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BARRY FERGUSON could be closing in on a stunning return to Ibrix, according to a report.
The former Rangers captain is one of the names in the frame to take over from Philippe Clement on an interim basis.
Clement, 50, was axed by Gers chiefs last night and the club have now started their hunt for his replacement.
CEO Patrick Stewart and chairman Fraser Thornton will lead the search, with many names already being linked with the vacant position.
Steven Gerrard is the favourite to take over, while SunSport understands former Rangers defender Russell Martin is also a leading contender after being sacked by Southampton.
But it’s suggested another former Light Blues man is also at the forefront of discussions.
Ferguson, 47, is believed to be one of the names Stewart and Thornton are considering.
Reports last night claimed the ex-Gers skipper was the frontrunner to replace Clement on an interim basis.
Now it’s being reported there’s been a further development with Ferguson.
TalkSPORT presenter Jim White has suggested the former Clyde, Kelty Hearts and Alloa Athletic boss will meet Ibrox chairman Stewart for talks this morning.
Speaking on this morning’s breakfast show with Ally McCoist and Jeff Stelling, White said: “Barry Ferguson, a Rangers legend, will meet with Patrick Stewart this morning with an eye to the manager job until the end of the season.”
White went on to suggest that Ferguson will be joined by fellow ex-Gers Neil McCann and Billy Dodds in the dugout should he get the job.
SunSport understands however that McCann may not be part of the interim coaching team should Ferguson get the nod.
McCann, 50, was highly critical of Clement’s tactics over the weekend as Rangers crashed to a 2-0 defeat to St Mirren at Ibrox.
He dismissed Clement’s claims regarding his players being too nervous during the match and instead blamed the manager’s “negative” style for the shock result.
He said: “It’s a huge concern. You can talk about nerves but this is negative and that’s got to come from the manager.
“That ball should be going down the line to keep St Mirren in, this negative throwback from Jefte allows St Mirren to do that aggressive press. Now Nsiala must find Raskin, Raskin’s asking for it but he has to demand it, want the ball there.
“Then it’s a rollback to Butland, then back to Nsiala, the first pass is to Jefte but he doesn’t and goes into Raskin. What has Butland got on then?
“You have to work on these things, if you’re going to play out from the back, you have to find solutions, you have to work on what-ifs.
“I feel that Rangers over the last few games, there’s a lack of spark. I don’t think it’s nerves, it has to be demanded from the sidelines.”
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
DETECTIVES have taken a step closer in solving the case of a mystery man found floating in a remote Welsh reservoir.
Claerwen Reservoir is the largest and most remote of the Elan Valley dams in Powys – but around 55 people die in inland waters in Wales each year.
After someone spotted the floating body last October, Dyfed-Powys Police were called to the scene.
There they found a highly decomposed person in a £200 extra large wetsuit with no belongings, clothes or car.
It’s thought the body could have been undiscovered for up to twelve weeks.
But now a post-mortem examination has confirmed the sex, age, race, height and weight of the person.
Senior investigating officer, detective inspector Anthea Ponting, told The Sun today: “A post-mortem examination has confirmed that the body is a white man, aged between 30 and 60.
“He is approximately 6ft tall and was wearing a Zone 3 Agile wetsuit, similar to the one pictured.
“The size of the wetsuit is XL, so the man might have been 6ft – 6ft5, around 202-220lbs with a 44–48-inch chest.
But despite such details being recovered, the identity of the man remains unknown.
DI Ponting added: “We have carried out numerous inquiries, including checking missing people records with other forces and conducting forensic inquiries both locally and wider in conjunction with law enforcement partners.
“Unfortunately, these have not led to the man being identified.
“We are keeping an open mind into the circumstances and continue to work towards finding out who he was, any family and what happened to him.
“We would still like to hear from anyone who has visited the Claerwen reservoir, or the surrounding area, between the beginning of July 2024 and October 18, and hasn’t spoken to police yet.
“We also continue to appeal for anyone who does have information – who thinks that something mentioned could relate to a missing person in their own life or who they may know – to come forward.”
