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      Former EFL boss quits his job ONE HOUR after being named Manager of the Season

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      GARY BOWYER has left Dundee FC just an hour after being named the Scottish Championship Manager of the Year.The former Blackburn Rovers boss took over as manager of the Scottish side in June.
      Gary Bowyer was awarded the Championship Manager of the Season for his incredible campaign with Dundee FC
      He managed to guide them to promotion back into the Scottish Premiership and was given the award as a result.
      But despite his title winning credentials he won’t be staying around to help keep them in the top division.
      The club announced that Bowyer would be leaving via an official statement.
      The statement read: “Gary helped the club achieve its objective of an immediate return to the cinch Premiership and we are grateful to him for leading us to the cinch Championship and automatic promotion.
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      “Now is the time for certainty as we enter a critical summer of work in the transfer market and on the training ground, to ensure the first-team squad is ready to compete in the Premiership and remain in the top division.”
      Dundee will now be without a manager until they can find the right fit for their return to the Scottish Premiership.
      The club’s managing director, John Nelms, commented on Bowyer’s exit too.
      He said: “Given the importance of the weeks and months ahead, I felt it was necessary to ensure we are all aligned on the direction needed to ensure the club is ready for its return to the Premiership.
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      “On behalf of everyone at the club, not least our fans, we wish Gary the best for the future and reiterate our thanks for his achievements in the past year.”
      Bowyer secured the league title by five clear points and only lost seven league games at the helm of Dundee. More

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      Three EFL clubs watching former Liverpool ace with star set for transfer after stunning season in Scotland

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      YAN DHANDA is being watched by Blackburn, Birmingham and Ipswich.The Ross County attacking midfielder, 24, has shone for the Scottish Premiership club this season.
      Yan Dhanda has impressed in his first season in Scotland with Ross County after leaving Swansea last summer.Credit: PA
      The Birmingham-born midfielder started his career at LiverpoolCredit: Getty
      Dhanda has had nine assists and three goals in 31 games north of the border.
      And he even scored directly from a corner against Hibs in February.
      Dhanda moved to Scotland on a free transfer from Swansea.
      He signed a two-year deal with the SPL side.
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      But the Englishman could be available for a price of £400,000.
      Dhanda started his career with the Liverpool academy before joining Swansea in 2018.
      Since his move to Ross County, Dhanda’s performances have improved as the season has gone on.
      And that has attracted the Championship trio to register their interest in the Birmingham-born player.
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      Ross County travel to relegation rivals Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.
      Malky Mackay’s side are bottom of the table but just one point behind Kilmarnock and the Tangerines. More

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      Ex-Rangers chief set to join Nottingham Forest in shock new career move

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      FORMER academy chief at Rangers, Craig Mulholland, could be set to join up with Nottingham Forest.Gary Brazil is leaving the club after nearly 10 years.
      Nottingham Forest are set to hire Rangers’ ex-academy chief Craig MulhollandCredit: Rex
      And new football supremo Ross Wilson wants his old pal Mulholland to sort out the youth set-up.
      Wilson left the Gers last month after spending four years at the club as its sporting director.
      The 39-year-old has been given the title of chief football officer at the City Ground.
      The recruitment chief will effectively replace Filippo Giraldi who was sacked as sporting director after just six months in the role.
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      The former Rangers director will take on a more expanded role at Forest.
      Wilson said: “I would like to thank the players, led superbly by captain James Tavernier, and the manager Michael Beale, as well as all those who have come before them in the three and a half years I have spent at Rangers.
      “I would like to thank Douglas Park, Stewart Robertson and the Board for their support.
      “I wish John Bennett – a true Rangers man – a successful chairmanship.
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      “This is a great club, and there are so many reasons for Rangers to face the decades ahead with optimism and pride.
      “Thank you for your support. I wish everyone associated with Rangers nothing but the best for the future.”
      Forest are fighting for survival in the Premier League as they are 18th in the table with the same points as Leeds and Leicester who are just above them in the safety zone. More

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      Let’s raise a glass to Celtic boss Postecoglou.. don’t be surprised to see him an impact this side of Hadrian’s Wall

