Sports

“League games more important than Cup Final” – Pat Fenlon before Dons clash

April 22, 2013 By Joe Birchenall Leave a Comment

Hibernian manager Pat Fenlon spoke to our sports reporter Joe Birchenall ahead of his sides fixture tonight at Easter Road. Fenlon’s charges face Aberdeen, a side who they have not beaten in the league since May last year. However, Hibs face the Dons on the back of a thrilling Scottish Cup semi-final win against Falkirk, which saw them claim a 4 – 3 victory despite finishing the first half three goals down. Fenlon, however, is keen to push on and to focus on remaining league games, saying he is disappointed to have finished outside of the top six.

Fenlon also discusses the breakthrough of youngsters Alex Harris and Danny Handling, his reaction to Neil Lennon’s SFA woes and the imminent departure of Hibs top scorer Leigh Griffiths.

Filed Under: Journalism and Literature, Sports Tagged With: aberdeen, Aberdeen FC, Danny, Easter Road, falkirk, Fenlon, Football, Griffiths, Handling, Hibernian FC, Hibs, Leith, Pat, Scotland, Scottish Cup, SFA, Soccer, SPL, Wolves

Daley Triumphs in Edinburgh

April 22, 2013 By Joseph Blythe Leave a Comment

Teenage diver Tom Daley left Edinburgh with a win after finishing first in the 10m platform final in the World Diving Series on Sunday.

The 18 year old Olympian, who took home a bronze medal at London 2012, came out on top of a four man field, producing a high-scoring final dive to seal his victory.

Daly admitted that the win will give him a boost after a post-Olympic slump. “It’s great for where I am right now in my training cycle and the whole four-year cycle,” he said. “To be scoring so high at this stage in the game isn’t quite surprising because I knew I could do it but it does come as quite a nice reward after all the work I’ve been putting in.“

“I haven’t necessarily been seeing the rewards in training recently so to come here and dive well gives you that extra boost”.

Daley was competing in only his second major event since the London Olympics last summer. After a sluggish start to the competition he was cheered to victory by the Edinburgh crowd, producing a great fightback to overtake his Russian rival Victor Minibaev with a final score of 542.15.

The World Diving Series took place at Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Pool this weekend. It was the first major event hosted at the pool since its recent refurbishment at the cost of £37m.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: commonwealth games 2014, diving, Edinburgh, Olympics, Tom Daley

Chris Hoy Retires From International Cycling

April 18, 2013 By Steven Robson Leave a Comment

By Steven Robson

Chris Hoy announces retirement in Edinburgh.

Britain’s most decorated Olympian has today announced his decision to retire from international cycling.

Sir Chris Hoy, 37, had a very successful 2012, after winning his fifth and sixth Olympic gold medals in the team sprint and keirin events. He also set the Olympic record in London for the 750 metres team sprint by managing a time of 42.600 seconds.

The Edinburgh-born athlete had hoped to compete for Scotland in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014, but said his fitness would not allow it.

Speaking to the country’s media at Murrayfield stadium, Hoy said: “Nothing would have given me more pleasure than to have been at Glasgow 2014, but I don’t want to make up the numbers.

“It’s a hard time – one moment at the end of your career when you have to say enough is enough.”

Hoy does not believe, however, that his decision will hinder Scotland’s medal chances in Glasgow: “It’s not as if it’s a one man band. I’ve had my time in the sun, it’s time to let other athletes have their share. It will be a successful Commonwealth Games.”

Speaking of what the future might hold, the six-time Olympic Champion said that he would become an advisor to both the Scottish cycling team and the Scottish Rugby Union, as well as charity work, but quashed speculation that he may take on a great outdoor cycle route: “I’m not going to be cycling around the world.”

Asked what he thought his greatest career moment had been, he said: “To stand on the podium in Athens and to hear your name followed by Olympic Champion – that is what it is all about. But to cap it all off with my sixth gold medal – that was a special day too.”

Hoy said he would still be based in Manchester but would not rule out moving back to Edinburgh at some stage; he added: “I am going to cycle for the rest of my life, and I look forward to getting others to do that too.”

Hoy’s wife Sarra summed up the mood: “It is very emotional, but it is good to come out in the open and announce it.”

Filed Under: Sports, Top Story Tagged With: 2012, april, chris, Commonwealth Games, cycling, Edinburgh, hoy, Olympics, Retirement

Spartans “disappointed” at league reconstruction

April 16, 2013 By tomwfreeman Leave a Comment

by Joseph Birchenall

Edinburgh community club The Spartans FC have expressed disappointment at the SPL’s failure to reach an agreement on leaugue reconstruction.

Depsite the fact that the club plays in the East of Scotland league, they have released the following statement:

“We are very disappointed to learn of the outcome of today’s SPL vote on league reconstruction. Like many involved in Scottish football, Spartans believe that something significant is needed if we are to safeguard and develop the game in this country. As an ambitious club we had, obviously, welcomed the idea of a pyramid structure and the prospect that our national leagues would become inclusive rather than exclusive. We had believed that other clubs felt the same and that this time action would accompany the rhetoric.

However, while this decision was disappointing, like all forward-thinking clubs, we will continue to look for opportunities to progress and strengthen the sport for all and endeavour to work with like-minded clubs to make it more equitable.”

We interviewed Spartans FC Chairman Craig Graham today:

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: Edinburgh, Football, League reconstruction, Spartans FC, SPL

D-Day for Dunfermline

March 25, 2013 By tomwfreeman Leave a Comment

by Tom Freeman

Dunfermline Athletic Football club could be plunged into administration tomorrow.

Today marks the deadline set by HMRC for the football club to pay a tax bill of £134,000. Yesterday the steering group set up to ensure short-term financial stability at the Pars admitted they had “run out of options.”

