Tag Archives: peterhead

Big freeze hits sport again

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Big freeze hits sport again as football fixtures loses more matches and Cheltenham waits on Saturday's show

By
Marcus Townend

PUBLISHED:

12:25 GMT, 25 January 2013

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UPDATED:

10:07 GMT, 26 January 2013

Cheltenham’s big Saturday meeting featuring key Festival trials has passed its Friday inspection but is still subject to a 7am check tomorrow as the track continue to hedge their bets.

No problems are anticipated but the possibility of switching the meeting to Sunday has been retained should unexpected weather hit the track.

A number of football fixtures have also fallen victim to the frozen weather (see below).

Snow joke: The Cheltenham Trials meeting is under threat

Snow joke: The Cheltenham Trials meeting is under threat

Snow joke: The Cheltenham Trials meeting is under threat
Postponed football matches

npower League 1
Tranmere v Swindon

npower League 2
Bradford v Wycombe

Blue Square Bet Premier
Alfreton Town v Tamworth
Hyde v Ebbsfleet United

Kidderminster Harriers v Woking

Scottish Second Division
Albion v Stenhousemuir
Brechin v Queen of South

Scottish Third Division
Annan Athletic v Peterhead
East Stirling v Clyde
Elgin v Queen's Park

The circuit has been cleared of snow but some is expected to hit the course this afternoon being followed by rain.

Cheltenham communications manager Andy Clifton said: 'The course is fit to race and we will be taking the covers off this afternoon, but we have called a precautionary check for 7am.

'The situation is that we are forecast a little bit of snow around teatime today which is then due to be followed by a band of rain.

'Given the more severe weather which is forecast across the country later today, we felt it prudent to call a precautionary inspection just in case our local forecasts are wrong.

'If the forecast is right, which they
have largely been this week, I think we might be able to give the
meeting the go-ahead before 7am tomorrow. If the forecast is right, we
would be extremely confident of racing tomorrow.

Trainers will be required to declare their horses for Saturday and then declare them again for Sunday.

Inspection: Officials will look at the track at 7am on Saturday

Inspection: Officials will look at the track at 7am on Saturday

Clifton added: 'The whole point of us
having that ghost card, even though we are confident of racing, was to
give us the option of Sunday. If there is some unexpected problem
overnight, we have the option to wait until Sunday.'

Cheltenham’s
card features a Gold Cup trial in the Argento Chase and the Victor
Chandler Chase in which unbeaten chaser Sprinter Sacre runs.

Inspection: Officials will look at the track at 7am on Saturday

Hard at work: Groundstaff clear snow off the track on Friday

Hard at work: Groundstaff clear snow off the track on Friday

Hard at work: Groundstaff clear snow off the track on Friday

A few football matches have been postponed because of the freezing conditions.

In League One, the match at Prenton Park between Tranmere Rovers and Swindon Town has been called off, as has the League Two game between Bradford City and Wycombe.

In the Conference, the matches at Alfreton, Hyde and Kidderminster are off, while only one match in Conference North – Worcester City v Histon – has survived.

In the Conference South, the games at Billericay Town, Boreham Wood and Maidenhead United have been postponed.

Five games in Scotland are off as things stand – in the second division at Albion Rovers and Brechin, and in the third division at Annan, East Stirling and Elgin City.

Rangers: Ally McCoist respects decision to start in third division

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Our journey back starts here, rallies McCoist as Rangers are dumped in bottom tier

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UPDATED:

22:01 GMT, 13 July 2012

Ally McCoist insists he respects the decision of the Scottish Football League to force Rangers to begin life in the bottom tier.

The newco was voted in to the league by all but one of the clubs before 25 of the 30 elected to send them to the Third Division.

And McCoist had reportedly gone as far as to ask the assembled chairmen for the chance to begin again in the fourth tier.

Time to move on: Ally McCoist is pleased a decision has been made

Time to move on: Ally McCoist is pleased a decision has been made

‘I fully accept the decision of the SFL today and thank them for allowing us into the SFL,’ he said.

‘Clearly, starting from the bottom is not ideal and makes the task of rebuilding Rangers a longer one, but the SFL was placed in an impossible situation and I respect its decision.

