There have been many British sporting legends over the years and many of them have come from the world of football. While the home nations may not have been overly successful on the international stage in recent years, domestic clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool have won a handful of European trophies between them. Some of the players that helped the Reds and Red Devils to these achievements will go down as sporting legends, but they’re not alone.
Compiled by talkSPORT, a list of the 100 Greatest British Sporting Legends has been put together, and as you’d expect there are footballers left, right and centre. Some of the players are included in the list for their passion and commitment, which cannot be better illustrated than by ‘psycho’ himself Stuart Pearce, while others make the grade due to a natural talent that is extremely rare, as exemplified by John Barnes for example.
The footballers span both past and present, and sadly some such as John Charles are no longer with us. Some have moved into management, such as Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, while others have left football altogether and tried their luck in other areas; step forward Hollywood star Vinnie Jones.
Players from all over the pitch are included, ranging from goalkeeper Pat Jennings to ‘goal hanger’ Gary Lineker; only joking Gary, you were a great striker. It’s not just about former and current players either, as the likes of Sir Matt Busby make the grade for the achievements made in football management, for Manchester United in this example.
Some of talkSPORT’s renowned and forthright presenters including ex-footballers Alan Brazil, Stan Collymore and Andy Gray have been hard at work to select their most legendary characters from the beautiful game. You might not agree with all their selections and you may wonder why some didn’t make the list, but it will be a fascinating read nonetheless.
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So, who got the ultimate accolade of being named number one in the 100 Greatest British Sporting Legends? Well, there are four football legends in the top five: two managers, an England World Cup winning captain and arguably the most talented footballer to ever play the beautiful game. As for number one? I wouldn’t say he was the best manager in the business, but I’d put him in the top one!
A few weeks ago both Liverpool and Wolves were purring after beginning the season in sparkling form. The two meet on Saturday at Anfield desperate to get their campaigns back on track after a torrid few weeks on the field.
Liverpool were thumped last week at Tottenham going down 4-0 at White Hart Lane with Charlie Adam and Martin Skrtel giving manager Kenny Dalglish extra reason to moan after they both received red cards. The Reds positive start to the new campaign has completely washed away after last weeks loss and the defeat to Stoke seven days prior to that. It’s the toughest period Dalglish has had to endure since taking over the reigns at the turn of the year and he tried to remedy the sudden decline by sending out a strong team in Wednesday’s Carling Cup fixture at Brighton. Goals from Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt saw Liverpool home and into the next round showing the boss is taking every competition seriously. The big positives to come from that game was the energetic performance from Bellamy, who could prove to be an astute bit of business, and the return of skipper Steven Gerrard. His comeback from a groin injury couldn’t come soon enough for Dalglish who will be tempted to start the midfielder from the off against Wolves. Jordan Henderson’s insipid displays in the last few games could see him drop to bench although he may be given a reprieve after Adam’s sending off last week.
Wolves have suffered a similar drop in for to their opponents failing to win or score in their last two games. They also suffered a thrashing at home with newly promoted QPR coming away from Molineux with three points last week after a 3-0 victory. Mick McCarthy responded by sending out his strongest possible eleven in midweek and it paid off with Wolves smashing five past Championship side Millwall to progress to the fourth round of the Carling Cup. What will be more alarming for McCarthy will be his teams inability to find the back of the net in their last two fixtures. Wanderers were free scoring in their opening games but have seen chances dry up and the onus will be on Kevin Doyle and Steven Fletcher to bang in the goals. Out on the wings Matt Jarvis and Steven Hunt will be tasked with providing plenty of width at Anfiield with the former facing an intriguing battle with Jose Enrique.
Martin Kelly is likely to return at right back with Skrtel set to replace the injured Daniel Agger after serving his suspension.
Wolves could have captain Roger Johnson back after recovering from a calf injury whilst Fletcher has shaken off a groin complaint and is fit to play. Kevin Foley, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Ronald Zubar and Jody Craddock all remain sidelines.
Key Players
Luis Suarez – Who else but the Uruguayan at the moment could be considered Liverpool’s star man? An annoying presence for any defence he will be charged with getting in the face of Wolves back line and using his pace and determination to put them under constant pressure.