Club owner Gavin Masterton and the board met non-footballing staff this morning and will make a statement on the club’s future tomorrow.

On saturday goalkeeper Paul Gallacher told the club’s website:

“The Club is dying on its knees in front of me. It is disappointing to see and you just hope that somebody can come in with a package to get us out of this. It is really trying times. Hopefully over the weekend something can happen that can see us through to the end of the season.” It appears no potential saviour has come forward, and it is expected the club will release a statement later today.

Kevin McRoberts, of the Fife Free Press told us “The most likely outcome now is administration. I’m resigned to the fact that if I haven’t already seen their last game, then it’ll be Wednesday”

Our full interview with McRoberts here:

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: dunfermline afc, Fife Free Press

New Coaches – A Boost for Scottish Hockey

December 13, 2012 By edwardlane90 Leave a Comment

Scottish Hockey has made its first announcement as part of the Professional Coaching Programme this week. Three coaches have been selected to work on a full-time basis with National League clubs.

The Professional Coaching Programme aims to improve the quality of hockey players in Scotland.

This will lead to stronger National League competitions and result in Scotland becoming more competitive at international level.

After a successful application three candidates were chosen to begin the programme.

Chris Anderson will coach Grove Menzieshill’s men, Sandy Keith will be in charge of Granite City Wanderers’ women, and John McKnight will be coaching men at Clydesdale Hockey Club.

Director of Scottish Hockey, Lee Cousins, believes their appointment will be rewarding in the long term. He believes that this programme will not only benefit players already affiliated to local hockey clubs, but will also help university players dreaming of becoming professionals.

Shaun Miller, men’s hockey captain at Edinburgh Napier University, believes the developments in coaching and a switch in focus to encourage the younger generation are necessary for the development of Scottish hockey

He said: “I think at school level we are missing out on a lot of people, I know at my old school hockey wasn’t anything big.

“They are starting to do it more at primary level but previously if you were not at a private high school you miss out. You almost get forced into the rugby and football background.”

The Professional Coaching Programme was established with the help of Aberdeen Asset Management. Its contribution is the largest ever investment in the development and growth of hockey in Scotland.

These developments are the beginning of Sport Scotland’s “Coaching Scotland 2011-15” strategy. The funding will ensure coaches are financially supported, allowing them to dedicate themselves to the improvement of Scottish hockey.

This is the beginning of a long process for Scottish hockey and the results of the new effort will only become evident after several years.

Miller believes there are already causes for optimism.

He said: “Scottish hockey is catching up. I’ve noticed that Scottish players are getting more recognition at international level. It’s becoming a bigger sport especially after the Olympics.

“For a smaller country we are getting there slowly. We are beginning to be recognised again.”

Audio Interview:

shiv das interview with napeir shaun Miller hockey1st xi captain – shaun miller

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: coaching, hockey, Scotland, Sports

Scottish Rugby Hopes and Fears in Upcoming Lions Selection

December 13, 2012 By streeken 1 Comment

Scotland Internationals will be looking to impress in the upcoming Six Nations tournament in order to be considered for British and Irish Lions selection for the Tour of Australia in June 2013.

In the wake of the main coaching position appointments, which saw Warren Gatland given the reigns as Head Coach, speculation surrounding future selection ensues. Gatland was joined by Andy Farrell, Graham Rowntree and Rob Howley as his assistants.

Nostalgic reflection upon past Scottish influence on Lions tours always flags up the great tour to Australia in 1989, where unbelievably compared to the present day state of Scottish rugby; all key figures in the team were Scottish. Led by Captain Finlay Calder, Head Coach Ian McGeechan and top scorer Gavin Hastings, the Lions triumphed in a 2-1 series victory. In subsequent tours in 1993 and 1997, the structure was much the same with a very large Scottish influence.

In recent years, starting with the 2001 tour, the amount of Scottish players and coaches has rapidly fallen. An obvious reflection of how Scotland’s on pitch success has been scarce at best. Since 2001 Scotland has never had more than four players selected for the squad. In 2009, initially there was only two in the form of Euan Murray and Nathan Hines. The additional two players were only added because of injury to other players.

When considering the potential Scotland candidates for the latest tour, Scottish hopes are slim at best. Many analysts and pundits, such as Jeremy Guscott ,only put second row Ritchie Gray as a Scot who should be selected. Anybody else has an outside chance at best.

Lions hopeful Ritchie Gray in Action. © AOL/SRU

However, SRU is optimistic:

“Scottish players who should be in contention for the Lions are winger Tim Visser, Lock Ritchie Gray and former Lion Euan Murray”. He went on to mention that players with an outside chance are Davie Denton, Mike Blair and Ryan Grant.

Regardless of the selection that does take place after the Six Nations in May, Scotland will undoubtedly continue to be the Home Nation with the lowest number of Lion selections. A painful truth for Scotland rugby fans which has been endured since 1997.

After dismal results and performances in the Autumn tests, the future looks bleak for the kind of impact Scottish players can be expected to make on the Lion’s squad. However, Warren Gatland comments that: “his coaching staff have planned selection meetings for pre, mid and post Six Nations.”

This emphasises the importance for Scottish hopefuls to impress during the Six Nations in order to get selectors interested and boost the morale of Scottish fans everywhere.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: British and Irish Lions, Ritchie Gray, Rugby Tour, Scotland Rugby, Six Nations, SRU, Warren Gatland

Champs Or Chumps? – BBC Sports Personality Of The Year 2012

December 13, 2012 By tedthehack Leave a Comment

Sports Personality Trophy.

The 59^th edition of the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year Award is almost upon us.

On 16th December we will find out who has won the annual prize that is never far from controversy.