‘I fully support the fans’ views that starting again in Division Three maintains the sporting integrity that the SPL clubs were so keen on.

‘The SPL clubs and the SFA have made their positions clear over the past few weeks and it remains to be seen what the long-term effects of their decisions will be.

‘Rangers have been severely punished for the actions of some individuals who previously ran the club and it will take time to recover. But we will come back stronger thanks to the loyalty of the fans and the commitment of everyone at Ibrox working tirelessly to bring back stability and success.’

Announcement: David Longmuir (centre) officially seals Rangers' fate

Announcement: David Longmuir (centre) officially seals Rangers' fate

As Rangers fans scan the road maps to Annan, Peterhead and the like, however, the tin lid has not quite been closed on this can of worms.

Charles Green still needs his Sevco company to obtain SFA membership before it can begin life down among the dead men. If suggestions that a condition of this will be to agree to take the historical punishments of the old club, then there is certainly an awkward hurdle yet to clear.

Seemingly, Green told the 30 chairmen that SFA membership would be granted only in the event of the club being pushed into the First Division. Quite why the block would be put on a club entering two divisions below is unclear, but it is hard to take issue with the Yorkshireman’s take that his club had now suffered the ‘ultimate punishment’.

There was widespread acceptance that not only had the correct decision been made, but it was also final.

Up in the air: Dundee Chief Executive Scott Gardiner arrives at Hampden

Up in the air: Dundee Chief Executive Scott Gardiner arrives at Hampden

A trip to Brechin or Forfar — depending on whether Dundee or Dunfermline are promoted to the SPL — on July 28 in the Ramsdens Cup (while Celtic entertain Inter Milan) will be Rangers’ first engagement as a Third Division club, followed on August 11 by their league bow at Peterhead, before a home match with East Stirlingshire a week later. It is beyond surreal.

Those who intend to follow, follow will rack up far more miles than they would have done in the SPL. Only four of Rangers’ opponents — the Shire, Clyde, Stirling Albion and Queen’s Park — are within short travelling distance.

As well as the Blue Toon, Elgin and Montrose mean long treks north, while not one of Stranraer, Annan and Berwick Rangers are within two hours of Ibrox in the other direction. It is going to be a season like no other.

Just try getting a ticket for that game at Balmoor next month, the day on which history will be made. Even the visit of the Shire might threaten the Ibrox capacity. People love a novelty, after all.

Rangers voted into Third Division

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Get out of here! Rangers thrown down to Third Division after clubs vote against stricken club

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UPDATED:

16:03 GMT, 13 July 2012

Rangers will start the new season in the Irn-Bru Third Division following a vote by Scottish Football League chairmen at Hampden.

The 30 SFL teams were voting on whether Charles Green's newco Rangers should enter the league and which division they should be placed in.

The Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football Association were hopeful Rangers would be parachuted into the First Division, with SFA chief executive Stewart Regan claiming that putting the Ibrox club into the Third Division would bring financial catastrophe and a 'slow, lingering death' of the game.

See ya: Alloa director Ewen Cameron (left), SFL president Jim Ballantyne (centre) and SFL chief executive David Longmuir announce the verdict on Rangers

See ya: Alloa director Ewen Cameron (left), SFL president Jim Ballantyne (centre) and SFL chief executive David Longmuir announce the verdict on Rangers

WHO RANGERS WILL PLAY

Annan Athletic, Berwick, Clyde, East Stirling, Elgin, Montrose, Peterhead, Queens Park, Stirling, Stranraer

Twenty-nine of the 30 SFL clubs accepted Rangers as an associate member of the Scottish Football League while 25 clubs voted in favour of placing the newco team into the bottom tier.

SFL chief executive David Longmuir said: 'The member clubs of the Scottish Football League have today voted to willingly accept The Rangers Football Club as an associate member of the Scottish Football League.

'Furthermore, the Scottish Football League's only acceptable position will be to place Rangers FC into the Third Division of the Irn-Bru Scottish Football League from the start of this season.'

Longmuir also stated that he was 'comfortable' with the outcome of the vote and that the decision from the SFL clubs was taken with the sport's best interests at heart.