But the DI also revealed to the BBC that it “is an unusual situation to be three or four months down the line” and to not have identified the person or their loved ones.
However, they do not believe criminal activity is involved.
Alan Austin, who chairs a local rambling group and regularly walks in the area, told the BBC he has “never” seen anyone swimming in the water of Claerwen Reservoir.
He added: “It can be extremely dangerous.
“The water can get very cold, water from the reservoir pours over the dams when it’s been raining.”
The Claerwen dam and reservoir were featured in the final series of the BBC show Top Gear with Richard Hammond.
Motorists could be slapped with staggering £160 fines after huge changes to parking rules.
The change will see penalty charge notices (PCNs) in a major UK city rising by £30.
Londoners already pay huge penalties if they are caught violating parking restrictions.
Charges are categorised into severe Band A fines and less severe Band B fines, with both categories having lower and higher tiers.
In higher charge Band A areas, drivers can see penalties of up to £130 and in Band B areas drivers can be charged up to £110.
However, a new proposal has been signed off by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan which will raise the fines.
Higher-level Band A charges will be increased to £160 and lower-tier fines will be raised from £80 to 110.
Band B charges will be increased too.
Higher-tier Band B charges will be raised to £140 and lower Band B charges will be raised to £90.
Bus lane and moving traffic penalties will also rise to £160.
The change comes after London Councils – the representatives for the capital’s local authorities – asked City Hall to stop “anti-social and obstructive parking”.
Ahead of the increase in fines, City Hall have said: “PCNs are a vital way we keep London moving by deterring inconsiderate driving and protecting road space such as disabled bays”.
A spokesperson for Sadiq Khan confirmed that the number of people receiving PCNs has increased by 50 per cent in the last 12 years, with enforcement costs also rising.
This has fuelled concern that the “penalty charge regime isn’t sufficiently recovering costs”.
The changes will need to be signed off by the Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander.
Ms Alexander made headlines in December 2024, when she named South Western Rail as the first to be renationalised by Labour.
The government hopes that nationalising rail will improve performance, hold down fares and create a “system that the British public can trust and be proud of again”.
PCNs will rise in London as City Hall hopes to cover enforcement costs.
Here are all of the PCNs which will rise in London:
Band A:
Higher level, rising from £130 to £160
Lower level, rising from £80 to £110
Band B:
Higher level, rising from £110 to £140
Lower level, rising from £60 to £90
Bus lane and moving traffic penalties
These fares will rise from £130 to £160
AN ICONIC London restaurant has closed its doors due to “unsustainably high costs”.
The luxury eatery is the latest in a series of closures as financial pressures mount on family businesses.
La Goccia opened six years ago on Floral Court in Covent Garden.
Known for its exciting Italian food and lavish interior, which referenced its owners horticultural heritage, it was a hib for food-lovers and tourists.
However, on Sunday, the Petersham-owned restaurant suddenly closed.
According to management, the restaurant had struggled with “unsustainably high costs” while battle property costs and debt.
They added that they were anxious about the “looming impact of the recent Budget”.
In her October 2024 budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves increased national insurance contributions for employers and increased minimum wage.
Critics of the budget argued that this would increase costs for businesses, but Reeves insisted at the time that the move would support workers and stabilise the economy.
The Italian restaurant also said that two other major events caused them to close.
They said they decided to put their shutters down due to years of “significant cost challenges” caused by “covid and Brexit”.
They told the Telegraph that they were unable to “recruit people with the right experience and skills” after Britain left the EU, adding to their business woes.
The restaurant is owned by the Bolgione family, who launched their brand from their 17th century mansion Petersham House.
Their luxury home was used as a set in the hit new Bridget Jones film.
Another one of their restaurants, The Petersham in Covent Garden, will also be closing its doors for the same reasons as La Goccia.
The Petersham, which shared a terrace with La Goccia, had been awarded with a Michelin star.
The news comes as the UK economy unexpectedly grew by 0.1 per cent at the end of 2024, with Reeves cheering that the economy was recovering.
