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      Incredible moment SPFL sub keeper comes on as striker and SCORES 30-yard screamer as fans say ‘he’s better than Dessers’

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      SCOTTISH football, don’t ever change. Just when you thought you had seen it all in the SPFL, up steps Arbroath goalkeeper Ali Adams.
      Arbroath sub goalkeeper Ali Adams bags the screamer
      He lets fly from distance
      Cyriel Dessers endured an uncomfortable afternoon against CelticCredit: Willie Vass
      Playing from 2-0 down against Championship leaders Raith Rovers, with Red Lichties boss Jim McIntyre already having used all three of his named outfield substitutes, he had little choice but to turn to the sub goalkeeper when centre half Aaron Steele went off injured.
      And it proved a masterstroke – because within minutes of coming on, he had lashed in a right-foot screamer from all of 30 yards to give them a lifeline.
      And with Leighton McIntosh following it up with a penalty against a shell-shocked Rovers soon afterwards to earn a point, it is a goal which could have massive ramifications in the title race.
      Dundee Utd made short work of Partick Thistle in the televised match last night.

      Fans couldn’t believe what they were seeing, with a few comparing his efforts favourably to what they had just witnessed from hapless Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers.
      One wrote: “This is a goalie… no subs left so they brought on a goalie and he does this!!!! He’s better than Dessers.”
      A second said: “Arbroath keeper can do this and dessers trips over the ball.”
      A third wrote: “Championship keeper is a better striker than Dessers.”
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      A fourth simply: “Get him signed, Rangers”
      “A fifth said: And if Rangers can’t get Shankland, maybe they should go for Arbroath’s sub keeper who’s just come on against Raith as a striker…”
      One fan, sharing the clip of him celebrating, couldn’t help seeing the funny side, saying: “Milking it a bit, isn’t he?”
      The 31 year-old, who has also played with the likes of Musselburgh Athletic, Linlithgow Rose, Tranent JFC, Musselburgh Athletic, Berwick Rangers, Bonnyrigg Rose, Gretna, Bo’ness United and East Fife, had put that Howitzer of a right-foot to good use in the past.
      The former Junior Scottish Cup winner has a 55 yard fee kick goial on his resume from his time at Tranent Juniors.
      Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page  More

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      Celtic 2 Rangers 1: Kyogo and Bernardo goals stun Clement as unbeaten run comes to end and Hoops end 2023 on a high

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      NO sooner had the snow settled on Celtic Park had it evaporated.So too did Rangers’ unbeaten record under Philippe Clement.
      Kyogo celebrates scoring Celtic’s second goalCredit: Reuters
      Paulo Bernardo fired home the openerCredit: Kenny Ramsay
      James Tavernier’s late free-kick was a consolation goalCredit: Reuters
      Whether their title challenge stumbles in similar fashion to the way Cyriel Dessers did when clean through on goal remains to be seen.
      But after 16 matches, the Belgian has suffered defeat as Gers boss for the first time as Celtic triumphed 2-1 on Old Firm day.
      The win means that heading into the New Year, Brendan Rodgers’ men sit eight points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership (though Rangers have two games in hand).
      Super strikes from Kyogo and Paulo Bernardo made the difference on the day.

      Leon Balogun was shown a red card by Nick Walsh after fouling Daizen MaedaCredit: PA
      James Tavernier whipped in a stunning free-kick in the 87th minute made it a nervy end for the Hoops faithful but it was too little, too late from the Light Blues skipper.
      With both sides not able to field full-strength teams due to injuries, the likes of Stephen Welsh and Ridvan Yilmaz were handed rare starts.
      It’s hard to remember a Glasgow derby where that hasn’t had a frantic start and this one was no different.
      Moments of genuine quality were few and far between but both teams had openings in the opposing box.
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      It wasn’t just the atmosphere and occasion the players could blame this time given that the Celtic Park pitch looked a bit worse for wear after all the preceding weather drama.
      It wasn’t until 15 minutes had gone that a decent run down the right from Ross McCausland as he skipped past Greg Taylor into the box gave him the chance to cross but he couldn’t find a team mate and a combination of Dessers and Todd Cantwell couldn’t make amends.
      Abdallah Sima then linked up with Cantwell on the edge of the box but fired high and wide.
      At the other end, Celtic had openings through Kyogo from close range and Bernardo from further out, both giving Jack Butland something to think about.
      But there was nothing the Gers goalie could do about the Portuguese midfielder’s 25th-minute opener.
      🗣️ “𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗔 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜𝗦!”Paulo Bernardo puts Celtic 1-0 ahead with a great goal 🔽 pic.twitter.com/V0gLg1NhiR— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 30, 2023