There is no doubt that 2012 has been a special year for British sport, but only one person can be chosen as the winner.

Provided the BBC don’t bottle it, ignore the panel and give the prize to ‘Team GB’ due to the mere fact that we hosted the Olympic Games, this should be a very close contest thanks to the number of incredible achievements from British sportsmen and women this year.

Unsurprisingly the list is overwhelmingly Olympic- and Paralympic-centric – just one of the twelve nominees, Rory McIlroy, did not win a medal at London 2012.

Primarily because he couldn’t.

We asked Edinburgh residents who they would vote for and here are the top three:

1. Andy Murray

2. Bradley Wiggins

3. Jessica Ennis

Having voted for their ‘champs’ of 2012, we also polled people about who their ‘chumps’ of the year would be – we offered a list of sporting pariahs from the last twelve months and here’s what the capital’s citizens told us:

1. John Terry

2. Lance Armstrong

3. Hulk Hogan

Who would feature on your alternative shortlist? Was your favourite Olympic or Paralympic athlete absent?

Get in touch via our Facebook or Twitter page and let us know who would get your vote.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: 2012, BBC, Hulk Hogan, Olympics, sport, Sports Personality Of The Year, SPOTY

Olympic Athlete Unable to Train in Edinburgh

December 13, 2012 By streeken Leave a Comment

Napier Graduate Lynsey Sharp was turned away from Meadowbank Stadium this week as result of poor ground management.

The Olympic athlete who performed well in the Olympics over the summer, progressing to the semi-final of the 800m, has complained about the lack of professional facilities in Edinburgh.

Sharp said: “The sports facilities in Edinburgh are not up to scratch. Essentially, the track was closed and I couldn’t do my session because the groundsman was on holiday this week”.

Due to the adverse weather conditions this week the Meadowbank track was frozen. However there is equipment available to de-ice tracks. If the facility had better ground management processes in place, Sharp could have trained despite the frosty conditions.

In June of this year Sharp, who graduated with a 2:1 in Law, was a model student and athlete who successfully managed to balance her intensive study and training.

Sharp Gets Set at Graduation Picture © Edinburgh Evening News.

The Napier Union president Tom Zanelli commented on the matter:

“Well to be honest I think it’s pretty disgraceful that the weather should have any effect on training facilities at that level”.

Sharp is one of the best athletes in Scotland, if not the UK, who needs to train daily. It is extremely important for athletes to follow a specific training programme routinely, therefore for one days training to be completely ruined it can severely affect development.

In further reflection on the incident Zanelli claimed:

“It’s something that needs to be addressed before younger, talented Scottish sportspeople move away down South due to poor facilities”.

In Edinburgh and indeed Scotland this kind of occurrence is not an isolated incident. There is the common opinion amongst elite athletes that Edinburgh Council and the Government withhold funding for sport. As a result, facilities such as Meadowbank are under staffed and outdated.

However government officials claim that a huge amount of funding has been injected into Glasgow in the build-up to the 2014 commonwealth games. Therefore as an unfortunate side effect of this it is apparent that facilities in Edinburgh are falling behind.

The newly elected Edinburgh Napier University Sports president Dan Parker took a more measured approach to problems with sporting venues in the city:

“Scottish weather has a negative effect on our teams and athletes. It hampers training and competition, from October onwards venues become flooded and frozen on nearly a weekly basis”.

What is worrying about this incident and the overall issue with sport in the capital city is that our home grown talent are constantly faced with barriers whether it be our local sporting facilities struggling to cope with the adverse weather, 0r simply a lack of funding made available to elite or amateur sportsmen and women.

Sharp admitted that when she has been unable to access the appropriate training places in the past due to poor weather conditions, she has been forced to train in a walkway which used to be an old railway. A rubbish strewn and dimly lit tunnel is hardly the kind of place an Olympic athlete should be training.

One of Edinburgh Napier’s strength and conditioning coaches, and past football professional, Alex Rawcliffe described the revelation as, “pathetic”.

He went on to say, “More of an effort should be made to implement preventative methods of reducing the effects of snow, ice, rain. It would be great if Scottish sport had access to more funding however most sports persons know that if they want quality services and facilities, they have to travel great distances to get them”.

If the Scottish government has a lack of available funding for the capital’s sporting centres then it is imperative that the organisation and structure of what is available is improved immediately.

Sharp, in one of her latest Twitter posts said “It would appear that, overnight, the groundsman is back from his holiday and they have acquired equipment to de-ice the track”.

The personnel in charge of procedures must be more urgent with their response to adverse weather conditions, otherwise our best athletes will continue to be at a disadvantage.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: Alex Rawcliffe, athletics, Dan Parker, Edinburgh Napier University, Lynsey Sharp, Napier Union, Olympics, severe weather, Tom Zanelli

Edinburgh Looking for Revenge in Heineken Cup

December 13, 2012 By edwardlane90 Leave a Comment

French side Racing Metro visit Murrayfield tomorrow night as Edinburgh look to avenge last week’s defeat in the Heineken Cup.

Edinburgh have made eight changes to the side that lost in France.

Scottish centre Ben Cairns returns after long-term injury. As Edinburgh’s all-time top try scorer in the competition, he is a welcome addition to a team struggling for points.

Cairns is joined in the back line by New Zealand centre Ben Atiga, whilst Piers Francis and Chris Leck form a new half-back combination. Lee Jones and Dougie Fife have been brought in to replace injured wingers Tom Brown and Tim Visser.

Robert McAlpine replaces Sean Cox in the pack, joining forces with his former Scotland age-grade colleague, Grant Gilchrist, in the second-row.

Edinburgh coach Michael Bradley could not explain how his side lost 19-9 at Racing Metro last week, slumping to their third defeat in the competition.

