Welcome to Kicking Off, the quick way to get up to pace with what is happening today in sport in Scotland and beyond
Today
- Konta out of Australian Open as Kerber sets up final meeting with Williams
- Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares through to doubles final
- Reid stuns wheelchair tennis world rankings leader in Melbourne
- Mark Warburton seeks talks with authorities over Andy Halliday red card citing fears for future of football
- Lustig aims to lead Celts to final on behalf of club captain Brown
- Jimmy Calderwood tells Warburton that comeback man Cammy Bell can still do a good job for Rangers
- Croatian Ljubas Crepulja says Celtic trial was “heaven on earth”
- Falkirk’s Ryan Blair is Swansea bound
- Hearts’ bid for Dundee United’s John Souttar is rejected
- Steven Craig reckons Ross County are better equipped to beat Celtic than team they were in 2010
- Accies boss Canning in determined mood for relegation battle at Kilmarnock
- St Mirren keeper Jamie Langfield says he’s happy to dedicate next chapter of career to nurturing those who will replace him
- Ryan Edwards returns from leading Australia U23’s failed bid to qualify for Olympics
- Gilmour continues fine run of form in India
- Braehead Clan's cup dream is over
- England coach Eddie Jones says Scotland are firm favourites for Calcutta Cup match
- Scotland coach Vern Cotter accuses Jones of mind games
- Problems building for Women’s Tartan Tour golf
- Kilty heads for Glasgow to begin countdown to world indoor title defence against Scottish prospect Cameron Tindle
It's over
Johana Konta's history making run in Melbourne is over
Still going strong
Jamie Murray (right) and Bruno Soares are through to the men's doubles final
Stand-in skipper
Mikael Lustig is hoping to steer Celtic to the League Cup final in the absence of injured Scott Brown
Still up to it
Jimmy Calderwood has offered a reminder to Mark Warburton that goal-keeper Cammy Bell can still do a job for him
Still hopeful
Croatian youngster Luban Crepjula remains keen to join Celtic
Off to the Premiership
Falkirk's Ryan Blair has signed for Swansea
Staying put
Hearts' bid for Dundee United's John Souttar has been rejected
Great memories
And Steven Craig reckons Ross County are better now than they were when they beat Celtic in the Scottish Cup in 2010
My club 'tis of thee
Hamilton Accies boss Martin Canning's heart is still very much in the job
Helping the next generation
Jamie Langfield is more than happy to play his part in bringing on his successors
Focussing on club duty
Ryan Edwards is back at Partick Thistle after the disappointment of failing to lead Australia's under-23s through the Olympic qualifiers
Maintaining form
Kirsty Gilmour has started well in India after her fine run to the final of a Grand Prix Gold event in Malaysia last week
Having a laugh
Eddie Jones enjoying himself as he indulges in pre-Six Nations mind games
Not overly amused
Scotland coach Vern Cotter reckons the new England boss is trying to keep the pressure off himself
Powering into action
European indoor sprint champion Richard Kilty gets preparations for his defence underway in Glasgow this weekend
06.02 Radio Scotland sports headlines
Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares through to Australian Open doubles final... Johana Konta beaten by Angelique Kerber... Scotland rugby coach Vern Cotter says England counterpart Eddie Jones is attempt to relieve pressure on his own shoulders... Dundee United knock back Hearts bid for John Souttar
06.35 Radio Five Live sports headlines
Konta beaten in straight sets by Kerber who goes on to meet Serena Williams in final... Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares through to doubles final... Manchester City through to League Cup final thanks to what Everton boss Roberto Martinez describes as 'heartbreaking' defeat of his side... Sunderland sign Ivory Coast defender Lamie Kone... Andros Townsend completes move from Spurs to Newcastle... Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone hacks drivers call for change of tyres...Tyson Fury avoids punishment from British boxing authorities for controversial comments but warned not to make more
Back Pages
In The Herald Mark Warburton expresses ‘fears for the future of football’ following Andy Halliday's red card, Croatian Ljuban Crepulja still hoping to win Celtic contract, Cotter accuses Jones of mind games, Hearts consider second bid for Souttar. The Evening Times noses on Mikael Lustig aiming to lead Celts to the League Cup final on behalf of injured club captain Scott Brown and says Warburton is demanding talks with officialdom about Halliday’s red card and The National leads on rugby with Mark Bennett's improving fitness offering a boost for Scotland coach Vern Cotter and has side panels flagging up Andy Murray praising British success in Australia and Falkirk’s Ryan Blair heading for Swansea
Grandstanding – today’s sports comment
In The National there is an assessment by The Kicker of the different rules that apply to bloggers as opposed to the traditional press, while my weekly column in The Herald questions whether the forthcoming Six Nations will further demonstrate how much damage has been done to European international rugby by the negotiating dominance of English and French clubs.
Sporting Twitterati
Nice to see a bit of role reversal as football club cheers on supporter:
Semi final appearances for @andy_murray, @jamie_murray and Hibernian this week! Good luck guys! #GGTTH pic.twitter.com/FUxvIkFUmf
— Hibernian FC (@HibsOfficial) January 27, 2016
Today’s top message
Long ago in primary school days, when I would pick up my weekly comics from the little Kiosk on Dundee’s Arbroath Road, one of them, ‘The Wizard’ I think, introduced a new sporting character. Name now lost in the mists of time he was a former rugby player who turned out to be a brilliant footballer and the most memorable aspect of his first appearance was that he bemused his team-mates because when he scored goals he simply ran back to the halfway line and got ready for the next play.
Some of his new colleagues even protested to the manager about this apparent unfriendliness. It was explained to them that he was not being arrogant or aloof, his behaviour was merely a consequence of the culture he had grown up in. It made an impact because, unaware as I was that I was walking past a rugby ground, Dalnacraig, every time I headed to that quirky wee shop, it was my first was my first exposure to anything to do with rugby culture.
Having spent much of my professional career involved in that sport and, perhaps rather sadly, seen it shift away from such standards – take a look at the lack of celebration among Scotland players when Tony Stanger scored the Grand Slam winning try in 1990 some time – the memory of that was sparked yesterday by Mark Warburton’s contention that the very fabric of fitba was under threat from a referee’s decision to give Andy Halliday a second yellow card and so a red for the way he celebrated Rangers’ decisive goal at Morton the other night.
Given all else that represents a genuine threat to sport right now it may reflect the different culture I was exposed to in my early days as a sports writer, but the idea that the sport will be damaged if players are not entitled to behave in ways that are seen as goading opponents when they have the upper hand seems bizarre.
These days, of course, it is as much a part of professional rugby, which has seen a steady decline in standards, as it is in football, with opponents often even sarcastically congratulated with applause and pats on the head or back if they concede penalties.
Maybe it is the ultimate sign of the descent into fuddy-duddyness to prefer the notion of a return to those old standards on the rugby field and, indeed, the more consistent application of cards for what officials interpret as provocative behaviour on the football field, but as unrealistic as that is, with investigations currently taking place into match-fixing, doping, corruption and goodness knows what else in professional sport, it has been impossible to generate any sort of sympathy for the Rangers manager’s concerns when couched in terms of Halliday's treatment being a threat to the sport.
Thanks for reading. Back with tomorrow Scottish sports agenda
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