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Press and Journal
2 days ago
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Joe Harper: Aberdeen attitude is key to avoiding a cup shock at Morton
I'm going back to where my career began on Saturday after being invited to attend Morton's Premier Sports Cup tie with Aberdeen. It's been a while since I've been back to Cappielow but I'll be joining Gothenburg Great John McMaster, who also played for the Ton and the Dons, for the game. I wish I could say I was heading there full of confidence about seeing an Aberdeen win given the slow start to the season for Jimmy Thelin's side. The biggest issue for me so far is that the team is clearly taking time to gel. The forward line is where the biggest changes have happened in the summer with a new striker in Kusini Yengi being supported by two other new faces in Adil Aouchiche and Nicolas Milanovic – and of course Topi Keskinen. Maybe it was the tough start against Hearts at Tynecastle then champions Celtic but it's clear after no points and no goals that there is work to be done at Pittodrie in getting this new-look team up and running. I hope Saturday's cup tie can be the game to do just that. It was interesting to read the manager's comments about the players needing to move on from their Hampden heroics in the Scottish Cup final in May. I'd argue they need to tap into those wonderful memories from winning the final, lifting the cup, celebrating with the fans, then returning home to the Granite City for further amazing scenes with 100,000 people in the city centre in the open-top bus parade. Moments like that are what you play this game for, and you should be using those experiences to drive you on to experience it again. Winning a cup is a great feeling and one players should be desperate to savour over and over again. As far as I'm concerned Saturday is all about attitude. Aberdeen are a better team with better players but they cannot take their Championship hosts lightly. If they do, then trouble lies ahead. This is Morton's cup final and Ton boss Dougie Imrie, his players and the home support will be full of belief they can shock the Dons by knocking them out of the cup. They've made life difficult for Premiership teams in the past. They knocked Hearts out of the Scottish Cup in 2024 and pushed Hearts all the way in the quarter-final before losing 1-0. They are stubborn, tough opponents who will be ready to battle for their club. That's why Aberdeen's approach has to be spot-on. League defeats to Hearts and Celtic are one thing as you have time to recover from that over the course of a 38-game league campaign. But an early cup exit would be a devastating blow for the Dons and a huge setback on the eve of their Europa League play-off next week. Dons boss Thelin has got to get his squad in the right frame of mind, and they have to go to Cappielow with the intention of showing their quality and getting through to the next round. It's encouraging to see the Dons squad is about to be bolstered by the arrival of two new attacking players in striker Marko Lazetic and winger Kenan Bilalovic. Lazetic has been on Aberdeen's radar for months now and I'm intrigued to see what he will bring to the team. The Dons have been on Lazetic's trail for months and have fought hard to bring the Serbian striker to Pittodrie from Milan and that has got me curious about what he'll do. He was clearly rated as a huge prospect as a teenager, but it hasn't quite worked out for him in Italy. But it's refreshing to hear Lazetic has shown a desire to make a new start in Scotland with Aberdeen. Varnamo winger Bilalovic has completed his move to Pittodrie after the Dons agreed a fee with his club in Sweden. It's another young face joining the ranks of Jimmy Thelin's squad but he looks a versatile option as a player who operates on either wing. Competition for places is encouraging and here's hoping they can deliver. Good luck to Dons boss Scott Booth and his Aberdeen FC women's players who get their new season under way on Sunday. Booth has been busy reshaping his squad this summer and it's very much a new-look women's team which will be representing the club in SWPL1. A trip to league champions Hibernian is a tough start but it is one which I'm sure Booth and his squad will be relishing.
ABC News
29-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Landlord fined for breaching WA tenancy laws amid Perth housing crisis
A landlord who demanded more than $32,000 from a tenant before they had even moved in, then threatened to kick them out if they didn't agree to a huge rent hike, has been fined for a string of breaches of WA's tenancy laws. The case has laid bare the desperation of renters who are often willing to hand over large sums of money to secure a property in Perth's tight rental market. The woman was handed a spent conviction and fined $8,500 in the Perth Magistrates Court on May 16 for violations relating to her handling of rent and bond payments for the property in the southern suburb of Ardross. In February 2024, the NSW-based landlord entered into a tenancy agreement and demanded the tenant pay $16,200 to cover the first three months of rent before they had moved in. Consumer Protection's John McMaster told ABC Radio Perth this was a significant breach of the law, which prohibited landlords for asking for more than two weeks' rent in advance. The landlord also asked for a further $16,200 from the tenant as a security bond. But she only lodged $5,400 of the money with the bond administrator — four months after receiving the money. Mr McMaster said landlords were required to lodge bonds within 14 days, and needed to be especially careful to comply with the law when holding large sums of tenants' money. "Handling security bond money is a serious matter, because it's a lot of money for the tenant and if that money is misused or not registered there are serious penalties," he said. About a month before the due date for further rent, the landlord then hiked the fortnightly rent by $2,700, threatening to evict the tenant if the extra money was not paid. Commissioner for Consumer Protection Owen Kelly said the Residential Tenancies Act was a vital safeguard for tenants, who were especially vulnerable during periods of high demand in the rental market. Perth's vacancy rate was 2.4 per cent in April, down from 2.5 per cent in March, according to the Real Estate Institute of WA. "When tenants have fewer options, they may have little to no power to negotiate with landlords before or during the tenancy," Dr Kelly said. "Therefore, it's crucial landlords respect the laws that have been put in place to protect them. "The tenant in this case was subjected to unnecessary risk by being asked to pay three months of rent up front before moving in. "She was also placed under unnecessary financial burden when further rent demands were made before that initial period had expired." The landlord told the court she was unaware of her obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act, but in handing down the sentence, Magistrate Donna Webb said ignorance of the law was no excuse. The woman pleaded guilty to four charges, but the court took into account her good character and handed her a spent conviction. She was fined $8,500 and has since engaged a property manager to avoid any further breaches. Mr McMaster said it was important landlords knew their rights and responsibilities, but tenants also needed to be aware of their rights. "If you don't know the tenancy law yourself, there are plenty of registered experts," he said.
