And here’s a report from Bramall Lane.
Here’s the report from Ibrox.
Ch Supt Mark Sutherland said this in a police statement on the scenes at Ibrox.
About 10am today [Saturday] … a large number of supporters gathered outside Ibrox Stadium and a number of pyrotechnic devices were set off. I would remind supporters that in line with current Scottish government coronavirus guidelines, all gatherings are currently prohibited and we would urge members of the public to comply with these restrictions. Our priority is public safety and an appropriate policing plan was in place and officers engaged with those present to explain and encourage compliance with restrictions.
League Two final scores
Barrow 2-0 Mansfield
Bradford 1-1 Bolton
Cambridge Utd 1-0 Walsall
Cheltenham 3-2 Port Vale
Colchester 0-2 Newport County
Exeter 4-0 Leyton Orient
Grimsby 1-2 Forest Green
Morecambe 3-1 Carlisle
Oldham 0-0 Southend
Salford City 1-1 Scunthorpe
Stevenage 1-0 Harrogate Town
Tranmere 0-1 Crawley Town
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cheltenham | 32 | 16 | 59 |
| 2 | Cambridge Utd | 34 | 19 | 58 |
| 3 | Forest Green | 32 | 12 | 57 |
| 4 | Morecambe | 33 | 3 | 55 |
| 5 | Tranmere | 32 | 6 | 54 |
| 6 | Newport County | 32 | 8 | 51 |
| 7 | Bolton | 33 | 1 | 51 |
| 8 | Exeter | 31 | 18 | 50 |
| 9 | Salford City | 32 | 15 | 50 |
| 10 | Bradford | 31 | 3 | 47 |
| 11 | Harrogate Town | 33 | -2 | 45 |
| 12 | Crawley Town | 31 | 2 | 44 |
| 13 | Carlisle | 29 | 5 | 43 |
| 14 | Leyton Orient | 32 | -1 | 42 |
| 15 | Stevenage | 34 | -3 | 41 |
| 16 | Oldham | 32 | -7 | 39 |
| 17 | Scunthorpe | 31 | -7 | 39 |
| 18 | Walsall | 32 | -5 | 38 |
| 19 | Mansfield | 32 | -5 | 37 |
| 20 | Colchester | 32 | -12 | 36 |
| 21 | Port Vale | 33 | -6 | 34 |
| 22 | Barrow | 31 | -6 | 29 |
| 23 | Southend | 33 | -26 | 29 |
| 24 | Grimsby | 31 | -28 | 24 |
League One final scores
Accrington Stanley 2-1 Swindon
Blackpool 1-1 AFC Wimbledon
Burton Albion 2-1 Peterborough
Doncaster 2-1 Plymouth
Gillingham 3-1 Ipswich
Hull 2-0 Bristol Rovers
Lincoln City 3-0 Crewe
Northampton 4-1 Portsmouth
Oxford Utd 0-0 Charlton
Shrewsbury 0-2 Fleetwood Town
Sunderland 2-0 Rochdale
Wigan 3-0 Milton Keynes Dons
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hull | 34 | 28 | 62 |
| 2 | Peterborough | 32 | 24 | 62 |
| 3 | Lincoln City | 32 | 20 | 60 |
| 4 | Sunderland | 32 | 23 | 57 |
| 5 | Doncaster | 30 | 13 | 55 |
| 6 | Portsmouth | 32 | 15 | 52 |
| 7 | Accrington Stanley | 31 | 9 | 50 |
| 8 | Ipswich | 31 | 4 | 50 |
| 9 | Charlton | 33 | 2 | 48 |
| 10 | Oxford Utd | 31 | 8 | 47 |
| 11 | Gillingham | 33 | 0 | 47 |
| 12 | Blackpool | 29 | 7 | 45 |
| 13 | Crewe | 33 | -1 | 45 |
| 14 | Plymouth | 33 | -9 | 45 |
| 15 | Fleetwood Town | 33 | 8 | 43 |
| 16 | Milton Keynes Dons | 33 | 0 | 42 |
| 17 | Shrewsbury | 30 | -3 | 38 |
