Family of tragic Rangers fan who died at swimming pool call for Celtic game tribute
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Scotsman
38 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Rangers progress and bank windfall but Plzen performance raises more questions for Russell Martin
Martin suffers first Rangers defeat - but it could have been worse Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Rangers might not have made any history in Plzen by winning their first-ever game on Czech Republic soil. Happily for Russell Martin's side, they didn't have to. It's just as well. Club Brugge, who struck four times to finally see-off Salzburg in Belgium to book a meeting with Rangers in the play-off round, won't score only twice if permitted 27 attempts on goal, which is what Viktoria Plzen were allowed on an often torrid night for the Scottish visitors, who were beaten 2-1. The Belgian side stand in Rangers' way as this exacting challenge to reach the group stage of the Champions League comes down to one last two-legged tie. Somehow Martin is finding a way past some formidable obstacles. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Still, Brugge are a step up from Panathinaikos, who Rangers eliminated in the second round, and can certainly be expected to be more clinical than Plzen. They will fancy their chances on the evidence of their Scottish opponents' struggles in Plzen, with Rangers reliant on a maiden goal from Lyall Cameron on the hour mark to ease their nerves. Lyall Cameron celebrates scoring Rangers' equalising goal against Viktoria Plzen with teammates Mohamed Diomande and Danilo | Getty Images The midfielder swept home after being in the right place at very much the right time to latch onto substitute Danilo's slightly scuffed effort on goal. Plzen were already a goal to the good after Rafiu Durosinmi's opener five minutes before half time. It was a good time for them to score. The hosts broke down the right through Amar Memic, who showed the stumbling Jefte a clean pair of heels, before cutting back for Durosinmi to sweep in. The hosts were looking well positioned to mount a recovery job after their 3-0 first leg defeat in Glasgow. But Cameron's strike brought some relief for Rangers. While the intensity went out of the home team's play for a while, they staged an almighty grandstand finish that might have reaped something tangible for them had Jack Butland not been the equal to just about everything he had thrown at him. Butland to the rescue He could do little about the header from an unmarked Svetozar Markovic that gave Plzen a smidgen of hope and restored their lead on the night. Questions had to be asked of the Rangers defending yet again as substitute Kabongo slung a deep cross in for Markovic, who was standing in splendid isolation, to direct a header past Butland from close range. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Otherwise, the 'keeper was unbeatable in these closing, sometimes desperate moments for Rangers. He was able to get a strong hand to a shot from Prince Adu that would have been put Plzen back in front earlier with still 15 minutes left to grab another two goals and force extra time. Butland then tipped over a Milan Havel header before saving bravely at the feet of Matej Vydra. Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland is beaten by a header from Svetozar Markovic of Viktoria Plzen. | Getty Images Butland went from enjoying a reasonable game to being the star man although he did receive a let off when, shortly before Rangers equalised, a break from Plzen saw the ever-dangerous Memic send in a cross that Prince Adu could not quite reach. Had it gone 2-0 to the hosts then, one wonders whether Rangers would have been able to cope with what would have undoubtedly followed. It was bad enough as it was, with Plzen finding a second wind late on. Seven minutes of time added on meant they and their fans were given some more impetus although Rangers handled this spell well and finally drew the sting from their hosts. Helping them through this last period was Kieran Dowell, the player whose introduction against Dundee sparked such a ferocious outpouring of dissent from the home fans. He replaced Cameron and will be glad to get Saturday out of the system. Danilo, meanwhile, replaced the injured Cyriel Dessers after 54 minutes. The Nigerian international striker fell awkwardly and hurt his knee, which is another worry for Martin. While all's well that ends well, and Rangers can relish the addition of nearly £4 million to the coffers, this was not the sort of performance that the head coach will have wanted following the disappointing home draw with Dundee. It might not have been the result he would have preferred either, since it means he has suffered his first defeat as Ibrox manager. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Oliver Antman in action for Rangers during the 2-1 defeat to Viktoria Plzen. | Getty Images Too much, too soon for new signings But he knows and the Rangers fans will know that it could have been a lot worse. This is still a work in progress and players are still trying to find their feet. Oliver Antman introduced himself to the home fans in startling fashion in the first leg but was well marshalled here. As against Dundee on Saturday, it seems like the emotion of making such a rapid move to the club from Go Ahead Eagles has caught up with him. It's also unfair to expect Djeidi Gassama, the even younger winger on the opposite flank, to maintain his level of performance and goalscoring form. He has made an instant impact at Rangers but was quieter on this occasion. He picked up a booking in the first half and saw a long range effort go well wide in the second half. Rangers entertain Alloa on Saturday in the League Cup at Ibrox and while, following Queen's Park last season, no one at the club will be treating this any differently than a Champions League qualifier, there is, perhaps, an opportunity to give such young players a rest.
