Falkirk keeper Michael McGovern extends stay

Waking up to the news that goalkeeper Michael McGovern had signed a new one year deal with the club would have been exactly what Falkirk fans would have wanted to hear.

Many of them feared, given the performances he has produced for the Bairns this season. admiring glances from interested bidders in the SPL would be enough to entice the shot stopper away from the Falkirk Stadium.

But the supporters can relax knowing they will be able to rely on his services for another year.

The fans anxiety for boss Steven Pressley to tie up the player's contract for another season was quite understandable as his contribution to the team's success could not be underestimated.

Not only did he manage 14 shut outs in 45 games, but his reliable nature and assured performances inspired confidence in the rest of the young and inexperienced side.

It is clear to see that McGovern is enjoying his football, and well he should. A call up to the Northern Ireland national set-up, finishing third in the league, a cup winners medal and a League Cup semi-final is a great return especially since he played for a side, who to begin with, were seen as one of the candidates to go down.

 And as a result of the success, the Falkirk keeper has attracted interest from a number of bigger clubs but he insists it was never his intention to decamp from the Falkirk Stadium.

“I said at the start I wouldn't leave Falkirk for any other club just because they were in a higher league, it needed to be the right move,” he said.

“I'm playing regularly, I love working for the manager, I love the set-up, I love the club and the fans have been really good to me.”

McGovern revealed after signing the contract: “I'm absolutely delighted, it was great to get the deal done quickly, I enjoyed my first season and now I'm looking forward to the start of the second.

"The manager has been different class with regards to myself and the way he has treated me. He was patient with the contract negotiations and most importantly he's a manager who has belief in my ability.”

In what is only McGovern's third full season as a first team goalkeeper, having made over 70 appearances with Ross County before arriving at Falkirk last summer, the 27 year old has had 46 cleansheets in this time.

Though for Falkirk, arguably none more satisfying than when, in the Ramsdens Cup final, he pulled off a tremendous save to deny Hamilton and ensure the cup would be heading back to the Falkirk Stadium.

The Bairns' No 1 admits the year has far exceeded his expectations.

“I couldn't have envisaged this season going any better,” he said.

“I came in just wanting to play regularly and I was pleased with my form but as a team its gone well beyond anyone's expectations.

McGovern pulls off another fantastic save

“At the start we didn't really know what we were going to get with the young players but they stepped up to the plate.

"We challenged well in the league, we had a wonderful League Cup run - put in a great performance against Celtic and won the Ramsdens cup, there's so many positives to take.

“It's been my most enjoyable season.”

 McGovern believes there is plenty of promising individuals currently at the Falkirk Stadium though he concedes he would be surprised if PFA First Division Player of the Year winner Farid El Alagui remains at the club for much longer.

“There's at least two or three of the younger boys who could play at the highest level, they certainly have the potential I know its easy to talk up young players and there's a tendency to do that but these players have good heads on their shoulders and they can go far.

 “I'd be shocked if Farid stayed, everyone is looking for a goalscorer, he's 26 and coming into his peak years, he has to do what's best to benefit the rest of his career.”

 McGovern, who was called up for his country in February, admits that while he remains in the Scottish First Division he might restrict his chances of playing for Northern Ireland. Michael O'Neill's men have a friendly against the Netherlands at the start of next month but the former Staggies man is adamant that is not a concern for him just now.

 “The fact that I play in the Scottish First Division, might hinder my chances of playing for Northern Ireland but that didn't really come into my thinking,”he added.

“Anything that happens with the national team is a bonus I'm just concentrating on working hard and developing at Falkirk, there's no hurry to step up a level.”

With rivals Dunfermline being relegated from the SPL and former Falkirk manager Jim Jefferies in charge of the Pars, there is an added incentive to the occasion next season and McGovern is relishing the challenge.

He added: “I've been told there was a big crowd and a great atmosphere the last time the two sides met in the League Cup and that's the sort of games you want to play in, I'm really looking forward to it.