      Sima failed to properly clear Luis Palma’s corner and his weak header bounced up perfectly for Bernardo to volley home through a crowd of players and into the back of the net.
      Dessers was presented with a glorious chance to level the tie on the half hour mark as he stole the ball and advanced into the area, bearing down on Joe Hart’s goal.
      But he waited, and waited, and waited until all the recovering Alistair Johnston had to do was nudge
      The away side were upping the ante now as McCausland failed to capitalise on a mishap in the Hoops defence from a crossfield pass immediately before Cantwell fired straight at Hart after James Tavernier recycled the loose ball and found the midfielder with a quick-thinking pass.
      McCausland forced Hart into a better save five minutes before the break as his directness again caused problems in the Celtic box as Rodgers’ men started desperately counting down towards the half-time whistle.
      Rangers also had a penalty shout waved away by Nick Walsh and the VAR team after the ball hit Johnston on the hand as he fended off Sima.
      Welsh also trudged off injured just before the interval.

      Clement likely headed into the dressing room with a clear team talk and a plan for how to get his team back into the game in the second half.
      Within 90 seconds, Kyogo blew it out of the water.
      The striker popped up on the edge of the box and unleashed a left-footed shot that flew into the top right-hand corner past Butland.
      Gers looked shellshocked and Parkhead erupted.

      It reached the hour mark before the away side had another chance as Dessers hit the side netting from a tight angle.
      For the next ten minutes, absolutely nothing of note took place.
      Then Leon Balogun took a terrible touch, Daizen Maeda sprinted onto the loose ball and the cumbersome defender hauled him down and Walsh couldn’t get his red card out quick enough.
      A sloppy pass from Tavernier when Rangers were in good possession gave Celtic the chance to move the ball upfield and it was from there things went from bad to worse as Balogun messed up.
      It was a clear sending off and at that point, it was clear there would only be one winner today.
      At least, until Tavernier stepped up to silence Parkhead with a free-kick that caught Hart out and gave Gers some hope.
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      But that’s all it was and despite eight minutes (and more) of injury time, the Hoops held on.
      Ross McCausland and Callum McGregor bickerCredit: Reuters
      Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page  More

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      Celtic v Rangers LIVE REACTION: Tavernier pulls one back for ten-man Gers but Hoops extend lead to EIGHT points

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      RANGERS pulled a goal back to set up a frantic finale at Celtic Park but the nervy Hoops held out to seal a crucial victory in the title race.Portuguese midfielder Paulo Bernardo made the first telling contribution in the 25th minute when he rifled home after Rangers failed to clear properly from a corner.
      The Hoops survived a strong penalty appeal before half-time then Kyogo struck two minutes after the restart with an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
      Leon Balogun was then red-carded for hauling down Daizen Maeda as he was clean through on goal.
      It seemed like Celtic would easily run down the clock but James Tavernier struck a sensational free-kick two minutes from time to set up a dramatic final few minutes.
      See how the match unfolded below… More

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      Moment female steward at Celtic v Rangers clash left distraught after being injured in Green Brigade celebration crush

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      A FEMALE steward was left in distress after celebrating Celtic fans caused a digital advertising hoarding to collapse. There were wild scenes in the corner of the ground populated by the Green Brigade when Paulo Bernardo swept in the Hoops’ opener against Rangers after 25 minutes.
      A steward appears to be injured shortly after Celtic open the scoringCredit: Kenny Ramsay
      A female steward appears to be injured shortly after Celtic open the scoringCredit: Kenny Ramsay
      Fans flooded onto the corner of the pitch to celebrateCredit: Kenny Ramsay
      Paulo Bernardo also ended up crushed
      Fans piled into the area
      Fans flooded down towards the pitch as the Portuguese star ran off to celebrate.
      He slid on the ground on his knees – before eventually joining fans in a bear hug – as he earned a booking for the trouble.
      But the female steward appeared to bear the brunt of it all, with images showing her clearly in distress.
      The Hoops ultras ground have been back in the stadium for the last two matches, after signing up to a new code of conduct.

