Billy Davies to take charge of first Scottish match in TWENTY FIVE years this afternoon
BACK AT IT Billy Davies to take charge of first Scottish match in TWENTY FIVE years this afternoon
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
BILLY DAVIES will take charge of his first Scottish match for 25 years this afternoon.
Morton boss Dougie Imrie has been forced to miss the Cappielow side's home Championship opener against Dunfermline for family reasons.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
3
Dougie Imrie misses the clash for family reasons
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
3
Dougie Imrie and Biilly Davies
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
3
Billy Davies returns to football
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
And that means a sudden temporary elevation to the top job for veteran former Motherwell, Derby and Nottingham Forest gaffer Davies, who made a surprise return to the Scottish game when he joined as the club's new technical head coach last month.
It's an unfortunate piece of early season turmoil for the Greenock side, who yesterday added veteran striker Eamonn Brophy to their squad on a two-year deal.
More to follow.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
27 minutes ago
- Scotsman
SPFL transfer round up as pundits embroiled in heated Hearts debate
Hearts have become the subject of heated Old Firm debate once again as transfer window continues Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, 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... The Premiership campaign is off and running with drama about to unfold across Scotland. Hearts will soon compete in their first match of the 2025/26 season as they prepare to welcome Aberdeen to Tynecastle. The Jambos have enjoyed several successful outings in recent weeks, beating Sunderland 3-0 in a pre-season friendly, and enjoying Scottish League Cup wins over Dumbarton, Stirling Albion and Hamilton. Hibs' season started at Dundee and they also have a European juggling act to manage. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, as the new season kicks off, there is still plenty more taking place in the transfer window. Here is the latest news from Hearts' Scottish Premiership rivals ahead of the 2025/26 season... Ross County star in EFL and SPFL battle Ronan Hale is the subject of much interest from around EFL and SPFL clubs The Belfast-born forward has, however, also been of huge interest to a number of other EFL clubs, including Luton Town, Reading FC and Wycombe Wanderers. Hale enjoyed an excellent campaign for Ross County last season, scoring 15 goals in 38 outings. It was, however, ultimately not enough to stop the Staggies' relegation but his efforts have attracted attention from around the football leagues with a 'bidding war' reported to be unfolding. Kilmarnock sign ex-Arsenal player Hearts rivals Kilmarnock have announced Dominic Thompson as their latest acquisition. Taking to the club's website, it was said: 'The left back has experience in both English and Scottish football and will be available for selection against Livingston this afternoon. Welcome, Dominic!' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Thompson did indeed feature for his new side against Livingston, coming on for Tom Lowery in the 85th minute as the Ayrshire club draw 2-2 at Rugby Park. The left-back's career started with Arsenal, progressing through the Hale End Academy before he signed with Brentford in 2019. In 2022, he departed the Bees, joining Blackpool with whom he was with until heading north of the border earlier this year. He made 15 appearances for Motherwell before his contract expired this summer and he was able to join Kilmarnock on a free transfer. Pundits embroiled in Hearts debate Sky Sports pundits Charlie Adam and Kris Boyd came to blows in heated debate when discussing how soon we could see Hearts challenging the Old Firm for the title. Speaking on The Warm-up, while Charlie Adam believes that the 'pool and power' of the Old Firm squads will keep them far from their fellow Scottish Premiership sides for the foreseeable future, Kris Boyd was adamant that it may only be a few years until Hearts push for that trophy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Chris Sutton asked Adam and Boyd that when taking into consideration Tony Bloom's investment in the Tynecastle side, how likely is a Hearts top place finish to which Adam said: 'I don't think so. Because of the financial power of Rangers and Celtic.' 'I still think that the pool and power of the quality of players Rangers and Celtic get, I don't see anyone getting in between the. I think the two clubs are too far ahead. You can have analytics, looking at data of the players - do you think Rangers and Celtic are not looking at analytics of players? Of course they are.' Boyd, however, was vehemently opposed to this view, confidently saying: 'Do I think it's possible for Hearts in a few years? Yeah, I do.'
