BBC Scotland's chief sports writer@tenglishsportPublished4 May 2025The angst of a football manager's life was writ large over Barry Ferguson's contorted frame in the dying seconds of the last Old Firm derby of the season A Rangers throw-in down the Celtic end and an opportunity for James Tavernier to hurl one towards the box in the hope of something happening to turn a 1-1 draw into a win Hamza Igamane gets it and flings it back towards his own goal whereupon Rangers are mugged and Celtic are away is scampering into the Rangers penalty area - and Ferguson is practically jumping out of his own skin in frustration he's like a man who's been given electric shock treatment but in real time you'd have bet money on Maeda picking out Johnny Kenny for a fairly routine tap-in winner At least Ferguson and the Rangers fans were spared that misery and the industrial-scale mocking that would have followed The smallest mercy towards the end of a largely merciless season Ferguson retains hope of keeping Rangers head coach role Rangers condemn 'unacceptable' banner and throwing of bottle Idah's Celtic equaliser leaves Rangers without home win in seven In the wake of Philippe Clement's demise Neil McCann and Allan McGregor - were sent into Ibrox as some kind of survival experts You sense Ferguson has dedicated all his waking hours to this cause that he's emptied himself into the role with abandon he's practically tattooed the word BELIEVE on his forehead in an attempt to drag his players out their torpor It's not been enough to address the bizarre contradictions at the heart of this team a gang of players with a twin personality; confident and dangerous against good teams afflicted by uncertainty and impotence against supposedly inferior opposition Rangers have gone away to Fenerbahce and won a Europa League match but have been knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Queen's Park they've beaten Brendan Rodgers' runaway champions in their own backyard at Celtic Park (scoring three times) and yet they've lost at home to Queen's Park though only the latter fixture was on Ferguson's watch They reached the last eight in Europe but haven't won in seven games at Ibrox They've lost one in four in the league against Celtic They've outscored Celtic 7-6 in Old Firm games but Celtic can't even see them in their rear-view mirror Rangers' record against Celtic is markedly better than their record against St Mirren They've dropped as many points against Hibernian Aberdeen and Motherwell as they have against Rodgers' serial league winners Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur only got a draw against them in Europe Seven different domestic teams (including cup ties) have beaten them The fans have repeatedly turned on Cyriel Dessers who has now scored 25 goals this season and has 47 goals in 107 games while giving little of the same kind of vitriol to Danilo who they signed for £6m for a return (when fit) of 12 in 46 we can borrow Winston Churchill's words to describe this utter basket case: "A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." Barry Ferguson harbours ambitions of taking on the Rangers managerial position on a permanent basis They've now taken the lead in four Old Firm games in a row The puzzle about how they can look pretty coherent in these games and look so bereft in others remains unsolved they have more freedom to play when up against strong opposition who don't resort to the low block to frustrate them but that only goes a certain part of the way in explaining the vast disparity in performances How can you go toe-to-toe with the likely Europa League finalists Spurs and Manchester United - scoring in both drawing one and losing the other to a late late goal - and yet fall in a goalless heap against teams with a fraction of your playing resources and questionable defensive records and goals from a striker other than Dessers All four of Celtic's starting defenders on Sunday have scored more times this season than Conor Barron Rangers had two players in double figures for the season Celtic had five - and that was with Nicolas Kuhn injured and Kyogo Furuhashi sold has scored more goals than seven of Rangers' outfield starters they can live with Celtic on any given day They just can't live with the pressure of should-win and must-win games We're told none of this is lost on the prospective new owners they know the Scottish landscape and who dominates it they know the distance they must travel across some rocky terrain and they know every inch of progress is going to be hard-won Rangers are capable of flash-in-the-pan performances like Sunday and the other ones that went before against Celtic an irrelevance when you suspect their next slip is just days away Rangers folk will want to go to sleep now and wake only when the new owners are in and making the kind of profound change that's required Visit our Rangers page for all the latest news Get Rangers news notifications in the BBC Sport app Top storiesTrailblazer Zhao set to take snooker to 'another level' in China Alexander-Arnold leaves as modern Liverpool great - but fans will feel hurt Alpine poised to replace Doohan with Colapinto The final series of Man Like Mobeen has arrived John Simm stars in the provocative 90s drama Warm-hearted comedy with Ben Miller and Sally Phillips Follow two ambitious river restoration projects What is still to be decided as season reaches climax Scotland men's internationals to be shown live on BBC Commonwealth Games: Why is it so special to be part of Team Scotland From titles to tinpottery - rank Scotland's top 10 clubs Who has made Troy's Premier League team of the week Trailblazer Zhao set to take snooker to 'another level' in China Zhao beats Williams in historic final - highlights VideoZhao beats Williams in historic final - highlights 'Scheffler and DeChambeau wins further raise US PGA excitement levels' Match-fixing scandal to Crucible champion - fall and rise of Zhao 'We need to take a look at ourselves' - Arsenal stalling at wrong time Palmer's brilliance could be key moment in Chelsea's Champions League quest Europa League 'papering over cracks' for Man Utd - Rooney VideoEuropa League 'papering over cracks' for Man Utd - Rooney Ask Me Anything the new BBC Sport service designed to serve you Bayern's 'James Bond' - how Kane clinched his first trophy Nine bolters with a shot of making the Lions squad How 'absolutely outstanding' Palmer 'destroyed' Liverpool VideoHow 'absolutely outstanding' Palmer 'destroyed' Liverpool Still number one & 'sparring' with Draper - return of Sinner Saints 'punch' favourites Leinster in game for the ages VideoVardy the best £1m ever spent - Shearer Poppy's tears Elton John & Happy Gilmore - McIlroy on Jimmy Fallon show Two opposing views on football's transgender ban Copyright © 2025 BBC. 