“We're looking to build on what we've achieved this season, we drew a lot of plaudits for our performances and in a sense the air of surprise is gone now so we'll need to work a lot harder.”

Bridging the gap between homelessness and Scottish football

A Scottish Premier League star providing a Christmas lunch is just one of the ways Scottish football is giving back to the community. I spoke to three campaigners to see how the beautiful game is helping to turn round the lives of others in Scotland

As the cold and long winter months set in, thoughts turn to those less fortunate and Rangers footballer Steven Naismith has decided to help one of the most vulnerable groups in society by sponsoring a Christmas lunch for a Glasgow based homeless charity called “Loaves and Fishes”. Originally a soup kitchen feeding homeless people from the back of a van, the charity is now based in the warmth of the indoors at Renfield St Stephen’s Church Centre.

There is a buzz of excitement surrounding the place. A sense of hopefulness replaces the typical feeling of hopelessness among these people. The coldness and isolation endured from life on the streets of Glasgow is forgotten about – at least for a few hours this afternoon – instead a feeling of warmth and comfort fills up the room courtesy of Naismith and it is where I caught up with him that day.

The Rangers midfielder has been out of action this year 

 “A few friends had brought it [the charity] to my attention, a good number of months ago,” Naismith starts to explain.

“I was in the middle of the season. I had a lot on and I didn’t have a lot of time to do the research on Loaves and fishes and see the work they had done. But once I did, I was very keen to be involved and make a small contribution.”

Naismith injured his knee in a recent match against Aberdeen and will miss the rest of the season. Wearing a casual dark blue hoodie, blue jeans, and walking with a slight limp, the former Kilmarnock man was showing signs of being in a little discomfort, but the injury he suffered was put into perspective after he received a letter from a serviceman out in Afghanistan.

“When I got injured, the week after, I got a letter from somebody out in Afghanistan asking if I was ok and when I would be back playing. This was a lovely touch, seeing as I am just a footballer with an injury rather than fighting for my country.”

The striker admitted that it had opened his eyes to some of the incredible work people do and revealed that it gave him the motivation to help others.

“It’s guys like that; if we can find a small bit of time to help them I’m definitely willing to do it. Football can help raise the issue of homelessness,” he enthused.

“I hope to get the awareness out there that these kinds of charities need help and they need – if not volunteers then donations. There are people struggling and if others such as myself have got a small amount of time or can make a donation then, it will go a long way to help the charity.

“Hopefully in the next five or six months I will have time to be involved with not just one charity but a few.”

But the positivity football brings is not confined to generous handouts from football players. While it is important to help charities through donations, there are football programmes and projects up-and-running which allow the homeless, to help themselves. Inspired by Naismith’s words, I searched for other ways football can help improve peoples’ position and spoke to two other people who had witnessed the power, the ball has in reshaping peoples’ lives.

Football can be used a tool “to energise people and turn peoples’ lives around,” according to Zakia Moulaoui, the Schools and Fundraising manager for the Homeless World Cup.  Her voice is filled with an infectious enthusiasm as she tells me about what football can bring to the homeless.

“Seventy-four per cent of the people involved in the programmes change their lives dramatically. Whether it is getting a job, a house, coming off drugs, going into education or mending broken relationships, football has helped to solve all of these problems,” she says.

“It works because, football gives you a routine. It gives you something to look forward to and you have a commitment. It gets people off the streets, can give them a better future, more confidence and a healthier lifestyle.

“When you live on the streets and you don’t have anything to do, you lose track of what is important. You don’t get to socialise and you don’t meet anyone, but during the football session you have to play in a team, to play fair and you have to evolve with others, so those are the first steps.”

David Duke took those first steps many years ago, and is living proof that the football projects and programmes work. Growing up in Govan, a socially deprived area in Glasgow, David became homeless in 2003, after his father has passed away. At 23-years-old, he admits he didn’t cope with it the best.

“I ignored emotion rather than seeking help from family or friends. I cut myself off from everyone as if nothing had happened. I was starting to drink more, and it put a strain on my relationship so me and my girlfriend split up, I also got kicked out of my flat and in turn lost my job.

