotland, they talk about Celtic and Rangers. So one doesn’t come without the other. It’s really sad to see how things have changed.”

If the decision of the tribunal goes against the club, HMRC can demand payment immediately, whether or not the club lodges an appeal against the findings.

However, Rangers owner Craig Whyte has stated previously that the club could go into administration if it loses the case. Although HMRC could challenge the club going into voluntary administration, which they did with English championship outfit Portsmouth, but ultimately lost the case.

Such a decision would hit Rangers not only off the park, but also on it, with some of their top stars potentially being moved on by the administrator to pay towards debts owed. In any case, Rangers would be weakened significantly financially and in football terms, something that could have serious repercussions for not only their rivals Celtic but also Scottish Football as a whole.

Petta added: “Rangers are in trouble, but they [Celtic] need to have Rangers in Scotland, they need to have that. People talk about the Old Firm, everybody knows who the two teams are.”

With the SPL agreeing an £80 million TV deal with Sky Sports & ESPN recently, it can be argued that they are only paying for the rights to the four Old Firm games every season, and without a strong Rangers side this could have a serious impact in future TV deals.

Despite some Celtic fans claiming that they would love to see Rangers go out of business, Petta is of the other opinion, he added: “One cannot go on without the other, especially not in Scotland they need each other.”