Scottish Sun
38 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Celtic legend Neil Lennon spotted rocking shades and Oasis t-shirt in the sunshine on his way to Murrayfield gig
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NEIL LENNON is hoping to pull off The Masterplan with Dunfermline in the Scottish Championship this season. But tonight the two-time Celtic boss would have felt like he was Half The World Away as he put football on hold and headed to the capital to join in with the Oasis party at Murrayfield. Sign up for the Celtic newsletter Sign up 1 Neil Lennon on his way to the Murrayfield concert Lennon, 54, was in attendance at the home of Scottish rugby with around 70,000 others for the legendary band's third and final gig in Edinburgh. The Northern Irishman has been a fan of Liam and Noel Gallagher for decades and it isn't his first time at one of their concerts. He even displayed his love for the Manchester group on his way to the Edinburgh venue as he was pictured wearing an Oasis t-shirt displaying an iconic picture of the two brothers. Celtic legend Lennon, who previously starred for Manchester City - Neil and Liam's favourite club - even named his son Gallagher after the famous pair. Speaking previously about his love for the band, the gaffer revealed: 'I'd just joined Manchester City in 1987 when the whole Britpop thing erupted. 'I've seen Oasis 13 or 14 times, including at Maine Road, which is one of the best gigs I've ever been at. I've met them a few times – Liam is a lot smarter than he makes out, and Noel just cracks you up every time he opens his mouth. "I named my son after them as well. He's called Gallagher.' The Dunfermline boss has now made it either 14 or 15 Oasis gigs after revealing the amount of times he's watched and listened to them live is well into the double digits. And it's fair to say there's been some wild and memorable nights over the years. On his way to Murrayfield, he would have been hoping to just make it out the concert unscathed - after being escorted out of one of their gigs in 1996 following a bust-up with another footballer. Incredible moment Celtic legend Neil Lennon was strangled by boss Martin O'Neill Speaking to Graham Hunter's The Big Interview, Lennon revealed: "The gig was amazing, as all Oasis gigs were in those days. Happy Mondays were on before them, so you can imagine the carnage. "So, I'd gone with Steve Lomas who was the City captain at the time and a couple of other Leicester players and Irish players. "With his bit of pull, Lomas got the group access backstage where they all got to schmooze with the band and other high-profile names. "The only problem it seemed was that 'nobody was talking to Steve'. "Steve gets a bit itchy when he's had a bit to drink and he starts looking at me in a funny way. "So, I'm talking to 'Bonehead', who is the bassist with the band, and his Grandfather about Gaelic football, and I see out of the corner of my eye that Lomas is still looking at me. "So I says, 'what's wrong with you?' Next thing, bang, he stuck the head on me." The Celtic hero went on to reveal that he was chucked out of the concert for fighting with his team-mate, but Lomas WASN'T given his status as Man City's captain. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Scottish Sun
38 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
How Rangers' players rated as ‘sloppy' Gers get through to the Champions League play-off despite defeat in Plzen
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RANGERS secured their place in the Champions League play-off round with a less than convincing performance against Viktoria Plzen. The Gers were in a commanding position being 3-0 up from the first leg but fell to a 2-1 defeat to Plzen on Tuesday. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 3 Butland was once again Gers' best performer Credit: Willie Vass 3 Jefte needs to sharpen up Credit: Getty 3 Dessers hobbled off with a knee injury Credit: Willie Vass Nevertheless, they went through 4-2 on aggregate thanks to Lyall Cameron's second leg strike. Russell Martin was far from happy with the performance and says they must get better ahead of facing Club Brugge next Tuesday at Ibrox. Here's how the Rangers players rated after Tuesday's night display in the Czech Republic. JACK BUTLAND: Tried his best to calm the Gers team down amid Plzen pressure. Kicking was good and he made big saves in both halves as he kept up Euro form...8 JAMES TAVERNIER: Restored to the team for 100th European match at Rangers. Didn't get forward much and had difficult moments defensively but never panicked...6 NASSER DJIGA: Out to make amends for his red card against Dundee but this was a tricky night for the Wolves loan man. Booked and needs to be better on ball..5 JOHN SOUTTAR: Clever free-kick led to Rangers' goal as his quick thinking was rewarded. Couple of lapses when passing the ball and led inquest at Plzen winner...5 JEFTE: All over the place for the Plzen opener as Amar Memic raced in behind him too easily. Needs to sharpen up if he's going to be a regular...4 NICO RASKIN: Preferred to Joe Rothwell in midfield. Relished physical battle but struggled to gain control of the game in the first half. Much better after the break...7 MOHAMED DIOMANDE: Took a head knock early on but recovered and played a crucial role in the Rangers goal. Midfielder wasn't at his best but couldn't be faulted for application...6 Inside Rangers-themed barbers LYALL CAMERON: Midfielder was in the right place at the right time to steer in the equaliser. First Rangers goal and it was a huge one in the context of the tie...7 OLIVER ANTMAN: Bright on the ball early but starved of proper service down the right flank. Should have been used more but worked hard defensively for the team...6 CYRIEL DESSERS: Fluffed a volley early on and then had a penalty claim waved away after a barge in the box. Only lasted seven minutes of second half after knee injury...5 DJEIDI GASSAMA: Winger was the first-leg hero but never got into his stride in Plzen as they shackled him. Booked early on and didn't have any real impact in the final third...5 SUBS: DANILO (6) on for Dessers and claimed an assist for Cameron's goal. Link play was a lot better than the man he placed. JOE ROTHWELL (3) on for the tiring Diomande and lost Svetozar Markovic at goal. KIERAN DOWELL (3) replaced goal hero Cameron. OSCAR CORTES (2) final few minutes. NEDIM BAJRAMI (2) late runout. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