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Robert Grieve Chief Football WriterPublished: Invalid Date BARRY FERGUSON has urged the Rangers takeover consortium to appoint a new manager NOW Fergie is desperate to get the job and still believes he’s in the running Sean Dyche, Marco Rose and ex-gaffer Steven Gerrard are other contenders with sporting director Kevin Thelwell set to pinpoint his No1 target But after the 1-1 draw with Celtic, Ferguson insists the US money men have no time to waste He said: "The changes are starting to happen and that's a real positive in my eyes "Kevin has come in as sporting director MEGA OFFERS Rangers & Celtic: Best free bets, bonuses and sign-up offers"I think he starts in the middle of June or the start of July "But we need to get started because it's a couple of weeks before the end of the season "Before you know it, you're in the qualification games for the Champions League and then the season is upon you.  "There's a lot of work to be done.  Ferguson has already met with Thelwell but has NOT been given a chance yet to made a formal pitch for the job Asked if he still felt he was in the running "But that's up to people above to decide "But that does not scare me one single bit "I've been through the doors now I know what's needed in terms of change it has to be a decision made quickly now because we're coming to the end of the season "You need to obviously start deciding what way you want to go heading into next season because this season has been dry in terms of trophies "This club needs to get back to challenging and winning trophies again "I keep repeating myself as I've told everybody "Everybody's got an opinion but I don't care about people's opinions "I know I can do the job and I know I've got a real good staff behind me "I've been asked this question two or three weeks in a row "I know there's a hell of a lot of work to be done and that's a challenge that I would meet head on "You would probably have to start the last week of June and then you've got the qualification games for the Champions League "So there needs to be a lot more work to be done in terms of the changes that are going to be made because people are running out of contracts so there's a lot of work to be done but that's been needed "It has to obviously be this way going forward." Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click here The interim manager says 'I know I can do the job' and says he still has a chance. Ferguson saw his side draw 1-1 with Celtic in the final Old Firm game of the season, with Cyriel Dessers’ opening goal cancelled out by a second-half Adam Idah strike. The former Rangers captain has just three games left in his spell in charge, having been appointed to steady the ship after Philippe Clement’s absence and take the team through to the end of the season. It’s expected to be a summer of huge change at Ibrox, with the American consortium that includes 49ers Enterprises closing in on their boardroom takeover. Incoming sporting director Kevin Thelwell is expected to make major changes and the club will be making a decision on who the next man in the dugout is. Ferguson says that appointment needs to be made quickly, with the team needing to be built ahead of the crucial Champions League qualifiers. Asked if he thought he had had a chance of getting the job, he said: “Do I think I should get the job or do I want the job? I know I can do the job.”  Pressed again, he said “of course” he still believed he could be appointed permanently, insisting he wasn’t intimidated by the scale of the task and that a quick decision should be made because “there’s a hell of a lot to be done”. “Yeah, of course [there’s a chance’],” he said. “But that’s up to people above to decide.  “Look, since I’ve come in here, there’s been a few bumps but that does not scare me one single bit.  “I’ve been through the doors now, I know what’s needed in terms of change. So we just need to wait and see.  “But as I said to you, it has to be a decision made quickly now because we’re coming to the end of the season.  “You need to obviously start deciding what way you want to go heading into next season. Because this season has been dry in terms of trophies. This club needs to get back to challenging and winning trophies again. “I keep repeating myself. I’ve told everybody. Everybody’s got an opinion. I don’t care about people’s opinions. I know I can do the job. I know I’ve got a real good staff behind me.  “I’ve been asked this question two or three weeks in a row. I think it’s clear. It doesn’t scare me one single bit. I know there’s a hell of a lot of work to be done. But I think everybody knows that.  “That’s a challenge that I would meet head-on. And I know I would change it.” Reflecting on the draw with Celtic, Ferguson was satisfied with the players’ efforts. After calling for a huge improvement on the draw with St Mirren last week, the former Ibrox captain was happy with the mindset but felt a little more quality could have turned one point into three. “I’m really happy with the commitment of the team,” he said. “Obviously disappointed with just getting a point. “You obviously want to come out of these games and come away with three points. So that’s the thing that probably disappoints me.  “I spoke to the boys after it. As I just mentioned, they’re delighted with the commitment, the effort.  “Just that bit of quality in the final third when we break at times has to be better than that final pass, that attempt on goal and maybe take too many touches. But listen, they accept that, they understand that. That’s something that again we need to work hard on when we come back into training on Tuesday.” STV News is now on WhatsAppGet all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Follow STV News on WhatsAppScan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country '+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text+' "+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title+" "+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text+" CYRIEL DESSERS reckons Barry Ferguson’s “Rangers DNA” makes him a genuine contender for the manager’s job The Ibrox club are on the verge of being bought by a San Francisco 49ers consortium Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell has been given the task of pinpointing a new boss And Dessers insists Fergie’s history with Gers should be taken into consideration I think that's a big positive for him and he can transfer that to the group as well So I think that's a big positive for him.” Ferguson has made no secret of the fact he wants the job. Ex-Burnley boss Sean Dyche has a tight relationship with Thelwell from their time together at Everton and he is one of the frontrunners While Marco Rose and Steven Gerrard are also understood to be contenders Ferguson’s lack of top-level experience in management counts against him But Dessers insists the