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Scotsman
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scottish FA apologise as 'technical error' results in Denmark ticket fiasco
SFA cancel and refund all tickets for World Cup qualifier Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, 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 Scottish FA has apologised for a 'technical error' which has resulted in ticket sales for the World Cup qualifying clash with Denmark in September being cancelled and restarted. Tickets for the crucial opening group match at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen went on sale to Scotland Supporters Club (SSC) members with between 21 and 32 points on Tuesday morning. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, fans who did not meet this criteria were able to log on and purchase tickets, resulting in the SFA declaring that, "in the interest of fairness", all orders would be voided and refunded with a new sale set to take place on Wednesday morning. The Scottish FA has blamed a "technical error" for cancelling all tickets sold to the Denmark match in Copenhagen in September. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group The move has caused consternation among supporters who are facing a scramble for tickets after the Danish FA only provided 1,740 away briefs for the Tartan Army. A statement read: "The Scottish FA is aware of a technical error that occurred during this morning's ticket sale for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifying match against Denmark, which allowed purchase by some Scotland Supporters Club (SSC) members who were not eligible during the window that was reserved for those with 32-21 Points. "As a result, we will regrettably need to restart the sales process from scratch in the interest of fairness, with any purchase that was made today being cancelled and refunded. "The new sale will commence at 10am on Wednesday, 23 July. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "The SFA would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused to supporters." Steve Clarke's side begin their bid to reach the 2026 World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico with an away double-header against the Danes on September 5 and Belarus on September 8.
The Herald Scotland
03-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Foundation of Hearts founder on how Rangers fans missed an opportunity
There were high hopes that Club 1872, which was set up in 2016 when the Rangers Supporters' Trust and Rangers First merged, could exert the same kind of influence over the Ibrox club during the early years of their existence. Mackie revealed yesterday how Hearts fans had met with their Rangers counterparts to offer them advice when they were starting out and recalled how he had been impressed with their plans and ambition. Read more: The Edinburgh-based chartered accountant had urged them to appoint directors with high levels of professional expertise in a variety of different fields to their board so that fans had complete faith their money was being well looked after. That was something which he had insisted on when the Foundation of Hearts was being set up - and is convinced has been integral to the organisation's success in the years since they were launched back in 2010. (Image: SNS Group Alan Harvey) The group currently have the chief executive of Tesco Bank, a King's Counsel, a chartered accountant and partner in major firm PwC, a former HMRC official, a one-time business adviser as well as club legend Gary Locke on their board. But Club 1872, who at one stage were the second largest shareholders in Rangers with a 10.71 per cent stake, have been plagued by accusations about their governance, transparency and independence in recent years and have seen their number of monthly contributors fall from around 8,000 to 4,850. 'We were approached by the Rangers fans,' said Mackie. 'They had put together their own fan ownership vehicle and something like 12,000 people had signed up to it I believe. But they failed to push it through like we did. They missed such an opportunity. Read more: 'There are so many more Hearts fans than there are members of the foundation at the moment. But how many more Rangers fans are there than are signed up to their fan ownership club? Half a million? More? They have a huge number of fans around the world. 'Rangers must have a database with the identities of all of the fans who have bought season tickets or merchandise off them. Imagine what they could do if they got half a million fans paying £10 a month? Imagine they had that bedrock. I have often thought that is the way it should be with Rangers. 'What could they achieve if they had prominent businesspeople who provided a high level of corporate governance taking care of a fan ownership vehicle? I still don't think they've got that. 'The people I met back then, and we are going back to 2011 or 2012, I thought were good people. I can remember saying, 'Keep going! Push it through! Have the courage of your convictions!'. But there were so many forces surrounding Rangers and it didn't work out the way they had hoped."
