The Herald

Celtic Offer Sfa Peace at a Price

Continued on Page 2 CELTIC stepped back from all-out war with the Scottish Football Association last night.

No Final Transfers Likely for Smith

WALTER SMITH may have bought his last player as the manager of Rangers. The club are close to confirming to him there will be no money to spend on transfer fees during the January transfer window. A board meeting will be held on Monday, but it is probable that manager Smith will be told he will not get a chance to buy players for the last time before leaving the club in May.

Houston Reports to Sfa Over Mcdonald Penalty Comments

PETER HOUSTON, the Dundee United manager, has been asked to explain his comments about referee Dougie McDonald following last month's infamous clash with Celtic. Houston rounded on the official in the wake of his decision to give a penalty to Celtic, which he then reversed. Houston initially claimed McDonald appeared eager to award the penalty, before the controversy over the subsequent reversal of that decision overshadowed those comments. McDonald has since admitted he lied to the Celtic ma...

Peace Talks Cool War of Words

From Front Page authorities, saying: "It was also correct that the Scottish Football Association conduct an investigation into events following the resignation of an assistant referee. Clearly, as a result of this investigation it is very unfortunate that dishonesty has been proven."

Mcghee: Bias Talk Is Utter Nonsense

MARK McGHEE yesterday dismissed as "absolute, utter nonsense" claims by Gary Hooper, the Celtic striker, that referees are biased against his team. McGhee, a former Celtic player, takes his Aberdeen team to Parkhead today and said he hoped the match officials will receive support from everyone involved in the match. "I hope both clubs, both managers - Neil Lennon and myself - and everyone else surrounding this game does what they can to help the referee," McGhee said. "Whatever we think about...

Celtic Statement

* Celtic have backed Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan's attempts to reform the governing body's decision-making process as they finally responded to the investigation into the Tannadice penalty controversy. Regan aims to bring more urgency and openness to the ruling body after being frustrated by procedures during his probe into referee Dougie McDonald's decision to rescind a penalty he initially awarded to Celtic in their Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash with D...

Mcginn Revels in Chance to Study at the Feet of Boyhood Hero

THE education of Niall McGinn continued yesterday with a meeting with his hero. Henrik Larsson, the Swede who scored 242 goals for Celtic, trained at Lennoxtown, possibly sending a shudder down the back of Georgios Samaras as Neil Lennon considers his options for today's match against Aberdeen.

'This Might Put a Seed of Doubt in My Players' Minds . . .'

NEIL Lennon meets a question the way he once went for a 50-50 ball. Both answer and tackle leave little room for maneouvre. The Celtic manager had to be canny yesterday in the wake of Whistlegate, the ongoing scandal over the lies of Dougie McDonald, the match referee in Celtic's 2-1 victory over Dundee United at Tannadice last month.

Eastern Delivery

* Vladimir Romanov, the Hearts owner, last night made a typically scathing assessment of the state of refereeing. His statement read: "To talk about refereeing which has been enslaved by the Scottish football mafia is senseless. Refereeing is the smallest of their football problems.

Butcher: Motherwell Kids Are Alright

TERRY BUTCHER is full of admiration for the youth set-up at Motherwell which has produced a number of exciting young players and he is striving to achieve similar success with Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Butcher had a hand in bringing through the likes of James McFadden and Stephen Pearson when he was manager of the Fir Park side, while Brian McClair is another whose career began at the club.

Post-Match Knees Up Offers Lennon the Chance to Drink It All In

AT this rate the St Mirren drinks bill will be going through the roof. In a bid to satisfy his insatiable thirst for knowledge, Danny Lennon has made a habit of inviting rival managers into his office after matches to pick their brains over a glass or two of red. It has proven to be a useful and well-received idea, judging by the number of empties piling up outside his door.

Hasselbaink Out to Show United What They Missed

CONSIDERING Nigel Hasselbaink has spent the first few months of the season turning heads, not to mention the odd centre-half, it seems almost inconceivable that his first week in Scotland ended in disappointment and rejection. After being released by PSV Eindhoven in the summer, the striker was taken on trial by Dundee United. It looked like the perfect chance to make a fresh start to his career but despite his best efforts Hasselbaink was informed he was not what the Tannadice club were look...

Patience Pays with Life After Boyd

THE warning was stark. No Boyd. No goals. No title. The riposte has been emphatic. The banners that followed Rangers around the country in the closing weeks of the last campaign conveyed a message of discontent and fear. The supporters that held them need not have worried.

Signature Result of Smith's Return

IT wasn't the biggest game they've played, nor against the toughest opponents. They were outplayed for much of it and made heavy weather of coming out on top in a match they were overwhelming favourites to win. Even so, what happened the last time Rangers played St Mirren has gone down as one of the signature results of Walter Smith's second spell at Ibrox. The Co-op Cup ought to have been heading to Paisley and the boardroom of a club which had never won it. Rangers were on the ropes in the ...

Surprise Choice As Captain Is Ready for Leadership Test ; Interview Derek Riordan Is Happy to Be Back at the Centre of Attention, Finds Michael Grant

SOMEHOW it seems more of a stretch to realise Derek Riordan will soon be 28, more of a stretch to remember he is already a father, than it is to learn that he gets a buzz out of taking stick from Hearts fans. Riordan is steeped in modern Edinburgh football culture, an iconic figure for Hibees to rally around and Jambos to abuse. In any list of contenders to be the centre of attention in the derby tomorrow, Riordan is right up there. He will be at the centre of it all again at Easter Road, pos...

Paatelainen Ready to Meet Tough Decisions Head On

mixu Paatelainen, the Kilmarnock manager, says he will not shy away from making more tough decisions this season after he replaced Rui Miguel after only 38 minutes against Hearts last weekend. Miguel looked bemused as trudged off at Tynecastle to be replaced by Conor Sammon as Paatelainen altered his plans. The Finn admitted afterwards that he had made a mistake in starting with the Portuguese striker, a theory that was somewhat vindicated when Sammon struck the second goal of a 3-0 victory.

Survival Will Be Like Title for Dundee

GARY IRVINE believes securing survival in the Irn-Bru First Division after their 25-point deduction will be a greater achievement for Dundee than winning the championship would have been before they entered administration. The Dens Park club are 20 points adrift at the bottom of the table after receiving that penalty last Monday, but Irvine claims the fightback can start against Partick Thistle today.

Today (3pm Unless Stated) Pwdlfapts Chelsea1081127325 Arsenal10622221020 Manchester United10550221220 Manchester... [Derived Headline]

TODAY (3pm unless stated) PWDLFAPts

Pwdlfapts Raith Rovers1182116526 Dunfermline Athletic11812231125 Falkirk11614231319 Queen of the South11425141714... [Derived Headline]

PWDLFAPts Raith Rovers1182116526

Time Spent Waiting in the Wings has Gibson Revelling in Spotlight

It has taken Willie Gibson a long time to find contentment in his career. The fleet-footed winger burst onto the scene as a prodigious talent at Queen of the South, but his move to the big time with Kilmarnock ended in frustrating circumstances. Gibson was never able to hold down a regular place at Rugby Park and his discontent eventually manifested itself in a public spat with manager Jim Jefferies, when he threw his shirt away having been substituted shortly after coming on against Aberdeen.