'Celtic cut short contract to allow Bain exit'

Celtic have told third-choice goalkeeper Scott Bain that he can leave the club on a free transfer having agreed to cut short the 33-year-old's contract by a year as they prepare to bring Aberdeen free agent Ross Doohan back to the club as his replacement. (The Herald), externalSlovan Bratislava striker David Strelec's agent says there is no concrete offer from Celtic for the 24-year-old who is expected to leave Slovakia this summer. (The Herald), externalBrondby's Benjamin Schmedes is not yet ready to say goodbye to Mathias Kvistgaarden as there are no offers on the table for the 23-year-old despite the striker being linked with Celtic and his head coach thinking he is suited to Europe's top five leagues. (Daily Record), externalRead Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Scottish Sun

3 hours ago

• Scottish Sun

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers spotted linking up with Conor McGregor on holiday as UFC fighter congratulates manager

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CELTIC boss Brendan Rodgers has been snapped alongside world famous UFC fighter Conor McGregor. McGregor shared a picture of the two of them on his social media just days after a SunSport exclusive showed him throwing two punches at a man at a nightclub in Ibiza. Sign up for the Celtic newsletter Sign up 3 UFC fighter Conor McGregor Credit: AP 3 Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers and Irish fighter Conor McGregor Credit: X/TheNotoriousMMA 3 Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers Credit: Alamy Rodgers, who is taking some time out ahead of the new season kicking off soon, was praised by the Irish fighter after winning the double last season. Aberdeen denied them a treble with a famous penalty shoot-out victory in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden in May. McGregor himself is a former UFC featherweight and Lightweight champion holding both titles at the same time - a historic first in the sport. And he alluded to that success in his post with the Celtic manager. McGregor wrote on twitter: "LEGENDARY DOUBLE CHAMP LINK UP! "NEXT YEAR, TREBLE! "God is great! "Congrats to the Rodgers family on the new addition to their family." Meanwhile, as the fixtures were announced for the new season, Rodgers says he is preparing for a tougher test this year ahead of facing a new-look Rangers team. He told Sky Sports: "We create our own benchmark and our own levels and we have been doing that consistently now. What's holding up Nygren Plus Kuhn & Maeda price tags REVEALED Celtic transfer special "But there is no doubt that competition makes you better in whatever sport it is, or whatever pursuit of anything you are trying to achieve. "When you have competition, it narrows the focus and we need to keep an eye on our rivals in terms of what they do and the players they might bring in and systems they play and tactics they use. "Competition is always healthy for you, and for me, it is what really drives me up here. "But ultimately it's about making Celtic as best we can possibly be." Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page

BBC News

3 hours ago

• BBC News

The town centre that turns into a 100mph racetrack

For one night each year, the normally quiet main street of Dunoon is transformed into a seaside town's Argyll Street and surrounding roads are closed, and rally drivers from across the UK take their turn racing around them reaching speeds of up to Argyll Rally is currently Scotland's only motor sporting event that sees racing take part on a town centre event returns this weekend for its fifth year and this time the start list features five local teams who have been inspired to take up the sport due to the local event. On a normal day, if 37-year-old Matt Youden saw a car speeding through Dunoon, he'd be forced to take action as a local police this weekend it is his turn to told BBC Scotland News: "When you're in a rally car, strapped in with your helmet on, it's a totally different feeling to driving about in my normal 4x4 car."It certainly is a wee bit different to going for your morning rolls."Matt grew up around rally driving as his dad used to race, but it wasn't until he was stationed in Dunoon he decided to take up the hobby for action takes place over two days. As well as the Dunoon town centre stage, drivers race on routes in some of the Cowal peninsula's most scenic locations including routes in Glendaruel and said he doesn't pay much attention to the speedometer during a race, but he expects to reach speeds of up to if the adrenaline is comparable to a high-speed police chase, Matt replied: "No, because there's usually a lot of paperwork at the end of that." The town's veteran racer is David Robertson, 53, who is competing for the third and raised in Dunoon, he took up rally driving as a result of watching the event and said racing in his home town was special."I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for the Argyll Rally coming to the town," David told BBC Scotland News."You know, the feeling of everybody cheering you when you come round that first corner. It's just special, it brings a tear to your eye."The rules state local drivers aren't supposed to try out the routes prior to a pre-arranged recce before the event - to make sure they aren't given an unfair David, a local courier, spends every day driving on Dunoon's roads, so he feels like he knows the roads like the back of his said this is a bonus, but driving in his van is completely different to his Ford Fiesta rally car."Every time I come up Argyll Street street, I'm analysing the road, thinking about what's the quickest line," he said."When I'm working, I'll spot a pothole and think, I'll need to watch out for that on rally night."He is piloted by his wife Jen, who gives him instructions throughout the race. As well as locals, over 100 of the country's fastest drivers head to the region for the draws hundreds of spectators but some locals aren't in favour of the event saying it is unsafe and road closures are say that strict safety protocols are implemented to ensure the safety of drivers and spectators, and the event is good for the local Moulson from Dunoon Presents told BBC Scotland News the event was worth around £500,000 to the local area through visitor spend, and it has a "tangible community feel" to it.

