Rangers edge past Werder Bremen

Bolton out of Europe

Gretna crisis deepens

Thieves hit Raydale Park

McInally named Firs Park boss

Rangers are through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup despite losing the second leg of their last-16 clash with Werder Bremen 1-0 in Germany. Brazilian Diego scored the only goal of the game but Walter Smith’s men did enough in the first leg at Ibrox to progress 1-2 on aggregate.

The Glasgow giants are the only British club left in this season’s UEFA Cup after Bolton Wanderers lost 1-0 at Sporting Lisbon and 2-1 on aggregate.

Gretna Football Club plan to continue to operate but the club’s administrator, David Elliot of Wilson Field Limited, has underlined that the situation is worsening quickly while the search continues to find £30,000 for the trip to play Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Saturday. Elliot said:

“The position has not improved from yesterday, it has deteriorated and I am not convinced we will be able to put a team out on Saturday. That would mean we are breach of league rules and would leave us open to be fined and face other penalties. Unfortunately we are running out of time. Motherwell have been very helpful and have offered a compromise on the amount the club have to pay them in each home game in an effort to get the club through. My thanks also go out to the other clubs that are to wishing to help and I very much want to play the fixture on Saturday, but I still don’t have the funds and the players have still not been paid. There is a willingness on the part of all parties to continue but it should be remembered each player is now facing a situation where their contract has been breached. They should be paid and they haven’t been. The players will need to consider their own positions. There is, until 27th March, the opportunity to move to another club if they wished. I can’t stand in their way - morally, ethically or legally. I have had a meeting with the players. They are considering their positions and I was impressed by the loyalty and the way in which they are wanting to keep the football club playing. But we have a lack of players in certain positions and I believe it may well be necessary to seek permission to postpone the match on Saturday. I am not giving up. I will try again tomorrow to get the team sorted out but as of today I do not have a team that we can put out on Saturday.”

To make matters worse for Gretna thieves broke into a changing room at Raydale Park and stole kit belonging to players some time between 5pm on Wednesday and 8.30am on Thursday.

East Stirlingshire have installed former Greenock Morton boss Jim McInally as their new head coach.

Nathan Davies