He said: 'I'm comfortable today that the Scottish Football League made a very, very decisive decision that was based on sporting fairness and I think the Scottish Football League were in the right place to make that decision.

'This decision followed a
tried-and-tested process and was taken in cognisance with the other
options which were available for consideration.

'Today's
decision has been one of the most difficult for all concerned but it
has been taken in the best interest of sporting fairness which is the
fundamental principle of the Scottish Football League.

Only way: The clubs voted overwhelmingly against Rangers

Only way: The clubs voted overwhelmingly against Rangers

'The Scottish Football League has been entirely consistent with our willingness to work with other bodies to ensure that we focus on rebuilding our game, restoring pride in our game and exploring revenue streams and our willingness to achieve these aims does not alter.'

Raith Rovers chairman Turnbull Hutton revealed that Green, Regan and Rangers manager Ally McCoist addressed the meeting and said: 'It was a good meeting that was handled well and all the issues came out. There was also a good hearing for those who came into the meeting.

'The league made a decision and I
think it was the right decision and the right process and I'm proud to
be a member of the Scottish Football League.'

Dunfermline
chairman John Yorkston said it would not be a shock to see the SFA and
SPL formulating plans for an SPL2, something which has already been
mooted.

'That wouldn't surprise me,' he added.
'The 10 First Division clubs sent out a message today saying that we are
looking for a 42-club solution, the vote was 25 to five so I think that
was fairly unanimous.'

What now Rangers boss Ally McCoist

What now Rangers boss Ally McCoist

Yorkston was echoing Longmuir's comments which made up part of the statement read to the gathered media.

Longmuir said: 'Something I would like to say very clearly today is that he First Division clubs in particular made it very clear to us that they are looking for an all 42-club solution to Scottish football's restructuring issue – that was a very clear direction of the will of all SFL clubs.'

A statement on the official Rangers website confirmed discussions over forming an SPL2 were still up in the air.

The statement read: 'It was mooted last week that plans for an SPL2 would swing into action in the event of today's outcome but it is not known if this will be the case.'

However Livingston chairman Gordon McDougall does not believe such a breakaway will take place.

'I don't think there is any chance of that,' he said. 'We all want a 42-club solution to this situation with all 42 clubs working together for football but I have no idea what is likely to happen.

'We have made a decision, I sincerely hope the decision is respected and we go forward with Rangers in the Third Division. Ally McCoist and Charles Green were adamant that they would respect our decision.'

Asked if he was surprised by the 25-5 vote he said: 'Not after discussions took place. If you had asked me last night I would not have come to that figure.

'Discussions went well, we listened to everything that was said and we are quite happy.'

Scottish Cup draw: Celtic to play Dundee United in quarter-final

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Celtic face last eight Scottish Cup trip to Gers' conquerors Dundee United

Celtic have been handed yet another away tie in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup.

The holders have travelled to Peterhead and Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the previous two rounds and now face a trip to Dundee United.

Peter Houston's side lie seventh in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League table this season but have finished fourth and third the last two years.

Marching on: Celtic face an away day at Dundee United in quarter-final of the Scottish Cup

Marching on: Celtic face an away day at Dundee United in quarter-final of the Scottish Cup

The Arabs beat Celtic's Old Firm rivals Rangers 2-0 on Sunday to reach the last eight and will provide a stern test for Neil Lennon's men.

QUARTER-FINAL DRAW

Hearts or St Johnstone v St Mirren or Ross County

Ayr United or Falkirk v Hibernian

Dundee United v Celtic

Motherwell v Aberdeen or Queen of the South

Ties will be played on the weekend of March 10 and 11.

The draw also threw up a potential clash between Motherwell, currently third in the SPL, and Aberdeen should the sixth-placed Dons come through their replay with Irn-Bru Division One side Queen of the South.

St Mirren also face an all-SPL tie if they come through their replay against Ross County, with the winners of that tie drawn away to Hearts or St Johnstone.

Hibernian travel to Ayr United or Falkirk, who will contest their fifth-round clash on February 15 after Saturday's clash was postponed when the Somerset Park pitch failed a morning inspection.

The three fifth-round replays will be played a day earlier on February 14, while the quarter-finals will take place on the weekend of March 10 and 11.