former club captain has the credentials for the job “I think Barry came in at a very difficult moment for the club We were very deep and he kind of got us out of it he noticed that we have difficulties with being consistent and performing week in Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click here. Ferguson has been in interim charge since Philippe Clement was sacked Barry Ferguson insists he is excited about the future for Rangers after meeting prospective new owners and incoming sporting director Kevin Thelwell The interim boss has previously spoken of his desire to stay on beyond the end of the season but said he will not "spit the dummy out" if the club seek a fresh start including Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises Global Football Group with a delegation visiting Ibrox this week Ferguson welcomed the group to the training centre but explained the exchange was brief since he was preparing for Sunday's meeting with Celtic "It's something the club has been wanting "It looks to me like it's going along smoothly and we're just waiting to get the thumbs up "It's the start of a new era for the club and it certainly needs it I'm just looking forward to the day it gets signed off and hopefully it's a brighter future for Rangers." Thelwell is leaving Everton at the end of this season to join Rangers but what was said will remain private," Ferguson said of their conversation "I think it will work really well for the club He got my feelings and he totally understood them "There has to be a lot of changes to try and make this club successful again because it's built on winning trophies I'm excited about the prospect of new owners coming in and Kevin coming in "I'm comfortable with the situation It's been an amazing couple of months for me "Of course I would take it [the manager's job] I'll go back to my [ambassadorial] role and support the club." Rangers won at Celtic Park for the first time in five years the temporary boss is still seeking a first home victory and Celtic will arrive as champions "I couldn't care less about the performance I just want the three points," he said of the derby "It's all about winning games of football and that's something we need to get better at "We know what we're coming up against "We need those levels week after week." No Ibrox manager has won their first two league meetings with Celtic as Rangers seek a third successive derby victory for the first time since January 2021 "The game means a lot to me personally and it needs to mean a lot to everyone within the building," Ferguson added "We're up against our rivals who have dominated again and that hurts We need to give them a reminder that we're going to be here next season." Princeton senior Osamede Ogbomo and Class of 2024 alumnus Matthew Wilson have been awarded the John and Daria Barry Scholarship for study at the University of Oxford The scholarship was established in 2019 and "is awarded to the leading students of the United States of America in recognition of their dedication to the pursuit of truth," according to the Barry Scholars announcement It provides full funding for a minimum two years of study and yearly stipends for research and travel will pursue an MPhil in politics (political theory) at Oxford.  “places the biblical story of King David within the broader tradition of political thought (evoking thinkers from Plato and Aristotle to Machiavelli and James Madison)” to examine ambition authority and morality in contemporary political life A member of the Princeton Debate Panel and the American Whig-Cliosophic Society Ogbomo said that one of her favorite pastimes is watching the Oxford Union debates online and she is looking forward to seeing them in person next year Ogbomo is a James Madison Program undergraduate fellow and teaches piano at the Lewis Center for the Arts where she is a residential community living adviser she has served as a campus manager for Act One D.C.-based startup focused on helping young adults navigate their careers she hopes to pursue a career as a political strategist Matthew Wilson majored in politics and earned certificates in medieval studies and Hellenic studies at Princeton He will pursue an MPhil in politics (political theory) at Oxford He is currently deputy editor and interim managing editor of Public Discourse the online publication of the Witherspoon Institute He is also a research assistant to Robert P professor of politics and director of the James Madison Program Wilson was awarded the Stephen Whelan ’68 Senior Thesis Prize for Excellence in Constitutional Law and Political Thought for his thesis which examined the relationship between religiously associated political arguments and contemporary democratic pluralism he is “excited to study at one of the world's most renowned centers of analytic political philosophy” and to supplement his studies with participation in the Canterbury Institute Cliosophic party chair in the American Whig-Cliosophic Society a James Madison Program undergraduate fellow a member of Princeton’s Rose Castle Society and the University’s student chapter of the Federalist Society where he served as a peer academic adviser The Rangers and Celtic managers hold opposite views on the thorny issue. Celtic secured their fourth consecutive title against Dundee United last weekend, prompting some to ask whether Rangers would applaud the league winners on to the pitch at Ibrox this weekend. There’s no real precedent for one of the rivals giving the other a guard of honour in these circumstances, though Rangers did applaud Celtic in 1964 after they made progress in Europe. The sides have met immediately after the other has clinched the title in recent years, with 2019 and 2021 having brought similar discussion but neither side having shown the gesture. Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers believes it’s a tradition in British football that should be upheld. “It’s not in the rules that you have to do it,” he said. “And I think that when it’s two teams and the rivalry is so emotional, it’s always difficult for the team that comes up short. “I’m relaxed either way on it. I’m a little bit of a traditionalist where, there’s a lot of things going out of our game over on these isles that’s moving away from the traditions of the great managers and people that ran our game and were successful in our game. “I always think showing that humility to the other team, no matter the rivalry, it’s a mark of respect. “But like I said, Celtic-Rangers, it’s an emotional rivalry. “And if you’re up short and you come up short quite a lot, then it can be a challenge for you to justify that to supporters. “Like I said, I’m a traditionalist and these are things that have been in our game for many years but I’m relaxed about it.” Rangers manager Barry Ferguson, who won titles as a Rangers player, says he doesn’t