“I didn’t know what homelessness was or the stigma attached but being in that situation you soon become very damaging to yourself, your confidence goes and you become very isolated.”

One day, David noticed an advert in a shelter for football trials run by the Big Issue. After getting through the preliminary stages of the trials, he was selected for an 8-man squad to go to the Homeless World Cup in August 2004, in Gothenburg.

“I didn’t know where my life was going; I had no desire, just living-day-to-day,” he continued.

“But I went to the World Cup and met guys from Africa, Brazil and all these places and it was a real eye-opener. In Scotland, I was feeling sorry for myself, but really, the stuff that was going on in my life was nothing compared to the trauma and experiences of people in other countries.”

Scotland finished 4th in the tournament but perhaps the real success was that David had realised he could do something with his life. After registering with Active Glasgow to do volunteering and coaching, David soon got the opportunity to coach youngsters and since then has never looked back.

“The lifestyle change for me was when I suddenly became a role model to kids. I had 20 kids every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, who all looked up to me and wanted to be me. I had a whole new outlook; I wanted to look after myself, so that I could do the best for the kids.”

After being involved with various other coaching activities and leading Scotland to the Homeless World Cup in 2007, David now runs the Street Soccer Scotland charity which he set-up in 2009. The charity – through football – helps socially disadvantaged adults and young people across Scotland.

“It is used in a way to beat isolation, boost their confidence and self-esteem, provide a healthy option of socialising which is hard to get on the homeless scene,” David adds.

David for all his hard work and endeavour in helping disadvantaged youths and adults through football has received an Honorary Doctorate from Queen Margaret University last year.

The stereotypical view.  Football can help change this

David’s and Zakia’s experiences of the Homeless World Cup cannot be underestimated. In the UK homeless people are stereotypically portrayed to be lazy, drunk and begging on some street corner. Some suggest they are causes of their own downfall, but the tournament provides a platform to change this depressing outlook and to redefine and strengthen the image of homelessness.

Champions: Scotland added to their 2007 success in Paris last year

Zakia adds: “During the tournament it is amazing, people realise that these guys are full of energy, they really want to make it. Most of the spectators ask ‘are they really homeless?’ and you say ‘yes!’ and they don’t want to believe it. So it changes the opinion, and they will talk about it with their friends and spread the word. Then the next time you see a homeless guy on the street you think about him differently, or you will do something a bit better.”

Scotland are we born losers?

WITH the Scotland national rugby team succumbing to a 16-12 defeat to the Auld Enemy on Saturday, one wonders whether losing has become an innate characteristic of Scottish identity.

It seems apparent that no matter what sport we partake in the outcome is normally one of frustration and 'glorious failure'.

That tiresome phrase has been banded about for years perhaps in direct proportion to our lengthy wait for some sort of momentous victory.

Yet is it a self fulfilling prophecy?

It is almost as if we were born brilliant losers. The nation has their expectations significantly raised before any big match – perhaps the media are to blame – and then in the aftermath whether it be in football, rugby, tennis or any other sport we are filled with the same juxtaposed feeling of despair and pride that watching Scotland and our sports men and women competing usually brings.

Referee's are vehemently sworn at for 'that' decision which cost us, the pitch just didn't suit us, the weather affected our play are the usual excuses which are made to soften the blow.

Pints are launched across the room, TV's thrown out of flat windows but once normality is restored and we accept that we were inches away from a famous win we take solace from the fact that we tried our best.

We can be proud of what 'our wee nation' has achieved – but the harsh reality is in the end it just isn't enough when it comes to competing in elite level sport.

Scotland were 12-3 up against England with half-an-hour to play why couldn't we have maintained that lead or at least held on?

Who pressed that notorious self destruct button which ultimately ended the dreams of a nation – again.

Or am I being to harsh? Do we just accept that the better team won – their play merited the victory and they deserve the plaudits coming their way?

