Israeli Midfielder Biram Kayal Signs for Celtic

Maccabi Haifa's Biram Kayal has signed for Celtic club on four-year contract. This was possible after he sucured a work permit. Earlier this week chief executive of the Scottish club Celtic, Mr. Peter Lawwell had a talk with 22-year-old Biram in Glasgow.

Biram Kayal plays in mid-field and has made more than 100 appearances for Maccabi Haifa and 13 appearances for his country Israel.

Biram is now Neil Lennon's seventh summer signing after Efrain Juarez from Pumas and Joe Ledley from Cardiff City.

Diego Maradona Starts With a WIN - Scotland 0 Argentina 1 - Pictures

Diego Maradona starts of his coaching career with a 1-0 win against Scotland: Pictures

Diego Maradona and Fernando Gago after the match against Scotland

Diego Maradona made his debut as Argentina's coach Wednesday (19th Nov, 2008), his team beating Scotland 1-0 in an exhibition game in the stadium where he scored the first goal of his extraordinary international career.

Maxi Rodriguez scored in the eighth minute at Hampden Park for an Argentina.

The datum that Argentina had enjoyed 73 per cent of possession to the Scots' 27 per cent in the first ten minutes of the match was a statistic that told no lie. Instead, the figure was an entirely true illustration of the visitors' superiority, which they themselves substantiated with the goal that gave them their early lead.

The home players, as usual, could not be accused of a lack of energy and commitment, but their best chance of achieving their objective seemed for most of the time to reside in the unsafe hands of Carrizo. The Lazio goalkeeper gave another example of his unreliability from a corner kick that, with a kinder bounce of the ball, would have brought the Scots level.

Picture Courtesy: Google AFP Pictures

Tributes paid to Scots rugby player Gordon Mackay

Gordon Bulloch and Kenny Logan last night led the tributes to former team-mate Gordon Mackay who died suddenly at the age of 39.

Former Scotland captain Bulloch claimed Mackay, who had a solitary Under-21 cap, one of the best players never to have won full honours.

Mackay, who had been coaching Glasgow Accies, launched his career at Glasgow Academy and joined Accies, before a move to Stirling County and then France.

Bulloch said: "Gordon's career spanned the transition between amateur and professional rugby and I don't think his talents were fully rewarded.

"I can't recall hearing anybody saying anything negative about him and I was totally shattered when I heard the terrible news.

"My heart goes out to his wife and their two young children."

Logan added: "I played alongside 'Scnozz' both for Stirling County and Glasgow and he was a real fun guy.

"There aren't that many larger than life individuals in rugby in the professional era. He was one of them however."

News Courtsey: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/

Scotish Referee Chief McVicar Takes Help Of Psychologist For Scotish Refrees

Scotland's top psychologists are now working with Scotish referees to make them mentally strong enough to deal with the pressures of life in the Scotish league.

SFA head of refereeing development Donald McVicar believes that the quality of his officials has been under great scrutiny and the mdeia coverage devoted to the referees decision has been unprecedented.

As a result of the Scotish League title crown chase between Rangers and Celtic, which went to the last day of the league, every throw-ins and corner kicks awarded was analysed and debated to bits. The decisions of Scotish grade one officials like Iain Brines, Mike McCurry was questioned during the closing weeks matches after their decsions affected the outcome of matches involving Celtic and Rangers.

McVicar feels his whistlers have coped impressively with the strains placed on them this term and believes they have benefited enormously since they started working with Dr John Mathers at Stirling University.