understand why there’s even a discussion. “I’ve been asked quite a few times about this, it’s never happened in the past,” he said. “I don’t know why there’s always a big clamour about a guard of honour. “It’s never happened whether it’s Celtic, whether it’s Rangers, and I think it will always just remain that way. “Celtic are champions for a reason, because they have been the most consistent throughout the season, we haven’t, but in terms of a guard of honour, I don’t see that.” Cyber underwriters Joanne Barry and Robert Fox are set to exit Everest Insurance Sources told Insurance Insider that Barry is set to land at Zurich You have reached the limit for gifting for this month Insurance Insider is the premier intelligence solution for the London and global (re)insurance markets Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy Rangers interim head coach Barry Ferguson celebrates Cyriel Dessers' opener against Celtic in their 1-1 draw Interim head coach Barry Ferguson maintains hope of being in charge of Rangers beyond the end of this season after Celtic came from behind to deny the Ibrox side a third straight win over the Scottish champions Despite an encouraging display and leading through Cyriel Dessers' 25th goal of the season just before half-time they were denied by Adam Idah's second-half leveller to extend their Ibrox winless run to an unwanted record seven matches With the points differential remaining at 17 with Celtic Ferguson still believes he has what it takes to succeed as permanent boss emphasising that urgency is paramount to bring clarity but I know I can do the job," he told BBC Scotland "I've been written off all my life in terms of my playing career There's been bumps – that's just part of management but it's not scared me one single bit "The quicker we sort what's going on in terms of next season because the season's just round the corner "There is a lot of work to be done and the quicker that everybody knows who's going to be in charge Ferguson was left "a bit disappointed we didn't come away with three points" against Celtic He thought he got "the commitment from my players" he was asking for and insisted "the mentality is there" among the squad he inherited "It's just making sure you bring that sort of mentality on a consistent basis," Ferguson said "It's something we've not been able to do this season It's something we know we need to get better at." Former Rangers striker Steven Thompson is unconvinced that Ferguson will see his wish granted at the end of the season as new prospective owners prepare a takeover "I don't think they've done enough in the short time that they've been here," he said of Ferguson and his coaching staff "There's been moments when they've had good results and it's looked positive but that's followed up with a kind of inept performance the next week are just wanting it to be announced about the investment a manager announced and then they can start looking ahead to next season which surely can't be as bitterly disappointing a campaign as this one." Barry Williams opens up about his iconic role as Greg Brady in The Brady Bunch revealing why he struggles to shake off the character's lasting impact on his identity who played Greg on the classic 1960s sitcom shared his experiences during a panel at Hofstra University in Long Island on Sunday "It was impossible to juggle the two identities what you see with Greg was a guy that had younger brothers and sisters You see somebody who's trying to make things work Drawing parallels between himself and Brady Williams explained there were some differences in the character I never once threw a football at my sister’s nose I never lost to my sister in a driving contest that was so late I never would have lost if it wasn’t written in the script.” he also shared that playing the character while growing up was challenging The 11-year-old young royal took part in the special tea festivity Jenna Ortega's 'Wednesday' season 2 has been teased by the makers Prince Harry dragged through the mud with Thomas Markle comparison Blake Lively talks about ongoing controversy at 'Another Simple Favor' promotion 'Beautiful Things' singer Benson Boone shares candid moments from his first-ever 'SNL' appearance Disney backed 'Lilo & Stitch' is coming out in theatres on May 21 Copyright © 2025. The News International, All Rights Reserved | Contact Us | Authors By DAVID COVERDALE Barry Hearn has set Sheffield City Council a deadline of the end of the year to come up with a plan to keep the World Championship at the Crucible has hosted snooker’s premier tournament since 1977 but its contract expires in 2027 insists his preference is to stay at the Crucible rather than moving overseas and he held positive talks with council chiefs on Thursday morning Hearn says the tournament must become more profitable so he can double the winner’s prize money from £500,000 to £1million – and wants Sheffield to either expand the venue or start paying World Snooker a site fee it all comes down to pound notes,’ said Hearn ‘There’s a value to Sheffield City Council for having it in Sheffield and hopefully we can sign another 10-year deal at the Crucible ‘We agreed to meet in another three months with a view to knowing exactly where we are by the end of this year Barry Hearn has given Sheffield City Council until the end of the year to decide if they want to still host the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible The 980-seat venue has hosted the tournament since 1977 but its contract expires in 2027 Hearn wants to stay at the Crucible but has encouraged the council to expand its capacity I’m a little more optimistic today than I was yesterday I was impressed with the passion and commitment that Sheffield Council have got for snooker We can't turn away from the realities of sports life ‘You’ve got to get in as much income as you can because then you can pay as much prize money as you can ‘Whether that income comes from sponsorships whether it comes from gate income or whether it comes from site fees is irrelevant to me as long as it comes in ‘The onus is on Sheffield to come up with something in line with Government in line with our thinking of where the game stands in terms of prestige and respect But in any relationship if the other side doesn’t love you back at the moment we’re engaged and I’m hoping in the next few months we’re going to get married again the chairman of World Snooker Tour majority owners Matchroom Sport said last week that he would have left the Crucible five years ago with Saudi Arabia and China among the countries interested in hosting the World Championship Hearn believes that an expanded theatre would allow the tournament to be more profitable Hearn's son Eddie is open to moving the tournament overseas to Saudi or China He's a great operator in the commercial sense there is absolutely nothing he can do if I don't agree with it ‘There’s a huge amount of money outside of the UK to stage the World Snooker Championship Help me to do what I want to do and I won't be outrageous in my demands.’ The comments below have not been moderated By posting your comment you agree to our house rules Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group and a handful of others in the Raith Rovers squad the anguish of missing out on the play-offs was aggravated by uncertainty over the future It was clear the torture of coming so close to landing fourth place – just one goal for Livingston would have done it – was not the only thing that had some players close to tears at Hampden The dust of the impressive 5-1 hammering of Queen’s Park and an unfortunate end to the campaign will not take long to settle before thoughts turn to next season Some notable servants are set to leave Stark’s Park to make room for manager Barry Robson to put more of his own stamp on the squad he inherited in late December Gullan, with four goals in the 18 appearances of his latest stint at the club admits he is unsure whether the short-term deal he agreed in January will be extended the former Hibernian forward is convinced the late bid to reach the play-offs hints at brighter things ahead for Raith “We’ve been on an unbelievable run to even get to the position where we were fighting for it on the last day,” Gullan told Courier Sport “I couldn’t be prouder of everyone at the club because we’ve really given everything the last four or five months since the gaffer’s been in “Ten games unbeaten in the Championship is very “And it just shows what we’ve been doing is working But I think once everything settles down we’ll look back and be proud of the run we went on “To know we potentially had to win by four goals and going and doing it “So, yes, we did our bit and it just wasn’t to be.” Gullan admitted there would be regret in the Raith ranks In the end just two points separated them from Partick in fourth who was full of praise for the ‘unbelievable’ Rovers fans almost 1,500 of whome descended on the national stadium is convinced they can learn from this season and go at least one better in 12 months’ time “The manager just kind of told us to remember the feeling and how hard it is to take,” added Gullan “But he spoke of trying to get momentum into next season after showing what we can do in this quarter when we’ve not lost “And I think this club should be fighting at the top end of the table We’ve proved that we can do that the last few months And as for the possibility of a contract extension “We were waiting until the end of the season “The whole club was just focusing on the play-offs Comments are currently disabled as they require cookies and it appears you've opted out of cookies on this site. To participate in the conversation, please adjust your cookie preferences in order to enable comments Barry Manilow might have a lifetime residency commitment from his Las Vegas host property Westgate Las Vegas but the 81-year-old entertainer recently announced that he’s embarking on a tour of the United States that’s being dubbed The Last Concerts The showman who brought the world classics like “I Write the Songs,” “Weekend in New England,” “Looks Like We Made It” and “Mandy,” begins his arena tour in late May of cities like Pittsburgh culminating in a performance in Sacramento on July 19 “I couldn’t be more thrilled to visit these great cities of which I have so many fond memories,” Manilow said in a statement “Each one is special to my touring history.” And if you haven’t yet seen his Vegas show It’s not hyperbole to say it’s one of the best current residencies this city has to offer but once he hits that stage and hits high notes on songs like “I Made It Through the Rain” while strutting the stage and rarely standing still There’s another special reason to see Manilow now: Every single Vegas performance is history in the making He broke Elvis Presley’s record of 636 performances in the International Showroom last year so each show just adds to what’s already a precedent-setting show Manilow credits a big part of the run to the showroom itself “The Westgate is the perfect room for me,” he said in an exclusive interview with Las Vegas Magazine “Out of all the rooms that I’ve ever played this is the size that I would have built.” A huge part of his Vegas shows is the Fanilow contingent To be in a crowd with his biggest fans is to truly feel like part of a huge family with Manilow saying things to the crowd like “Let’s close the doors and order a pizza!” Westgate Las Vegas, 5+. westgateresorts.com Click here for your free subscription to the weekly digital edition of Las Vegas Magazine In addition to the latest edition emailed to every week money-saving offers from some of the most exciting attractions And Las Vegas Magazine is full of informative content such as restaurants to visit The singer known for everything from pop to classical performs at The Colosseum at Caesars .. The star of ‘Kill Tony’ performs at Resorts World Las Vegas on May 10 The Red Rocker performs at Park MGM on May 7 Stewart Fisher Deputy Online Sports EditorPublished: Invalid Date THIS is the moment Rangers interim boss Barry Ferguson and his Celtic counterpart Brendan Rodgers shared a handshake and a few words just days before the final Old Firm showdown of the season The pair were in close attendance at Firhill last night as the two Old Firm giants met in the final of the City of Glasgow Cup final - and they were spotted as they exchanged pleasantries before kick off Rodgers was in attendance with step daughter Lola plus No 2 John Kennedy while the Ibrox entourage included Ferguson, plus assistants Neil McCann Billy Dodds and Allan McGregor - plus scouting chiefs such as Nils Koppen and James Fowler And it was the Ibrox side who came out on top One man returning to action with a bang was Neraysho Kasanwirjo, with the Dutchman marking his return from a significant injury layoff with the opening goal. Rhys Dargie levelled matters for the Hoops but it was the young Gers side who won the day in the shoot-out after goalkeeper Rydnn McGuire was the hero as he saved Daniel Cummings' spot kick Ferguson came out on top when the two Glasgow giants faced off at Celtic Park, with Hamza Igamane the hero in a 3-2 win. The Hoops will be desperate to atone for that in Sunday's showdown, with Ferguson desperate to impress his new paymasters 49ers Enterprises chief Paraag Marathe was spotted visiting Ibrox for the first time yesterday, as he and Andrew Cavenagh were given a tour of the stadium in the company of CEO Patrick Stewart and chairman Fraser Thornton. The development comes with the 49ers group close to rubber-stamping their deal to buy out current club shareholders This year marks a significant milestone in the history of Barry Town United