| 18 | Burton Albion | 31 | -17 | 34 |
| 19 | Northampton | 33 | -20 | 32 |
| 20 | Swindon | 33 | -21 | 31 |
| 21 | Bristol Rovers | 32 | -22 | 30 |
| 22 | AFC Wimbledon | 31 | -23 | 30 |
| 23 | Wigan | 33 | -25 | 30 |
| 24 | Rochdale | 33 | -20 | 28 |
Championship final scores
Barnsley 0-0 Birmingham
Brentford v Rotherham (Postponed)
Bristol City 0-2 QPR
Coventry 1-0 Derby
Huddersfield 0-0 Cardiff (Friday)
Millwall 0-2 Blackburn
Norwich 3-0 Luton
Preston North End 1-1 AFC Bournemouth
Reading 3-0 Sheff Wed
Stoke 2-0 Wycombe
Swansea 2-1 Middlesbrough
Watford 1-0 Nottm Forest
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norwich | 35 | 26 | 76 |
| 2 | Watford | 35 | 22 | 66 |
| 3 | Swansea | 33 | 19 | 65 |
| 4 | Brentford | 34 | 25 | 63 |
| 5 | Reading | 35 | 12 | 60 |
| 6 | Barnsley | 34 | 5 | 57 |
| 7 | AFC Bournemouth | 35 | 16 | 56 |
| 8 | Cardiff | 35 | 18 | 54 |
| 9 | Middlesbrough | 35 | 3 | 50 |
| 10 | Stoke | 35 | 2 | 48 |
| 11 | Millwall | 35 | 1 | 46 |
| 12 | Bristol City | 35 | -12 | 45 |
| 13 | Preston North End | 35 | -6 | 44 |
| 14 | Luton | 34 | -12 | 44 |
| 15 | Blackburn | 34 | 9 | 43 |
| 16 | QPR | 33 | -5 | 43 |
| 17 | Nottm Forest | 35 | -6 | 40 |
| 18 | Huddersfield | 35 | -12 | 38 |
| 19 | Derby | 34 | -13 | 38 |
| 20 | Coventry | 35 | -14 | 38 |
| 21 | Birmingham | 35 | -17 | 35 |
| 22 | Rotherham | 32 | -8 | 32 |
| 23 | Sheff Wed | 34 | -19 | 28 |
| 24 | Wycombe | 34 | -34 | 23 |
Updated
Yes, the footage from Ibrox shows Rangers players peeping round a corner to celebrate with fans. Understandable excitement perhaps but ill-advised too.
Updated
What’s this? Even later drama at Swansea, who have a penalty against Middlesbrough. Neil Warnock set to explode. Up steps Ayew to score in the 97th minute. It looked a penalty but Boro’s disallowed goal earlier on will enrage Warnock. Watch that space.
Updated
On Rangers, it appears their players went to applaud at a gate at which their fans had gathered outside. That doesn’t appear the wisest course of action considering the lockdown regulations.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rangers | 32 | 68 | 88 |
| 2 | Celtic | 31 | 42 | 67 |
| 3 | Hibernian | 31 | 12 | 52 |
| 4 | Aberdeen | 32 | 2 | 49 |
| 5 | Livingston | 31 | -2 | 40 |
| 6 | St Mirren | 32 | -8 | 39 |
| 7 | St Johnstone | 32 | -7 | 37 |
| 8 | Dundee Utd | 31 | -15 | 35 |
| 9 | Motherwell | 32 | -16 | 35 |
| 10 | Ross County | 31 | -31 | 29 |
| 11 | Hamilton | 31 | -28 | 26 |
| 12 | Kilmarnock | 32 | -17 | 25 |
Updated
Full-time: Sheffield United 0-2 Southampton
Nice and easy for Saints and Blades looked to have given up the ghost. Saints’ horror run comes to its end and will be remembered for a great goal from Che Adams.
Drama in the Championship, where Middlesbrough have pegged back Swansea with a deflected goal to equalise through Sam Morsy.