Karl Henry – As Wolves midfield enforcer he will have a task on his hand keeping Liverpool’s central trio quiet and creating space for Jamie O’Hara to carry out his playmaker duties. Will need to control his temper after last week’s spat with Joey Barton escalated out of nothing.
Verdict: 2-0
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Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell’s red card in the Merseyside derby on Saturday has been rescinded, with the player now not having to serve a three-match ban.
The England under-21 star has dismissed in controversial circumstances in The Toffees’ 2-0 defeat against Liverpool at the weekend, a decision that David Moyes felt ultimately cost the home side the game.
In a forceful but seemingly legitimate tackle on Luis Suarez after 23 minutes of the contest, Rodwell appeared to win the ball cleanly before marginal contact with the Uruguayan striker.
Moyes feared that Rodwell would be suspended for upcoming games against Fulham and Chelsea, but the FA have confirmed that the verdict of wrongful dismissal has been upheld, and he will not have to serve the ban.
Everton travel to Stamford Bridge after the international break, and will know that their chances of picking up points will be helped by Rodwell’s inclusion.
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Arsenal go into Sunday’s game against Stoke in their 100th match at the Emirates Stadium looking to maintain their recent good form but will have to cure their European hangovers first.
The Gunners have lost all four games that have preceded a Champions League fixture and haven’t won a domestic game following a Europ
ean tie since last November. However they do look a better side than the one that started the season and have won their last three games at home. The much maligned defence is starting to tighten up and have conceded just five goals in their last six games. Per Mertesacker continues to adapt to the pace of the Premier League whilst Laurent Koscielny has improved tenfold this season. Arsene Wenger’s decision to sign Mikel Arteta from Everton looks a shrewd one but he will have concerns over Andriy Arshavin and Theo Walcott who continue to struggle on the wings. The pair have looked anything but clinical in the final third and it’s something Wenger needs to address. Once again though it’s likely Arsenal will rely on the goals of Robin Van Persie with the Dutchman going through a prolific streak. He’s hit 27 goals in his last 33 games in all competitions for the club including a game winning double against Sunderland last week with his 29 second opener the fastest goal of the season to date.
It’ll be a tough ask for Tony Pulis’ side to stop Van Persie but if there is anyone who can it’s the Potters. They’ve become one of the hardest teams to beat in the top flight and have adapted well to additional fixtures a Europa League brings. It’s likely Pulis will freshen things up after their midweek win in Europe with former Tottenham striker Peter Crouch likely to relishing a return to North London. The Potters are looking to end a torrid run in the capital having failed to beat Arsenal in 30 years and have yet to claim a point in their three visits to the Emirates.Their form away from the Britannia Stadium isn’t the best either and they’ve lost their last two on the road. Pulis’ back four will come in handy against the Gunners with the gambles on Jonathan Woodgate and Matthew Upson paying off considerably. Five years ago both players would have cost an arm and a leg but the fact the Stoke boss picked them up for nothing is testament to his ability to get the best out of players.
Key Players
Robin Van Persie – Arguably his impact and leadership as captain has been considerably more effective than Cesc Fabregas’ when he held the armband. Everything the Dutchman touches at the moment turns to goals and it’s good to see him finally scoring on a regular basis and staying free from injury.
Peter Crouch – Scored a hat trick for Liverpool against Arsenal in 2007 and will be hoping to repeat the trick this weekend. His aerial dual with Mertesacker will be one to watch and if he can get the better of the big German then Stoke will be confident of claiming their first win at the Emirates since their promotion in 2008.
Prediction: 2-0
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Robin van Persie scored his fourth and fifth game of the season last weekend. The Arsenal striker has been unlucky so far this season, and his return of 5 goals comes from 35 attempts at goal with 63% on target. By comparison, Rooney has scored 9 from 32 attempts with 59% on target. Van Persie’s goals lifted him 45 places to 23rd in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, making him Arsenal’s highest ranked player Peter Crouch covered most distance in that game with 10.786km in a Stoke team that together covered 110.461km Jonathan Walters scored his second goal of the season against Fulham. The striker has had 10 attempts at goal this season, getting 50% of his shots on target
The likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are not likely to be seen in the Premier League in the near future but the rest of Europe is certainly open to trading for the big guns in the English game and whether it be in January or the summer, there could be some more big names on the plane to the best league in the world.
