Welcome to Kicking Off, the quick way to find out what is happening in Scottish sport today
Today
- Morton manager Jim Duffy called for the focus to be on his men last night after they badly undermined Hibs’ Championship title bid at Easter Road
- Alan Stubbs admits Hibs title bid might be over but refuses to criticise players after rare poor showing
- Ronny Deila brands criticism of artificial pitches “old fashioned” - and says he would be happy for Celtic to play their home games on one at Parkhead in future
- New Hampden pitch to be laid before the Scottish League Cup final
- Kane Hemmings denies there is any truth in Chinese whispers but did he give something away with his eyes
- Buddies boss Alex Rae prepares for a nostalgic return to where is all began for him 30 years ago
- Partick Thistle managing director Ian Maxwell welcomes creation of Partick Thistle Football Club Trust
- SFA announces its backing for Gianni Infantino in tomorrow's scheduled FIFA presidential election
- Experience of regular wins over Italy boost Scotland chances of ending record Six Nations losing run
- Ryan Wilson set to get first Six Nations Championship involvement of the season
- New sportscotland chair Mel Young claims finding additional cash for Scottish sport would actually save the taxpayer money in the long run
Well deserved hug
Jim Duffy congratulates Ross Forbes, the scorer of Morton's third goal, in their shock defeat of Hibs ahead of calling for his men to get the credit they deserved
We've had better nights
Alan Stubbs (right) and his management team watch on in dismay as Hibs' Championship title challenge is picked apart
Recommending improved weather proofing
Ronny Deila, Celtic's manager, says opposition to artificial pitches represents out-dated thinking
Who's watching who?
Dundee's in-form striker Kane Hemmings has good reason to wonder who is checking him out after rumours of a £2 million move to China emerged
Showing his colours
Buddies boss Alex Rae says there will be no room for sentiment as he heads back to where it all began for him at Ibrox
Relationship builder
Partick Thistle managing director Ian Maxwell (furthest left) has welcomed the creation of a new supporters trust
SFA choice
Gianni Infantino is the candidate the SFA is backing in the FIFA presidential election
Field of Scottish dreams
Returning to Rome's Stadio Olympico will conjure rare happy memories of a Six Nations Championship match for Scotland's struggling squad
Back in the fold
Ryan Wilson has been recalled to the Scotland squad for this weekend's Six Nations trip to Italy
Master of all he surveys
Mel Young has found a new home at sportscotland
06.05 Radio Scotland sports headlines
First home league defeat of the season has left Hibs with what Alan Stubbs has called an uphill task in the Championship... Manchester City beat Dynamo Kiev 3-1 in Champions League... Vern Cotter set to name his side to meet Italy in the Six Nations Championship... Glasgow Warriors are meeting Newport Gwent Dragons in the Pro12
06.32 Radio Five Live sports headlines
Manchester City have taken a giant stride towards reaching a first ever Champions League quarter-final with their 3-1 win at Dynamo Kiev... Derby County are up to fifth in the English Championsship after their 1-0 home win against Blackburn... Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have had their bans from football reduced from eight to six years but intend to appeal... FIFA Presidential election will go ahead this week despite Prince Ali's to have it suspended... Joe Launchbury is out of England's Six Nations Championship meeting with Ireland through injury leading to a recall for Courtenay Lawes... pro boxers may be allowed to compete at the Olympics... Britain's women have kept their hopes of competing at the Euro-Basket finals alive with a win over Montenegro
Read all about it – the back pages
The Herald leads on Ronny Deila's claim that more artificial pitches could improve the Scottish game and carries reaction from Morton's shock win at Easter Road, news of Ryan Wilson's Scotland recall and a welcome for investment in sport by new sportscotland chairman Mel Young.
The National leads on the SFA's backing of Gianni Infantino in the FIFA presidential election and The Evening Times has another Deila angle with the Celtic manager stating that he will continue to pick James Forrest in spite of the winger's desire to leave his club while also carrying news of the decision to relay the Hampden pitch yet again and a message from Alex Rae who says there will be no room for sentiment when he returns to Ibrox with St Mirren.
Grandstanding – today’s sports comment
In The Herald there is a look at Six Nations Championship statistics which clearly indicate that the current regime has presided over the worst ever period in Scottish rugby history.
By contrast The Kicker in The National suggests that a minor revolution seems to have occurred in the beautiful game in Scotland with the SFA having consulted widely, including with fans bodies, before deciding on its choice of candidate for the forthcoming FIFA presidential election.
Sporting Twitterati
Hibs' first league defeat since last April leaves one of the club's most famous supporters non-plussed
Saw the Hibs score and wondered if the team had dropped acid. 😎😎😎
— Irvine Welsh (@IrvineWelsh) February 24, 2016
Behind the headlines
Travelling to Easter Road last night allowed a listen to a short interview with Jackie McNamara during which he indicated that he is in no rush to return to Scottish football and suggesting that his removal as Dundee United boss was a result of the blame game environment that is in existence.
In some ways it seems unfair to suggest that there is anything peculiarly Scottish about that, not least given the even more spectacular turn-around in the fortunes of fellow managerial casualty Jose Mourinho in 2015.
However seen in that context the post-match messages from both managers, after Morton had de-railed Hibs Championship title bid, included both acknowledgement of the culture of criticism and a refreshing desire to defy it.
As both player and manager Morton boss Jim Duffy has long been a favourite and he recognised the way the coverage might be likely to go as he called for his players to get the credit they deserved rather than it all being about Hibs' failings.
Better still the eminently pleasant Alan Stubbs, a man who seems to have footballing life in better perspective than most with good reason given his life experience, was more than happy to go along with Duffy's request, saying that his players had made mistakes but giving Morton the plaudits to which they were entitled, while saying that he finds it hard to criticise his own players because they have, this season, so rarely put him in the position he was in of having to explain away a loss.
Their attitudes will serve their clubs well and, for all that professional sport is a tough, results-based business, a bit more patience and willingness to accept the qualities of opponents would serve everyone in Scottish football well.
Thanks for reading. Back tomorrow with another day’s Scottish sports agenda.
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