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      IT WAS a storm in an egg cup, or perhaps a whisky glass, but Celtic’s probable fifth treble in seven seasons has the other half of Glasgow itching with frustration.And there can be few scratchers north of the border more aggravated than Rangers manager Michael Beale, 42, who has already been rendered title-less as another Hoops monopoly of big trophies plays out.
      Ange Postecoglou’s CV is nothing to sneer atCredit: Getty
      He is on course to win the treble with CelticCredit: Kenny Ramsay
      His counterpart five-and-a-half miles away, Ange Postecoglou, brushed off Beale’s comment that the Greco-Australian was a lucky man to have had handy transfer cash.
      “Not luck but know-how” was an Aussie reaction the late Shane Warne, God bless him, would have been proud of. I am sure the Greeks had a phrase for it, too.
      Under-estimating Ange has been a common reaction throughout his 25 years of management.
      But get this for a CV: Two titles in the old National Soccer League with South Melbourne; two in the A-League with Brisbane Roar, yet another in Japan’s J League with Yokohama F Marinos.
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      And then, a badge really to boast about, guiding Australia to 2015 Asian Cup glory.
      With the Roar, he once went an impressive 36 games undefeated. Eat your heart out, Pep.
      There isn’t a name Aussies can’t transform into a single syllable so Angelos soon became Ange to his mates in Melbourne.
      He was five when his family, penniless and jobless settled there in 1965. A defender with the features of a warrior, he was to become a one-club player and Aussie international.
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      Postecoglou, 57, has led Celtic to the title and won the league cup twice in his first two seasons with the club, dominating Scottish football as Manchester City threaten to do in England.
      But where Celtic are set to be champions for the 53rd time, no English club has the satisfaction of nearing an equivalent domination — Manchester United leading on 20 from Liverpool’s 19.
      Now whether being emperor of a small kingdom is more satisfying than being president of a big one, the fact is that Celtic are minor players in modern football.
      The national team are only beginning to shrug off the air of useless braggadocio that settled over it in the past two decades.
      In Glasgow pubs, they still tease Sassenachs about the 3-2 win against England, 1966 World Cup winners a year earlier.
      And the triumphs of Robert the Bruce, seven centuries ago.
      All bar Celtic and Rangers struggle to attract attendances of more than 20,000.
      Billionaire owners are not to be found and television contracts are tiny compared with those in England.
      Sky recently signed to pay Scottish football £150million-a-year from 2025, while the company’s current contract with the EFL is £119m-a-season, but is likely to be increased because there is a probable new rival.
      Chicken feed compared with the Premier League champions, who will earn £176m from TV money this season alone.
      There are still advocates of the admission of the two Old Firm clubs to the English structure, although these tend to fall foul of arguments about the level of entry.
      The Ibrox capacity is just over 50,000 and Celtic Park is around 60,000 so the possibility will always be attractive to some — the SNP  Government probably not.
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      And so with the odd exception — Rangers under Steven Gerrard in 2021 — Celtic have a recent record of domestic dominance that looks set to continue.
      Postecoglou’s feats around the world suggest he would make an impact this side of Hadrian’s Wall and, no, this is not a new defensive strategy. More

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      Footballers’ surprising jobs, from Billy Gilmour modelling for Burberry to Lee Bowyer’s carp fishing business

