Wednesday's Scottish gossip

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Ross County chairman Roy MacGregor has blamed the financial chaos and poor behaviour of Rangers as the reason for the lack of a major Scottish Professional Football League sponsor and raised the spectre of part-time clubs playing in the Premiership within three years. (The Herald)

Celtic would need to win the Scottish title for the next 50 years to match what the team who finish bottom of the Premier League in England will earn in TV revenue in 2017 thanks to a new broadcasting deal. (Daily Record)

Former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson, now manager of Clyde, fears he will be refused a ticket for Friday night's match between the Ibrox club and Hibernian as he writes for the Daily Record, which has been banned by the Glasgow club. (Daily Record)

Former Celtic and Scotland striker Kenny Dalglish, who grew up a Rangers fan, has absolved the Ibrox club's players of some criticism for their Scottish Cup defeat by Raith Rovers, saying they are being affected by the club's financial problems and boardroom battles. (The Scotsman)

Celtic manager Ronny Deila returned from a spying mission to the San Siro with increased confidence ahead of Celtic's Europa League last-32 clash with Inter Milan despite having watched Roberto Mancini's side quell supporters' unrest with a 3-0 win over Palermo on Sunday to record their first Serie A victory in a month. (The Scotsman)

Inter Milan's Yuto Nagatomo was injured as Inter Milan defeated Palermo ahead of their match against Celtic

Inter Milan left-back Yuto Nagatomo has been ruled out of the Europa League last-32 meeting with Celtic with a thigh injury picked up against Palermo. (The Sun, print edition)

Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who has also played for Hearts, Sunderland and Scotland, says team-mates Virgil van Dijk and Jason Denayeer are the two best central defenders he has played behind. (The Scotsman)

Celtic midfielder Nir Bitton has revealed a heart-to-heart chat with manager Ronny Deila in November kick-started his season. (The Herald)

Hampden Park's planned new pitch surface will have only eight days to bed in before next month's Scottish League Cup final between Celtic and Dundee United. (Daily Record, print edition)

Dundee United manager Jackie McNamara believes his side can record a "treble" of victories over Celtic next month in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals, League Cup final and Premiership. (Daily Record, print edition)

Kilmarnock caretaker manager Gary Locke is pondering whether to sign former Blackpool, Huddersfield, Charlton and Coventry striker Nathan Eccleston, who has been freed by Premiership rivals Partick Thistle, after a trial game. (STV)

Former Hearts winger Andrew Driver could be on his way back to Scottish football after the 27-year-old parted company with DC United. (The Sun, print edition)

Livingston could miss out on signing Mickael Antoine-Curier, who was released by Hamilton Academical, as the French striker has been invited to train with English League Two club Burton Albion by manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. (Daily Record, print edition)

Inverness Caledonian Thistle hope to reach a compromise with Josh Meekings over a new contract, the Premiership club having offered a two-year extension but the defender only wanting to agree another 12 months beyond this summer. (Daily Express, print edition)

Former Aberdeen goalkeeper Bobby Clark has signed Sean MacLeod for University of Notre Dame in Indiana 37 years after being picked for Scotland's World Cup squad by the player's grandfather, Ally. (Daily Record, print edition)

Hibernian have given a trial to winger Jai Quitongo, the 17-year-old son of former Hearts favourite Jose. (The Sun, print edition)

The Hibernian Supporters Association has come out in support of the club's share issue after consulting its members. (Daily Mail, print edition)

David Villa opened the scoring for New York City as they defeated St Mirren 2-0

Motherwell have replaced Bobby Jenks with Gary Owens as chief scout and the 46-year-old will be based in England as the Premiership strugglers try to uncover more talent from the lower leagues south of the border. (Daily Express, print edition)

St Mirren were beaten 2-0 by New York City in the American club's first-ever match, played at Manchester City's new 7,000-seater Academy Stadium. (The Scotsman)

West Brom manager Tony Pulis insists his decision to make Darren Fletcher his captain after the Scotland midfielder's move from Manchester United is no reflection on previous skipper Chris Brunt. (The National, print edition)

Former Scottish FA youth coach Dean Gorre has been appointed as manager of South American nation Suriname. (The Herald)

OTHER GOSSIP

THE R&A has been bombarded with "hate mail" since it was announced the live rights for the Open Championship had been sold to Sky Sports from 2017 and taken away from the BBC. (The Scotsman)

Royal & Ancient chief Peter Dawson says it is the the BBC and not his organisation that has deprived terrestrial television viewers of live action from the Open Championship as the broadcaster indicated that it would be content with a highlights package. (The Herald)

George North should be free to play against Scotland on Sunday after World Rugby accepted Wales' version of events surrounding the treatment of the winger for head knocks during their defeat by England last week. (The Scotsman)

Former Scotland winger Rory Lamont believes it is "insane" of the Welsh management team to consider picking winger George North against Scotland on Sunday after he suffered a head injury against England. (Daily Record, print edition)

Scotland forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys, who captained Wales, has been a friend of Welsh attack coach Rob Howley since the pair were young boys in Bridgend and believes this weekend's visitors to Murrayfield will arrive with a siege mentality in response to their opening Six Nations defeat by England. (The Scotsman)

Andy Murray hopes his efforts in the Rotterdam this week will set the tone for the rest of the year as he makes his first outing since defeat in the Austarlian Open final by facing France's Nicolas Mahut in the World Indoor Tournament. (The Herald)

Glasgow Warriors have boosted the capacity of Scotstoun Stadium in the hope that fan power can propel them to Pro12 glory, with 1,600 extra seats being installed for the next three crucial clashes, starting with the showdown against title pace-setting Ospreys a week on Saturday. (The Herald)