Daily Mail​

4 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

'Rangers fans can be assured that Russell is a guy who leaves no stone unturned': Charlie Mulgrew hails thorough approach of his former Scotland team-mate

The searing heat in the Balearics contrasted with the lukewarm reception for the breaking news back in Scotland. For all we know, Russell Martin's imminent appointment as manager might well have satisfied a silent majority of Rangers supporters. However, most of those who preferred to air their strident views in public weren't willing to give the former Southampton boss the benefit of the doubt. Two weeks after his unveiling, the 39-year-old's reputation as a thoughtful and progressive football coach evidently still hasn't cut the ice with all the light blue legions. Those who would rather have seen a more exotic or experienced name given the nod appear disinclined to look beyond Saints' disastrous return to the Premier League under Martin's stewardship last season. The brand of possession-based football he plays has been used as a stick to beat him with. Rangers CEO Patrick Stewart is confident Martin can help steady the ship and win trophies From the other side of the Old Firm divide, Charlie Mulgrew might seem like an unlikely source of support for the new man at Ibrox. But the testimony of a former Scotland team-mate is compelling. 'I actually met him in Palma the day before he took the job,' said the former Celtic defender. I'm sitting in a coffee shop and he came walking in. He was flying back to take the job. 'Having met the guy and spent time with him, I know he leaves no stone unturned. He's absolutely brilliant at his job. 'I know he sticks to his style and how he sees the game. I've always been impressed by that. 'He tried to sign me when he was at MK Dons as well, so I got an insight into how he wants to play. 'He was thorough. As a player that he was looking to sign, he sent me a profile on how he saw me playing — a PowerPoint presentation of what he saw and what I could bring to his team. 'It was so impressive. I'd never been sent that before. Knowing him, I think he's a great appointment for Rangers.' Before he's so much as taken charge of a single training session, Martin stands accused — by some — of advocating a style of football which is too easily countered. Mulgrew believes that's a gross misrepresentation of the reality. 'No matter what happens, Celtic and Rangers need to be possession- based, because that's what the fans demand,' he said. 'They can't be at home at Ibrox and let Motherwell have 60-per- cent possession. The place would be booing. 'They're going to have possession. If you've got possession, you've got more chance of scoring a goal. The tricky bit for Celtic and Rangers has always been the final third. You need to have killers in that final third. I'm sure he'll know that.' Martin will also appreciate that certain fans will view him with scepticism purely on the basis that he's Russell Martin. A decent defender who rang every last drop out of his professional career is always going to be a hard sell to those more concerned with style than substance. 'Listen, I'm not surprised because I know the mentality up here at Celtic and Rangers,' said Mulgrew. 'There's a high standard and expectation in the names that were mentioned for the Rangers job. 'Jose Mourinho was mentioned at one stage and Carlo Ancelotti's boy [Davide], who has coached at Real Madrid and has quite a high stock as well. 'When you've not looked too much into Russell Martin, on the surface it can maybe disappoint people. But having been down to see him, having spent time with him, having played with him, I don't see it like that.' Martin's impending joust with former Norwich team-mate and now Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou makes for an intriguing opening day of the new Premiership season. Hearts are also under new management in Derek McInnes. On the opening Monday, they face an Aberdeen side still basking in Scottish Cup glory. Champions Celtic, who host St Mirren the previous day, will start as strong favourites to retain their crown. There remains an air of invincibility, however, with the four league defeats suffered by Brendan Rodgers' side last season all coming after the turn of the year. With the benefit of hindsight, perhaps losing the cup final to Aberdeen at Hampden wasn't quite such a seismic shock. While his former club still enjoyed a successful season by claiming the League Cup on top of the Premiership crown, Mulgrew feels that one major disappointment will have festered. 'I don't think anybody gave Aberdeen a prayer in the game,' he said. 'It just shows you, though, what can happen if you don't turn up and show the right attitude. First and foremost, you need to show up and compete. 'I'm sure that'll keep them on their toes this year. Brendan Rodgers, being the competitive winner that he is, will be fuming with the fact he never won the Treble, having come so close. It was Rodgers' first final he'd been beaten in. So, every team needs that wee edge.' With Jota sidelined for the foreseeable future and the void left by Kyogo Furuhashi still to be filled, Rodgers needs to get new faces in the door. Mulgrew contends that the much-anticipated return of Kieran Tierney is pretty much the perfect starting point. 'It's brilliant,' he said. 'He's somebody who's probably coming into their prime in a few years. Celtic are lucky to have him back. He's a brilliant, brilliant player. There are maybe question marks over injuries, but I'm sure they'll manage him well in that way.' Tierney's been away from the madhouse for six years, but the changes in Scotland's top tier in the past six weeks have been bewildering enough. There are two new additions to the top flight in Falkirk and Livingston and new faces at the helm at Rangers, Motherwell, Hearts, Dundee and Kilmarnock. Barring something extra-ordinary, the title will be a two-horse race as usual, although Mulgrew senses it might not quite be the canter most are expecting. 'It's going to be interesting to see how Rangers go this year,' he said. 'Celtic have been dominating for so long. Now Rangers have a new manager, Celtic will obviously have a bit of a wariness about what that's going to bring. 'Celtic need that challenge. They're going to be wary of that. So, it's interesting and exciting.' Charlie Mulgrew appeared courtesy of William Hill and the Warm-Up, SPFL Title Sponsor.