Following last season’s surprise surge into semi-finals, Edinburgh have failed to win qualification from the group stages.

Tomorrow’s game offers the team an opportunity for an improved performance ahead of their Pro12 double header against Glasgow Warriors.

We spoke to Scotland Centre Matt Scott and Edinburgh Second Row Robert McAlpine ahead of the clash.

Matt Scott © Edinburgh Rugby 2012

Rob McAlpine © Edinburgh Rugby 2012

What was the feeling amongst the squad after last Saturday’s defeat to Racing Metro?

Matt Scott – It was a feeling of great disappointment and frustration as we felt we played good enough rugby to win the game. Rugby games at this level are won by small margins, and unfortunately we didn’t get the majority of these small margins right.

Rob McAlpine – Everyone was pretty gutted after the defeat in Paris, the game was for the taking. We provided enough scoring opportunities to win the game, but didn’t manage to convert those opportunities into points. It was disappointing.

Is the pressure now off for tomorrow’s game with qualification looking unlikely, or are players still feeling the stress of the situation?

MS – I don’t think the pressure is ever really off when playing professional rugby. There has been quite a few changes for this game, and the new players that have come in will be looking to stamp down a marker for selection in the upcoming games.

RM – No, there is no pressure off at all. We are desperate to put in a performance against Racing Metro at home, and we owe it to our fans and supporters to get a result. Having the home advantage is a great help and we should hopefully get a result.

What has training been like this week, have you been working on anything in particular?

MS – Training has been tough as everyone is keen to get a win on the board in the Heineken cup. We have targeted a few areas that Racing are weak in, so the boys will be looking to exploit those.

RM – Training has been really good this week, especially with players stepping in and playing that have been out injured. Netani Talei (Fiji), Ben Atiga (All Blacks), Ben Cairns (Scotland), and Dimitri Basilaia (Georgia) all step in after time out injured.

What have the coaches been saying ahead of tomorrow’s game?

MS – They have been willing us to get a win in front of our own fans, particularly to gain some momentum going into the two Glasgow games, which are going to be really important in our season.

RM – .. Can’t answer too much about strategy..

Personally what do you think can be done tomorrow to get a result?

MS – I think if we get our set piece delivery better and hold on to the ball we will cause them all sorts of problems. They are a huge side and don’t like being moved around. Murrayfield is a particularly large pitch, so I’m sure you will see us using that on Friday.

RM – Racing Metro have a big forward pack and being able to move the point of contact and play a quick game we should expose weaknesses and create opportunities to score.

Finally, if you get a result tomorrow what kind of confidence would that give the team going forward?

MS – It would be great for momentum to get a win, especially against a team of racing’s calibre.

RM - The win would give us massive confidence going into the 1872 cup (Glasgow Edinburgh back to back matches) and will hopefully allow us to pick up where we left off in the Rabo Pro 12. Two wins from two against Glasgow would put us right back up in the mix in the table.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Rugby, France, heineken cup, Murrayfield, Racing Metro, rugby, Rugby Union, Scottish Rugby

SCOTLAND’S MEN EXIT EUROPEAN CURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

December 13, 2012 By tedthehack Leave a Comment

Tom Brewster at the European Curling Championships.

Tom Brewster © WCF Richard Gray 2012

Scotland’s teams have been enjoying mixed fortunes at the Le Gruyère European Curling Championships in Karlstad, Sweden.

The men’s team, skipped by Aberdeen’s Tom Brewster (above), struggled in their first European outing and were eliminated yesterday in the final day of group-stage play.

Despite winning their final game 8-5 against Hungary, the Scottish men were left with an overall record of four wins and five losses – they had to settle for a seventh place finish in a group of ten teams.

While this ensures qualification for this season’s World Championship in Canada, it was well below the high expectations of the team back home – Brewster and his rink were 2011 and 2012 Scottish champions and they have two World silver medals to their name.

For the 2012/13 season, Team Brewster have welcomed David Murdoch to their ranks –a move that has not gone down well with many curling fans.

The results from Karlstad furthered this criticism but Tom Brewster was defensive of Olympian and two-time world champion Murdoch: “We’ve not had a great season for various reasons. A lot of people are going to say it’s because we brought Dave into the team, but that’s got absolutely nothing to do with it.

“We’re just not making enough shots and that’s all. We’ve changed techniques, we’ve changed our style of play, and we’ve altered quite a few things. We’re still getting to grips with that and hopefully, come the Scottish Championships in February, we’ll be making more of the right shots. We have changed a lot and that takes time”

Brewster was realistic about his team’s performance over the week and reflected on how personally disappointing the event had been: “Qualification? That’s great. But ultimately we didn’t come here just to do that, we came here to win medals and we’re disappointed we’re not in the play-offs. At the end of the day we’re in this game to win medals, not just qualify. This is the first international competition I’ve been at and never medalled, so I feel not all that good about it”.

Scotland’s women, meanwhile, have had a great deal more success so far than their male counterparts.

Scotland Women © WCF Richard Gray 2012

Eve Muirhead’s team (above) won gold at the Europeans in Moscow in 2011 and, as defending champions, they have looked hungry for a repeat performance.

Having beaten Russia this morning, Scotland conclude their group-stage campaign with seven wins and just two losses. This has earned them a play-off berth against home crowd favourites Sweden tomorrow afternoon – comfortable qualification for the World Championship in Latvia was secured several games earlier.

After this morning’s game, Muirhead said: “We came out sharp. We got the hammer and we took our two in the first end. Their three came out of nowhere – she played two perfect shots and got three on the measure. But we didn’t let that faze us, it wasn’t the end of the game so we got our two back and forced when we had to force, and got the ideal situation at the end”.