Updated
Full-time: Rangers 3-0 St Mirren
Steven Gerrard was probably more nervous driving into Ibrox. His team stay unbeaten and could be celebrating the title tomorrow if Celtic slip up at Dundee United. And that can’t be ruled out. #headingfor55
Ooof, horror challenge at Bramall Lane. John Fleck gets a yellow card for a tackle that hacked down Che Adams. He had left the ground, and Adams went flying. That led to an altercation. Ollie McBurnie and Vestergaard were both booked for the afters that took place. Billy Sharp was not happy either.
In La Liga, Elche are beating Sevilla, who are having something of a dip ahead of their match with Dortmund on Tuesday. It’s 3-2 to the Germans in that tie.
It’s all Southampton at Bramall Lane, and with three points all but guaranteed they will go up to 33 points and probably need just one win from the rest of the season to stay up.
The team news for Aston Villa v Wolves is that Jack Grealish is still missing, which rather lessens the star quality of that West Midlands derby.
Armstrong fancies some glory for Southampton, as he cuts in from the left, ghosts past two Sheffield United players and whacks a right-foot shot off the outside of the post.
Blackburn go 2-0 up at Millwall, with Sam Gallagher on the mark.
More on the Bundesliga, now all eyes on the Allianz.
👊 Leverkusen back on track
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) March 6, 2021
🔵 Hoffenheim end Wolfsbug's run
🔝 Leipzig move into first
⚖️ No winner in Frankfurt
❗ BIG points for Hertha #BLMatchday pic.twitter.com/R5ATu9ulSg
Norwich are 3-0 up now, with Todd Cantwell on the mark in the 73rd minute against Luton. They look odds-on to return to the Premier League.
Updated
Here’s some footage from Steven Gerrard’s car, including drowned-out prog house, as he makes his way into Ibrox.
That Bournemouth winning run may be coming to an end after an equaliser from the (the devil and) Daniel Johnson of Preston North End. It’s 1-1 at Deepdale.
Allan McGregor, such a titan for Rangers, has just made a fine save to deny St Mirren’s Obika. What a player he has been for Steven Gerrard’s team.
More woe for Sheffield Wednesday as Reading go 2-0 up, with Lucas Joao, a former Owl getting the goal.
Nathan Tella goes close for a dominant Southampton, forcing a fine save from Ramsdale in Sheffield United’s goal. Difficult to see beyond a Saints win at this point.
Here’s the Bundesliga table, confirming Leipzig’s leadership.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RB Leipzig | 24 | 26 | 53 |
| 2 | Bayern Munich | 23 | 35 | 52 |
| 3 | Wolfsburg | 24 | 17 | 45 |
| 4 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 24 | 14 | 43 |
| 5 | Bayer Leverkusen | 24 | 16 | 40 |
| 6 | Borussia Dortmund | 23 | 17 | 39 |
| 7 | Union Berlin | 23 | 10 | 34 |
| 8 | Freiburg | 24 | -1 | 34 |
| 9 | Stuttgart | 24 | 8 | 33 |
| 10 | Borussia M'gladbach | 24 | 3 | 33 |
| 11 | Hoffenheim | 24 | -2 | 30 |
| 12 | Werder Bremen | 22 | -6 | 26 |
| 13 | Augsburg | 24 | -13 | 26 |
| 14 | Hertha Berlin | 24 | -15 | 21 |
| 15 | Cologne | 23 | -20 | 21 |
| 16 | Mainz | 24 | -21 | 18 |
| 17 | Arminia Bielefeld | 22 | -23 | 18 |
| 18 | Schalke 04 | 24 | -45 | 10 |
The League One leaders Peterborough are losing 2-0 to resurgent Burton, on a hell of a run under returning manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
It’s a final score as Leipzig win 3-0 at Freiburg and climb to the top of the Bundesliga table ahead of Bayern v Dortmund.
What a performance! Three more points! 🙌
— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN) March 6, 2021
🔴⚪ #RBLeipzig #SCFRBL pic.twitter.com/UrpqzC5Fzo
Updated
In the Bundesliga, RB Leipzig will be seizing first place ahead of Der Klassiker, as they are winning 3-0 at Freiburg. Leverkusen are beating Mönchengladbach to close in on a top-four place.