The likes of Ronaldo, Robinho, David Silva, Carlos Tevez and Fernando Torres have graced the Premier League in recent years and that has turned the English game into the best in the world. Here is a list of players in Europe that are targets for Premier League clubs and could be seen here in the near future. Who would you like at your club?
Click on Ricardo Montolivo to unveil the top 10
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List compiled by Brad Pinard
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Newcastle welcome Chelsea to St James’ Park looking to build on their 1-1 draw at Manchester United last week by securing three points that will keep them above the West London side in fourth place.
Despite being written off before the game following their defeat in the blue half of Manchester seven days prior Alan Pardew’s side displayed the kind of resilience and passion that has become synonymous with the black and white stripes over the years. The Magpies dominated the first forty five minutes at Old Trafford with a resolute back line quelling the threat of Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez. The midfield duo of Yohan Cabaye and Danny Guthrie ran the show whilst Gabriel Obertan put in an accomplished display on his return from a toe injury at his old stomping ground. However it was the stunning performances of Steven Taylor and goalkeeper Tim Krul that shone through as the Geordies hung on for dear life after Jonas Gutierrez was sent off with 12 minutes to go. Everything United threw at Newcastle was repelled with Taylor putting numerous blocks and when the ball did find a way past the defender Krul was there to prevent it from finding the net. It’s a measure of just how far the club has come in the last year or so with Pardew deserving a huge amount of credit for retaining the togetherness in the dressing room and getting his team organised and working for each other. Chelsea will once again prove to be another massive test and they know that a win will give them a four point cushion over the Blues going into the festive period. A run of one win in six against Andre Villas-Boas’ side at St James’ Park puts the omens firmly in the visitors lap but this is a new Newcastle United and one that isn’t to be taken lightly.
That is something Chelsea certainly won’t do despite their poor run of form coming to an end with a 3-0 win against Wolves at Stamford Bridge last Saturday. Pressure was starting to seriously build on the shoulders of Villas-Boas going into the game after two late defeats in the space of a week and a win was the only thing that was going to bring some relief. Luckily his side blew away Wanderer’s in the first period scoring three goals and rolling back the years with a display of attacking intensity. The performance of Juan Mata was a particular highlight with the Spaniard laying on two goals and scoring the third and supporters will be expecting more of the same on the trip to Tyneside. Daniel Sturridge was another player to impress with the young striker bagging yet another goal and giving credence to his calls to be the clubs first choice centre forward. His link up play with Mata and Didier Drogba highlights an intelligent footballer whilst his effort and commitment bring an extra edge to the Chelsea attack. The 22-year-old has scored his seventh goal of the season last weekend which is more than Drogba, Fernando Torres and Nicolas Anelka combined. Defensively Villas-Boas will have been delighted to see his side keep only their third clean sheet of the season and they’ll need build on that going into the game against Newcastle who the hungry Demba Ba searching for his 10th goal of the season. Their record at St James’ Park should stand them in good stead though having won five and drawn the same amount in 17 Premier League meetings.
Newcastle – 4th
Last Five: Drew 1-1 v Manchester United (A), Lost 3-1 v Manchester City (A), Won Everton 2-1 (H), Won 3-1 Stoke (A), Won 1-0 v Wigan (H
Potential Starting X11: 26. T. Krul 5. D. Simpson 2. F. Coloccini [C] 27. S. Taylor* 16. R. Taylor 8. D. Guthrie 4. Yohan Cabaye 24. C. Tiote 25. G. Obertan 10. H. Ben Arfa 19.D. Ba
Injury News: Leon Best and Sylvain Marveaux remain out and don’t look like returning to action in 2011. Cheick Tiote could finally make his return after missing the last four games with a knee injury.
Key Player: Tim Krul
What a season it has been for the Dutch goalkeeper so far with his stunning performance at Old Trafford last weekend earning him a legion of plaudits once again. Krul pulled off save after remarkable save to deny Manchester United a win with his point blank save from Nemanja Vidic’s header simply astounding. He’ll need to continue the form that has seen him keep four clean sheets this season when Chelsea come to town.
Match Fact: The Magpies have been formidable at St James’ Park so far during the campaign and have yet to taste defeat. They’ll need to maintain that if they are to beat Chelsea at home for the first time since the final day of the 2005/06 season with a Titus Bramble goal gave securing a 1-0 win, seventh position and a place in the Intertoto Cup.