      Celtic and Police Scotland have been asked for comment.
      Earlier, thousands of Rangers supporters gathered on Edmiston Drive to give the players and staff a red-hot send off amidst clouds of smoke, echoes of fireworks and snow blizzards.
      The footage shows the Ibrox faithful gathered around it and chanted loudly, with drums heard and a large amount of pyro set off.
      Several supporters also banged on the side of the bus in a show of encouragement.
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      Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page  More

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      Inside the Rangers team bus as incredible footage shows coach surrounded by pyro-wielding ultras ahead of Celtic clash

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      THIS is the incredible moment showing the Rangers team bus as it tried to leave Ibrox for Celtic Park whilst surrounded by fervent fans setting off pyro.Thousands of supporters gathered on Edmiston Drive to give the players and staff a red-hot send off amidst clouds of smoke, echoes of fireworks and snow blizzards.
      Fans surrounded the coach as it departed Ibrox this morning
      Supporters chanted, let off flares and banged on the side of the bus
      Rangers head to Glasgow’s east end today to take on Celtic hoping to cut the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership table to just two points.
      It would put the Light Blues in prime position to leapfrog the Hoops come the New Year, given they have two games in hand on their city rivals.
      And as the coach carrying the squad and the coaching staff set off from Govan, one of the backroom team on the bus captured it all on video.
      The footage shows the Ibrox faithful gathered around it and chanted loudly, with drums heard and a large amount of pyro set off.

      Several supporters also banged on the side of the bus in a show of encouragement.
      Philippe Clement’s men will run out onto the field at Celtic Park in front of 60,000 Hoops fans later this afternoon.
      With no away fans present due to the ongoing Old Firm lockout, Gers faithful sought to give their team a passionate send off before the match.
      The Union Bears planned a march to Ibrox as a way of showing support given that they couldn’t be at the game in person.
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      In the hours hours of this morning, the same fans trolled their Glasgow rivals with a cheeky act of vandalism on an overhead motorway crossing just outside of the city.
      The group poured red, white and blue paint on the railway bridge over the M8 at Bargeddie.
      Meanwhile heavy snow has fallen at Celtic Park, leaving the pitch covered in white ahead of kick-off,
      The weather took a turn at around 10am this morning and more snow is forecast in the Dalmarnock area until around 1pm this afternoon (around half an hour into the match).
      Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page  More

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      Rangers target’s dad is legendary MMA fighter who accosted THREE burglars by himself after punching through car window

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      RANGERS target Million Manhoef is the son of a three-time MMA world champion. The Ibrox men are fighting for the signature of the £2.5m-rated Vitesse Arnhem winger. 
      Melvin Manhoef pictured in 2015Credit: Getty
      He stopped three burglars after punching through their car windows in 2022
      Rangers are chasing his son Million (right)Credit: Alamy
      Manhoef is one of the hottest prospects in Dutch football and Gers boss Philippe Clement is keen to snare him next month.
      The 21-year-old comes from famous athletic stock with his father regarded as a fighting icon in Holland. 
      Melvin Manhoef was a feared mixed martial arts and kickboxing legend with one of the best knockout records in history before his retirement last year. 
      Nicknamed ‘No Mercy’ the Suriname-born cage fighter extinguished 29 of his opponents in 32 MMA victories. 