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      Back in 2020, former Manchester City right-back Shay Logan revealed that he’s secretly been training to become a plumber.The Aberdeen ace, now 35, told how he doesn’t earn enough cash from football to be set up for life so is planning ahead for after retirement.
      Shay Logan trained to become a plumberCredit: Kenny Ramsay – The Sun Glasgow
      Logan revealed: “We earn good money. But at this level are we really going to earn money that will last us a long time, for life? No.
      “I always said to myself that when I get to a certain age I want to start doing something else.
      “I love football but I don’t love it enough to go into coaching and stuff like that.
      “I thought you know what, I’m going to do a trade. It was either go into gas, electrician or plumbing. Plumbing and gas come together, it’s the same course.”
      And the English defender is far from being the only player who’s had a second profession they can fall back on.
      Throughout the years plenty of stars have found extra ways to line their pockets besides taking to the pitch – with some taking on second jobs or planning ahead for post-retirement like Logan.BILLY GILMOUR
      Billy Gilmour did some modelling for Burberry in 2017Credit: Burberry
      BEFORE BRIGHTON star Billy Gilmour starred for Chelsea he was a model.
      In 2017 the Scots ace, then aged just 16, was snapped up by luxury clothing brand Burberry for a fashion campaign.
      The ex-Rangers star was pictured modelling a coat on the company’s Instagram page.
      Former Ibrox team-mate Martyn Waghorn was seemingly impressed – commenting, “Love that mate”, on his post.
      LEE BOWYER
      Lee Bowyer’s fishing skills saw him open a carp fishing business in FranceCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      FORMER Leeds, Newcastle and Birmingham midfielder Bowyer was never scared of a tackle.
      And it turns out that he was doing it every day even during his career, with his fishing obsession.
      Bowyer, now in charge of Charlton, runs a carp fishing business in France after working on his skills while still playing football at the highest level.
      The hardman explained: “I suddenly found myself with an abundance of time on my hands [after retiring].
      “Having always been an active person it was obvious that I now needed to find something else to occupy myself with as I moved into this new chapter of my life.”STUART ARMSTRONG
      Stuart Armstrong was studying lawCredit: Kenny Ramsay – The Sun Glasgow
      SOUTHAMPTON star Stuart Armstrong has become a mainstay on the south coast side since moving to the Premier League in 2018.
      Prior to that, the midfielder was a key player in Brendan Rodgers’ treble winning Celtic sides.
      And years back he revealed he was studying for a law degree at the Open University.
      Former team-mate and ex-Livingston star Mark Millar said Armstrong was a role model for younger kids starting out in the game.
      It came as he advised teen hopefuls to plan ahead for careers once they hang up their boots.MATHIEU FLAMINI
      Mathieu Flamini spent time during his career looking into alternative to fossil fuelCredit: Getty
      THE former Arsenal ace grew sick and tired of humanity’s addiction to Flamin’ fossil fuels.
      So he attempted to come up with an alternative during his time in Italy.
      The ex-Crystal Palace ace, who retired after a spell at La Liga side Getafe, began the project while at AC Milan and funded a load of research into levulinic acid.
      Flamini told SunSport: “We financed the research by Milan Polytechnic.
      “After several months we came up with the technology of how to produce ‘LA’ on an industrial scale, meaning cheaply and cost-effectively. We patented it.”
      The business is now said to be worth £10billion… not bad for a little side-hustle.
      KENNY DEUCHAR
      Kenny Deuchar is a qualified doctorCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      FORMER Scottish forward Kenny Deuchar was instrumental in Gretna’s fairy-tale rise.
      He netted more than 30 goals when they won the Scottish Third Division in 2005.
      And Kenny was affectionately known by fans as Doctor Goals, due to the fact that he is a qualified medical professional.
      The striker, who also had spells with East Fife, Falkirk, St Johnstone and Livingston, was branded The Good Doctor by Sky Sports host Jeff Stelling.CHRIS MILLAR
      Chris Millar is a personal trainer
      EX-ST JOHNSTONE star Chris Millar has put his fitness on the field to good use by working as a personal trainer in his spare time.
      The Morton ace revealed in 2018 he had picked up his Level 3 personal training certificate.
      And he regularly shares pictures of his clients’ success stories on Instagram.
      The veteran midfielder is now aged 37 and may be nearing the end of his playing career – but it looks like he’ll have no problem finding work once he retires.MORITZ BAUER
      Moritz Bauer has a pilot’s licence
      STOKE aren’t exactly flying high in the game these days – but they do have one player who’s used to being up in the air.
      Moritz Baeur is a qualified pilot and flies light aircraft in his spare time.
      The Austrian footie ace has shared snaps showing off his hobby on social media.HARALD BRATTBAKK
      Harald Brattbakk is also a qualified pilotCredit: Kenny Ramsay – The Sun Glasgow
      BAUER isn’t the first Celtic star with a fondness for living the high life.
      Norwegian striker Harald Brattbakk played for the Hoops from 1997 to 1999.
      It wasn’t all plain sailing for the striker during his time in Glasgow – but he famously scored the clinching goal that helped the Hoops deny Rangers ten-in-a-row.
      We told in 2012 how the ex-Rosenborg hitman was ferrying passengers all over the world for one of Norway’s biggest airlines.
      He said: “I work for the biggest airline in Norway. Some Celtic supporters knocked on the cockpit door to speak to me.”
      The committed pilot moved his family to Florida and spent £80k in order to qualify.
      A man of many talents, Brattbakk was also an accountant before his move to Celtic Park.IAN BLACK
      Ian Black did some work as a painter and decoratorCredit: Keith Campbell – The Sun Glasgow
      HEARTS stars were plunged into uncertainty back in 2011 when a wage row left them without pay for two months.
      But ex-Rangers ace Ian Black took to earning money on the side by working as a part-time painter and decorator.
      The midfielder helped out a tradesman pal in Edinburgh to ensure he could buy a Christmas present for his daughter.
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      A source told SunSport at the time: “Because the players are not getting paid, it got to the stage where Ian’s now started working for his mate.
      “He owns a painting and decorating business and Ian was out doing hard graft on Monday on his day off.
      “He is looking at the possibility of working twice a week for him in the run up to Christmas.
      “He said to the gaffer last week he might have to work on a Monday and Tuesday because he has to put food on the table for his kid.”
      KEVIN KYLE
      Kevin Kyle was a storeman on an oil rig
      FORMER Rangers and Scotland forward Kevin Kyle took a job as a storeman on an oil ship back in 2014.
      Just over a year after he left the Ibrox club, the veteran striker was plying his trade in the remote Shetland Isles up north.
      The footie ace was reportedly earning a relatively-small £800 every fortnight – a far-cry from the £10k a week he had been on beforehand. More

