Latest news with #Scottish football
BBC News
5 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'Five teams in running for streamlined SWPL'
I think in terms of the quality of the product, when the SWPL was 12 teams, the distance in quality between the top four and bottom four was so, so hopefully with the reduction in teams the quality players that were with those teams in 11th and 12th have moved into a ninth or a 10th-placed team and it bridges that gap. I think in terms of the competitiveness of the league, the 12 teams were too manyWhen you don't have that depth in squad, that takes its toll on the with that shift to a 10, and less games, then hopefully the product and the competitiveness of the league actually this early stage, Rangers still have to recruit, Celtic still have to recruit, Hibs are going to have Champions League, Glasgow City will have Champions League, I think it's too early to predict, I really do. I know that Glasgow City have that desire, that willingness, just to get the job done even when things are up against them. So maybe they are the frontrunner at this moment in time because we know that generally speaking, when you're in the Champions League for teams like Hibernian who maybe don't have that same depth, that can be quite right now, I would say there's five teams in the running and it's about probably who can remain focused and bring that competitive edge week in, week Scotland international Pauline MacDonald was talking to BBC Scotland's Charlotte Cohen.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'Hearts' challenge now is to compete with Old Firm'
Can Hearts live up to Tony Bloom's audacious claim they can vie for the title this season?New minority shareholder Bloom wants Hearts to be champions within 10 years, but former manager Robbie Neilson says the first aim is to challenge the established big on the BBC's Scottish football podcast, Neilson said: "It's now about competing against the Old Firm for Hearts. That's where I see them. They look the dominant third force."The question will be can they make the step to go beyond one of them, which is obviously with Tony Bloom coming in? That's what they're trying to do."But I think it will be very, very difficult over the course of a full season. "One of the big things about Hearts is momentum, especially when you're at Tynecastle. If you can build that momentum of winning games, which they have managed to do in the group stages of the League Cup, you then take that into the league."It's really there at the moment, but the first big question will be when the Old Firm come to town, can you turn them over?
BBC News
08-08-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Hibs in dreamland' - what did the pundits say about Belgrade win?
Former Hibs midfielder Michael Stewart on BBC SportsoundIt's a side that have not played loads of European football but the team showed a lot of composure and round away performance from Hibs in Europe, it had a bit of everything Defensively sound, they never really looked in danger. The midfield were working their backsides off and building the game fairly well.I think David Gray will come away from that so happy with where his team are and recognising they've got a great opportunity of getting through to the play-off manager Tony Docherty on BBC SportsoundIt's a brilliant night for Scottish football, two fantastic away results. Hopefully they can finish the job off next Hibs performance was such a mature one for a Scottish team going away from home against an opponent with real did a job on them, they did what they had to do and they made Partizan look like an inexperienced team. The real plaudits go to a real mature Hibs midfielder Scott Allan on BBC SportsceneThat is a fantastic result for Hibs, that man Martin Boyle again. Hibs will be really confident taking that result back to Easter Road next playing with a real confidence, they don't seem like they'll give up a lot of chances, you really need to work to get a goal against Hibs so they should be really confident about next week. Former Falkirk & St Mirren midfielder Ryan Flynn on BBC's Scottish Football PodcastI think Hibs are just in dreamland at the moment. They did so well against Midtjylland and coming into this game I think a lot of people wrote them off going away to Partizan, in Belgrade, a hostile environment, and they just was a cool performance, calculated. Obviously Partizan get the man sent off but Hibs took full advantage of that. Patrizan had a little bit of pressure towards the end but Hibs stood firm. Obviously David Gray will say it's half time but I think everyone's looking forward to hopefully progressing through to the play-off round.
BBC News
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Famous faces return to celebrate Sportscene at 50
Legendary figures will return to Sportscene on Saturday to celebrate 50 years of BBC Scotland's iconic Scottish football highlights Donnelly makes a comeback as presenter, with renowned commentary trio Archie Macpherson, Rob MacLean and Jock Brown covering the day's three Scottish Premiership who appeared on the inaugural Sportscene in 1975, will be behind the microphone for Motherwell's trip to St who has had two spells with the programme over a 25-year period, will cover Rangers' meeting with Dundee at Ibrox, while Brown, who featured on the show in the 1990s, will commentate on Livingston against a Sportscene veteran of 32 years, will be joined in the studio by current presenter Steven Thompson and former pundit Gordon Smith, both of whom will provide analysis of the day's action. "It was a great time for Scottish football and the Saturday night sports programme was absolutely required viewing," he said."I did 33 consecutive Scottish Cup finals – what a privilege to have been in the hot seat for so many of the big occasions, including all the World Cups and everything else. I was hugely lucky and very much appreciate that."The special edition, which will air exactly 50 years on from the programme's debut show, will also feature archive footage stretching back five decades."The big stand out game for me was the first cup final, because it was probably one of the best cup finals there had ever been," said Brown. "Motherwell 4-3 Dundee United after extra-time and the teams were managed by the McLean brothers – both of whom I knew very well! The game was an absolute cracker."I've done a lot of broadcasting since leaving Sportscene and I'm really looking forward to going back on the show. It'll be good fun. It's an iconic programme that has a big place in the story of sports broadcasting in Scotland."It all kicks off on the BBC Scotland channel and iPlayer at 20:15 BST on Saturday, with a repeat being shown on BBC One Scotland after midnight at 00:20.