Chelsea – 5th
Last Five: Won 3-0 v Wolves (H), Lost 2-1 v Liverpool (H), Won 1-0 v Blackburn (A), Lost 5-3 v Arsenal (H), Lost 1-0 v QPR (A)
Potential Starting X11: 1. P. Cech 2. B. Ivanovic 26. J. Terry [C] 4. D. Luiz 3. A. Cole 6. O. Romeu 7. Ramires 8. F. Lampard 10. J. Mata 11. D. Drogba 23. D. Sturridge*
Injury News: Villas-Boas has no new injury worries with Michael Essien the only player currently in the Stamford Bridge treatment room.
Key Player: Daniel Sturridge
For the second consecutive week the newly capped England striker proved his worth to the team with another industrious display. Sturridge was a constant menace on Saturday with his desire to run at the Wolves defence and create space for his teammates a joy to watch. Goals are also a big part of his game and he stabbed home a crucial second in West London to effectively kill the game off for Chelsea. He’ll need to keep that up on Saturday against an uncompromising Newcastle back line.
Match Fact: Chelsea enjoy their trips to the North East and have only been beaten once in their last six visits to St James Park. That run includes one win and four draws with their last defeat on Tyneside coming just over five years ago.
Last Time at St James’ Park
Premier League 28 November 2010
Newcastle 1-1 Chelsea
Carroll, 6
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Kalou, 45
Attendance: 46,469
Referee: Andre Marriner
PREDICTION
Newcastle bounced back from their first loss of the season at Manchester City with a superb performance against rivals United at Old Trafford. Despite their goal being firmly in the realms of controversial the Magpies displayed the never say die attitude that has become the cornerstone of their season to date. They’ll face another stiff test against Chelsea at St James Park who will hoping their win against Wolves will prove to be a turning point in what has been a period of unsettling transition. Manager Villas-Boas has come in for some criticism after his sides insipid displays over the last few weeks with a trip to Tyneside proving to be a potential banana skin. It’s likely the Toon Army will be in full voice and with Newcastle yet to lose at St James’ Park so far it will prove to be a tight encounter.
Carlo Ancelotti is expected to be announced as the new manager of Paris Saint Germain on Friday, as the French club have organised an impromptu press conference.
Pressure has mounted on current coach Antoine Kombouare, as the capital city side have lost some of their early season form, and trail Montpellier at the top of Ligue 1.
With the backing of the Qatari Investment Authority, PSG have big ambitions this season and winning their domestic league is a must.
Ex-Chelsea boss Ancelotti has previously spoken of his desire to manage one of England’s biggest clubs again, but with an opportunity at one of the Premier League’s top six not forthcoming in the near future, he may be Paris-bound.
The Telegraph indicate that the Italian tactician’s first move will be to go back to his former employers Chelsea for transfer targets, with out-of-favour duo Florent Malouda and Alex in the crosshairs.
The Brazilian defender has recently handed in a transfer request due to lack of first team opportunities, whilst Malouda has been vocal on his need for additional football with Euro 2012 on the horizon.
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There was a question today that was put to me – do managers do more harm than good by making outbursts about various issues to the media, effectively destroying all respect we have to them? In the first half an hour my answer changed more times than Balotelli’s hair do.
My immediate reaction was that yes, of course it does – managers losing self-control will filter down to the players, and questions of if the pressure is finally getting to them will be asked. I then decided that no – in certain situations things must be said, and managers need to protect their players, put pressure on officials and make the fans aware of certain issues.
The I read exactly what Mancini had said in response to the Kompany red card appeal being rejected – no shocker there really – and decided to change my mind yet again – it is my prerogative being a woman after all.
I now think there are certain types of ‘outburst’ that are totally necessary and when all is said and done, actually go a long way to helping the team and gaining respect for the manager. There are also ‘outbursts’ which are totally ill-advised and unnecessary and do little more than make the manager a laughing stock not to mention derail the team’s progress in the meantime.