Drama at Swansea where Middlesbrough have a goal chalked off. Had that gone to VAR it would have stood. It’s Bolassie who has had this ruled out. Still 1-0 to Swansea.
Goal! Sheffield United 0-2 Southampton (Adams, 49)
What a goal from Adams! Armstrong chests the ball down and Adams wellies it in from the edge of the box. An absolute hammer of a finish. Blades were slack but that was a beautiful hit.
Updated
Goal! Rangers 3-0 St Mirren (Hagi, 46)
26 seconds after half-time, Kent picks out Hagi and he slots home. That means that Celtic can only now win the title on goal difference.
Updated
We are back underway in the second halves of the 3pm kick-offs.
League Two half-time scores
Barrow 0-0 Mansfield
Bradford 0-0 Bolton
Cambridge Utd 0-0 Walsall
Cheltenham 2-0 Port Vale
Colchester 0-1 Newport County
Exeter 4-0 Leyton Orient (result)
Grimsby 1-1 Forest Green
Morecambe 2-0 Carlisle
Oldham 0-0 Southend
Salford City 1-1 Scunthorpe
Stevenage 0-0 Harrogate Town
Tranmere 0-0 Crawley Town
League One half-time scores
Accrington Stanley 2-1 Swindon
Blackpool 0-0 AFC Wimbledon
Burton Albion v. Peterborough
Doncaster 0-0 Plymouth
Gillingham 3-1 Ipswich (result)
Hull 1-0 Bristol Rovers
Lincoln City 1-0 Crewe
Northampton 4-0 Portsmouth
Oxford Utd 0-0 Charlton
Shrewsbury 0-1 Fleetwood Town
Sunderland 2-0 Rochdale
Wigan 1-0 Milton Keynes Dons
Updated
Championship half-time scores.
Barnsley 0-0. Birmingham
Brentford v. Rotherham ( Postponed )
Bristol City 0-2 QPR
Coventry 1-0 Derby
Huddersfield 0-0 Cardiff ( Friday )
Millwall 0-1 Blackburn
Norwich 2-0 Luton
Preston North End 0-1 AFC Bournemouth
Reading 1-0 Sheff Wed
Stoke 0-0 Wycombe
Swansea 1-0 Middlesbrough
Watford 1-0 Nottm Forest (Result)
That’s half-time across the board with Rangers on course for glory and Saints on course to end that run of defeats.
Horror miss from David McGoldrick in the last knockings of the game at Bramall Lane. Slack Saints play let Brewster into possession and for some reason ‘Diddsy’ decided he was going to try and chip Fraser Forster, who is 6 foot 7, from 10 yards. It didn’t go well.
Big news from the eastern reaches of the Uefa confederation.
Tobol have beaten Astana to win the Kazakhstan Super Cup. The trophy has strong 'Most Improved Player of the Season' vibes about it pic.twitter.com/BdYQlran5O
— Will Unwin (@Will_Unwin) March 6, 2021
Norwich are now 2-0 up on Luton, with Pukki knocking home from a Buendia chip. The leaders are flying.
Rangers don’t look like letting St Mirren back into the game. The prog house that Steven Gerrard played in his car on his way through those massed Rangers fans seems to have inspired him and teams to one of the great days.
Rangers have suffocated teams all season but there looks to be even more emphasis on pressing the life out of St Mirren today.
— Jordan Campbell (@JordanC1107) March 6, 2021
The reaction to losing the ball has been instant by Rangers, squeezing the game as a unit.
Big goal in the Championship where fourth-placed Swansea have just scored against Middlesbrough through Andre Ayew.
Updated
Since that Ward-Prowse goal, Southampton have continued to dominate Sheffield United. They’ve recovered well from losing Danny Ings.
Bristol City, under Nige ‘Nigel’ Pearson, are not having much fun against QPR, and are 2-0 down with Nige having made all three subs already.
Sunderland’s revival in League One continues, with Charlie Wyke making it 2-0 against Rochdale. In the Championship, Bournemouth are 1-0 up at Preston after a goal from Danjuma. The Cherries on course for a third win in succession under Jonathan Woodgate.
