Following the sacking of Graeme Souness as Benfica boss, Phil Town explains why the Scotsman was doomed from the start
Graeme Souness, sacked last month by Benfica, had a rocky ride at the end of his season and a half with the club, but it was not always so. He had been a trump card in candidate João Vale e Azevedo’s campaign for election to the club presidency, and his name helped the Lisbon lawyer sweep to power in late 1997.
Having been caught on camera leading a chorus of sectarian songs, the former Rangers vice-chairman Donald Findlay had no choice but to resign, Gary Oliver explains
A peculiarity of Scottish law is that a jury may find a charge “not proven”, a verdict widely interpreted as meaning: we think the defendant is guilty, but cannot prove it. One who argues passionately that this controversial option be preserved is leading defence lawyer, and erstwhile vice-chairman of Rangers, Donald Findlay QC – a man against whom the accusation of sectarianism has for some years been, well, not proven.
Stephanie Pride recalls the scenes of despair at Scarborough as Carlisle deliver a killer blow on the final day of the season
Sometimes the greatest crowds invite the greatest disasters. Take Scarborough’s baptism of fire in the Football League in 1987, when £25,000 worth of damage was done by rioting Wolves supporters – the attendance was 7,314, our highest in the league. So the omens were not good for what was billed as “the biggest game in the club’s history”.
European qualification rules are increasingly becoming a scandalous affair thanks to an unfair points system
No one remembers the losing semi-finalists, so they say. UEFA, however, remember everyone, not only the unlucky losers in the semis, but even the hapless minnows from Azerbaijan, whose representatives bowed out of all three European club competitions in the first round in 1997-98 without so much as mustering a goal between them.
Saturday 1 Man Utd go top again after beating Villa 2-1, while Chelsea win 3-1 against Everton, who still need a point to avoid the drop. Southampton move out of the bottom three for the first time this season by beating Leicester 2-1. "We've got our heads above water and now we have to stay there," says winning goal scorer James Beattie. Charlton and Blackburn share a goalless draw at The Valley though the latter are refused what appears to be a clear penalty for a foul on Ashley Ward, who has to be restrained from attacking referee Gary Willard at the final whistle. Rob Harris, in charge (after a fashion) of West Ham's game with Leeds, also comes close to being thumped after dimissing Ian Wright with just 15 minutes gone. West Ham have another two sent off in a 5-1 defeat. "We were tremendous while we still had ten men," says a seething Harry Redknapp. "I thought the referee had a good game," says David O'Leary. Bradford's promotion hopes are knocked back by a home draw with Oxford United, while Bristol City are down after losing at Sheffield United. Walsall are promoted from the Second Division. Brentford join Cambridge and Cardiff in going up from the Third, while Scarborough still have a chance of avoiding the drop after an away win at Halifax. Celtic confirm that Kenny Dalglish is to rejoin them as "technical director" in the summer.