Let’s start with the latter type. Such outbursts are not only untimely but downright stupid, and the decline of the team in question can be documented easily after such press conferences. The most obvious example of this would be Kevin Keegan’s infamous ‘I’d love it, just love it if we would beat them’ rant at Fergie and United when Newcastle were leading the race for the title. Cue widespread laughter from all corners, a sigh of a job and mind games well done from Old Trafford and the feeling that it was now advantage United in the title race. To no one up and down the country’s surprise, United did go on to win the title that season and Keegan will always be remembered for his total loss of self-control.
Another victory for the master of mind games Fergie was when Rafa Benitez inexplicably lost his cool and reeled a list of typed and bullet pointed – how very Benitez – incidence produced from his pocket of when United has been favoured by the officials and got redder and redder as the list went on, and was criticised for his Keegan like outburst, and credited with losing his team the title and handing yet another victory to Fergie.
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Even Bambi himself AVB showed exactly why he is no Mourinho after his outburst to the media, making a laughing stock of himself and the club, and alienating the few fans he actually had left in the press – the love of the press is vital, and it is something Mourinho had mastered from his very first ‘I am not from the bottle, I am a special one’ conference, and headlines reflected this – it is not a bad thing if your team is in a slump to have favourable stories in the press, and outbursts such as the one by AVB totally negate any chance of this.
There are however incidents when outbursts by managers are entirely necessary, and the one from Mancini in my opinion will not do his team any harm – having four players sent off in six games, they are not getting the rub of the green, especially with regards to the Balotelli and Kompany red’s, and to make the officials aware of this is no bad thing.
The key for Mancini was to keep his cool during the match at the Ethiad, and in doing so, this transferred to his players who lost with their heads held high, and then say what needed to be said after.
Much like how Fergie or Mourinho would put pressure on officials by ‘enlightening’ the media and fans to certain stats or little facts about their side or indeed the official’s track record, Mancini is doing no bad thing with his bemoaning of Chris Foy – I doubt he will be sending another City player off in a hurry.
Just imagine if Fergie had not spent years and years at the start of his tenure at Old Trafford complaining about injury time – had he not terrified the officials, there would be no such thing as ‘Fergie time,’ which is basically as little or much injury time United need to close out the game. Nor would there have been so many dubious penalties or decisions given at Old Trafford down the years.
Certain managers are very adept at playing mind games, and ones which hand the advantage solely to their team. Fergie has proven himself to be a master at this, only really meeting his match in Mourinho, and whether Mancini can come close to this level during his stay in the Premier League remains to be seen, but at the minute, it is advantage City, and everything we have seen from Mancini points to the fact he is more than a match for his neighbours. Even if he is not, lets face it we all love managerial outbursts – what would you rather a Keegan style meltdown or a Wenger esque ‘I didn’t see it?’ I know which is more fun – Newcastle fans however may disagree with me!
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According to some quarters, youth development in England is in crisis. There are certainly problems regarding investment, coaching and facilities, but it appears that the problems with the youth system might actually be further along the line than the grass-roots level. The transition between academy and senior level seems to be stopping a lot of good talent making the jump to professional football successfully, so how can we bridge this gap?
Young English players don’t seem to be given a fair shot at making it professionally, particularly in comparison to their continental counterparts, who are given first team debuts much earlier. In England young players are stuck with Carling Cup and substitute appearances, and often judged on those fleeting appearances. There is simply too big a gap between the youth set-up and senior teams and players aren’t groomed in the right way for the level of professional football. The transition between the ages of 18-21 is the most important time for a young player and it seems that more often than not we are not getting it right.
Part of the problem is the lack of patience in the English game. Players aren’t given the time to develop, and are expected to make an immediate impression. This season alone we have seen young players like Jordan Henderson and Andy Carroll be written off by the media, for not making an immediate impact. There is now so much pressure on young players shoulders to impress straight away, and they aren’t given enough time to learn and develop in the game.
This lack of patience runs right through English footballing philosophy, as young English players are not given the time to flourish, with the general lack of opportunity available in the Premier League. There is too much money being thrown around these days, and this has led to a culture where it is now the preference of clubs to go out and buy a cheaper foreign import, than to spend time developing an English kid. These short term solutions are now preferred to long term thinking. There are exceptions, and lately teams like Liverpool and Manchester United have been more than willing to give their young players a chance. However, Kenny Dalglish and Sir Alex Ferguson are in safe positions, with the pressure off their shoulders, so they can afford to give opportunities to the young home-grown talent available, and not be judged for it, unlike many other managers out there.