From the evidence of Saturday's game this could not be further from the truth, England did just enough and no more and now progress to the quarter finals.

In football, the last time Scotland reached a major competition was when I had hopes and ambitions of playing for the country myself - suffice to say it was not yesterday.

The year 1998 seems a long time ago over 13 years, one wonders whether it will be another 13 years before we reach another World Cup – I certainly hope not.

It seems every qualifying competition, whether it be in the Euro's or the World Cup there was always that one result which if it had gone the way of us, we would have ended the barren spell.

Will we look back at the disastrous 4-6-0 formation in Prague and rue that decision – hindseight is a wonderful thing.

But maybe multiple World Champion cyclist and Olympic gold medalist Sir Chris Hoy would have something to say about this blog perhaps he is the exception to the unwritten rule – that Scots are born losers.

He is the most successful in his sport of all time, he has proven that it is possible for Scots to reach the peak in their elected sport – what makes him different?

And with tennis star Andy Murray, the question seems to be not if he will win a major but when.

Having already reached three finals – the 2008 US Open, 2010 and 2011 Austrialian Open the Scot has illustrated the potential he has to win a grand slam.

But is this itself 'glorious failure' he has always been there or thereabouts but the real prize has eluded him so far in his career.

Perhaps it is ingrained in our culture – even the national anthem suggests glorious defeat in the face of adversity: “And we can still rise now and be the nation again” reads the line.

It is all about bouncing back from loss and being determined to right the wrongs that have pervaded our history and perhaps that is reflected in our sport today.

Just who is Falkirk star striker Farid El Allagui?

Not many people in Scottish football would have heard about Falkirk striker Farid El Allagui before Wednesday night’s Scottish League Cup third round match against Rangers. But after the French-Moroccan helped himself to a brace to shock Ally McCoist’s men in a 3-2 victory for the Bairns they will know about him now.

Signed from SO Romorantin – a club plying their trade in the murky depths of fourth tier French Football- the 26-year-old has made an instant impact since his move in the summer to the Falkirk Stadium.

Pressley brought El Allagui in on trial after he was recommended by his former team mate at Hearts, Stefano Salvatore. The striker produced a series of fine displays whilst there to prompt the Bairns boss to snap him up on a permanent basis and the target man has repaid his manager’s faith.

With nine goals in nine appearances the forward has fired his side into third place in the league and secured a passage into the later rounds of both domestic cups.

His double against Rangers on Wednesday night highlighted his explosive jump and his very good positional sense , some call it instinctive but as Kieran Duffie whipped in a cross, the 26 year-old knew where to be, to rise above the visitors defence and bullet a header past Neil Alexander in goal.

His second bared a similar resemblance with 16-year- old Craig Sibbald starting the move by launching a counter-attack and then producing a splendid cross for El Allagui to power another header past Alexander.

But there is more than just finishing to his game. At 5ft 11, he may not be the tallest centre forward but his powerful leap gives him the ability to out jump most players at his level which has built the foundation for Falkirk’s attacks this season.

The Bairns under former managers John Hughes and Eddie May played with a slow tempo where keeping the ball was the main focus but while it proved successful for a spell and it is questionable at all under Eddie May, teams learned to thwart this type of strategy, and a fresh approach was needed.

El Allagui has enabled Pressley to bring in this new refreshing style to the side by offering an outlet up front. Falkirk now opt to play with a direct and quick tempo with goalkeeper Michael McGovern starting an attack by launching a long ball to the French Moroccan where he has a tendency to win most headers even despite the height advantage defenders have on him.

This alleviates the pressure from the young Falkirk side – they have at least six academy graduates starting most games – because they are further up the park and are playing in the oppositions half rather than their own which has happened under previous regimes.

The 26-year-old is also unselfish, his ability to hold up the ball bringing others around him into play such as Sibbald on the left, David Weatherston on the right and Kallum Higginbotham through the middle combine a potent three-pronged attack behind him which has been the focal point for Falkirk’s goals this season.