Daily Record
27 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Tony Bloom tells Celtic and Rangers their domination is over as Hearts money man reveals what disruption looks like
The Brighton owner and Jambos shareholder insists he's not messing about and warned the big two he's hear to bring them down Tony Bloom has told Celtic and Rangers that their days of dominating Scottish football are OVER. The Hearts money man vows he's here to upset the Scottish football applecart after ploughing £10million into the Tynecastle club. The Jambos were already using Jamestown Analytics to turbo charge their summer recruitment - the same data analytics company Bloom uses at Brighton and Union Saint-Gilloise - before he bought a 29 per cent stake in the capital club. And the gambling mastermind sent a bullish warning to the big two now that he's on the scene in Edinburgh, and it's that they should be ready for another runner to gate crash the two-horse race for the title. "It's really important for Scottish football for it not to be a one or two club show," Bloom told fans at a Q&A event for Foundation of Hearts pledgers. "And it's not going to be from now on., I assure everyone of that. "I welcome the investment from other clubs outside of the Old Firm. I think that's really good for Scottish football. "It's not good at all that historically, Scottish clubs haven't been doing well in Europe, so it lowers the Scottish coefficient. That means even if you win the league like Celtic, they've got to win two knock-out games to actually get into the group games of the Champions League. "I'm very confident that coefficient over the next few years will change, which would be really good for Scottish football. I really hope it will be really good news for Hearts. "I'm really excited about the challenge and the days of it being a two runner race have gone." Bloom is dead set on disrupting Scottish football and spelled out exactly what that means. He added: "It means that the fans and the media are not talking about it being a two-runner race. As I said, that will not be the case from now on. "Every game that Heart of Midlothian plays in, we will play to win. Every tournament that Hearts are in, we think we can win it and we're aiming to win it. "I accept the fact that when we get in the Champions League, that may be a little bit difficult! "But we have to have belief. We have to have belief in who we are, what we are, our head coach and our players and everyone at the football club. "I certainly do, and I think that the squad of players that Graeme (Jones, sporting director) has helped put together under Derek McInnes, will continue to get stronger year on year, on year. "It sounds like a success to me if Rangers and Celtic are knocking on Graeme's door wanting to buy our players. "But they might not be able to buy our player as they may have bigger clubs to go to. "I don't like to make predictions on one game or one season as there are so many variables. "But what I would say is that Hearts have got an exceptionally good squad this season and I think there's every chance that we will have success this season. "Not being in Europe this season gives Hearts an excellent chance in the league and perhaps in the cups as well. "Hearts fans have every right to have big expectations and historically I don't think those expectations have been big enough. "I know it's difficult and that the Old Firm have a huge advantage in terms of turnover, commercial deals and fan base, but that's all changing because we are going to have a squad to compete with the very best teams in Scotland."
Scottish Sun
27 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Hearts investor Tony Bloom reveals to fans how one of the club's darkest days hurt HIM in the pocket
The Brighton owner hopes to transform the Tynecastle club and challenge the Old Firm NO KIDD-ING Hearts investor Tony Bloom reveals to fans how one of the club's darkest days hurt HIM in the pocket Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NEW Hearts investor Tony Bloom has told supporters how one of the club's darkest days hurt him too – in the pocket. The Brighton chairman was speaking at a fans event after buying a 29 percent share in the Tynecastle club in June. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Tony Bloom was speaking at a Foundation of Hearts event at Tynecastle 4 And he voluntarily brought up one of the darkest days in the club's history Bloom – known as The Lizard – reiterated his desire to compete with Celtic and Rangers for titles and trophies and smash the current Old Firm dominance of Scottish football. But he also brought up one of the worst days in Hearts' history when they famously BLEW the chance to clinch the title in 1986 on the last day of the season. The Jambos needed only a draw away to Dundee to seal their first top division triumph since 1960. But two late goals from Albert Kidd handed the title instead to Celtic who had smashed St Mirren 5-0 in Paisley to top the table on goal difference. It remains one of the darkest days in Hearts' history. And Bloom revealed it was a painful afternoon for him too – as he had BET on the Jambos to win the league at a whopping 8/1. He told supporters at the Foundation of Hearts event: 'Growing up in the 70s and 80s, Scottish football was talked about a lot more in the newspapers (in England) than it is now. 'And so I've always followed Scottish football in different ways. 'When I was growing up it wasn't always an Old Firm show. 'I'm sure a few of you here will remember 1986. Brighton owner Tony Bloom celebrates £750,000 winner as his horse Energumene wins Champion Chase at Cheltenham 'I'm sorry to have mentioned it – maybe that wasn't such a good idea! 'I can't remember his name but I remember someone scoring two very late goals. 'But I remember that season as I had backed Hearts to win the league at around 8/1. 'And going into the last game it was looking very pretty! 'All we needed to do was get a win against Dundee….and it didn't quite happen. 4 Albert Kidd's double denied Hearts the title in 1986 Credit: Scottish News and Sport 'But I've always followed Scottish football and, looking from afar, I don't like the fact that over the last 35 years it's been completely dominated by the Old Firm. "And over the last 15 years apart from one season when Rangers won the league it has been dominated by one club. 'It's not good at all – and I believe I can help make a difference. 'I don't want it to be dominated by just two teams. 'I looked and thought about clubs in Scotland. 'And after I met Ann Budge and Hearts I knew this was the club I wanted to invest in." 4 Bloom believes Hearts can challenge the Old Firm's dominance Credit: PA Bloom reckons Celtic's dominance of the Scottish football landscape isn't healthy. Asked what disrupting the game would mean in his eyes, he replied: "It means that, at the start of each season, the fans and media are not talking about it being a two-runner race. "That will not be the case from now on. "Every game Heart of Midlothian play in, we will play to win. "Every tournament Hearts are in, we are aiming to win it. "I accept the fact that, when we get into the Champions League, that may be a little bit difficult. 'But we have to have belief - big belief in who we are, what we are, our players, our head coach, and everyone at the football club. "I think with the squad of players that sporting director Graeme Jones has helped put together under Derek McInnes, I think we will continue to get stronger year on year.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
