SPL Betting: One week until kick-off for McCoist's Rangers

Scottish Football / Michael Lintorn / 16 July 2011 / Leave a Comment

Opinion is split as to whether McCoist will be a success as Rangers boss

"When Smith left the first time in 1998 after overseeing seven championship wins in eight campaigns, it didn’t stop Rangers from claiming top spot in each of the following two years."

Champions Rangers get the 2011-12 SPL campaign underway against Hearts next Saturday, but despite three title successes in a row, they aren't fancied as much as Celtic.

The SPL gets off to an incredibly early start next week and neither champions Rangers nor favourites Celtic appear anywhere near ready, with Ally McCoist admitting that he has much more work to do and the Bhoys yet to replace goalkeeper Fraser Forster.

Neil Lennon insists that he has faith in Polish shot-stopper Lukasz Zaluska filling the void but has taken Croatian custodian Stipe Pletikosa, most recently of Tottenham, on loan and has shown an interest in Craig Gordon, and it looks likely that one of those will sign.

Despite missing out last season by a point, Celtic are [1.84] frontrunners to finish first, the change of management at Ibrox and arrivals of Championship defenders Kelvin Wilson and Adam Matthews on free transfers and Kenyan midfielder Victor Wanyama for £1 million at Parkhead tilting the scales.

Walter Smith's departure is undeniably a huge blow for the Gers, however given that they have won the last three titles, his number two McCoist has succeeded him and the long-awaited Craig Whyte takeover has prevented any major player exits, their odds of [2.32] have to be considered generous.

Indeed, when Smith left the first time in 1998 after overseeing seven championship wins in eight campaigns, it didn't stop them from claiming top spot in each of the following two years.

Their bid for a fourth straight triumph hasn't been helped by a frustrating window to date. McCoist is in no position to complain given the pressure that his predecessor faced to sell stars, but will be mildly irritated to have made just one addition so far in Almeria midfielder Juan Manuel Ortiz.

Elsewhere, the main summer headlines were earned by Hearts for all the wrong reasons, including alleging a mafia conspiracy against them. Their delay in axing Craig Thomson after he was placed on the sex offenders' register went down badly, especially as they only acted once sponsors withdrew.

Despite a typically chaotic few months, the capital club are [2.1] favourites to be the top performers outside of the Old Firm. They contest the season's curtain-raiser next Saturday lunchtime away to Rangers, while their rivals Hibernian host Celtic on Sunday.

Celtic haven't won the SPL in any of the last three seasons yet they are the early favourites to be crowned champions of Scotland in 2011-12 at [1.85], with Rangers [2.16] to sustain their dominance in the absence of Walter...

Neil Lennon's agent Martin Reilly is adamant that the Celtic boss won't be forced out of the club by those making his life hell, ahead of what promises to be a thrilling finale to a gripping SPL title race.

Something has to give at Parkhead this Sunday as both Celtic and Rangers put their 100% records on the line in a bid to top the SPL.......

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5 footballers who played for both Celtic and Rangers

/ Dan Fitch / 21 April 2011 / Leave a Comment

The only way this man can cause more controversy is by rejoining Celtic.

Dan Fitch profiles the five players to have crossed the Old Firm divide.

Rangers play Celtic on Sunday in the Old Firm derby. It's the most passionate local rivalry in football and their is absolutely no love lost between the two Glasgow giants.

There are a handful of players who have a unique perspective on the Old Firm clash, having played for both teams. Here are the five footballers who have played for Celtic and Rangers.

The first post-War player to play for both Old Firm sides was the winger Alfie Conn. Starting his career at Rangers, Conn was part of the team that won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1972 and also played in Rangers' 3-2 Scottish Cup victory over Celtic in 1973, in which he scored his team's second goal.

Conn's performances attracted the interest of Tottenham, who paid a then large fee of £140,000 in 1974. He would spend three years at White Hart Lane, before Celtic came calling. Conn's desire to play for Jock Stein saw him make the move to Parkhead.

"He was one of those managers I always wanted to play under. Rangers hadn't come back in for me and I thought I could still learn a lot. So when Stein asked me, I didn't hesitate. Several  people warned me against it but it was only after I signed when I flew back into Glasgow, with all the press and TV, that I realised it was bigger than I first thought. That's when it hit home. It wasn't easy hearing the team that used to cheer for me throwing insults but at least it kept the city talking."

By far the most controversial instance of a player playing for both Celtic and Rangers came when Mo Johnstone was signed by the Ibrox boss Graeme Souness. Having joined Celtic in 1984, Johnstone was a prolific scorer for the club, until he was bought by Nantes in 1987.

After two years in France, Johnstone appeared at a press conference at Parkhead, with Celtic having reputedly agreed a £1.2m deal to bring the striker back to the club. At the time Johnstone was quoted as saying: "I didn't want to leave Celtic and I don't intend to now. There was some rubbish about me wanting to join Manchester United but it never entered my head to play for any other club. In fact, there is no other British club I could play for apart from Celtic."

Due to financial complexities the deal never went through and less than a month later Johnstone signed for Rangers, whose fans seemed even more appalled at the deal than those of Celtic, with many burning scarves and handing in season tickets.

Hailed as the 'new Richard Gough, Steven Pressley was a product of the Rangers youth system, but struggled to establish himself as a first team regular and eventually left the club in 1994, signing for Coventry.

After a short spell in England, Pressley returned to his homeland with Dundee United, before moving to Hearts, where he made over 300 appearances and became the club captain. After becoming a free agent, the then 33-year old Pressley was signed by Celtic. In 2007 'Elvis' was part of the Celtic side that won the Scottish Cup and became the first player to have won the trophy with three different clubs.

Another Rangers youth product who eventually ended up at Celtic was the goalkeeper Mark Brown. He would make just five first team appearances for Rangers, before moving to Motherwell in 2001, where he spent a single season until their financial problems forced them to release Brown from his contract.

The keeper then moved to Inverness CT where he would spend five years. When his contract due to expire in 2007, Celtic swooped to sign Brown for an undisclosed 'six-figure fee', where he would serve as backup to Artur Boruc. As was the case at Rangers, Brown was unable to establish himself between the posts at Celtic and made just 13 appearances for the club, before signing for Hibs in 2010.

Of the five players who have played for either side of the Old Firm in the modern age, Kenny Miller is the only one to have crossed the divide twice. Signed by Rangers in 2000 for £2m, Miller spent just over a season at Ibrox before moving to Wolves on a loan move that turned permanent.

Miller would spend five years in England with Wolves. His contract expired in 2006, allowing Miller to make a controversial Bosman move to Celtic. After failing to score in his first nine games, his debut goal for the club inevitably came against Rangers. The striker never became at regular starter for Celtic and he was quickly sold to Derby.

In 2008 Miller made history when he was signed by Rangers for the second time. It was an unpopular move amongst a proportion of Rangers' support. Walter Smith spoke out against the fans that booed their own player: "If people don't think he's good enough then that's fine but it's my opinion that matters and I happen to think he is good enough.

"That's how I look upon it. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but if their reason for not liking him is because he used to play for Celtic, then I thought those days were in the past. They are for me."

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