as they celebrate the 70th anniversary of their first success in the JD Welsh Cup The club have won the competition on six occasions in total but the trophy arrived at Jenner Park for the very first time in May 1955 as a 4-3 victory against Chester City in a replay of the final at Ninian Park delivered success for what was a very talented team of that era Jackie Goodfellow scored the second goal that day and has nothing but fond memories of his time at the club and the place that I was going to be registered was near Barry so it all made sense,” explained Goodfellow – now the only surviving member of the cup-winning team – to FAW.cymru from his London home “I enjoyed it very much and I liked all the people who were at the club I had a residence that was near the football club Goodfellow arrived at Jenner Park from Scottish club Burnbank Athletic in July 1954 and made a big impression at the club Barry Town boasted a wealth of attacking talent back then including the likes of Gwilym Cain but Goodfellow was still able to command a place in the side “I remember it well,” explained Goodfellow she used to serve the tea in the club when the matches were on Although he scored 21 goals in that first season Goodfellow is best remembered for the goal he scored in the Welsh Cup Final Barry Town and Chester City had played out a 1-1 draw at the Racecourse in Wrexham a few days before Goodfellow and a double from Niblett sealed the 4-3 win in the replay in front of a reported 8,450 fans in the capital “I remember scoring the goal,” Goodfellow added “I’ve still got photographs of it and I still have the small trophy that we were each given after the game too I went to London after that and kept playing football but Barry was completely different to other clubs Goodfellow would spend three seasons at Jenner Park with Barry Town competing in the Southern League at the time During that Welsh Cup run they defeated Merthyr Tydfil Pwllheli & District and then Wrexham to book their place in the final it would be almost 40 years before they repeated that success winning the competition for the second time in 1993/94 Another four triumphs would follow over the course of the next decade as Barry Town dominated on the domestic front and a few years ago Goodfellow returned to the club and received a very warm welcome “I went back there with my son,” he explained “The people were lovely and looked after us well I can’t believe it’s been so long The New Saints come from behind to take Nomads crown in JD Welsh Cup final Project Chwarae: FAW to undertake a review of weather-related postponements in grassroots football Cardiff City defeat Wrexham to lift Bute Energy Welsh Cup Close ModalLearn more from FA WalesSign up to receive all things FAW We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data – view our privacy policy by clicking here © 2025 The Football Association of Wales * We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data – view our privacy policy by clicking here Richard Harries revisits fiction that suggested a much travelled writer WHO today is the most neglected important novelist of the early 20th century and about whom Sebastian Faulks has said that he stands comparison with Balzac or Tolstoy Hutchinson was brought up in a loving and devout Evangelical home His mother used go to bed wearing a clean set of underwear in case Christ came in the night despite reacting against its narrow religion He knew from an early age that he wanted to be a writer and wrote his first novel while at school His novels are based mainly in war-torn Europe and he had an extraordinary capacity to convey both the atmosphere and tiny details of the places that he wrote about So marked was this capacity that readers always assumed that he wrote from direct personal experience of the places One novel based in France convinced readers that it must have been written by a Frenchman because only someone who was French could think in that kind of way the author had not visited the places he wrote about with the aid of meticulous research at the local library He had an extraordinary imaginative ability to enter into the feelings and situations of others Besides telling us about Hutchinson’s life This is not always easy for those who have not read them but Webb manages to interest us by focusing on the main themes with some judicious quotations that bring out the strength of Hutchinson’s writing Hutchinson himself was happily married with four children and grandchildren and he spent most of his life doing what he wanted he became an Anglo-Catholic for a while before settling down into mainstream Anglicanism and becoming a churchwarden His strong Christian faith is mostly implicit in his novels but his moral vision of human beings made in the image of God is fundamental to all his writing My sole criticism of Webb’s book is that he has given us only five pages on religion I very much hope that he might write another book in which he shows how Hutchinson’s moral vision permeates the novels a former English don at Oxford and expert on Edmund Blunden has done a great service in bringing Hutchinson and his novels before us I would recommend to start with A Child Possessed about a lorry driver in Marseilles who takes his severely mentally handicapped child with him in the cab about a Dutch woman who has lost her memory and in the process of recovering it has to face something appalling in her past most of them related to war in one way or another Webb has written just the right book to set the process going The Rt Revd Lord Harries of Pentregarth is a former Bishop of Oxford His latest book is Wounded I Sing: From Advent to Christmas with George Herbert (SPCK R. C. Hutchinson: The man and his writing Barry Webb Lutterworth Press £25(978-0-7188-9799-4)Church Times Bookshop £22.50 Save money on books reviewed or featured in the Church Times > Click on the “Church Times Bookshop” link at the end of the review The reader discount is valid for two months after the review publication date run jointly by Sarum College and The Church Times tickets available This online seminar, run jointly by Modern Church and The Church Times discusses the theology underpinning the drive for growth tickets available We are a partnership of six diverse and welcoming congregations in the northern districts of Milton Keynes offering a rich tapestry of worshipping traditions – Anglican organised and welcoming individual who is a member of the Church of England The Bishop of Sheffield is looking to appoint a new Archdeacon of Sheffield and Rotherham to join a focused and forward looking senior staff team seeking to mobilise the whole people of God for the whole mission of God by enabling all the baptised to shine as lights for Christ in the world in the power of the Spirit Brenchley are seeking an experienced Youth and Children’s Worker starting