Mark McGhee speaks out over past managerial positions

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The last two appointments by Mark McGhee to managerial appointments at Bristol Rovers and Aberdeen have left a blot on Mr. McGhee’s CV, and he knows it. The newest appointee Gordon Strachan knows that his job as Scotland’s number 2 won’t be easy, and that he’ll have questions to answer to rebuild confidence.

The announcement from McGhee came from Hampden, and he stated that his recent picks that became managerial failures haven’t dampened his confidence going forward. To show this, he directly challenged the assertion from Stewart Regan, SFA chief executive, that the goal of the new management team is to prevent Scotland from finishing last in the World Cup.

He said that his goals for the team are not even close to finishing last, and that wasn’t even part of this thought process. Rather he said he was aiming quite a bit higher. In the end, it comes down to the players, and they have matured, McGhee said. He cited Craig Levein as an example, and said that there is a growing nucleus of players who are playing at an ever higher level and continue to improve.

While he’s used to be the one in complete charge, he is okay with his role under Strachan. Anyone who knows McGhee, knows that he wants to have his say, but he understands that Gordon is the manager. According to him, he’ll do his job to support and counsel as best he can.

Then he clarified by saying that it wouldn’t be actually like giving Gordon advice. It would be more like giving of information or intelligence. Following in the vein of spy terminology, he also said that his job would be to soak up all kinds of information about opposing teams and players and present this to Gordon in a neat and orderly dossier.

Court hears about football train fire prank that went very wrong

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Court hears about football train fire prank that went very wrong Heir to a £3m farm, Peter Wallace, caused an entire crowded train to panic after he set Arjuna Rabindranath on fire, who then ran throughout the carriage enflamed in agony.

The Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard that the duo were fans out to celebrate Halloween and were on their way back from the Aberdeen Scottish Premier League fixture on October 31st of 2009.

Wallace, age 24, was said to have been flicking his lighter near Rabindranath’s costume, which was made of wool, until it finally lit up. Prosecutor Mark McGuire stated that suddenly people heard screaming and then saw the man running up and down the carriage.

A passenger that was on the train stated that it was like watching a scene from a horror movie as the victim ran burning throughout the carriage.

Many tossed beer on the outfit in an attempt to put the flames out but to no avail.  Rabindranath was taken to a Dunfermline hospital but later had to be transferred to a specialty burns unit in Livingston at the St. John’s Hospital.

The court was told that after the event Wallace went to a police man at the railway station and told him that he was fooling around with a lighter and accidently was the one to set fire to the man.

Rabindranath had second and third degree burns that covered over 40% of his body and extensive smoke damage to his lungs that at some points caused doctors to believe he would not recover. He was ordered to pay £25,000 in compensation to Rabindranath.