Friday's Scottish Gossip

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Vancouver Whitecaps striker Kenny Miller is about to retire from international football, with the announcement likely to coincide with today's naming of Gordon Strachan's Scotland squad for next month's World Cup double-header against Belgium and Macedonia.

Full story: Daily Record

Neil Lennon is poised to sign a new contract as Celtic manager today, the club's hierarchy having been impressed by a signing policy that has brought in £20m-worth of transfer fees as well as two Scottish titles in a row and reaching the last 16 of the Champions League.

Full story: Daily Record

Shakhter Karagandy coach Viktor Kumykov says Celtic make the same defensive tactical error in every game they play and that allowed his side to establish a 2-0 lead after the first leg of their Champions League play-off.

Full story: Daily Record (print edition)

Animal rights group Peta has urged football governing body Uefa to intervene to prevent Shakhter Karagandy carrying on their practice of sacrificing a sheep ahead of the second leg of their Champions League play-off against Celtic in Glasgow.

Full story: The Sun (print edition)

Celtic could revive their interest in French central defender Michael Ciani, who has failed to establish himself with Lazio after rejecting a move to Glasgow from Bordeaux last summer.

Full story: Daily Mail (print edition)

Italian club Livorno are poised to beat Celtic to the signature of striker Innocent Emeghara on loan from Lorient.

Full story: The Times

Celtic are preparing a £500,000 bid for Hull City winger Cameron Stewart while allowing Dylan McGeouch to leave on loan, with Hibernian, Motherwell and Ross County all interested in the Scotland Under-21 midfielder.

Full story: Daily Express

Former footballer Gordon Parks lists several examples during his time in the lower leagues of Scottish football of players attempting to fix matches in order to pick up winnings after gambling against their own team.

Full story: Daily Record

Former Scotland goalkeeper Andy Goram says Scottish FA staff put on bets on behalf of players.

Full story: The Sun (print edition)

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes believes the majority of players in Scottish football did not know it was against the rules to gamble on British football matches until charges were brought against Rangers midfielder Ian Black.

Full story: Daily Record

Billy Brown says Rangers midfielder Ian Black must be punished if it is proven that he bet against his own team - a practice the Hearts assistant manager says he never witnessed in half a century in football.

Full story: The Scotsman

Scottish businessman Jim McColl says he has not changed his intention of forcing the resignation of Rangers chief executive Craig Mather and two board members despite delaying the date of a planned extraordinary meeting being demanded by shareholders.

Full story: Daily Record

OTHER GOSSIP

Stephen Gallacher says he was walking the streets of Linlithgow at 3am in order to loosen up his injured back sufficiently to allow him to play his first round at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

Full story: The Scotsman