What's behind Redpath omission?
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Is there cause for optimism about what follows golden generation?
World champions, Olympic medallists, European and Commonwealth champions as well as Scottish, British and European record holders make up this collective of athletes who have changed the face of athletics within Scotland. For a decade, there's been not merely the hope that one or two would make the GB team but rather there's been the expectation that Scottish athletes will be at the major championships, and they will win medals. This expectation has been entirely justified; Josh Kerr, Laura Muir and Jake Wightman have led the charge of a group of athletes who have put Scotland on the map in international athletics' terms. Muir has had the greatest longevity; having been on the global stage for over a decade, she's amassed 14 major championship medals including, most notably, Olympic silver and world bronze in 2021 and 2022 respectively. On the men's side, Kerr and Wightman have, between them, produced some of the outstanding performances from Scottish sportspeople this decade. Both are world 1500m champions in what is perhaps the strongest-ever era for the event. Kerr also has Olympic silver and bronze in his locker while Wightman has four European and Commonwealth medals to his name. This trio, in particular, is astonishing not only in terms of the standard of their best-ever performances but also in their consistency over such a prolonged period. What's also been remarkable for what's dubbed a 'minority sport' within Scotland is that it's not only this trio who have achieved notable global results over the past decade. Neil Gourley, Eilish McColgan and Jemma Reekie have also won major championship medals and set Scottish, British and European records between them and in para-athletics, Sammi Kinghorn heads a pack that includes numerous Paralympic and para world champions. When watching the UK Athletics Championships last week, though, it was difficult to not let my thoughts wander to how this golden generation could possibly be followed. There's still time, with this current crop by no means finished just yet. Muir and Wightman may be in their 30s but with the former having set her 1500m personal best just last year and Wightman desperate to make up for missing several seasons following his world championship win, both possess the potential to have at least another couple of good seasons. And Kerr, at 27 years old, still has potentially two Olympic cycles in him. All three retain ambitions to add further to their medal tallies before they hang up their spikes for good. It can't be ignored, however, that this cohort will, at some point, retire and so, what then? How can this golden generation be followed? Firstly, it's probably wise to point out that it'd be overly-optimistic to think we'll see another generation with similar strength-in-depth to this group any time soon. To have half a dozen truly world class athletes all competing on the world stage simultaneously from a country this size, and which doesn't consider athletics to be one of its mainstream sports, is a delightful rarity rather than the norm. But what would be hugely disappointing would be if this generation becomes a one-off high, with the next wave of Scottish athletes not able to get close to their achievements. So, what optimism should we have about how Scottish athletics will look after this current generation depart the scene? Last weekend's UK Athletics Championships are as good a barometer as any about what lies ahead for Scottish track and field. The most notable result last weekend, and one of the biggest upsets in years at the national championships, was the victory of Sarah Calvert in the women's 1500m final. The 24-year-old's win, which was hailed the 'run of her life' and saw her defeat none other than Muir, has catapulted her into the spotlight in a way few expected pre-championships. Laura Muir has achieved remarkable success over the the past decade (Image: Reuters via Beat Media Group subscription) Calvert's personal best time for the 1500m is still well short of what could be considered world class - her best, set this season, is 4 minutes 8.14 seconds while Muir's best, set in 2024, is 15 seconds faster - but given Calvert has never been a full-time athlete, her scope for improvement remains sizeable. It should also be noted that with Erin Wallace fourth in that British 1500m final, Scottish athletes occupied three of the top four spots. Gourley won yet another British 1500m title last weekend, with the late withdrawal due to illness of Wightman the latest setback in the Edinburgh man's career. There was, encouragingly, a wider-than-expected spread of Scottish medallists at the national championships. In addition to Calvert, there were several lesser-known athletes who excelled; Alessandro Schenini won gold in the long jump, Nick Percy and Kirsty Law both won silver in the discus (although neither could be classed as up-and-coming athletes) and Silver Nwabuzor and Bera Ajala both won bronze in the triple jump. And in the para events, Kyle Brotherton, Steven Bryce and Rebecca Scott all medalled. Added to this, there's Megan Keith, who withdrew from the 5000m at the UK Championships but has already claimed the British 10,000m title this season. Josh Kerr is the reigning 1500m champion (Image: Getty) It would, of course, be foolish to base too may predictions on one weekend of action but these two days last week certainly gave reason to be hopeful, particularly given this weekend's success took Scottish athletes' tally to 57 medals at the UK Championships in the past five years, indicating it's far more than just the headline names who are achieving success. Added to the senior results, at the recent European Under-23 Championships, 400m runners Brodie Young and Rebecca Grieve both got onto the podium while in this weekend's European Under-20 Championships, five Scots are in the GB team. Plus, with European under-20 half-marathon record holder, Natasha Phillips, on the road, there's certainly reason to be cautiously optimistic. Those tasked with following in the footsteps of this current golden generation will, I would guess, struggle to scale quite the same heights. For example, to expect like-for-like replacements for the true world-class talents of Kerr, Wightman and Gourley in men's middle-distance running is wildly and unrealistically hopeful. And so while the next decade of Scottish athletics may not be quite able to replicate the astonishing success we've seen over the past decade, that says far more about what Scottish athletes have achieved in this sport in recent years than any slight on what's coming through. Scottish athletics is, I think, going to be alright when Kerr, Muir, Wightman et al exit the stage.