September 2025 or beforehand A central element of the role is being Chaplain to our Brenchley& Matfield C of E Primary School - a part time role for 3.5 days a week (with flexibility to extend the hours) Read reports from issues stretching back to 1863 search for your parish or see if any of the clergy you know get a mention Explore the archive Non-subscribers can read four articles for free each month The TimesAn Old Firm game which meant nothing never had a winner and left everyone at Ibrox either quietly satisfied or mildly frustrated There is barely a fixture wilder and more emotional than Rangers-Celtic but by almost every measure this one was just a bit meh Celtic can live with the minor irritation of being runaway champions who won only one of the league’s four Old Firm clashes They were on course for a third consecutive loss to Rangers — an almost unthinkable sequence by modern standards — until Cyriel Dessers’ opener was levelled by Adam Idah’s equaliser after which they threatened a dramatic winner when Daizen Maeda broke through in the dying seconds only to LOS ANGELES – Building the buzz around his upcoming July 22 album release “Loner,” Barry Can’t Swim (the moniker for Joshua Spence Mainnie) concluded a North American tour with two sold out shows at The Shrine The music producer and DJ had his fan base pressed tightly inside the venue Screams arose from the crowd as the venue lights went dark Red strobe lights flashed as the 7-piece band walked onto the stage Mainnie took to center stage on an elevated platform split evenly on both sides of the platform On shorter platforms behind the string instrumentalist were a drummer and another keyboardist with her own set of synthesizers The crowd was prepared to dance the night away Some early arrivals were seen doing stretching exercises Beach balls and balloons were tossed around All that fan participation added to the imagery provided by Barry Can’t Swim an air dancer was seen encouraging the crowd to dance all the harder A giant eyeball occasionally popped up as well creating an elevated floor space that enticed one to imagine being able to walk across a tightrope of photons to be coming back and doing two nights is generally the rad-ist thing.” It was a non-stop dance party from the general admission floor to the VIP section in the balancy As the clock ticked past the midnight hour the crowd was left aglow under golden lights Barry Can’t Swim ended the night with “Deadbeat Gospel” and a closing lyric to the party crowd And this is the gospel according to some deadbeat.” Opening up the night was Chaos in the CBD to warm up the crowd’s dance moves Someone in the crowd could be heard saying The earlier arrivals definitely got close to their daily 5,000 steps while the duo on stage could be seen having the time of their lives as the two shared more than a few cheerful laughs Barry Can’t Swim setlist: The Person You’d Like to Be Pre-order “Loner” here. Guy Snowdon & The Citizens Drop Rockin’ Album Recorded Live in Detroit through which the burn that powers it trickles Barry Mill offers a rare glimpse into Scotland’s industrial heritage with birds tweeting in the surrounding woodlands It’s hard to imagine that the water-powered mill was once the bustling heart of the community – acting as the ‘convenience store’ and ‘gossip shop’ its clattering cogs churned grain into flour and meal and people would flock from far and wide to buy oatmeal and animal feed The mill was fully functional right up to 1982 when its commercial use came to an end and was acquired by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) six years later There were fears the historic attraction would be forced to close in 2009 but thanks to local support and external funding The mill has been brought back to life  – and is producing flour for the first time in 43 years That’s thanks to a £30,000 donation from a mystery donor from Fife which made restoration work of the mill’s mechanical system possible The donor – a long-time member of the NTS – gifted £2.4 million to support the charity’s projects across the north-east after enjoying a coffee from its spruced-up shop “Mills were critical to people’s survival until the industrial revolution,” he tells me “The 1794 Ainslie map of Angus showed 141 meal mills an estimated 60,000 mills in the UK were feeding the population “They were the food factories of their day They were so integral to society for hundreds of years “We think Barry Mill is the only one left capable of milling.” While the attraction dates back to at least 1539 And today it remains the largest and finest example of its type still in operation and explains how they control the mill’s power “The mill is powered by the Barry Burn,” he says “There’s a working dam and lade half a mile upstream “Water comes in at the top of the wheel and as it’s collected by 30 wooden buckets and shafts which in turn bring power to the sack hoist and a fan used to separate grain from chaff.” He’s brimming with anecdotes about the origins of everyday phrases which derived from milling There’s ‘milling around’ for starters there aren’t many public places to congregate – so people go to the mill,” he explains There’s ‘everything grinds to a halt’ ‘keep your nose to the grindstone’ “Millers had very bad reputations – some of them for not being honest with their fair share!” Mike says Some charged exorbitant fees for grinding grain Three-storey Barry Mill contains a meal floor oats arrived in sacks from neighbouring farms and had already been threshed The oats were then dried in the mill’s peat-fired kiln and sent down a chute to the meal floor to be collected in sacks again the mill’s mechanisms are: it’s like a living beast but it’s a potentially very dangerous environment was killed after becoming entangled in the wheels his body being mangled by cogs and machinery a heavy bag of grain appears at the end of a piece of rope I shriek when I spot a huge rat sitting on a sack – thankfully Mike informs me there are 14 hidden around the mill Visitors can see the mill in action at demonstrations on Fridays “They millstones are very old,” explains Mike “A millstone was a lifetime investment for a miller “We think we’ve only got four to ten years on these we check out a charming stone bridge dating from 1775 “Its low parapets allowed the axels of replacement mill stones to pass as they were rolled across,” Mike explains “They often began their journey in France where a quarry outside Paris offered the hardest-wearing burr stone.” Mike suggests walking along a lovely path to the millpond and weir and a great way to understand the engineering behind getting the water to power the wheel,” he says There’s a pair of dippers with three chicks on the other side of the weir we meet volunteers clearing weeds and debris from around the pond These folk do everything from thinning