Sheffield United 0-1 Southampton (Ward-Prowse, 32 pen)
The captain makes no mistake from the spot, sending Ramsdale the wrong way. Saints are on course for a first win in ten matches.
Updated
Penalty to Southampton!
Ampadu fouls Tella who had escaped and the Saints have a pen. There is a VAR delay but it looks plum. He got very little of the ball.
Updated
Bad news for Sheffield Wednesday - more bad news for Sheffield Wednesday - as Julian Borner is sent off at Reading for a last-man foul on Puskas. From the resultant penalty, Michael Olise scores and the Owls are on course to lose a sixth game in a row.
Updated
Nathan Tella gets excited for Southampton after a mix-up in the Blades defence. Enda Stevens shanks the ball but Tella blazes over. Quality gauge: not high.
>My eyes are aching #SHUSOU
— Rodney Marsh (@RodneyMarsh10) March 6, 2021
Updated
Here’s the half-time scores in the Bundesliga.
Mixed bag so far at the break 🔢#BLMatchday pic.twitter.com/gIfNTwwsPB
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) March 6, 2021
The game between Blades and Saints at Bramall Lane is yet to catch alight. It was Che Adams who replaced Danny Ings.
13: Forced into an early change. [0-0] pic.twitter.com/UMazb3i51c
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) March 6, 2021
Bradley Dack’s deflected goal has just put Blackburn 1-0 up at Millwall.
Goal! Rangers 2-0 St Mirren (Morelos, 16)
The striker’s 15th of the season, and this is not even dreamland. Rangers are all but in the promised land.
Updated
Goal! Rangers 1-0 St Mirren (Kent, 14)
A left-foot shot from Ryan Kent and Rangers and Stevie are in dreamland.
Updated
Norwich are 1-0 up on Luton with Teemu Pukki getting it. They have made the Championship into a procession.
Bad news for Southampton, as Danny Ings is down and looks to be feeling his groin. That’s more than bad news for Ralph Hasenhüttl, as the stretcher is out. Ings limps off instead but that looks to the end of Ings. Minamino is coming on instead.
On the early Championship game today.
Luton have gone close against the Championship leaders Norwich, with James Collins dragging the ball on to the post.
We are away in the 3pm kick-offs, with a final score from League One where Gillingham beat Ipswich 3-1 in Paul Cook’s first game in charge.
Here’s a video of Steven Gerrard arriving at Ibrox, and our news story.
Rangers fans as Steven Gerrard arriving at Ibrox today, what a reception the manager received! 👏 pic.twitter.com/1151gA3N6c
— The Away Fans (@theawayfans) March 6, 2021
Updated
It’s full-time in League Two, where Exeter have beaten Leyton Orient 4-1. That boosts Exeter’s play-off challenge and continues the lack of momentum at the O’s, who are stuck fast in mid-table.
Nick Ames saw a real game of pinball at Turf Moor.
Watford have just beaten Nottingham Forest 1-0 through a goal from Adam Masina.
That puts Watford in second place. With Brentford not playing, all eyes on Swansea’s game with Middlesbrough.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norwich | 34 | 23 | 73 |
| 2 | Watford | 35 | 22 | 66 |
| 3 | Brentford | 34 | 25 | 63 |
| 4 | Swansea | 32 | 18 | 62 |
| 5 | Reading | 34 | 9 | 57 |
Just about to kick off in the Bundesliga on a Saturday where the top six are all in action, with Der Klassiker between Bayern and Dortmund being played later. Here’s the 2.30pm matches.
Eintracht v Stuttgart
Freiburg v RB Leipzig
Hertha Berlin v Augsburg
Hoffenheim v Wolfsburg
Updated
No games in the sixth tie but perhaps there might be soon.