“We controlled it. I think even just our body language showed that we wanted it more. All in all, a solid performance by all of us. Our goal was to get into the 1-2 game, which we’ve done. The girls are playing great and leaving me simple shots, which I like”.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: Curling, European Championships, Eve Muirhead, Scotland, Tom Brewster

“Staying up in the premier league is not as easy as people think”

March 30, 2012 By Kate Risbey Thomson 1 Comment

Dunfermline face Dundee United tomorrow. Propping up the premiere league, every game counts. Jim Leishman, ex-player and director of football at Dunfermline, talks relegation, Rangers and a rough year.

“With football you’ve got to get results. We’re bottom of the league. A lot of times its not just the manager’s fault. It would be totally unfair to say were bottom of the league because Jim MacIntyre’s not a good manager. Just eight months before, he won the first division championship and it was great. I was part of the celebrations, I saw the delight in the families, I saw the delight of the players.

“Loads of things determine what league position you are. If you’ve got 3 million pounds to spend on players and you’re still at the bottom of the league you can get judged, it’s your fault.

“In Jim MacIntyre’s case he had loads of injuries. He brought players in and some of the top players were getting injured within two games. Now that is just real hard luck. But the public judge on league positions, and results and unfortunately Jim paid the price for that.”

Is there still time for Jim Jefferies to save Dunfermline from relegation?

“When I took over we had three games to go and we were bottom and we managed to stay up. Jim’s got seven chances to keep us up. So we’ve just got to start winning and believing this week.

“Hopefully he’s better than me. That’s the objective; try to give the players a lift, a new voice a new idea. Hopefully it works in a positive way.”

“Would you have liked to be the manager?”

“No, dinnae! I’ve worn that t-shirt, been there, seen it, done it, and you know – no.”

Because the blame’s laid at the manager’s door?

“I get the blame for everything anyway. It doesn’t bother me now! No, it does. It upsets you. No, I’ve been a manager since twenty-nine, I’ve done loads of things. So I’m content with what I’ve done. I’m fine with the director role. Would I like to be in charge of real Madrid?” a dubious pause and Jim starts laughing. “No as big as the pars. I’m with the big team.”

Has Rangers paid off its full debt to Dunfermline?

“We’re due 83 thousand pounds, and we’ve received 40 thousand pounds. The other moneys on its way in April sometime. The (Pars) players have been paid their basic salary. There’s still due some money for bonus and appearance money which were hoping to get that paid as soon as we can.”

Does he think the future of Scottish football is in trouble?

“It’s been a strange year, talking about league reconstruction, going down to ten, going up to sixteen, staying at twelve. I think that started to become a negative, chatting about that all the time. I don’t think that helps.

“When you do your budgets at the start, you estimate how many supporters are gonna come through the gate. For different reasons this year, we haven’t achieved those figures.

Our first game we expected seven or eight thousand people. Then they changed it from the Saturday to the Monday evening. And we get five and a half. Then Hibbs, estimated 6000, but averaged 4100. So that was harsh. We lost that revenue, we had a postponed game, storm damage and them the Rangers thing hit. So these are things that you don’t plan for.”

Was scoring the last winning goal at Ibrox one of your career highlights?

“That was great. That was forty years ago, April 72, thats the last time they won at Ibrox.”

“But it does mean that if Dunfermline win now against Rangers, your record is broken.”

“They better not! No, of course you want them to win, but, I just milk it, I’ve had some good fun with it. Everybody expects me to say that now, but it was a great achievement. I was only young at the time, eh? We won four-three, I scored the first goal it was great,. Loads of things. I was a Dunfermline supporter, and signing for the club was an amazing feature. Promotion as a player. Promotion as a manager. Nowadays, staying up in the premiere league is a major feature. Its not as easy as people think.”

Filed Under: Features, Sports Tagged With: Dunfermline, Football, Jim Leishman

Lennon’s nail bombers convicted

March 30, 2012 By Kate Risbey Thomson Leave a Comment

Trevor Muirhead, 44, and Neil McKenzie, 42, have been convicted of plotting a nail bomb attack against Celtic manager Neil Lennon after a five week trial at Glasgow High Court.

The men were found guilty of conspiring to send the package. The pieces of mail they sent last year were designed to injure but actually the devices could not explode. McKenzie got “bomb making” tips from US television show The A-Team.

A bank of evidence was mounted against the two, including recordings from a police bug in McKenzie’s car which taped him boasting about “building a bomb”.

There is also CCTV footage of the unemployed builder buying parts including nails for the packages from local shops.

They had previously faced an allegation of conspiracy to murder before it was dropped.

Filed Under: Courts and Crime, News in Brief, Sports Tagged With: Celtic, conviction, nail bomb, Neil Lennon, Neil Lennon trial

Rangers receive £25m bid from US Company

March 30, 2012 By maxim85 Leave a Comment

Glasgow Rangers have more than 140 years of history, but the past few months may have been the most tumultuous, with the SPL title-defenders staring into the abyss of administration and the imminent uncertainty over possible takeovers.

A £25m bid from a Chicago-based company, if accepted, could see Rangers go into liquidation – an option fans do not support.

Club 9 Sports would want to form a new club, to avoid paying the club’s debts. Such action would lead Rangers to have at three-year ban from all European competitions. In the even more drastic scenario, liquidation could force Rangers back to the start, requiring them to apply to join the Division Three.

The only offer seeing Rangers go into administration came from former Ibrox director Paul Murray. Letting Rangers pay off their debts through the Company Voluntarily Arrangements (CVA).

The American bid is more than double Brian Kennedy’s offer, which was rejected yesterday. The American firm is now the frontrunner for taking over the club.