The National
01-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Foundation of Hearts founder on how Rangers fans missed an opportunity
The foundation, who made the Tynecastle club the largest to be fan-owned in the United Kingdom when they acquired a 75.1 per cent stake from Bidco 1874 in 2021, has over 8,000 members who have paid in over £15.9m since their formation 15 years ago. There were high hopes that Club 1872, which was set up in 2016 when the Rangers Supporters' Trust and Rangers First merged, could exert the same kind of influence over the Ibrox club during the early years of their existence. Mackie revealed yesterday how Hearts fans had met with their Rangers counterparts to offer them advice when they were starting out and recalled how he had been impressed with their plans and ambition. Read more: The Edinburgh-based chartered accountant had urged them to appoint directors with high levels of professional expertise in a variety of different fields to their board so that fans had complete faith their money was being well looked after. That was something which he had insisted on when the Foundation of Hearts was being set up - and is convinced has been integral to the organisation's success in the years since they were launched back in 2010. (Image: SNS Group Alan Harvey) But Club 1872, who at one stage were the second largest shareholders in Rangers with a 10.71 per cent stake, have been plagued by accusations about their governance, transparency and independence in recent years and have seen their number of monthly contributors fall from around 8,000 to 4,850. 'We were approached by the Rangers fans,' said Mackie. 'They had put together their own fan ownership vehicle and something like 12,000 people had signed up to it I believe. But they failed to push it through like we did. They missed such an opportunity. Read more: 'There are so many more Hearts fans than there are members of the foundation at the moment. But how many more Rangers fans are there than are signed up to their fan ownership club? Half a million? More? They have a huge number of fans around the world. 'Rangers must have a database with the identities of all of the fans who have bought season tickets or merchandise off them. Imagine what they could do if they got half a million fans paying £10 a month? Imagine they had that bedrock. I have often thought that is the way it should be with Rangers. 'What could they achieve if they had prominent businesspeople who provided a high level of corporate governance taking care of a fan ownership vehicle? I still don't think they've got that. 'The people I met back then, and we are going back to 2011 or 2012, I thought were good people. I can remember saying, 'Keep going! Push it through! Have the courage of your convictions!'. But there were so many forces surrounding Rangers and it didn't work out the way they had hoped."
Scotsman
23-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Andrew Cavenagh makes Rangers-Celtic 'top five in the world' claim as new Ibrox chairman bids to turn tables
Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh (L) and vice-chairman Paraag Marathe (R) at Ibrox following the club's Extraordinary General Meeting in a city centre hotel (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) American recalls 'lightning bolt' moment in Manhattan before baseball match that led him to Ibrox Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, 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... Andrew Cavenagh has declared Rangers' Old Firm rivalry with Celtic as among the best in world football and is confident the tables can turn in terms of current dominance while he is at the Ibrox club's helm. The United States-based healthcare executive was installed as Rangers chairman last month. The takeover by the consortium he leads along with new vice-chairman Paraag Murathe was ratified earlier today at an extraordinary general meeting at a Glasgow hotel. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The pair later met reporters at Ibrox as they continued their first day of public activities as the new owners of Rangers. Cavenagh told shareholders that 'sustained winning' and 'winning sustainably' were their watchwords with the majority shareholders having pledged to invest £20 million into the club in the first instance. Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh surveys Ibrox (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) With the consortium unwilling to specify what portion of this will be spent on squad reinforcements, some have questioned whether this will be enough to overhaul Celtic. Rangers' rivals are currently way out in front on the field as well as off it, where they have been nourished by regular Champions League payments. Cavenagh stressed that he knew what he was getting into. He was asked if he had taken soundings from predecessors, including Dave King, John Bennett and Donald Park, and he confirmed that he had. 'I have met with all three of those individuals as well as other shareholders and former directors and former staff and I think they have had good advice and been open,' he said. 'The quick answer is I have had time to speak to other people, not just those three, about what lies ahead.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Asked how far away Rangers were from once again realising their full potential, he replied with what sounded like a manifesto rather than a time-frame. 'I would give you the simple answer which is we have been finishing second and we would like to finish first,' he said. 