Ballymena United sign highly-rated Glenavon fullback: ‘He's an exceptional talent'
Glenavon have lost talented defender David Toure to fellow Sports Direct Premiership club Ballymena United.
The Sky Blues fought off interested from several other clubs – including Scottish sides – to snap up the full-back.
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Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Daily Record
Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh should note these 13 words and I had to laugh about one fan nickname
I had to laugh when the first Rangers fan on the radio on Monday night's phone-in referred to 'the boy Cavenagh'. That will be Andrew Cavenagh, I presume. Newly installed, multi-millionaire chairman at Ibrox. The man who built his fortune on a billion-dollar healthcare insurance firm in the United States. That 'boy'? The boy Cavenagh had made a sound first impression on the caller because of what he had to say to shareholders at an EGM earlier in the day which had ratified the injection of £20million worth of fresh investment in the club. But the Ibrox media department might, going forward, have to issue Andrew with a copy of the newly-published Oxford English Dictionary, which has incorporated a total of 13 Scottish words that might be instructional on the basis that America and Scotland are countries separated by a common language. One of the words is 'shoogly' – which will be the description used to describe the peg Andrew's jacket is hanging from in the event of Rangers making a bad start to the new season. 'Aye, right' is another addition. Andrew will need to know this one because it will be the response he'll get from every Rangers fan he meets if his explanation for a poor start is found to be unsatisfactory. Conversely, Rangers, under new head coach Russell Martin, could carry all before them and end the first month of the season with a win over Celtic at Ibrox on August 31. At which point Andrew will need to consult his dictionary to translate the newly-added 'hoaching' – which means crowded or thronging. It was Cavenagh's vice-chairman, Paraag Marathe, who said after the EGM that if Ibrox could be redesigned to accommodate 200,000 fans then the ground would always be full to capacity. Paraag, or 'the boy Marathe' as he might become known in the fullness of time, is the song-and-dance man of the new duo occupying centre stage at Ibrox, judging by his media conference after Monday's meeting. He launched what I would describe as Operation Govan Gravitas during his inaugural introduction to the public at large. Gravitas was the word that peppered his conversation concerning the immediate future for Rangers. 49ers Enterprises, he said, would bring 'global gravitas' to Rangers because of the business association between the pair of them. And Marathe put forward the notion there is a certain 'extra gravitas' which will help attract new players to the club because of the business link to an NFL team in San Francisco. Extra gravitas, as opposed to falling on your gravitas, so to speak. There's a saying in football that you only get one chance to make a first impression and Cavenagh and Marathe look to have grabbed that opportunity. There's always one, of course. And Monday's opening turn at the top table has subsequently brought forward former Labour MP Sir Brian Donohoe to question whether the interests of the minority shareholders are looked after under the articles of association drawn up by a now private, as opposed to public limited, company. Time will tell. In the meantime, you have to wonder, with the benefit of hindsight, how so many chancers and snake oil salesmen managed to inveigle themselves into positions of power at Ibrox during the pain-in-the- gravitas years from 2011 until the present day. A time that was spent accumulating so many financial difficulties that 49ers Enterprises have arrived like the cavalry to prevent further calamity from striking. Cavenagh calls it 'building a culture'. That is to say, transforming a culture of failure on and off the park at Rangers into a culture of achievement through Operation Govan Gravitas. What Cavenagh and Marathe have to be aware of as they prepare for the start of domestic matches and in Europe are two of the other words now in the Oxford English Dictionary. One is 'bummer' and the other is 'beamer'. Cavenagh is the heid bummer at Ibrox, otherwise known as the man with whom the buck stops. Marathe and the chairman have to avoid a beamer, otherwise known as a flushed face in the aftermath of an embarrassing situation. Marathe says everything Rangers do from now on will be built on 'discipline and thoughtful, analytical, data-based decision making'. The man who called the chairman 'the boy Cavenagh' would probably beg to differ.
Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Daily Record
The half hour with Sir Alex Ferguson that David Gray will never forget as Hibs boss built career on Man Utd values
Gray will never forget the moment Sir Alex took him and his parents into his office to sign him for Man Utd Sir Alex Ferguson was in his office with less than an hour to go before a Premier League clash against Everton kicked off at Old Trafford. He had named his Manchester United starting XI and left the home dressing-room to return to his personal space at a time when managers would normally be consumed by last-minute thoughts. But another important job was occupying the legendary boss. Namely convincing 16-year-old David Gray – and more to the point his parents Elaine and Peter – to sign up for his Red Devils. Gray will never forget the moment. How could the boyhood United fan? As a top-level manager himself now, 21 years later, he still can't believe it ever happened. But those were the lengths that arguably the greatest ever manager to have lived would go to make sure he signed the best young talent. From there on, it was on the talented teens to match Fergie's standards, professionalism and work ethic to give themselves the best chance in the game. Gray would only ever make one top-team appearance for United, starting a 2-1 League Cup win at Crewe in 2006. After that he headed out on loan to Royal Antwerp and Plymouth and forged an impressive career that culminated in him being crowned a Hibs legend. But he maintains the standards that coursed through Old Trafford two decades ago helped drive his entire playing career. And in a rare look back at his time at the club, Gray admits those values remain crucial now as a young manager on his own path at Easter Road. 'Definitely,' he said. 'Those years helped set a standard I've kept for my whole career. 'Sir Alex is incredible. His level of detail and knowledge was incredible. From day one, when you arrive, he knows everything... about every player. 'You'd pass him at the training ground and he'd be asking: 'How's your mum and dad? Peter all right?' 'Sir Alex came up to Scotland and had conversations with mum and dad before I signed then we all went down to watch a game. 'It was Everton at Old Trafford in the Premier League, I was only 16. 'We were sitting in his office after naming his team. 'It was my mum, my dad and me, sitting there with Sir Alex ahead of a Premier League game – and we're talking about me! 'He took half-an-hour off before kick-off to make sure I signed for United. It was incredible. 'When I think back now, as a manager, to give up half-an-hour at that point on matchday to try to get a 16-year-old to come to the club, it just shows the dedication and the quality of the man. 'He put everything into it. To be honest, being Scottish he had a wee soft spot for me. But I learned so much from those years at United. 'It wasn't just about being a player. It was about being a professional and how to conduct yourself on and off the pitch.' That's a key element Gray and this backroom team are striving to instil in every player each day at Hibs. From internationals in the top team right down through the academy where the Under-18 side have just been crowned Scottish champions again. Gray's vision is to give academy products a real pathway into his top-team plans, helping improve the damning stats that show a lack of Premiership minutes for homegrown players at our top clubs. As Sir Matt Busby famously said in a mantra Sir Alex followed: 'If you're good enough, you're old enough.' That journey begins in the pre-academy stage, headed up by Kevin Bracks, before they progress through the key years with ex-Hibs stars Darren McGregor, Guillaume Beuzelin and Gareth Evans in the Under-18s. Funnily enough, for a man who would become a bona fide Hibs legend, Gray had spent that key stage between 12 to 16 at Hearts. His age group included Lee Wallace, Calum Elliott and Andrew Driver, among others. They all went on to become first-team Jambos players as teenagers but Gray opted for a different route at his boyhood heroes. He went south, moved into digs that had been home to fellow Midlothian lad Darren Fletcher and was taken under the future Scotland captain's wing. He said: 'Fletch used to take me to the cinema to make sure I was all right. Because he was from Mayfield he looked after me. 'He'd take me out for something to eat every now and again because he was playing in the first team regularly but still living in digs. 'My first year, our age group had Gerard Pique, Giuseppe Rossi, Jonny Evans, Ryan Shawcross, Fraizer Campbell, Darren Gibson, Lee Martin and Danny Simpson. 'It was a right good crop of players. And Sir Alex definitely thought if you were good enough then it didn't matter what age you were. 'I got one competitive appearance for United, which was brilliant, but I had injuries along the way. 'I was lucky to have the best facilities, the best coaching and to be playing every day with some of the best players at my age group. 'That can only improve you. Those years are so important. Young players need to try to grab their chance with the help of coaches. 'The coaches in the academy here at Hibs are fantastic. The level of coaching is incredible. 'When I watch Bracksy in the academy and the pre-academy stuff, it's brilliant. The facilities are superb and we're trying to get satellite centres all over the place. 'Producing our own players is a massive part of what Hibs have done throughout the years. 'It shows, when young players come to the club, that there is a pathway – that there's a reason why you come to Hibs. 'It's to try to get into the first team and if you're good enough it doesn't matter how old you are.'
Scottish Sun
8 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Former Celtic and Scotland hero Leigh Griffiths signs for little-known club in Australian second division at age 34
His new club will be the ninth different team he has played for NEW CLUB Former Celtic and Scotland hero Leigh Griffiths signs for little-known club in Australian second division at age 34 FORMER Celtic star Leigh Griffiths is on the move again. The 34-year-old had spent the last three years playing for semi-professional outfit Mandurah City in Western Australia, stepping into a player-coach role for the 2024 season. Advertisement 2 Leigh Griffiths during his heyday for Celtic Credit: Kenny Ramsay - The Sun Glasgow Griffiths, who scored 123 goals for the Hoops in 261 appearances, also won 22 Scotland caps and hit the net four times for his nation (including two memorable free-kicks against England in 2017). But his career in Scottish football ended on a sour note and he departed for Australia in August 2022. Griffiths was loaned out to Dundee during his final contract year with Celtic but his stint was overshadowed by him kicking a smoke bomb into the crowd during a match. He later joined Falkirk as a free agent but left after only six months, scoring twice in 12 games for the club who were then in the third tier. Advertisement The striker has now signed for Stirling Macedonia Lions of the National Premier Leagues Western Australia (NPL WA) setup. Nicknamed the Macies or the Macedonians, the club is based in Perth, Western Australia and finished fourth in the league last year. That qualified them for the NPL WA Finals and they would go all the way to the Grand Final only to lose to top seeds and league winners Olympic Kingsway. The National Premier Leagues operate on a regional structure below the A-League, the top flight of Australian football. Advertisement Stirling Macedonia released a picture of Griffiths in club kit and he was named on the subs' bench straight away for their match against Perth Soccer Club. A statement from Stirling Macedonia read: "We're delighted to officially welcome Leigh Griffiths to Stirling Macedonia! The diggers move in as Celtic Park pitch is dug up "A former Celtic FC player and Scotland international, Leigh arrives with a proven attacking pedigree and years of top-level experience. He adds genuine firepower to our front third and brings invaluable leadership to the squad. "Welcome to the Stirling family, Leigh!" Advertisement Keegan Ashley, the club's football operations manager, said: "What a pleasure it is to have someone of Leigh's experience join us at Stirling Macedonia. "He brings genuine quality in the attacking third and will have a big impact not only on the pitch but off it as well—helping guide and mentor our younger players as they develop their game." 2 Griffiths was unveiled by Stirling Macedonia this weekend Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