Filed Under: News in Brief, Sports Tagged With: Brian Kennedy, Club 9 Sports, Glasgow, liquidation, rangers

The Weekend in Sports

March 30, 2012 By maxim85 Leave a Comment

By: Maxim Lewerenz

Photo taken by George Groutas

Football:

Celtic are still on track on winning their first SPL title in four years and doing so possibly by a record margin. The ten point deduction of archrivals Rangers means Celtic can reclaim the points lost at last weekend’s Old Firm match by beating St. Johnstone on Sunday, with second and third placed Rangers and Motherwell taking each others points.

In the Barclay’s Premier League Manchester City will face Sunderland at home without star striker Sergio Aguero. A win would mean the Citizens would overtake Manchester United by their superior goal difference. At least until Monday, when United will travel to Blackburn.

QPR will host the rejuvenated Arsenal at a London derby on Saturday.

On Sunday traditional sides Newcastle and Liverpool will battle for a place in Europe.

Tennis:

Today at 3pm Andy Murray will face Rafael Nadal at the Semi-Finals of the Miami Open. World number one Novak Djokovic will meet 21th ranked Juan Monaco later on at 7pm for a place in the final on Sunday.

Golf:

At the Shell Houston Open the World’s Number 10 Carl Petersson and Argentinian Angel Cabrera are currently tying at the top of the field. Ernie Else, who needs to win the Open to gain a place in the Masters, is one under after two.

Rugby:

Edinburgh Rugby take on Scarlets tonight in the RaboPro Direct league at Murrayfield. They will be hoping to end their losing streak when the match kicks off at 7.35pm. Glasgow Warriors meanwhile have had a fairly successful season and will be aiming to continue their good run of results when they play Cardiff Blues tonight. Kick off is 7.35pm at Firhill.

For more on Edinburgh Rugby’s misfortunes and the return of their international players, click here.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: Andy Murray, Celtic, Edinburgh Rugby, Football, golf, Manchester United, Maxim Lewerenz, premier league, rangers, rugby, SPL, Tennis

Edinburgh team look ahead to crucial matches

March 30, 2012 By AnnaRedman Leave a Comment

Murrayfield Stadium

By: Pamela Paterson

Edinburgh Rugby Team hope to reverse their poor run of results as they take on Welsh side Scarlets tonight. Nine international players have returned to the squad after taking part in Scotland’s winless Six Nations campaign, while several players have had their contracts extended for another two seasons.

Coach Michael Bradley stated, “We would love to win the match on Friday night because I think we need it for our sanity at this stage.”

Ross Rennie, who this week announced a contract extension, said, “Everyone is desperate for a win.”

Speaking about the team’s recent poor results, Bradley said, “We’ve had a bad run in the Pro12. We do need to stop the run we’re on and it’s a good opportunity for us to do that at home. That is our priority.”

If the team win their remaining matches they can finish ninth in the league. For the players, it is now time to look ahead to building up momentum for next season. Centre Nick De Luca, who also extended his contract with Edinburgh Rugby this week, said, “Even if we win all our games we’re still not getting a good finish, let’s be honest. It’s more important for going forward into the next season.”

Bradley was also keen to stress the importance of the return of the international players, who started training earlier this week, saying, “They are a big part of Edinburgh Rugby. It’s been great to have them back.”

Rennie believes that their return has bolstered the team prior to both their coming matches. He said, “I think we’ve obviously had a tough time in the league as we did in the Six Nations. I think us coming back together has brought a new bit of life to the people who were here and a bit of life to the guys who were away. I think everyone is just looking forward to building towards something really special.”

Head coach Michael Bradley believes that Scarlets will bring a strong side, as along with Edinburgh, they will be selecting “with a view to fine tuning for the following week,” when both sides are taking part in separate Heineken Cup quarter finals. Speaking about the clash against Toulouse, he said, “It is a one-off event, a separate entity.”

Dumfries-born De Luca believes that the performance of the team in the Scarlets match is key to preparing for next week’s game. He said, “We need a huge performance this weekend to get things very right, or close to perfect.”

De Luca also spoke about the Scotland team’s fortunes in the Six Nations, including the yellow cards he received in both the Wales and Italy matches. He said, “I felt myself that I was under a lot of pressure, I just have to look at my own discipline and why I’m putting myself in those situations. The one in Wales I panicked and just had a moment of madness.”

Along with De Luca and Rennie, Irish coach Michael Bradley has re-signed the services of 17 other players for the following two seasons, as well as gaining new players, WP Nel, Greig Tonks and Ulises Gamboa. There are several other new signings which have yet to be announced.

These new unknown signings were a major factor for both De Luca and Rennie when they decided to extend their contracts. De Luca said that while he looked elsewhere he knew that remaining in Edinburgh was the decision he wanted. Rennie, meanwhile, was keen to stay at the club where he began his professional rugby career. He said, “I’m very happy to be offered something here and very happy to stay. I think with the new signings coming in a lot is going to change. I think it’s going to be an ambitious club next year.”

Edinburgh Rugby Team to play Scarlets at Murrayfield Stadium 30 March (KO 7.35pm):

Tom Brown, Lee Jones, Nick De Luca, Matt Scott, Tim Visser, Greig Laidlaw (c), Mike Blair, Allan Jacobsen, Ross Ford, Geoff Cross, Grant Gilchrist, Sean Cox, David Denton, Ross Rennie, Stuart McInally.

Replacements: Andrew Kelly, Kyle Traynor, Jack Gilding, Esteban Lozada, Roddy Grant, Chris Leck, Phil Godman, Jim Thompson.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: Edinburgh Rugby, heineken cup, Michael Bradley, Murrayfield, Rabopro12, Toulouse

SPL rebels aim for ‘Arab Spring’

March 26, 2012 By markmckinlay 1 Comment

Pressure has continued to mount on the Old Firm to accept new voting rules in the Scottish Premier League.