'We are one position away from where we would like to be.' Rangers' Nico Raskin in action against Hearts - no promises he won't be sold (Photo by Roddy Scott / SNS Group) He was confident that the gap can be bridged. 'We relish that challenge,' he said. 'We are impatient, we are competitive, and so we look forward to the challenge. In terms of the rivalry, I think rivalry is one of the things that makes football great. Our rivalry with Celtic…Rangers wouldn't quite be the same without that rivalry. It's top five in the world. Boca-River Plate, Lazio-Roma, Celtic-Rangers, those would be the three that come to mind. It's fantastic to have that rivalry. We look forward to the challenge.' 'We think it is achievable or we wouldn't be here,' he added. 'We don't think it will be easy. It is not going to happen instantaneously, but we will strive to improve the on-field performance and we will continue to build the infrastructure of the club. If we didn't think we could win we wouldn't be here. We are here because we think we can.' A college goalkeeper and fervent fan of what he grew up to know as soccer, Cavenagh went into more detail about the circumstances that brought him into both Rangers' – and Scottish football's – orbit. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He recalled where he was when he took the call that changed his life. 'I was on the upper east side of Manhattan outside a coffee shop about to go to a New York Yankees game,' he recalled. 'I've known about Rangers forever as a football fan. So when the phone call came to ask if I'd have an interest, it was a lightning bolt moment.' The call was from Les Allan, a New York banker. 'I had met him six months prior,' explained Cavenagh. 'He knew our group was interested in a rare but good opportunity in football. Les called me and I said, 'Absolutely'. Three seconds later I was on the phone to Paraag. 'The last few months have been an incredible experience,' he added. 'One of my favourite moments in life is the five minutes before the match kicks off when you can feel the electricity. 'I was lucky to go to the match at Parkhead (v Celtic in March) and it was incredible. I learned a couple of new phrases and gestures when I was there! But it was a fantastic experience. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It was the first match where our fans were allowed back in and we had 2500 fans there. But they were incredibly loud and vocal in showing their support. It was one of the best football experiences of my life. 'I've been a football fan all my life. I've been to five World Cups and five European Championships. I've been to countless matches. I think I did 14 new stadiums in the last year. 'It's a physical experience when you walk upstairs at Ibrox. You walk up the marble stairs to the Blue Room and in the trophy room in particular you can just feel the history. There's no other way to describe it. You walk in and instantly feel indebted to the people who have come before you. 'But you also have the desire to do everything you possibly can, not just to improve the history, but also improve the trajectory.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While his talk of 'magical' Ibrox will sit very well with fans, it's the planned upward curve in the team's fortunes that really interests them. 'There is real work to be done,' Cavenagh acknowledged. 'I think everyone is aware of that.' New manager Russell Martin, whose players returned to training this morning at the Rangers Training Centre, has his work cut out. One of the key questions as he seeks to build a squad good enough to properly compete is whether he will be forced to sell bankable players such as Belgium international midfielder Nico Raskin in this self-sustaining model of growth as outlined by Cavenagh.
Glasgow Times
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Volunteers clock over 350 hours for Glasgow 850 celebrations
The milestone was reached by 300 volunteers registered across all 23 of the city's wards. The achievement was announced as the Volunteers' Week came to an end. Volunteers at Sauchiehall Street Strip the Willow (Image: Alan Harvey SNS) To thank volunteers for their hard work, a special celebration was held at Lambhill Stables, featuring boat trips by the Forth and Clyde Canal Society, a souvenir-making station, and talks on local history. People who took part in the Glasgow 850 volunteer scheme have supported events such as the Clyde Chorus, the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women's Final at Glasgow Green, and a Strip the Willow on Sauchiehall Street. Read more: Plans put forward for £600k investment in historic building Police hunting two thugs after man viciously attacked in Glasgow Gala day featuring football match with Still Game star to take place in Glasgow The volunteer scheme, set up with Volunteer Glasgow, allows people to sign up for volunteering and learning opportunities throughout the anniversary year. Bailie Annette Christie, the council's Convenor for Culture, Sport and International Relations, said: "As Volunteers' Week draws to a close we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the volunteers across Glasgow making an invaluable contribution to the city. "The ongoing support and enthusiasm of volunteers are central to the success of Glasgow 850, and to reach a remarkable 350 hours of activities is a credit to the strength and passion of Glasgow's volunteer community. "The volunteers' contributions over the course of the year so far have not only supported the smooth running of Glasgow 850's signature events, but have made a tangible impact within local communities. "Each volunteer should be very proud of the part they have played in celebrating Glasgow's past, present and future."