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      ‘Was it directly hit by a solar flare?’ – SPFL club’s ‘charcoal sausage roll’ leaves fans speechless

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      IT’S tradition for many football fans on match-days to sample a pre-match or half-time snack from one of their club’s many fine kiosks. But even the most peckish punters won’t be flocking to one Scottish Championship club’s stadium for a meal any time soon after seeing the sausage rolls they have on offer. 
      Fans aren’t impressed with the meal
      Fans from across the UK have taken aim at the Scottish side after Footy Scran, a Twitter account which rates stadium snacks, posted pictures of the well-fired pastry dish on the platform. 
      Launched in 2020, the page asks footy supporters to rate food items from football matches around the world. 
      Below the pictures, fans can deliver their verdict on the meals by picking between ‘Scran’ or ‘No Scran.’
      Scottish teams regularly feature, with a burger from Aberdeen’s Pittodrie recently rated as one of the worst items of footy grub – with 93.57 per-cent of those who voted opting against the snack. 

      And now another Scottish club has been posted, but sadly not for the right reasons either!
      The platform’s 526,000 followers have shown their distaste towards the blackened sausage roll, with one fan asking if it had been found in a “Roman archaeology dig”.
      But the big question is, where did it come from?
      Well if you want to get your hands on the savoury meal, you will need to head up to the Highlands and visit the Caledonian Stadium – home of Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
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      The Jags hosted Championship leaders Dundee yesterday and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
      It leaves the Dens Park outfit still leading the chase for the title – one point ahead of Queens Park – and Inverness in pole position for a play-off spot in third.
      But while it was a crunch clash with plenty on the line, one punter was more focused on his char-grilled sausage roll after being handed it over the counter.
      He then sent it in to the Footy Scran admins.
      And it didn’t go down well with fellow supporters as 87.5 per-cent of voters chose ‘No Scran’ compared to the 12.5 per-cent who claimed they would give it a go.
      They took to the comments to highlight their disbelief at the heavily burnt pastry snack too.
      One fellow football fan asked: “Was it directly hit by a solar flare?”
      Another added: “Rescued from a fire in the kitchen.”
      Someone else laughed: “Remember kids, if you’re naughty, Santa will leave a sausage roll from Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC in your stocking.”
      A fourth joked: “That’s a charcoal briquette.”
      An Inverness fan said: “No wonder we can’t afford our electric bills!”
      Whilst a sixth laughed: “Super Caley go ballistic, that sausage roll is atrocious.”
      The price of the sausage roll was £2.50, which is fairly cheap for your average stadium food.
      But most fans have admitted even that’s too much and insist they’d need to be paid to sample it.
      One comment read: “You’d have to pay me £250 to try that.”

      Another said: “That’s £2.50 too much.”