But after his impressive displays so far it remains to be seen whether Falkirk can hold onto their star striker before bigger clubs start sniffing around this talented prospect.

Scotland 2-2 Czech Republic: Czech mate late Michal Kadlec penalty all but ends Scotland’s chances of making the European Championships 2012 in Poland and Ukraine

As we traipsed onto the bus heading towards Hampden on Saturday we were greeted with spew bags on our seat, little did I realise it was to be an omen for the day as a late Michal kadlec penalty to make it 2-2 was a real sickener, and left a horrible taste in the mouths of Scottish fans up and down the country.

It was a tale of two penalties; one given and one not. Dutch referee Kevin Blom left the hosts seething as substitute Jan Rezek – who was still lucky to be on the pitch after lunging in recklessly not once but twice within seconds of each other midway during the second half – made the most of a Danny Wilson stuck out leg and fell to the ground – his dying swan act enough to convince Blom that it merited a penalty.

Kadlec converted the spot-kick sending it high into the roof of the net giving Allan McGregor no chance and all but ending Scottish hopes of reaching the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine in 2012 barring a minor miracle.

But in the dying seconds the hosts could and perhaps should have had a penalty of their own – given the softness of spot-kick awarded moments before. Defender Christophe Berra managed to wriggle free of the visitors defence before Roman Hubnik unwisely stuck out a leg - a move that had been ruthlessly penalised in the opposite box previously. But to the bewilderment of at least 50,000 fans and millions more watching at home, the whistler from Holland accused the Wolves defender of diving.

It is sort of the decision that leaves fans, players and managers incensed because of the inconsistency of the awards given. And once again calls for some sort of technology to be introduced into the game.

But no qualms about the result on reflection a point was fair as the Czechs controlled large periods of the match. The two goals that Scotland did score were defensive errors and should have been dealt with but it would have mattered very little had Milan Baros taken his early opportunity and Charlie Adam had not escaped punishment for a rash challenge in the box on the aforementioned striker, indeed they could have been out of sight with only 15 minutes played.

However, the Scots grew in confidence after their initial early scare but as has been the case with most games this European Qualification campaign rarely ever troubled the opposition goalkeeper. Looking at shots on target to goals ratio this tournament Scotland have converted 40% of their chances an incredibly high rate compared to the opposition yesterday who have a 22% success rate.

The stat suggests that Scotland do not create that many chances but when they do they usually take them. That certainly was the case yesterday as against the run of play the Scots went up 1-0 through Kenny Miller just before half-time. Darren Fletcher played an incisive pass through to the Cardiff City striker and his effort was poorly dealt with by stand in keeper Jan Lastuvka who let the ball squirm under his foot before nestling in the back of the net.

It was a lead the hosts barely deserved and the Czechs look confused as to how they were behind. The pattern of play in the second half widely reflected what had happened in the first, the visitors were in control and should have equalised when Tomas Rosicky threaded a ball through to Baros but he put his effort wide.

Miller could have extended the Scots lead when James Morrison put in a wicked delivery but he couldn’t convert the chance.

Then on 55 minutes, Rezek was introduced to play and would have a big impact on the match. His fired cross aided Jaroslav Plasil to bundle the ball home from a few yards out to give the Czechs the equaliser on 78 minutes.

But it was the partnership of Miller and Fletcher again that would lift the hopes of Scotland as the striker pounced on an error by Jan Rajnoch before driving towards goal and playing a perfect weighted pass to the Manchester United midfielder who tucked the ball away with aplomb.

The gamble had looked to have paid off. Fletcher had been sidelined for five months with an unknown virus but manager Craig Levein had no issues about putting him in the starting line-up. However, it was to be the midfielder who was caught spending too much time on the ball which led to the visitor’s equaliser. The 27-year-old was deep in his own half and should have just cleared the ball away to safety but perhaps his match sharpness so late in the game was questionable having being out for so long.

The result all but ends Scotland’s chances – they need to win their last three games including an away tie against the World Champions Spain – a challenge that can’t be overestimated.

