Gray confident in squad's depth for domestic and continental tests
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Rhyl Journal
16 minutes ago
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Hearts back up Tony Bloom's bullish talk with opening win over Aberdeen
The Brighton owner, who recently completed a deal to invest in the Edinburgh club, had inadvertently cranked up the pressure on Derek McInnes' side with a string of bold declarations in the 24 hours leading up to their league opener, including stating that he felt they could crack the traditional Old Firm stranglehold in Scotland by finishing in the top two this term. Bloom, who had his name sung by Hearts supporters lapping up his ambitious intentions for their club as he watched on from the main stand, avoided any early egg on his face as the Jambos dug out a deserved victory to move top of the fledgling Premiership table on goal difference. McInnes' men seized the initiative through an early own goal by Dons captain Graeme Shinnie and then overcame a rocky spell after the break to seal their win with a header from Stuart Findlay. McInnes, taking charge of his first league game 11 weeks after being headhunted from Kilmarnock, named summer signings Christian Borchgrevink, Findlay, Oisin McEntee and Claudio Braga in his starting line-up. Tomas Magnusson was on the bench after his transfer from Valur was completed hours before kick-off, and the Icelandic midfielder came on in added time. The Dons, in their first competitive match since winning the Scottish Cup in May, included debutant trio Adil Aouchiche, Kusini Yengi and Nicolas Milanovic in their starting XI. With conditions relatively calm following concerns earlier in the day that the game might fall victim to Storm Floris, Hearts started strongly and made the breakthrough in the 11th minute when Harry Milne's low delivery from the left was turned into the net by the unfortunate Shinnie on his 34th birthday after Dimitar Mitov had made an excellent save to deny McEntee. The hosts had the wind in their sails and almost doubled their lead when Milne smashed a ferocious strike off the bar from the angle of the box. The Dons' only clear chance of the first half came in the 16th minute when Yengi knocked a close-range effort against the post. Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland had a stunning strike ruled out just before the break after team-mates Frankie Kent and Craig Halkett drifted offside in the build-up. Aberdeen started the second half with renewed purpose and Yengi spurned a golden opportunity in the 50th minute before Milanovic saw an effort saved by Zander Clark. McInnes, wary of the Dons' growing threat, made a quadruple substitution and switched from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2 in 70th minute. The move seemed to work as the Jambos doubled their advantage within three minutes when Findlay arrived at the back post to nod home from close range after Dons defender Mats Knoester was unable to deal with Milne's inswinging free-kick from the right.
Scotsman
43 minutes ago
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Partizan Belgrade vs Hibs live stream and TV details
Hibs will travel to Serbia to face Partizan in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League third qualifying round tie this week. Sign up to our Hibs football 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... There was obvious disappointment when Hibs suffered an agonising late defeat in their Europa League second qualifying round tie with Danish side FC Midtjylland last week. However, there was a consolation prize of sorts for David Gray and his players as European football remained on the agenda with a crack at reaching the league phase of UEFA's tertiary club cup competition, the Conference League. Hibs have taken their place in the third qualifying round and they have been handed an awkward looking tie against Serbian giants Partizan, who dispatched Ukrainian outfit Oleksandriya with ease with a 6-0 aggregate win in the previous round. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For Hibs, there is an opportunity to lay the foundations for an extended run in European competition by claiming a positive result in the first leg and Gray and his squad will travel to Serbia in good heart after a Kieron Bowie brace got their Premiership campaign off to a winning start at Dundee on Sunday afternoon. But, with just days to go until the quick return to Europe, what do we know about their meeting with Partizan and will the game be shown live on television. Where and when does Partizan v Hibs take place? The UEFA Conference League third qualifying round first leg fixture will take place at the Partizan Stadium in Belgrade on Thursday, August 7. Kick-off is set for 8pm BST and that is 9pm local time. What has David Gray said about Partizan v Hibs? Hibs head coach David Gray gives out instructions at Dens Park. | SNS Group Speaking about the tie ahead of Sunday's win at Dundee, the Hibs boss said: 'We'll do everything we can to make it as easy as possible for the players. The one thing you want to always do is you want to make sure they're going into it as fresh as you can. The Belgrade game will take care of itself by the time we get to that. 'The plans will go in place to make sure we can get there the easiest way, the quickest way, that you stay over, all these things that come with that. You travel a day early, but that will all take care of itself. Everything is geared up now towards Dundee. We'll make sure we get everybody clear with the game-plan ready to go up there to make sure we try and win the game. Then we'll look forward to Thursday night in Europe again, which naturally the players will all be ready for.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Is Partizan v Hibs being shown live on television? Bedlam at Easter Road as Rocky Bushiri is mobbed after his goal ... but heartache would soon follow against Midtjylland. | SNS Group No, but the game is one of several European ties being shown live via a stream on SolidSport. Their coverage gets underway at 7.45pm on Thursday night with kick-off taking place 15 minutes later. Details on how to purchase access to the stream and further information on their coverage can be found here via the SolidSport website. Your next Hibs read: Scotland striker inspires Hibs to victory - report and ratings from Scottish Premiership opening game