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There have been significant moves to address the problems regarding the transition from youth to senior football. One of the new additions this season is the Next Gen Series, which is billed as the Champions League of youth football. Sixteen of the worlds best clubs including Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Man City and Celtic are taking part in the exciting knock-out competition. The players are able to pit themselves against world class opposition from the best clubs in Europe, which can only be of benefit in terms of improving standards and also helping to bridge the gap between the youth and senior teams. Players learn vital skills like adapting to an unfamiliar style of play, getting used to travelling, playing two match weeks and playing at a more competitive level than the Regional Premier Leagues, with all their restrictions and constraints. English youngsters don’t really have enough competitive games in order for them to test themselves and develop, so the Next Gen Series is an improvement on this front. Currently youth sides take part in the Regional Premier Leagues, which are split into two northern and two southern leagues, meaning the best sides may only play each other once over the course of a season. The regional leagues lack a competitive edge, and players don’t really gain much from this standard of play. Reserve football is of an equally poor standard for young players to learn their trade, and they gain little if anything from this level of football.
We could improve youth standards in this country through the creation of an Elite Premier Academy League, which would certainly provide better competition, with youngsters playing at a higher standard regularly, and pushing each other to higher levels. However, this has its own problems, as it would widen the gap between the Premier League big clubs and the rest, with the smaller academies likely to lose out. This could force the system into becoming more elitist and have a negative effect on youth development in this country as a whole. Ideas like the Next Gen Series, and the possible forming of an Elite Premier Academy League exclude smaller clubs, who will subsequently find it difficult to improve, or compete in terms of youth development.
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One of the options that works well in Europe is the nursery club. Clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid have B teams playing in the lower Spanish leagues, which provide a higher level of football for their young players to learn their trade. This is a much more competitive option than reserve, or academy football we see in England. It provides a higher standard of football at an earlier age, as well as the option of players staying under the guidance and tutelage of their own clubs. The Barcelona academy players are given the chance to learn and develop at this level before moving on to the first team, where they are given the chance to impress. This is in contrast to players at big clubs in England, who rarely get the opportunity to break into the first team, and often have to go out on loan to gain vital experience. The loan system has proved effective for many English players, but it comes with its own problems. With the loan system, you can’t guarantee young players are going to play and they may return having gained little from the experience. Shipping a youngster out to a strange city, where they don’t know anyone is a tough ask for any young player to handle. Nursery clubs do seem like a good idea, but it is unlikely the FA would sanction any such moves for them in this country. There would need to be vertical integration between nursery and feeder clubs, and the idea also raises issues over the identity of clubs in the lower tiers.
There are many problems with youth development in the country, but one of the biggest is bridging the gap between the youth and the professional game. The whole footballing landscape in England is not conducive to helping young players achieve success, and the focus needs to move from short term results and winning, to placing full long term commitment behind young English players. We can make all the changes at grass-root and academy level that we want, but if access to the first team is closed off then in the end these changes will have little difference.
How do you think we should bridge the gap between academy and senior level? Let me know your thoughts by commenting below or following me on Twitter @LaurenRutter for more comment and debate.
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Scottish giants Rangers have announced that they have appointed administrators to help reduce their debts, and have subsequently been docked ten SPL points due to financial mismanagement.
It was announced on Monday that the Ibrox club were in the process of trying to foot a tax bill that could be as much as £75million, and with no way to pay the amount, administrators Duff and Phelps have come in to help the side fulfil a deadline set by Court of Session in Edinburgh.
The Glasgow-based team had been set a deadline of 3.30pm on Tuesday to officially appoint administrators, as the process of removing the debt begins.
Rangers owner Craig Whyte has stated that the move will benefit the club in the long run, and is the start of a long recovery process.
“This was the best way to take the club forward and end the uncertainty that’s surrounding Rangers at the moment,” he told Sky Sports.
“What we’ve done today is the start of a road to recovery. Rangers will always be around, Rangers will always be here at Ibrox and this is the start of the healing process.
“We will get over this and we will come out fighting and come out stronger, there’s no question about that,” he defied.
The decision as good as hands the Scottish championship to Celtic, who were already four points clear of their bitter rivals at the top of the SPL.
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