Is Lord Voldemort playing Premier League football? He-who-should-not-be-named plans to sue The Sunday Herald

With the news that The Sunday Herald could face legal action by the footballer-who-should-not-be-named over their publishing of an article about his alleged affair with celebrity Imogen Thomas the debate between the freedom of the press and privacy of the famous rumbles on.

For those of you who are unaware of the debacle a Premier League footballer took out a super-injunction to prevent the media from publishing the story about his six month sexual affair with the former Big Brother contestant. However Social networking site Twitter has been used as a vehicle recently by some users to name and shame celebrities over their scandalous stories and he was one of them – he is also looking into legal action against the Californian company.

This has since sparked debate over whether celebrities can impose such gagging orders on the media when at the click of the button on Twitter all can be revealed. Many argue that the orders should be disposed of because it is a law that is designed purely to protect the rich as only they can afford to impose privacy injunctions or super-injunctions. Others believe that even the rich and famous are entitled to a private life and it is not in the public interest to know who’s sleeping with whom.

In the Press Complaints Commission ethics code (1992:11) it states that “the public interest is not whatever happens to interest the public.” It must be something of paramount importance to the public – can it be argued that this is imperative to the public’s needs? Celebrity magazines such as Hello! and Heat would certainly have you think so.

And onto the issue that has got The Sunday Herald into hot water. On May 22 it printed a photograph on the front page of the footballer, with his eyes blackened out and the word ‘censored’ over the top – immediately obvious to anyone who ­picked up the paper and read it as to who the Premiership star was. Underneath the caption: "Everyone knows this is the footballer accused of using the courts to keep allegations of a sexual affair secret. But we weren't supposed to tell you that.”

The paper goes on to name the footballer in the newspaper and this has made the representatives of the player to consider what legal action to take. However, there is a legal loophole and this has created a divide in media law opinion as to whether The Sunday Herald has a right to publish such stories.

Many argue including criminal law expert QC Paul McBride that the super injunction only applies to English media law and not the whole of the UK so it is perfectly legit for the Scottish paper to publish the story.

“They forget that Scotland has an entirely separate legal system which makes its own judgments. They think that their rulings affect the world when in reality it is just England and related jurisdictions,” McBride told The Scotsman.

"Basically the footballer's lawyers forgot that they should take out an interdict in Scotland, and that allowed the Sunday Herald to publish.

"They can call it a super-duper-injunction. If they don't have an interdict in Scotland it is worthless."

Although top media lawyer Brian Deane has a different view he believes the paper’s editors, journalists and directors could be prosecuted for contempt of court.

“If the paper was absolutely sure of its position, why didn't it publish the names of all the other super-injunctions, none of which have been served in Scotland?” Deane told The Scotsman.

"I suspect that if the roles were reversed and a Scottish judge's ruling was ignored this way in England the Scottish judge would be seething."

So it seems that according to Deane being aware of the injunction being in place is the crux of the matter rather than whether or not the injunction was directly imposed on the newspaper itself.

However Mr. Deane has raised an important issue when he asks why they have they not named all the other super- injunctions. If The Sunday Herald was to win the case then this could potentially start a wave of Scottish newspapers naming and shaming celebs that have imposed gagging orders across the border.

But The Sunday Herald is not the first paper to reveal the player’s name as the Spanish print media have also published who the player is which poses the question everyone knows who it Is, so why does he not just come out and admit it?

In 2011 there have been 18 privacy junctions granted with a further 12 super-injunctions being put in place which ban the media from even mentioning their existence. A recent report by the Telegraph revealed that nine footballers, nine actors, four pop stars, six wealthy businessmen and women, a senior civil servant and an MP have obtained injunctions. Schillings, the media law firm, has obtained more than 20 of the orders and been paid an estimated £2 million.

But what is your view on the matter should celebs be granted such orders to avoid their dirty linen being washed out in public, do newspapers and magazines print these stories because they know it will sell papers and therefore is it in the public interest? Or does becoming the status of a celeb mean that the public have a right to know every single detail of the person’s life?