Football Digest
Rangers are in line to pull off the double - both on and off the field - following yesterday's announcement of the nominations for the Player of the Year awards by the Scottish Players' Union.
The Ibrox club, already on their way to the title and in the final of the Scottish Cup, have players listed for both the main award and the young player category, the winners of which will be announced at the annual dinner in Glasgow at the end of the month.
Rangers midfielder Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, along with team-mate Craig Moore, Mark Viduka of Celtic, and Ian Durrant of Kilmarnock have all been nominated for the Player of the Year award voted for by a their fellow professionals.
The four short-listed for the Young Player of the Year are Barry Ferguson of Rangers, Lee McCulloch of Motherwell, Jamie McAllister of Aberdeen, and Kenny Miller of Hibernian.
First division title chasers Falkirk have both Scott Crabbe and David Nicholls nominated along with Steve Crawford of Dunfermline Athletic and St Mirren's Tommy Turner for their league's player of the year.
Alloa Athletic striker Martin Cameron, who has been attracting attention from English clubs, Clyde's Brian Carrigan, Darren Henderson of Hamilton Academical, and John McQuade of Stirling Albion are the nominations for the second division award.
Third division nominees are Andy Cargill and Steve Milne, both Forfar Athletic, along with Steve Laidlaw of Berwick Rangers, and Joe Robertson of Dumbarton.
qDunfermline Athletic have failed to land 26-year-old Dutch defender Robert Loontjens. from the first division club Cambuur.
Manager Jimmy Calderwood said: ''He came here on Sunday and left on Tuesday afternoon. I thought we had agreed with his agent a three-year deal, but apparently his wife was doubtful if she would like it here. So it's all off.''
qHAMILTON Academical midfielder Gerry Crossley yesterday received a surprise call-up to the Republic of Ireland Under-21s.
The 20-year-old, freed by Celtic last summer, has been named along with present Parkhead midfielder Colin Healy in the squad to face Greece on April 25.
Meanwhile, Hamilton chief executive Bill Sherry said that the prospects of building a new stadium were brighter following yesterday's meeting with the local authority and he hoped to make an announcement next week.
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