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Inside Barry Ferguson's Rangers summer transfer plan that never was as key lieutenant reveals signing strategy
Billy Dodds has revealed what the interim management team planned to do in the summer market had they been handed the job permanently. It's a key element which has charged their rivals' Premiership dominance across the city in recent years. And Billy Dodds has revealed adding a Scottish core to Rangers ' spine this summer was number one on the previous regime's transfer checklist should they have been handed the job of trying to reel in Celtic permanently. Just one of Russell Martin 's nine summer signings is home grown - Lyall Cameron whose arrival was teed up as far back as when Philippe Clement was in charge. But Barry Ferguson and his interim team spent time preparing for the transfer window in their short spell caretaking the hotseat. And they believed adding Scots to the mix could help bridge the gap with the Hoops. Dodds was central to that forward thinking and, while the list of their targets will never be made public, the former first team coach was fully behind the plan to shop local. Brendan Rodgers has often highlighted Celtic' s tartan nucleus and their domestic know-how and leadership qualities, as the driving force behind lifting every title available to him over two spells in charge. Even with the departure of Greg Taylor this summer, the Scots squad at Parkhead remains in tact with Kiran Tierney's return to bolster the ranks led by skipper Callum McGregor and backed up with Antony Ralston, Luke McCowan and James Forrest. But at Rangers, outside John Souttar and Connor Barron, only a late flurry of appearances in goal from Liam Kelly added to the local accent last season. Former Dundee midfielder Cameron has burst into the team over the past week with devastating effect in the centre of midfield. And that, according to Dodds, is an example of why shopping on your doorstep should never be overlooked. He said: 'If we had remained in the job, we were looking to have a wee bit more of a Scottish element to the team. Not too much, but definitely two or three more players. 'Because domestically you must realise and it is the old adage, the domestic games are your bread and butter. 'So, we were certainly thinking two or three more Scottish players in the team plus a scattering of others around the place. 'It never happened, but we thought that domestically it would maybe be the thing that could bridge the gap between us and Celtic. 'It must be the right Scottish ones, with that mindset I was talking about. I think the scattering is the right word. 'Not wholesale, but certainly that little influx of Scottish I think helps teams get where they would like to go, but they have got to be right as well. 'That's why people like Lyall Cameron and Connor Barron are important.' Cameron was thrust in for his first competitive start in Tuesday's 3-0 demolition of Viktoria Plzen at Ibrox. The 22-year-old had huge boots to fill after replacing Nico Raskin in the side. But he responded with a dominant display beside Joe Rothwell and Mohamed Diomande and was singled out for praise by Martin afterwards for his tireless efforts. His signing went under the radar with punters in comparison to the multi-million pound arrivals of Oliver Antman, Djeidi Gassama and Thelo Aasgaard. But Dodds said: 'I think that will suit wee Lyall because when you go to a big club and you get the big announcement it brings a wee bit of pressure. 'He slipped under the radar when he got in the team, but I thought he was excellent. 'Technically he is a bit like Connor Barron. In terms of getting about the pitch and covering ground Connor Barron was unbelievable. Some of the stats we got off him when we were in there was frightening. 'Cameron's a different type of player because he is more technical, but in terms of the industry and getting about the pitch, I thought the two of them were excellent. 'There's some competition in there, but Lyall handled it well. He looked unfazed. 'Sometimes young lads, even older people who go to Rangers, they can never handle the size of the club, but he just looks as if, 'I will take it in my stride, I will get there, I will just perform because I know I am technically good, I am good with the ball, I bring that energy'. 'He looked as if he really enjoyed it.' * Billy Dodds was promoting the Premier Sports' live and exclusive coverage of Rangers v Dundee on Saturday from 12pm on Premier Sports 1. Fans can watch an entire season of football for only £99 using promo code PSCUP25.