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      Ex-Celtic star looks unrecognisable after quitting football to race motorbikes

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      THERE’s not many careers that are more thrilling than being a professional footballer. But one former Celtic star has decided to up the ante even more after hanging up his boots as he’s opted for the ultimate adrenaline rush.
      This former Celtic star has a new passion since retiring
      He now races motorbikes
      Most former pros wind down when they announce their retirement and take time off from the game or head into coaching.
      But ex-Hoops ace Rico Annoni has went a step further and has followed his boyhood passion – racing motorbikes.
      The 56-year-old signed for Celtic in 1997 and spent two years at Parkhead before leaving in 1999 to take care of his ill father.
      Nicknamed Tarzan, for his long hairstyle at Roma, he lifted the Scottish top-flight title and League Cup during his short stint with the Hoops.

      But he was bald when he moved to Glasgow, accompanied with a stylish goatee.
      Now, he has a similar appearance but looks very different with his white beard instead.
      And even the most eagle-eyed fans would struggle to recognise him when he’s on the back of one of his many motorbikes.
      Annoni has an impressive collection to his name, with an MV Agusta, Ducati and Harley Davidson in his garage.
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      And they’re not just for show!
      The Italian is a keen rider and has competed in various amateur competitions in the past.
      He’s a lover of superbikes, but he started out with supermotos when he retired from football.
      Speaking to Tuttomercato in 2020, he said: “When I hung up my boots, I tried to exploit my passion and dedicated myself to Supermotard in my first year as a former footballer, which is a new discipline: cross bikes with road wheels.
      “I raced with other famous people such as Kristian Ghedina and DJ Ringo, had made a team available to us. I also joined a small team that competed in the Tunisian desert and participated in a program called ‘L’isola dei muddy’, dedicated to Enduro, on Nuvolari.
      “There I had the opportunity to test some bikes. Then I entered the world of Superbikes.”
      While he loved football and doesn’t regret becoming a professional, he was always passionate about motorcycles, even when he was a young boy.
      He said: “My relationship with two wheels began practically when I was born, having grown up in a mechanical workshop and therefore engines are in my blood.
      “As a child, I wanted to do everything except stay at home. After all, being born in a small town and growing up in a workshop, you developed a passion for mopeds.
      “I also remember when I used to go with my father to pick up large-engined motorcycles. I’ve always seen the bike as a tool that can give you a sense of freedom.
      “But I didn’t want to be a professional motorcyclist. I consider myself lucky to have become a professional footballer.
      “When I started being a footballer I had to give it up because it is dangerous for my profession. Once I hung up my boots, I dedicated myself to it body and soul.”
      He continues to compete at an amateur level and has yet to finish a race on the podium, but insists the point of racing is to have fun.

      He added: “I’ve never been on the podium. But I’ve had a lot of fun.”

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      Ex-Celtic star issues apology after being accused of making Nazi salute during goal celebration

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      FORMER Celtic striker Patryk Klimala has issued an apology after he was accused of making a Nazi salute after he scored a goal in Israel.The Polish star signed for Israeli club Hapoel Be’er Sheva on a free transfer in February…less than two years after the Hoops raked in £3.4 million for him.
      Patryk Klimala left Celtic in 2021Credit: PA
      Klimala says his gesture has been “misunderstood”
      He netted for the third game in a row as he helped Hapoel Be’er Sheva to a 2-1 win at Hapoel Jerusalem, but immediately raised one hand in celebration to his club’s fans behind the goal.
      But he was then the subject of a storm of criticism online from Israeli fans who understood his gesture to be a Nazi salute and attacked the 24-year-old.
      It forced Klimala into making a statement as he tried to explain his celebrations.
      Klimala said: “My gesture during the goal celebration was completely misunderstood.

      “As a Pole who respects the history of both countries, I would never even think of doing the Nazi salute.
      “While living in Poland, I visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and I am fully aware of the importance of the history of Jewish heritage.
      “After my goal, I just wanted to say hello to our fans. Other than that, it certainly wasn’t anything else.
      “Sorry if anyone took it the wrong way.
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      “Last but not least, this is a great opportunity to thank our fans again for all their support and I’m happy to say we’ve had another great win.”
      Klimala was at Celtic for 16 months after he cost them £3.5 million from Jagiellonia Bialystok three years ago and scored just three goals in 27 appearances before moving to the MLS with New York Red Bulls and then on to Israeli football.

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