Ta’ Qali (Malta) (AFP) – Southampton striker Graziano Pelle hit a second-half winner as an injury-depleted Italy beat Scotland 1-0 in a disjointed Euro 2016 friendly in Malta on Sunday. With his midfield decimated through injuries to Claudio Marchisio and Marco Verratti, and Thiago Motta and Riccardo Montolivo resting due to calf problems, Italy coach […]

It’s easy to feel a measure of sympathy for Jack Harper, the Spanish-born Scotland footballer currently on the books at Real Madrid.  Through no fault of his own, the 19-year has set off a debate in Scottish soccer that has seen the likes of Craig Brown, Ian Cathro, Kevin Gallacher and Graham Hunter all weigh in with […]

When Scotland plays England, it's never a friendly. And as we saw at Celtic Park in Glasgow, the match between the two British teams was played in front of an electric atmosphere with both teams fired up and fighting for a win. In a closely fought first half, it was England that took the advantage […]

The question that’s on everyone’s lips is yes or no. Should Scotland decide to be independent from Great Britain in this week’s referendum? The timing of my trip to Scotland couldn’t have been better. Blessed with a rare indian summer of blue skies, temperatures in the 70s and no rain, it was the perfect opportunity […]

For Premier League fans, like James Bond in The World is Not Enough, Christmas comes twice a year. First, when August brings a three-week tease of action, and then again when the Prem triumphantly returns replete with new transfers after a torpid international break. Before Saturday’s slate, let The Sweeper fill you in on some […]

McDiarmid Park, home of St. Johnstone, may not be foremost in the minds of soccer fans, but on the 13th of August it did play host to a couple of firsts.  It was Celtic manager Ronny Deila’s first taste of action in the Scottish Premiership; but perhaps more importantly the match marked the first competitive […]

Scotland has taken a novel approach to find some of the best young talent south of the border in England by hosting a training camp not in Glasgow or Edinburgh, but deep in the heart of England to scout almost 70 youth players who would be eligible to play for Scotland. The training camp was […]

England has scheduled a friendly against Scotland to be played in Celtic Park on November 18. It's the first time England will play Scotland north of the border in 15 years. The last time these teams met in Scotland, Paul Scholes scored two goals at Hampden Park to defeat the Scots in a Euro 2000 […]

In 2012, Dundee United footballer Ryan Gauld made his full league debut at the tender age of 16.  He struck his first senior goal against St Johnstone a year later in April 2013.  In the 2013-2014 season, he scored eight goals in the Scottish league and cup campaigns and has now signed for the same […]

Glasgow Rangers Football Club will be touring Scotland, Canada and the United States in a pre-season tournament this summer. Starting July 1, Rangers will head to Scotland for a 6-day trip where they will play Buckie Thistle on July 3 at Victoria Park then will face-off against Brora Rangers in Dudgeon Park on July 6. […]

No. 24: Gemmill's Solo Stunner For Scotland (Argentina, 1978) Whilst it may seem an unfathomable prospect these days, Scotland were actually a very good soccer team towards the back end of the last century. I kid you not! Boasting arguably the world’s finest footballer at the time in Kenny Dalglish, the toughest player in the […]