Barton not worth all the bother Gymnasts show their style at finals
Club scoop national success at championships
At what point does football just give up on Joey Barton?
At what point do football clubs start putting more of a premium on character and changing room harmony?
Probably not any time soon, to be honest.
Rangers took a calculated risk, one that many were surprised Mark Warburton took, by signing the divisive 34-year-old midfielder and it appears to have spectacularly backfired.
That Barton, the Ibrox club’s marquee signing over the summer as they geared up for life in the top flight, is sitting at home serving a threeweek suspension shouldn’t really be a major surprise to anyone.
From day one it was clear he was interested more in creating stories and fights than leading his team to the title.
And fair play to him, he knows how to become the centre of attention.
He strolled into Glasgow believing he would dominate a league he has constantly belittled during his career.
He may have played for some big clubs, but he had never played under the constant scrutiny that comes with Glasgow’s top teams.
Poking fun at Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers and stating the Parkhead club’s captain, Scott Brown“isn’t in the same league as I am”is great for the media but ultimately points to a lack of focus on getting the job done.
An interest more in riling up the opposition and whatever his aims were, they clearly haven’t worked as Celtic sit at the top of the table while he’s sitting on his sofa.
The lad has a long list of controversial incidents that surely should have put Rangers, or indeed any club, off going anywhere near him.
He has been convicted twice on charges of violence and was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment in 2008.
He was given a four month suspended sentence that same year for battering team-mate Ousmane Dabo during a training session and has been charged with violent conduct by the English FA on three occasions, including his meltdown on the final day of the 2011-12 season when playing for Queen’s Park Rangers against Manchester City.
But Barton is clearly a very talented footballer.
To suggest otherwise is to wilfully ignore the
West Lothian Rhythmic Gymnastics Club are celebrating after their members scored a number of recent successes.
The club, based at the Craigwillow Centre in Craigshill, boast several Scottish Champions in their age groups as well as two members who placed in the recent National Grade finals.
And four members took part in a gruelling two week training camp in Bulgaria with Lily and Amy set to make a quick return to the country as they are taking part in the prestigious Sofia Cup in December.
The club’s head coach Liz McNeill (right) said she was delighted with the achievements of her pupils.
“The girls that went to Bulgaria did amazingly well and worked really hard,” she commented.
“It was a very, very tough camp. They were basically training constantly for a fortnight. It was an incredible experience for the girls and they gave it everything.
“I’m sure they’ve all improved after the experience and have that desire to be part of events like that as often as possible.”
She added: “All the members have been great and we’ve had so many awards and top performances in big national and international events.
“We have so many great gymnasts at all different levels and ages, but we’re always really up against it because there’s just no funding.
“It’s like hitting your head against a brick wall at times, but when you see how much the gymnasts improve and how much they love doing what they do, it makes it all worth it.
“We’d love to get some of these gymnasts into the next Commonwealth Games in Australia in 2018. They’ve all got great talent and that’s the ultimate aim.”
“We’d like to thank everyone, especially West Lothian Council, who have helped us with funding and support that allows us to let the girls compete in these top events and ultimately improve their performances and make them better gymnasts.”
If you would like to help sponsor the club, contact Liz McNeill via email at lizmcneill@tiscali.co.uk or phone 07710 472 213.
Pictured above are: top row from left to right - Emma Anderson, Arina Vaidre, Polina Derugina, Dasha Derugina and Aurora Bliss Innes. Bottom row from left to right - Chloe Boyd, Lily Wilson, Lauren Davren and Amy Lewis.