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Tony Bloom Hearts breakfast leaves Blair Spittal hungry to taste success with the bravado left for afters
Hearts playmaker met the man everyone is talking about in Gorgie on Tuesday morning after the Jambos opened the Premiership season with a commanding win over Aberdeen. Blair Spittal enjoyed a bite of breakfast with Hearts' new money man Tony Bloom on Tuesday. And just a few minutes in the bullish Brighton owner's presence fuelled the playmaker's appetite for success in Gorgie. Bloom has got Jambos salivating with his vow to disrupt the Old Firm dominance after investing £10m into the Tynecastle club. At a fans' event last week the Englishman served up another helping of aggressive talk when he said he expects Hearts to be winning the Premiership and playing in the Champions League in a decade. Spittal admits Derek McInnes ' players will leave the bravado to the new investor. But the 29-year-old reckons the billionaire is serious about getting his teeth into Scottish football after being blown away by a red hot Tynecastle as Hearts raised the Premiership curtain with a powerful 2-0 win over Aberdeen. It means they sat top of the table after match day one having won all four of their Premier Sports Cup group games.. And Spittal says it's imperative they back it up with another big result against Dundee United this afternoon. He said: 'He was in on Tuesday, he came into training so a couple of the boys met him at breakfast. It's nice to get a chat with him and get to meet the man. 'It was a short conversation that we had but I think even he was excited by the atmosphere on Monday night. 'There was a lot of build-up to the game but I think it might even have taken him by surprise how much everyone was up for it. You expect that going into the first game but it's important to back that up now. 'I said a number of times last year when you come to a club like this you want to be competing for competitions and obviously with the ambitions the club has we see it as an opportunity to do that. 'We got to a semi-final last year and we feel as though it was a missed opportunity but this year we want to go one better. 'We've had a good start to the season but we're not going to get caught up in what's been a good start so far.' Bloom's no-nonsense approach has got fans dreaming. But Spittal knows it's crucial McInnes' troops stay grounded and leave the bold talk to the punters. He said: 'We'll deal with matters on the pitch, that's all we can control. With the momentum that we've built up it's nice to have the noise from the fans and everyone get excited, we want that but at the same time we've got a job to do. 'It's what you expect coming to a club like this. We're an ambitious club, one of the biggest clubs in Scotland so you need to have that ambition. 'But the minute we take our eye off what we're doing on the pitch and listen to outside noise it can put you off your game so it was important that we put that to the side on Monday and I felt as though we'd done that really well. 'The atmosphere was incredible. It was a good first game for us, it was a chance to lay down a marker and I feel as though we've done that. 'We've got another tough game on Sunday coming up so we need to make sure we're ready for that.' Spittal was just getting settled at Tynecastle this time last year after his move from Motherwell. European football was on the horizon and while a Conference League campaign started with a bang and two wins over Dinamo Minsk and Omonia it quickly fizzled out - much like their domestic season. It's United facing that gruelling Thursday-Sunday shift right now and having just returned from an exhausting 90 minutes in Vienna, Spittal is urging the Jambos to take advantage of any lethargy in his old side. He said: 'Sunday's going to be a tough game. We had that last year with United as well but from our point of view we feel that if they had a tough game on Thursday it's something that we can hopefully exploit. 'It can (leave you fatigued) but players don't want to make excuses. I've been at Dundee United as well, the facilities and everything they've got up there is top drawer so we've got to make sure that we're ready for the best version of Dundee United on Sunday.'