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Why this photo signalled the beginning of the end for Simon Goodwin at the Melbourne Demons
When the call finally came for Simon Goodwin, it arrived quietly and without ceremony. On Monday night, interim Melbourne president Brad Green and other senior club officials told the 48‑year‑old coach that his time in charge of the Demons was over. The board decided they could not follow him after years of controversy and poor results that faded the team's 2021 premiership magic. Although Goodwin had another season to run on his contract, the club wanted change for 2026 and paid him around $1million to leave. Many fans trace the downfall back to one photo posted on social media three years ago. In February 2022, amid a wave of damaging headlines about his alleged behaviour, Goodwin's captain and staunch ally Max Gawn uploaded an image to Instagram. The Demons' fairytale flag feels distant as off‑field dramas and bitter divisions overwhelm the premiership‑winning coach It showed the pair seated together at the Hotel Sorrento, beers in hand, joined by wedding groom Myles Pitt. They were relaxed and smiling, the sun glinting off their glasses, the kind of casual shot you might expect to see from any group of friends at a coastal pub. Yet the timing was anything but casual. Just hours earlier, it had been had reported that the Melbourne board had previously investigated Goodwin over allegations of gambling, heavy drinking with players, and workplace bullying. Some directors considered sacking him before 2021, but dropped it and he delivered the club's long‑awaited premiership that year. AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan had publicly described Goodwin's habit of drinking with players at the Sorrento pub as 'crazy,' adding an extra layer of scrutiny to a coach already under fire. Gawn's post was deliberate. Captioned 'Planning 22' at the local', it openly defied criticism and showed his loyalty to Goodwin. When Gawn fronted the media in the days that followed, he doubled down rather than retreating. 'I am going to continue to have a beer with my boss and my coach, and maybe that's when we nutted out 2021 and what we went on to achieve,' he said. Club president Kate Roffey moved swiftly to reinforce the public display of unity, issuing a statement that described Goodwin as 'an exceptional leader' and insisted that the review into his conduct had found he was 'the right man to lead our club'. The hope was that such words, coming from the very top of the organisation, would draw a line under the issue. Instead, that friendly image became, in hindsight, an early flashpoint over the line between leadership, friendship and professionalism. What followed over the next two years was a steady accumulation of off‑field distractions, internal strains, and public controversies that slowly eroded the authority Goodwin had built in the wake of the premiership. By October 2023, Melbourne's off‑season had descended into one of the ugliest in AFL memory. The Clayton Oliver trade saga erupted into chaos, with the star midfielder eventually staying but later being hospitalised after collapsing. Joel Smith tested positive for cocaine on match day and was subsequently banned for four years under the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code. Angus Brayshaw's career ended in heartbreak after a concussion in the finals, an incident that devastated the playing group and sent shockwaves through the club. There were also looming legal battles involving former president Glen Bartlett and long‑time benefactor Peter Lawrence, each dragging Melbourne into protracted disputes in the Federal Court. Then came the bombshell parliamentary speech from Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, who used parliamentary privilege to accuse the club - and more broadly, the AFL - of covering up positive drug tests. In the days that followed, former club doctor Zeeshan Arain claimed he had fabricated excuses to withdraw players from games to avoid potential sanctions under WADA rules. Through it all, Goodwin attempted to steer the team with a mix of defiance and silence. 'I don't want to convince you we have a good culture. I want to show you,' he said last October, sitting alongside CEO Gary Pert. That was before the pair travelled with football boss Alan Richardson to New Zealand to study the famed All Blacks culture. But even the most genuine study tour could not shift the perception that Melbourne's problems ran deeper than any cultural blueprint could fix. On the field, results told their own story. Melbourne lost four consecutive finals matches after their 2021 flag triumph. The 2025 season began with a demoralising five‑game losing streak and another slump of the same length midway through the year that effectively killed their finals chances. Behind closed doors, board confidence in Goodwin's leadership ebbed with each defeat. Questions arose about whether he still had the players' trust or if constant off‑field issues had weakened his authority. By the time the board met in late July this year, the consensus was clear. The man who had brought them their greatest modern triumph was no longer the man to take them forward. And it all began with that defiant photo posted by Gawn. What was intended as a signal of unity ended up becoming the beginning of a slow, public unraveling that ended with a phone call no coach wants to take.