Yesterday Kilmarnock Chairman, Michael Johnston, compared the struggle of the 10 “rebel” clubs to that of the Arab Spring, “Hopefully we can be as successful as some of the pro-democracy movements elsewhere.”

The 10 clubs, which include Heart’s and Hibs, aim to end the 11-1 majority required for significant league changes and end the Glasgow duopoly on power. However Celtic chairman, Peter Lawell, has criticised their motives and claimed they are acting disrespectfully by excluding the Old Firm.

However Johnston rejects these claims saying, “Principally, this is about a measure of democracy that’s been lacking in the SPL in its decision-making processes.

“So this is the pro-democracy movement. It’s not a gang of 10 or anything subversive. It’s all up front and it’s perfectly open what we’ve been talking about, so there’s nothing hidden or disrespectful about it.”

It is believed the non-Old Firm clubs view a change in the voting system as the first step towards a fairer distribution of TV revenue and possible league expansion.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: Celtic, Hearts, Hibs, Kilmarnock, Mark McKinlay, Michael Johnston, Old Firm, SPL

Radio: Sport roundup, March 26th

March 26, 2012 By abrunelli Leave a Comment

John O'Groats

Mark and Alessandro look back at a weekend of Sports, with an Old Firm match packed with the usual tension and controversy, Fernando Alonso winning the Malaysian GP and the death of darts hero Jocky Wilson.

We also had a look at the strange case of John O’Groats, a Scots town which won’t see the “real” Olympic Torch.

Filed Under: Main Headline, Podcast, Sports, Uncategorized Tagged With: Alessandro Brunelli, Football, Mark McKinlay, Old Firm, sports roundup

Decision on Rangers’ season ticket declined by judge.

March 23, 2012 By Duncan Leave a Comment

A judge at the Court of Session in Edinburgh has declined to reach a decision this afternoon on whether a deal should be broken between Rangers and the firm Ticketus.

Image: Christopher Harress

Rangers owner Craig Whyte made the deal to sell £24.4m worth of season tickets to the ticket firm after he bought the debt-ridden club last May.

His plan was to use the revenue from advance ticket sales to pay off an estimated £18m of the club’s debt.

However, administrators Duff and Phelps tried to breach the deal in a five-day hearing this week, arguing that it puts in jeopardy other potential bids for the club.

QC David Sellar, acting for the administrators, has claimed that two of the four potential buyers have said that they will not make a bid while the deal remains in place. Lord Hodge said today at the Court of Session that he did not have sufficient information about the bids to make this ruling.

The claims were been dismissed as speculative by Ticketus’ legal representatives.

Filed Under: Headlines, News in Brief, Sports Tagged With: rangers ticketus tickets administration whyte craig

Round up of weekend sports fixtures

March 23, 2012 By Pamela Paterson Leave a Comment

After the drama of last weekend’s Six Nations’ climax, the next two days promise a much quieter weekend of sport.

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Football

In the SPL, Hibernian take on Dundee United on Saturday, while Perth side St. Johnstone face Hearts. Other matches include Aberdeen v Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Dunfermline v St Mirren and Kilmarnock v Motherwell. The kick off for all matches is 3pm.

On Sunday, there is an Old Firm clash as Rangers play Celtic at Ibrox. Kick off is at 1pm.

Rugby

In the RaboDirectPro12 rugby league, Edinburgh take on Welsh side Newport Gwent Dragons tonight at 7.30pm at Murrayfield Stadium. The Scottish team will be hoping to get over their recent run of losses.

Glasgow Warriors also take on Aironi at Firhill at 7.35pm tonight.

Motor sport

On Sunday, the Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix takes place in Kuala Lumpur. Scot Paul di Resta will be aiming for another top ten finish after his tenth place at last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.

Tennis

Andy Murray will face Colombian Alejandro Falla later on today in the Miami Masters. For more on this, click here.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: Edinburgh, Football, Formula 1, Glasgow Warriors, Hearts, Hibs, Rugby Union, SPL, Tennis

Murray to take on Falla in Miami

March 23, 2012 By AnnaRedman 1 Comment

By: Pamela Paterson

British Number One Andy Murray will be hoping to forget his early exit from the Indian Wells Masters when he takes on world number 71 Alejandro Falla in the second round of the Miami Masters later on today.

Murray lost to Guillermo Garcia Lopez in the first round of the championship in California earlier this month and will be aiming to avoid making the same mistakes when he takes on Falla.

Murray has won 14 of his 17 matches this year. He has beaten the 28-year-old Colombian during both of their previous matches.

Murray is aiming for his 23rd career title, and with his new coach Ivan Lendl, hopes to achieve his first grand slam win this year. He is currently ranked fourth in the world, behind Djokovic, Nadal and Federer.

Earlier this week Murray called for tennis players and other athletes to be given regular heart tests, after footballer Fabrice Muamba’s suffered a cardiac arrest on Saturday. The Bolton player collapsed during his team’s match against Tottenham in the FA Cup quarter-final, but is now showing signs of recovery.Murray believes that players in every sport should have screenings in order to be able to compete.

He told MSN Sport, “This has happened too many times. Here in the States it’s happened in high school and college basketball games and, of course, it’s happened a few times in football. With all the pressure and stress of modern sport you have no idea how much you are pushing yourself on the pitch or court, I think it’s something that’s just got to be done.”

The Scot added that he has been having regular heart checks for years. “I’ve been doing my tests for three years now so I have heart scans, heart monitors and other tests,’ Murray said. “I started when these things seemed to be happening more often. It’s clear to me that all the teams should be checked. I’m not sure if they do, but I know in tennis we don’t.”

