Welcome to Kicking Off, running the rule over today's Scottish sports news
Today
- All Black Flynn set to join Glasgow Warriors
- Halliday demands right to celebrate
- Celtic set to appeal Boyata red card
- Warburton calls for cool heads as Rangers home in on title
- Deila welcomes prospect of Rangers return to top flight
- Stubbs says his Hibs squad has the 'bottle' for the challenges ahead
- Strachan to stay patient as he welcomes Snodgrass return
- Paton return key to United's recovery says former boss McCall
- Magennis ready to play despite having sparked police investigation
- Dundee set to sign Inverness duo James Vincent and Danny Williams
- Scott Harrison let down by Scotland says his dad
- Bradburn reckons Scots cricketers set to make World Cup breakthrough at T20
- Hardie reckons weight lifted off Scottish shoulders
- Captain Smith says GB fired up for Davis Cup defence
- Finnerty relieved to see his clan end their losing streak
New Warrior
![The Herald:]( "The Herald:")
All Black Corey Flynn is set to play his rugby in Glasgow
Red on blue
Andy Halliday's mood is transformed from joy to despair following his goal celebration
...and red on green
A decision Ronny Deila, Celtic's manager, initially backed but now thinks might be worth re-visiting
Back in the mix
Return to action of Hull City's Robert Snodgrass has been welcomed by Scotland boss Gordon Strachan
Making a difference - Dundee United's Paul Paton
Dundee United's improved form since Paul Paton's return is not a coincidence
Ready to rumble
Kilmarrnock are confident that Josh Magennis will not be distracted by the police investigation into claims he was racially abused
Preparing for a breakthrough![The Herald:]( "The Herald:")
Scotland cricket coach Grant Bradburn reckons his team can generate some shocks at the T20 World Cup
Paternal angst
Peter Harrison believes his son, world champion boxer Scott, was let down by Scotland
06.02 Radio Scotland sports headlines
John Hardie believes Scotland can finish the Six Nations with two more wins over France and Ireland... Ronny Deila encourages his players to make history with fifth successive title win... Lyndsey Sharp hopes to be named in team for World Indoor Championships later today
06.35 Radio Five Live sports headlines
Owner leaves early as Leeds capitulate to Brighton in English Championship... Manu Tuilagi returns to England squad after 15 month absence... Mike Brown avoids citing after his kick to Conor Murray's head is deemed accidental... world 1500 metre champion Abeba Aregawi tests positive... Heather Watson and Johana Konta win in Mexico... Irish trainer Willie Mullins says he expects to send 60 horses to Cheltenham
Read all about it... today's back pages
Red cards dominate the back pages of The Herald with Andy Halliday claiming players should be allowed to savour their goals following his recent dismissal after over-celebrating, while Ronny Deila reckons he might have got it wrong in initially supporting the decision to send Dedyck Boyata off last Friday, while there is also room for Gordon Strachan's reaction to the long-awaited return to action of Scotland international Robert Snodgrass and Corey Flynn's recruitment by Glasgow Warriors.
The National leads on Celtic's plan to appeal Boyata's red card and mentions Flynn's signing by Glasgow as well as Alan Stubbs saying his Hibs side have the 'bottle' for the battles ahead, while The Evening Times splash in Mark Warburton's call for cool heads as Rangers home in on the Championship title, accompanied by Ronny Deila welcoming the prospect of their return.
Grandstanding - today's Scottish sports comment
In The Herald Gary Keown says UEFA is in limbo following the promotion of its general secretary Gianni Infantino to the presidency of FIFA, while in The National Martin Hannan pays tribute to the great sportswriter Hugh McIlvanney who retired from column writing this week
Behind the headlines
For by no means the first time since his arrival Ronny Deila's demonstration of a capacity to maintain a sense of perspective amid all the hype that surrounds being Celtic manager has been extremely refreshing.
He had the chance on Friday evening to excuse his team's latest opportunity to assert their authority in the Premiership title race in time honoured tradition by blaming the referee. Instead, having had a look at the incident on video, he defended the official, saying he thought the momentum shifting red card shown to Dedryck Boyata had been justified.
That he has now revised that assessment in light of having had the chance to assess it in more considered fashion and reckons the player made contact with the ball so did not deserve to be dismissed carries the risk of being portrayed as a U-turn, as he has acknowledged and he even admitted that the view he expressed in the immediate aftermath of the match might work against the defender's appeal.
However if football's authorities have any sense that is the last thing that should happen because Deila is still not lazily blaming officials and has instead, with both his reactions, recognised just how difficult both their job and that of players is in the heat of battle.
He has told his defenders he wants them to stay on their feet, so regardless of the outcome the suspicion is that Boyata's lunge will still be deemed a footballing error by the manager, but in fairness there is evidence that he got the ball before bringing down his opponent, so it can be reasonably argued that in spite of that he did not commit a foul.
There is good reason to hope, for a variety of reasons, that this particular appeal is upheld.
Thanks for reading. Back tomorrow Kicking Off another day in Scottish sport.
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