Rangers legend Jardine battles cancer

Rangers have announced that their long-serving former player Sandy Jardine is having treatment for cancer. Jardine, 63, made over 500 appearances for the club as a player between 1965 and 1982, before making more than 200 for Hearts, who he would later manage.

In a statement Rangers said: "The club will support Sandy and his family in any way it can throughout his treatment and we ask that the media respect his privacy. Sandy is a true Rangers legend in every sense of the word and has the admiration and respect of every one of his colleagues at Ibrox and Murray Park."

Jardine won the 1972 European Cup-Winners' Cup with Rangers and played 38 times for Scotland.

On the pitch, Rangers were emphatic 6-2 winners at East Stirling to stay two points clear at the top of the Scottish Third Division.

In the Scottish Premier, Lassad Nouioui and Charlie Mulgrew scored midway through the second half as Celtic warmed up for Tuesday's Champions' League game against Benfica by going top after a 2-0 victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

Celtic are second behind Barcelona in Group G and manager Neil Lennon said: "This game will be the toughest of our group, they will be very motivated to beat us. Benfica are very impressive at home and are going very well domestically."

Second-placed Hibernian were beaten 3-1 at bottom club Dundee, while Hearts moved up to seventh after a 1-0 win over St Mirren, Danny Grainger on target. St Johnstone and Ross County drew 1-1.