A year earlier, under Rishi Sunak’s government, the economy had shrunk by 0.3 per cent.
In light of the news, Reeves said: “After 14 years of flat-lining living standards, we are going further and faster through our plan for change to put more money in people’s pockets.
“That is why we are taking on the blockers to get Britain building again, investing in our roads, rail and energy infrastructure, and removing the barriers that get in the way of businesses who want to expand.”
By Laura McGuire, consumer reporter
MANY Food and drink chains have been struggling in recently as the cost of living has led to fewer people spending on eating out.
Businesses had been struggling to bounce back after the pandemic, only to be hit with soaring energy bills and inflation.
Multiple chains have been affected, resulting in big-name brands like Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny’s closing branches.
Some chains have not survived, Byron Burger fell into administration last year, with owners saying it would result in the loss of over 200 jobs.
Pizza giant, Papa Johns is shutting down 43 of its stores soon.
Tasty, the owner of Wildwood, said it will shut sites as part of major restructuring plans.
IT’S arguably the one day when a woman can unabashedly be the centre of attention.
So it’s little wonder one bride was left fuming when her mother sent her a snap of the dress she was planning to wear for her wedding.
As instead of a modern skirt set, or another look traditionally favoured by a mother of the bride, the woman had opted for a £2,300 WEDDING dress.
The bride took to Reddit to express her shock at the situation, as she shared a snap of the Sottero Kingsley dress that she’d been forwarded by her mum the day before.
“The dress my mom is planning to wear to my wedding,” she wrote alongside it.
“She sent this to me yesterday and I still haven’t replied,” she added.
The comments section was almost immediately filled with people weighing in on the situation, with all of them agreeing the mother of the bride was being ridiculous suggesting she’d be wearing the gown on her daughter’s big day.
“So I did an image search just for funsies and um, that is 100% a WEDDING Dress,” one wrote.
“Like ???
“And it comes in white or ivory with no other colour options.”
While others suggested responses the bride should send her mother, with one writing: “Ask her when she’s planning on getting married because she ain’t wearing that to your wedding.”
“Say this: ‘omg good one! Could you imagine if you actually wore a wedding dress to my wedding?! People would tear you apart!'” another suggested.
“Tell her that she’s not wearing a f**king wedding dress to your wedding and if she shows up in one she’s going to be removed from your wedding,” a third raged.
“I gave her 2 options: not wear the dress and wear something I recommend, or wear the dress and get uninvited,” the poster replied.
“I would just flat out ask her why she is wearing a wedding dress to your wedding and tell her she is making a gigantic fool of herself,” someone else said.
To which the bride-to-be explained: “I replied my mom with this direct answer: you’re not wearing that because it’s a legit wedding dress and lots of people find it disrespectful.
“You need to confirm with me you won’t be wearing that or I’d need to uninvite you all together. Guess what?
“She didn’t reply to that message. Instead, she asked about a random thing in the wedding, basically ignored my reply.
If you're struggling to decided on a dress to see you through wedding season, here's a few rules on what not to wear so you don't get in trouble.
“I called her to have a direct conversation and it was her yelling for 10mins about how she’s my mum and if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here today and get to have a wedding and all.
“I’d heard enough so I said please don’t come to the wedding. Bye mum.”
“Sorry it came to this, but her response 100% confirms she knew the dress looks like a wedding dress, and she was planning to wear it to get attention and make the day more about her and less about you,” someone wrote in response to that.
“I’m sorry you have such a narcissistic mother, but I’m glad you took a stand, and now you can enjoy your day without worrying about how your own mother is plotting to disrupt it.”
WHEN he races there’s no doubt Gidleigh Park is all heart, but behind the scenes issues with the crucial organ have returned to frustrate connections.
Harry Fry’s class act was due to run in the Ladbrokes Pendil Novices’ Chase at Kempton which fell to Rubaud, who was providing Paul Nicholls with a famous 14th success in the event.
However, the seven-year-old was a notable absentee.
