The Herald

Athletics

Cricket

Saltires officials are struggling to boost their squad for the final two matches of the season after big-name targets priced themselves out of a deal. The Scots, who entertain Warwickshire on September 18 then visit Surrey a week later, are keen to end their three-year totesport League stint in style. However, efforts to replace Yasir Arafat have drawn a blank.

Judo

Tennis

Glasgow Fixtures Designed to Attract Visitors Rugby Union

GLASGOW'S professional rugby players are set to become cultural ambassadors for the city, with home and away matches linked to major arts and music events. January's Celtic Connections festival - with Neath/Swansea Ospreys from Wales, England's Bath and French team Bourgoin all visiting Glasgow while it is on - will be a test case as City Council officials, keen to promote the 2014 Commonwealth Games bid, look at using one of its leading sports as a major marketing tool.

Consistency Will Pay Off in Monaco Athletics

The most consistent athletes of 2005, including 30 individual champions from Helsinki and the winners of 84 medals from the world championships, contest the World Athletics Final which opens tonight in Monaco, writes Doug Gillon. The two-day event will finalise the year's world rankings, but Kenenisa Bekele, the Ethiopian who scored major points for his world 10,000m record, has put himself out of contention by opting out.

A Genius Who Rises to the Challenge Time and Time Again

IN any sport, big players produce on the big occasions. Shane Warne, in his last Test match in England, was never going to disappoint. I've met Warne a couple of times and he's a great lad - a full- of-life character, like Ian Botham, and someone with a fantastic attitude to life. You have to admire the way that he disappeared to lose a lot of his weight and then came back still as good as he'd ever been. His place in history is assured and this is a boy who was being called a big, fat so-and...

Konterman Unsure of Rangers Defence Football Extra Football Extra Former Ibrox Man Sees Similarities with His Own Time, Reports Darryl Broadfoot

ALEX McLEISH will unveil the latest modifications to his defence in the Falkirk Stadium tomorrow. In a week when Walter Smith seamlessly altered Scotland's structure to secure victory in Norway, the Rangers manager is similarly tempted by the increased security offered by a 3-5-2 formation. The hasty recapture of Sotirios Kyrgiakos was an unanticipated measure to address the deficiencies so apparent in the Bank of Scotland Premierleague. With Champions League football beginning next week agai...

Raith Fans Fund Reaches Gbp80,000

RAITH ROVERS supporters are close to raising the GBP100,000 which would allow them to buy 50-per cent of the club. "Reclaim the Rovers", the supporters' group which is planning a community purchase of the club, believes a concerted effort will secure the funds needed to purchase the share in the club owned by directors Colin McGowan and Alex Short.

Hughes Puts His Faith in Mr Motivator

Summerbee Target for Kernaghan

Sfl Give Go-Ahead to Fixture Reshuffle

Christanval Signs Deal with Fulham

Beckham Influence Stifling England Captain Must Be Sacrificed for the Good of the Team

IT will be the cruellest cut of all, but this time Sven-Goeran Eriksson has no choice. To save his own skin and, in doing so, restore England's credibility as genuine World Cup contenders, the most influential player in his entire squad has to be sacrificed. David Beckham, the only player to emerge from the Belfast humiliation with any credit, must be banished to the sidelines.

Scot Takes Credit As Sanchez Wins the Mind Games

NORTHERN Ireland recorded their historic World Cup qualifying victory against England on Wednesday night with a little help from a Scot. Lawrie Sanchez, the national coach, used methods taught to him at Wycombe Wanderers by sports psychologist Tom Lucas to great effect in the 1-0 win against Sven-Goeran Eriksson's team at Windsor Park.

Tartan Army Face Ticket Ballot

Celtic Wait for Zurawski After Pole Plays Through the Pain

GORDON STRACHAN, the Celtic manager, will be hoping Maciej Zurawski suffers no adverse reaction after overcoming injury to push Poland to the brink of the World Cup. The 28-year-old striker scored from the penalty spot to give his nation a 1-0 win overWales and open a five-point lead over England at the top of Group 6.

Gbp1.4m in Bag As Smith Now Sets Sights On Higher Stakes but Will Norway's Late Goal Prove Costly?

IN ONE fell swoop in Oslo on Wednesday night, Walter Smith managed to net the SFA a cool GBP1.4m while watching his unlikely heroes repair Scotland's battered international image, let alone their World Cup qualifying campaign. That is the sum that will now be generated, including gate receipts, TV income and sundry commercial spin-offs, when Scotland play Belarus before a full house at Hampden on October 8. Had Scotland lost in Oslo, next month's Belarus match in Group 5 would have been a non...

Tay L O R Hunts Sfa Culprit

DAVID TAYLOR, the SFA chief executive, yesterday conducted internal interviews with members of the governing body's staff as the Steven Whittaker affair rumbled on, writes Graham Spiers. Taylor and the SFA are still smarting from the embarrassing incompetence of the affair, whereby the Hibs defender, while suspended by UEFA, was fielded in the under-21 match against Italy, which ended in a 2-2 draw. After the SFA's admission that they had overlooked Whittaker's suspension Italy were awarded ...