woodland and maintaining machinery to organising events, including the upcoming duck race on May 11 The mill’s restoration work is part of a wider 10 year maintenance and repair plan was completed by the NTS’s building conservation team This included the replacement of the water wheel shaft and full repair of the water wheel and the ‘teeth’ of the internal gear mechanism and its supporting structure It also saw the replacement of the water buckets and the mill’s sluice gate The Rangers boss was furious with his players after their draw with St Mirren and wants more. Ferguson was clearly unhappy with his side after they let a lead slip twice in their 2-2 draw at St Mirren last weekend, bemoaning the fact that players weren’t following his instructions. The former Ibrox captain said he’s had further talks with players this week and made his expectations clear as well as detailing exactly what riled him about the previous performance. Now, he’s expecting a reaction as Rangers face their rivals. “It better change, and it has to change,” Ferguson said. “That’s something, again, we spoke about as a group, that’s something that I wasn’t happy with.  “It’s clear, you’ve seen that after the game. Again, we’ve been through a lot this week and I expect them to take the information on. “There was a lot of frustration for a number of reasons, because I wasn’t happy with the way the game went. Again, we’ve had a full week, we’ve spent a bit of time going through certain scenarios that I wasn’t happy with. We’ve still got another day to go, we’ll do a lot more work tomorrow, but they’re clear on what I wasn’t happy with. That needs to improve and I expect a big improvement on Sunday.” Ferguson enjoyed success in his first derby as interim boss, guiding his team to a 3-2 victory at Celtic Park in March but he doesn’t think that will have any bearing on this match. And he said that in a game this big, only the final score will matter. “I couldn’t care less about the performance,” he said. “I just want to get three points. It’s a bonus for me if you play well in the games. “I don’t tend to look what happened in the past. That (previous win) was a number of weeks ago and I’ll expect the same level, if not better in Sunday.” As a former captain of the club, Ferguson admitted that winning the game is important to him but he said his job is to make sure that it holds as much importance to everyone else, even if the league title has already been settled. “It’s been a really disappointing season but it’s not a dead rubber,” he said. “You are coming up against your fiercest rivals who again have dominated this season. That hurts. “So we need to go up against them and give them a reminder that we’re going to be here next season. “We need to challenge, certainly in a better manner than which we have done this season.” Vaclav Cerny drives forward with the ball for Rangers during their Old Firm clash with Celtic at Ibrox Adam Idah celebrates scoring Celtic's equaliser in their Old Firm draw with Rangers at Ibrox Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers salutes the travelling supporters after his side's draw against Rangers Anthony Brown©Press AssociationYesterday at 18:45Celtic striker Adam Idah scored a second-half equaliser to deny Rangers a third successive Old Firm derby triumph in a 1-1 William Hill Premiership draw at Ibrox Rangers looked well-placed to follow up their victories from January and March over Brendan Rodgers’ newly crowned champions when Cyriel Dessers struck just before the break But Idah hit back to make it six games in a row without a victory in all competitions for Rangers who have now won just four of their 12 games under interim boss Barry Ferguson and none at home since February 2 Ferguson was happy with his side’s display even if afterwards much of the talk was the angry reaction of Vaclav Cerny after he was caught by TV cameras taking his frustration at being substituted out on the dugout He challenged Cerny to produce a positive response in training after the forward reacted by furiously banging the dugout repeatedly “I have no issue with people being disappointed “I would rather they’re like that than walk off with a smile on their face He’ll need to come in next week and train really hard to try and get back into the starting XI next Sunday.” whose own future at the club is still in limbo added: “A bit disappointed we didn’t come away with three points The commitment from my players was what I asked for went in at half-time deserving of the lead We know Celtic are going to come out second-half “I just spoke to the players that we countered really well it was just that bit of quality in the end that we need to be better at it’s just making sure you bring that sort of mentality on a consistent basis.” Asked if he feels he has a chance of getting the job But it has to be a decision made quickly now because we’re coming to the end of the season.” Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was “really pleased” with his team’s performance as they avoided a third consecutive derby defeat maybe we were just short today in certain passes and making the final pass but I thought we had really good control of the game,” he said you normally have 10 to 15 minutes where you’re really hanging on Celtic were backed by 2,100 of their own fans the first time they had been in attendance at Ibrox since January 2023 after the clubs struck an agreement to allow away fans into the derby earlier this year “That’s what it’s all about,” said Rodgers “This game is such an iconic fixture and it’s the supporters that make it “It was brilliant to have our support in today It always makes for the atmosphere and they can be proud of their team.” As Celtic rescue draw at Ibrox and continue push for treble joy, Rangers’ focus turns to creating formula to take Hoops off perch Adam Idah produces equaliser for Celtic to deny Rangers third straight Old Firm win The sporting idol of Roy Keane & life at 70 "The fact we're having this conversation in 2025 makes my head explode" Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times Scottish Football CorrespondentFriday May 02 2025 The TimesBarry Ferguson has held talks with incoming Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell and also met members of the American takeover consortium when they visited the club’s training ground this week Ferguson kept his cards close to his chest about what his meeting with Thelwell meant in terms of his own future — he is in interim charge for only four more games and a new permanent manager seems certain to replace him in the summer — but he admitted his excitement about what regime change could mean for the club he supports Rangers host Celtic in the season’s final Old Firm game at Ibrox on Sunday Incredibly they could win three league derbies in a row for the first time since 1996-97