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Today, Fry told me: “Gidleigh Park had a setback last weekend and so we had to miss the Pendil. It’s not a new issue. It’s heart-related again.”
Gidleigh Park was back to his best with a bang when last seen defeating Caldwell Potter in the Grade 2 Fitzdares Lightning Novices’ Chase at Windsor. He jumped for fun from the front.
Fry continued: “Now we just have to manage his return to work. It’s frustrating and disappointing but we have a very good horse on our hands. We just have to do what is right for him.”
Gidleigh Park could have still been considered for Cheltenham without the latest issue – he is 20-1 for the Arkle – although Aintree had ultimately been the place connections had been aiming for.
Fry still has hopes, though, of making a Cheltenham splash, paritcularly with Idaho Sun who will aim for the bumper.
Idaho Sun is unbeaten in two starts at Newton Abbot and Windsor, where he went clear to score well in January.
Fry said: “I thought the bumper was looking a fairly open even until Willie Mullins had one hack up the other day and from the British contenders it looked as though we were right up there with Pipe’s Ascot winner (Windbeneathmywings). Idaho Sun is in good form.
“Altobelli has won his last two races well at Ascot and he’s in the Coral Cup. He went up a fair hike – 10lb – for his last success but he did it well. Beat the Bat would be interesting in either the Coral or Martin Pipe.”
Elsewhere… There should be some interesting Premier Racing Board Meetings at Chester Racecourse over the months ahead.
Chester has been outspoken over Premier Racing, and notably agitated over the restricted 2pm to 4pm window on a Saturday afternoon which has negatively impacted the course.
Just the other day, following an extensive recruitment process, Chester Race appointed Julie Harrington as a Non-Executive Director.
Harrington will replace Charles Barnett, who will step down from the Board at this year’s Annual General Meeting.
Harrington is, of course, a highly respected figure in British sport and business, but was Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority at the time when Premier Racing was introduced.
Indeed, only last year she said: “We should be encouraged that so many racecourses want to invest in and stage these Premier events. We will also see more promotional work and, we hope, a [Levy Board]-funded national campaign to support the work already being done by [Great British Racing] and the racecourses.
“Time and experience will help us determine the optimum number of Premier racedays with regards to racecourses and the horse population. This is the start of a two-year pilot and so we should resist the temptation to make snap judgements on its success based on limited experience.”
Oh to be a fly on the Chester boardroom wall!
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
GOOGLE has put the final nail in the coffin of its popular Amazon Fire Stick rival.
More than 100million Chromecast devices have been sold in the last 12 years.
But the tech giant announced last year that it was planning to discontinue the gadget.
Now, stock of the most recent model of Chromecast with Google TV appears to have completely run dry meaning it will now be confined to the dreaded “Google Graveyard”.
The firm has released a premium replacement device called the Google TV Streamer but it costs more than the Chromecasts.
Google TV Streamer retails for £99 and packs a number of enhancements, including extra storage space, improved performance so the device runs faster and smart hub features.
And unlike the Chromecast dongle form, the Google TV Streamer sits as a set-top box.
But five months after launching, the device is still missing one key app.
Brits still can’t access the BBC iPlayer app.
The broadcaster says the app is missing due to “a technical issue which we are working on with Google”.
“The BBC iPlayer app will be available to install on the 2024 Google TV Streamer in the near future,” the BBC’s support page explains.
Fortunately, telly lovers can finally access the Channel 4 app after a launch late 2024.
Although Chromecast is consigned to history, existing devices will continue to work for sometime yet.
Security updates are expected to run until September 2025, according to Android Police.
