STALLED at the starting grid? Must sound familiar to Rangers who have suffered another early season disappointment this week when their bid to win the inaugural Superleague Formula Championship struggled to get off the starting line.
While Walter
Smith's are improving after their European exit and the loss of defender Carlos Cuellar, the team's 750bhp, V12 race car failed to turn a wheel in anger in the season's first official test at Donington Park.
Team driver, Wishaw-born Ryan Dalziel, was left frustrated but is optimistic the team will be ready for the final test next Thursday.
"I got a call, just five minutes before I was set to head for the airport to catch the plane to the UK, telling me not to bother because the car wasn't ready," said Dalziel. "It's disappointing and means we're going to have to play catch-up at next week's test which is only three days before the opening race at Donington."
Rangers will be joined on the 20-car grid by cars representing Liverpool and Spurs, AC Milan, PSV, Porto and Olympiakos.
Pulis' passport to troubleSTOKE City manager Tony Pulis has voiced his desire to see international federations pay players' wages when they are away from their clubs.
Six members of his squad were involved in international friendlies this week with Pulis admitting: "Players will be flying all over the world and playing in games which don't mean a lot...we don't know how those players are going to be until they report back."
Fair enough, but Pulis wants to sign Abdoulaye Faye (Senegal) and Haminu Dramani (Ghana). Roll on the next Africa Cup of Nations?
Sven rides his luck in MexicoLOOKS like the black cat which followed Sven-Goran Eriksson around during his time with England has also made its way to Central America with the Swede.
The Mexico manager saw his side rally to beat Honduras 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier after almost being undone by a player nicknamed 'Rambo'.
A free-kick from Julio Cesar Leon, who also goes by the name of Sylvester Stallone's alter ego, bounced in off the crossbar to give Honduras the lead. But Pavel Pardo scored twice in three minutes for Eriksson's new charges.
TALES FROM THE TABS
BURLEY THE NEW BERTI?THE back pages were left distinctly unimpressed by Scotland's goalless draw with Northern Ireland at Hampden on Wednesday night. The Daily Mirror offered the headline 'Anyone for cycling? (or rowing, or sailing, or swimming, etc etc) in reference to the far more interesting – and successful – displays in Beijing. The Daily Record offered 'Double Flop' for a story suggesting George Burley had run out of patience with a forward line of Kenny Miller and James McFadden.
But the Sun offered a potential comparison between Burley and former manager Berti Vogts.
The Daily Express scanned the Hampden crowd on Wednesday and found former Hibs manager Tony Mowbray checking out Rangers midfielder Kevin Thomson.
But there was little chance of anyone seeing former Ibrox player Stephen Hughes in his country's colours after Motherwell manager Mark McGhee revealed the midfielder was forced to withdraw from the squad due to a hamstring injury.
The full article contains 539 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