      Manhoef made his debut at the age of 19 and the stoppage-machine only hung up his gloves when he was 45. 
      However, he is arguably next known in the Netherlands for performing a citizen’s arrest on burglars who were casing his home in Amsterdam. 
      Manhoef snr made headlines outside the cage in March 2022 when he chased down three criminals. 
      The 47-year-old ran them off the road before punching through their window and holding them until police arrived. 
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      At the time he said: “I got out of the car shouting, going crazy saying ‘my family’ and this and that, and I went over to their car and threw one punch through the window, cutting my hand.
      “I got the guys, I was shouting and pulled them out. I didn’t hit them, but I had to say it, I was going through  my mind. I would do it again for my family.”
      Manhoef is revered in combat sports for his longevity and is also the first man to  knock out UFC legend Mark Hunt.

      Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page  More

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      Celtic vs Rangers: Back our 16/1 Bet Builder tip, plus get £40 in free bets with Paddy Power

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      CELTIC and Rangers round off 2023 with another Scottish football spectacle as the Old Firm takes centre stage on Saturday.It’s a colossal game for both clubs for a number of reasons, so SunSport have teamed up with our partners at Paddy Power to select our top Bet Builder picks for the top encounter, which they’ve boosted to a whopping 16/1!
      Back our 16/1 Celtic vs Rangers Bet Builder tip, plus get £40 in free bets
      We’ve gone for: Both teams to score, Sima 1+ shot on target & McGregor and Cantwell to be carded.
      The normal price for these selections comes in at 14/1 – though Paddy Power have boosted the odds to 16/1!
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      Here’s why we’ve made those selections:

      Both teams to score: There’s attacking quality in both sides – and defensive errors too. The Celtic defence and Joe Hart have all faced criticism at some point this season and, domestically, it’ll be their toughest assignment. But they should score.
      Sima 1+ shot on target: Has 17 shots on target in the Premiership to date and is Gers’ best attacking option, given the weakness in the centre forward area. Can capitalise on Alistair Johnston pushing forward and could have a big part to play.
      Callum McGregor to be carded: Celtic skipper not shy in the tackle and will be right up for this one. Booked eight times in 35 Old Firms.
      Todd Cantwell to be carded: Enjoys being the one to play up to Rangers support and could do so again despite no away fans in attendance. More yellow cards than goals in the league (1 vs 3) and likely to be a target for some rough treatment from Celtic midfield.

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      Second SPFL Premiership match called OFF following Rangers v Ross County postponement

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      A SECOND Premiership clash has been called off as snowfall caused by Storm Gerrit sparks chaos on the roads.We told you earlier in the day how Rangers’ Ibrox clash with Ross County fell victim to the weather with the Staggies’ team bus caught up in snowy gridlock on the A9.
      The clash at Pittodrie has fallen victim to the weatherCredit: Kenny Ramsay
      The postponement came only an hour after Well advised fans to take the A92
      And now Motherwell’s visit to Aberdeen has been called off – even though hundreds of ‘Well fans have already embarked on the journey to the North East for the match.
      SunSport understands that the Lanarkshire side ARE already in the Granite City.
      And the postponement came only an hour after Well advised fans to take the A92, due to closures on the A9.
      But with closures now in place on both the A9 AND the A92, and many Motherwell fans locked in gridlock, the match has now been postponed.

      Earlier in the day, Dons chief Alan Burrows had made hopeful noises about the match taking place.
      He wrote: “Pitch / Stadium update: – At the moment, the wind and rain is battering the North East.
      “Another 20mm of rain due to fall on Pittodrie between now and KO and wind currently gusting around about 60/65mph.
      “Despite that, at the moment, the stadium is holding up fairly well. Not too much damage so far, other than some signage.
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      “Pitch is wet, but is draining pretty satisfactorily at this stage.
      “We have our ground staff, when they aren’t blowing about the place, on standby should any quick remedial work be required (when the wind eventually eases).
      “Better news is that the worst of the weather is between now and 3.30pm, before it calms down quite a fair bit.
      “As we stand now, with the forecast as it is, things are good to go. If anything changes for the worst, we’ll update in as much time as possible…”
      It’s the second postponement in a matter of days for the Dons, who saw their clash with Dundee called off less than an hour before kick-off at the weekend.
      Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page  More