League Two fixtures
Barrow v. Mansfield
Bradford v. Bolton
Cambridge Utd v. Walsall
Cheltenham v. Port Vale
Colchester v. Newport County
Exeter 4-0 Leyton Orient (KO 1.00)
Grimsby v. Forest Green
Morecambe v. Carlisle
Oldham v. Southend
Salford City v. Scunthorpe
Stevenage v. Harrogate Town
Tranmere v. Crawley Town
League One fixtures
Accrington Stanley v. Swindon
Blackpool v. AFC Wimbledon
Burton Albion v. Peterborough
Doncaster v. Plymouth
Gillingham 1-0 Ipswich (latest)
Hull v. Bristol Rovers
Lincoln City v. Crewe
Northampton v. Portsmouth
Oxford Utd v. Charlton
Shrewsbury v. Fleetwood Town
Sunderland v. Rochdale
Wigan v. Milton Keynes Dons
Championship fixtures
Barnsley v. Birmingham
Brentford v. Rotherham ( postponed )
Bristol City v. QPR
Coventry v. Derby
Huddersfield 0-0 Cardiff ( Friday )
Millwall v. Blackburn
Norwich v. Luton
Preston North End v. AFC Bournemouth
Reading v. Sheff Wed
Stoke v. Wycombe
Swansea v. Middlesbrough
Watford 1-0 Nottm Forest (latest)
Rangers fans break coronavirus lockdown
Rangers fans have broken coronavirus lockdown rules in Scotland by gathering in numbers outside Ibrox Stadium setting off flares. Fans were seen crowding around a car entering the ground as police tried to hold them back.
Under coronavirus rules, public gatherings are banned and a maximum of two people from two households are allowed to meet outdoors. Football games are taking place behind closed doors with no fans in the stadium.
Rangers could win the league title this weekend if they beat St Mirren on Saturday and Celtic drop points against Dundee United on Sunday. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has previously criticised fans for gathering in large numbers.
Rangers v St Mirren teams
Rangers: McGregor, Patterson, Goldson, Helander, Barisic, Davis, Kamara, Aribo, Kent, Hagi, Morelos.
Subs: McLaughlin, Bassey, Simpson, Defoe, Itten, Wright, Stewart, Balogun, Arfield.
St Mirren: Alnwick, Tait, Shaughnessy, McCarthy, Doyle-Hayes, Dumus, McGrath, Connolly, Fraser, Erhahon, Quaner.
Subs: Lyness, Flynn, Reid, Macpherson, Henderson, McAllister, Jamieson, Erwin, Obika.
Sheffield United v Southampton teams:
Sheffield United: Ramsdale, Ampadu, Bryan, Stevens, Baldock, Lundstram, Norwood, Fleck, Bogle, McGoldrick, Brewster.
Subs: McBurnie, Sharp, Mousset, Lowe, Burke, Foderingham, Osborn,
Ndiaye, Maguire.
Southampton: Forster, Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Vestergaard, Bertrand, Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Diallo, Tella, Ings, Minamino.
Subs: McCarthy, Stephens, Adams, Redmond, Djenepo, Salisu, N’Lundulu, Jankewitz, Chauke.
Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire)
Preamble
Stevie G is closing in on glory, no longer just #goingfor55 but destined for it. Rangers need just four more points to claim the league title, and should they beat St Mirren’s Buddies at Ibrox today can clinch it at Celtic Park. How sweet that would be. Steven has been banned for Saturday’s game, having taken great exception to the refereeing at Livingston on Wednesday and been banished to the stands after two yellow cards.
The Premier League’s Saturday 3pm fixture sees a meeting of the bottom club in Sheffield United against the team in the worst form in the division, Southampton having collected one point from eight matches. Saints may be 16 points clear of Blades but they are just seven points ahead of the relegation zone, and it’s not difficult to see Blades winning their second game in a week.
In the Championship, runaway leaders Norwich face in-form Luton while Brentford, their chasers, who the Canaries beat in midweek, were supposed to take on Rotherham, only for a Covid outbreak to postpone the Millers’ next two games.
All that, plus the latest from the rest of the EFL and Europe. Join me.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rangers | 31 | 65 | 85 |
| 2 | Celtic | 31 | 42 | 67 |
| 3 | Hibernian | 30 | 13 | 52 |
| 4 | Aberdeen | 31 | 2 | 48 |
| 5 | Livingston | 30 | 0 | 40 |
Updated
