The Herald

Celtic V Rapid Vienna

Numbers Game

25 Rapid's last visit to Parkhead, 25 years ago in a Cup- Winners' Cup second round tie, has become infamous. 3 Davie Hay's men beat Otto Baric's team 3-0, only to have to have the result annulled after Rapid appealed on the grounds Rudi Weinhofer had been struck by a bottle thrown from the crowd. Rapid won 1-0 in a bitter Old Trafford replay with current manager Peter Pacult scoring.

Learning Lessons in European Studies Interview Tony Mowbray Turns Teacher As Celtic Prepare to Make New History Against Rapid Vienna

THE specialist subject of the week, or weeks, has been the history of Celtic v Rapid Vienna. Tony Mowbray was anxious yesterday to extend the curriculum to include economics, aesthetics and philosophy. It was just another day on the football beat. The Austrians will enter Celtic Park tonight, presumably wafted from Vienna on a veritable wind of hype. However, the events of 25 years ago were condemned to history yesterday by a properly prickly Mowbray. "I genuinely feel that with the players i...

Pacult: We Played, We Won. That's That

PETER PACULT, the Rapid Vienna coach, yesterday criticised former Celtic striker Frank McGarvey after the Austrian club returned to Glasgow for the first time since their controversial European CupWinners' Cup tie in season 1984/85. Pacult scored the only goal of the match in the replayed match at Old Trafford to take Rapid through and the Austrian club went all the way to the final where they lost to Everton.

Time to Get Down to Business Mcmanus Embarrassed by Rapid Hype and Focused On Helping Celtic Stay in Europa League Mcmanus Embarrassed by Rapid Hype and Focused On Helping Celtic Stay in Europa League Analysis

TIMING is everything. Stephen McManus arrived in the middle of a heated and even hysterical media squabble over the tranche of coverage dedicated to Celtic's controversial encounter with Rapid Vienna 25 years ago. The indignation has been dusted down and given a new gloss, as much for the benefit of selling tickets as filling column inches. Everybody, save for the bottle-throwing perpetrator of the chaotic European Cup-Winners' Cup trilogy, has had his say on the matter. The current Celtic ca...

Old Warrior Weir Takes Stock As the Battlefield Opens Out for Rangers

THERE'S a bigger picture and it may not be as gruesome as the pictures from the second half at Ibrox on Tuesday night. David Weir had little time for reflection on the misery of the past, preferring to cast his mind ahead. The old soldier is already preparing for his next battle. At 39, Weir was still feeling the strains and bruises of a troubled night in a Rangers defence that had leaked four goals after the interval. But he was already looking ahead to both an Old Firm match and the still r...

Ever Decreasing Circles Analysis Rangers Must Give Serious Consideration to a Radical Change of Philosophy or Risk Drifting Further From Europe's Elite, Writes Darryl Broadfoot

RANGERS find themselves in a cycle of helplessness similar to that which has rendered Gordon Brown a phantom figurehead of a soon- to-be shadow government. After the Prime Minister failed to rally a fractious Labour Party at their annual conference in Brighton, the Scottish champions hardly delivered a confidence motion before their new leader, Alastair Johnston. It was not defeat to Sevilla but the manner in which it was inflicted that has highlighted Rangers' inadequacies at Champions Le...

Lawrie Seeking Shortcut to Success Interview Putting Is the Only Thing Holding Former Open Champion Back, Writes Douglas Lowe

PAUL LAWRIE heads into his happy hunting ground of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship today in the firm belief that just one more holed putt per round could turn around seven years in the doldrums and hoist him back on to the winner's rostrum. The 40-year-old Aberdonian won this event the first time it was played in its current pro-am format in 2001. The following year he recorded his last victory, in the Wales Open at Celtic Manor, venue for next year's Ryder Cup and where he has set his ...

Karlsson Takes It a Step at a Time

ROBERT KARLSSON, the defending champion and last year's European No.1, revealed yesterday that he feared that a blister behind his left eye could have spelled the end of his career. The 40-year-old Swede made his comeback after an absence of three months in last week's Vivendi Trophy in Paris and he believes that match marked the start of what will be a long period of rehabilitation.

Axe Will Fall On Hawick If Allegations Stand Up

HAWICK could be kicked out of the East of Scotland League and their players suspended indefinitely if they are found guilty of match fixing. Lothian and Borders Police have begun their investigation into allegations Huntly's 7-0 victory in the first round of the Active Nation Scottish Cup was part of a betting scam.

Wilkie Will Have to Bide His Time, Warns United Manager Levein

CRAIG LEVEIN, the Dundee United manager, has warned his captain, Lee Wilkie, he's not going to walk straight back into a regular place. The centre-half, who was deployed as a striker against St Johnstone last weekend, has been on the sidelines for months after a knee cartilage operation and Andy Webster and Darren Dods have forged a successful partnership in his absence.

Mensing Doubt for Hamilton

HAMILTON Academical are worried about the fitness of Simon Mensing for their game against St Johnstone. The 27-year-old midfielder was substituted at half-time in Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle because of a hamstring injury and has been receiving treatment this week.

Ifil Injury Not As Bad As Feared

ABERDEEN have received a fitness boost with the news that Jerel Ifil's hamstring injury is not as bad as feared. The defender will miss Saturday's Clydesdale Bank Premier League game at Kilmarnock but is in line to return for the visit of Hearts on October 17. Mark McGhee, the manager, said: "It looks like Jerel has a strain rather than a tear, which is good news.

Kevin Ferrie On Thursday Sru Still Prioritise Nice Day Out Over Genuine Youth Development

THE Scottish Rugby Union procrastination and propaganda machine is in reverse gear ahead of an important meeting tonight. Already a series of roadblocks have been placed in the way of progress when it comes to the most important aspect of the governing body's work: planning for the future. The agenda for tonight's meeting of the working party looking into SRU competitions contains an item that has apparently been misnamed. Listed as a discussion on the "integrated youth cup", it refers to wha...

Fans with Laptops

Clubs should weed out the cheats - or else I ALMOST begin to feel sorry for football referees. Every week their mistakes are mercilessly revealed on television, and it now seems that blatant cheating and conning of referees has become an accepted part of professional football, Yet the problem could be solved at a stroke if FIFA, UEFA and domestic associations had the sense to make use of modern technology. Of course, the referee's decisions and the result of the game must always stand, but th...