Google has earned a reputation for killing off features and projects, sometimes before their official release. Here are just a few examples over the years:
VPN by Google One – the virtual private network service encrypted users’ data and network activity and allowed them to mask their IP address. (2020-2024)
Google Podcasts – the podcast hosting platform doubled as an Android podcast listening app. (2018-2024)
Google Stadia – the cloud gaming service allowed users to stream gameplay through web browsers, TV, mobile apps, and Chromecast. (2019-2023)
YouTube Originals – the Google-owned company shuttered the program, which produced original content including scripted series, educational videos, and more. (2016-2022)
Google Hangouts – the cross-platform instant messaging service posed as a challenger to Microsoft’s Skype. (2013-2022)
YouTube Go – the app was aimed at making YouTube more accessible on mobile devices in emerging markets, with features like downloading video on Wi-Fi to view later. (2017-2022)
Google Duo – the video calling app allowed users to call anyone from their contact list. (2016-2022)
Cameos on Google – the tool allowed public figures to record video responses to the most common questions asked about them, which would display in Google Search results. (2018-2022)
Backup and Sync – the desktop software tool for Windows and macOS enabled users to sync files from Google Drive to their local machine. (2017-2021)
Google My Maps – the Android application allowed users to create custom maps for personal use or sharing on their mobile device. (2014-2021)
Image credit: Getty
THIS is the horrific moment a great-grandad pulls a gun on his granddaughter after his wife’s ashes were grabbed from his mantlepiece.
Disturbing footage showed Martin Gordon march up to his terrified relative with a pistol in Dudley, West Mids., on August 11 last year.
The 64-year-old tried to hide the handgun behind his back as he approached the local Samson and Lion pub.
Sporting a light blue shirt and dripping with gold jewelry, he then threatened his granddaughter with the firearm.
His grandson stepped in waving a baseball bat to try and protect his sister from the thug.
Alarmed witnesses filmed the intense family brawl and shared the video on social media.
Cops were called to the scene at around 1pm and located Gordon inside a black Range Rover at a nearby industrial estate.
Officers forced him out of the vehicle and he was cuffed while laying face down on the ground.
It transpired the fuming gunman had targeted his family member after his wife’s ashes had been taken from his mantlepiece.
He was also found with a magazine of blank bullets, a pick axe handle and two tasers.
Meanwhile a round of live ammunition was discovered in his kitchen sink at home.
The 64-year-old was charged with possessing a firearm, having ammunition without a licence, and two counts of possessing a taser.
Gordon told Wolverhampton Crown Court he bought the the gun for protection after he lost £200,000 in a robbery.
He was sentenced to five years in jail on February 13.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police added: “Our firearms officers descended on the site and arrested Gordon less than 40 minutes after the original call.
“He was found with a magazine containing two bullets in his pocket, while the gun was still in the car.
“Following an investigation by our Major Crime Unit (MCU), Gordon, of Brierley Hill Road, Wordsley, admitted possession of a firearm.
“He was jailed for five years at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 13 February.”
Det Sgt Matt Nightingale, from our MCU, added: “Gordon brandished this weapon in full view of other members of the public and made no effort to conceal it.
“Quick work by officers meant that we were able to quickly locate him and recover the gun.
“We’re committed to tackling gun crime – we’re taking weapons off the streets and putting those who carry them behind bars.”
EVERYONE can see the flowers but only those with the sharpest minds can spot the sneaky cat in 12 seconds.
If you can spot the cat in the image within the time limit, then you can claim a high IQ and 20/20 vision.
This puzzle is particularly difficult, as on a first glance the cat seems nowhere to be find.
The keenest and most observant of viewers, however, may just be able to make out a pair of ears and whiskers nestled between the large cacti and white flowers.
If you’ve managed to successfully find the cat, give yourself a pat on the back.
If you’re still struggling, try a new tactic.
Try to study each flower in turn, and then move onto the next until you spot it.
Picture puzzles are a form of brain teaser that tests the reader’s critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
These challenges have the potential to boost intelligence and improve concentration.
Engaging in activities like solving optical illusions and brainteasers can have many cognitive benefits as it can stimulate various brain regions.
Some benefits include:
Still haven’t found the elusive cat?
Here’s a handy hint – have a look in the white flowers on the right-hand side.
Did you spot the cat?
Congratulations! You have 20/20 vision and a high IQ.
If you still can’t find it, here’s the solution.
The cat is circled in red.
If you enjoy testing your brain, have a look at our other optical illusions.