Murray also showed another side to his character while taking part in the latest advert for tennis racket company, Head. In it, he demonstrates his skills at several other jobs, when asked at a press conference what his profession would be if he wasn’t a tennis player.

Filed Under: Health, Sports Tagged With: Alejandro Falla, Andy Murray, FA Cup, Heart Scan, Tennis

Valiant Scotland bows out

March 23, 2012 By AnnaRedman Leave a Comment

By: Al Muthu

The Netherlands survived a minor scare to kill Scotland’s hopes of appearing in the 2012 Cricket World Twenty-20 championships.

Tom Cooper carried the Dutch to a vital three-wicket victory over Scotland at yesterday’s Twenty-20 qualifiers match. Abused by a smattering of injuries within the team, the Scots leaked 50 runs in the last 5 overs allowing a competitive target of 167 to be overhauled with relative ease.
Once again, Majid Haq made Scotland proud. In addition to being extremely miserly, the crafty off spinner accounted for three of the opposition’s top batsman, one of which almost swung the game Scotland’s way. He is currently the highest wicket taker for the entire tournament.
But Haq was forced to lead a lone battle as Australia-born Tom Cooper exploited Captain Kyle Coetzer’s lack of bowling resources. His belligerent 60 off a mere 32 balls included a hat-trick of sixes against second spinner Moneeb Iqbal.
Gordon Drummond, returning for this game after a side strain, teamed up with Majid Haq to cause a small stir. The duo removed three Dutch batsmen including Tom Cooper, in the space of three overs.
In a brave move, the skipper took the responsibility to capitalize on his men’s efforts, but 20 year-old Tim Gruijters smashed him for a massive six over midwicket to throw momentum back in favor of the Dutch.
In a final display of game-losing misfortune, Tom de Grooth miscued a slow bouncer, which flew over the keeper, Craigh Wallace’s head, and became the winning runs. This signalled the end of the Scottish campaign to qualify for the Cricket World T20 Championships later this year.
Scotland’s batsmen have had an impressive tournament. Openers Calum MacLeod and Richard Berrington consolidated with a blistering partnership amassing 59 runs in just 6 overs. Berrington contributed 37 off 25 balls whilst MacLeod became the tournament’s second highest run scorer in the process of notching up his second half century (57 off 42 balls, with two sixes and five fours). MacLeod also holds the record for the second highest score in an innings for his undefeated 104 against Oman.
Preston Mommsen compiled a handy 26 off 19 and Jan Stander (17 off 15) guided the tail end of the Scottish innings to reach 166/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
The Scots sorely missed Safyaan Sharif, their 20-year old hero, whose final against the Americans secured Scotland entry into the playoffs. Matthew Parker and Moneeb Iqbal, were forced to fend for themselves on the big stage and were found wanting. The Netherlands, as a team, shamed England at Lords in the 2009 Twenty-20 Championships and Pakistan in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Scotland faces Canada today to battle for fifth place in the tournament.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: cricket, England, Lord's cricket ground, Netherlands, Scotland, Sports, Twenty-20 championships, Wales

UK sports round-up

March 19, 2012 By markmckinlay Leave a Comment

Top Story: Muamba remains in ‘dangerous condition’

Other sport news from around the UK:

- Hearts maintained their excellent Edinburgh Derby record with a 2-0 victory at Tynecastle yesterday. Goals from Craig Beattie and Suso Santana proved enough to defeat a lackluster Hibs and extend their unbeaten run in the fixture to 10 games.

- Kilmarnock won the Scottish League Cup for the first time after an 84^th minute Dieter van Tornhout edged out Celtic. The Glasgow club’s hope of winning the treble are now over with Neil Lennon left fuming by his side’s missed chances.

- Manchester United moved 4 points clear at the top of the Premiership following their 5-0 thrashing of Wolves. The result also consigned Wolves to the bottom of the table, with them only having won only 1 game in 14.

- The SRU have backed Andy Robinson after defeat by Italy in the Six Nations left Scotland without a win in the tournament. However the coach has admitted that he is at the “lowest ebb” of his tenure leading to speculation he may fail to see out his 2015 contract.

- Jenson Button clinched victory at the opening Formula 1 Grand Prix after an impressive performance in Australia. Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel finished second whilst Lewis Hamilton clinched third following a poor start. Scot Paul di Resta finished just inside the points in 10^th.

Rugby legend donates brain to science

March 19, 2012 By pswift1 Leave a Comment

Scottish rugby star John Beattie has announced he intends to donate his brain to science after he dies. The revelation follows a recent study which suggests that rugby players are at risk of similar long term brain injuries to those sustained by boxers. His brain will be used in a neuroscience study to determine the effect of regular head impacts on the condition of the brain. Over the next few months he will undergo a series of tests and scans which will be followed by an autopsy when he dies. This should give an accurate indication of the level of damage which has been incurred during a rugby players career.

Filed Under: Health, News in Brief, Sports Tagged With: health risk, john beattie, Pete Swift, rugby

Last day to buy Rangers Football Club updated

March 16, 2012 By Gavrielle Kirk-Cohen 1 Comment

Bids: Potential bids for the troubled club end today. Image: Christopher Harress

Potential bidders who wish to buy Rangers Football Club have until the end of today, 16 March, to submit a bid.

There are currently five bidders who are interested in taking over the Rangers.

Ibrox administrators, Duff and Phelps, will look at the bidders’ funding capabilities and how they will handle the financial concerns of the Rangers club, before deciding who they will engage in further negotiations.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: News in Brief, Sports, Top Story, Uncategorized Tagged With: bidders, financial, Rangers Football Club