New Pages!

Perhaps the middle of January is not the time to add new pages to the 2003 Scottish Pictorial Calendar. But having seen how many people downloaded the illustration from the World Pipe Band Championship - and having had a request from a user for a calendar with just pictures of pipe bands - I've added that to the collection already there. So there are now usually seven pictures to chose from each month instead of six. So, for those of you going to the site each month for the next monthly page, there is an even more difficult choice. And I'll make sure that there is a pipes and drums series for 2004! It was not a surprise to find that Edinburgh Castle was the most popular calendar page, followed by the Firth of Lorne (in March) and Ben Lomond (in February). But I was surprised (and shouldn't have been) to find that the thistle was the most popular picture in May. Clearly I need to look out for more thistles this summer! The Scottish Pictorial Calendar for 2003 can be found here.

Aircraft Carrier Calls at Loch Long

The British aircraft carrier Ark Royal sailed into Loch Long on the west coast of Scotland on what was described as a "routine visit" to take on equipment and munitions before sailing on to manoeuvres in the Mediterranean - and possible involvement in any conflict with Iraq. Loch Long is the location of Coulport naval base and some peace activists turned up there to protest at Britain's involvement.

During a debate in the Scottish Parliament, the Liberal Democrats parted company from their Labour coalition partners and voted against any action in Iraq which was not supported by the UN. However, the Conservative party sided with Labour on the issue and so the government won the various votes on the issue. Which saved any embarrassment for Prime Minister Tony Blair who was only a few miles away on a visit to Edinburgh.

Firemen Threaten Strike Action - Again

Negotiations between employers and the Fire Brigade Union, which have been progressing since last month - when the Union called off further strike action - are breaking down. A 24-hour strike has now been called for 21 January as the Union tries to put pressure on the negotiations. Employers (under financial restraint from the government paymasters) have been unable to offer more cash without "efficiency savings" and modernisation. But as far as the Union is concerned, that means unacceptable job cuts. It remains to be seen whether an 11th hour agreement can be reached before the strike takes place.

Manufacturing Exports Crash 25%

According to government statistics published this week, sales abroad by Scottish manufacturers slumped in the third quarter of 2002, compared to the same period a year earlier, by a staggering 25%. In the same period, UK manufactured exports rose by 1%. Reduced output in the electronics industry, which accounts for around 40% of Scottish exports, was a major factor. But sales of chemicals, man-made fibres and specialist manufacturers all saw a sharp slowdown. Only producers of metals and metal products and textiles and clothing saw an increase in sales.

Battle for Supermarket Chain

The face of food retailing across the country is about to change as the Safeway chain (the third largest in Scotland) became the subject of a takeover battle. Northern England company William Morrison, one of the medium sized supermarkets, surprised everyone with an offer worth £2.6 billion. But UK market leaders Sainsbury and Asda-Walmart then entered the bidding. If they were successful, as seems likely as a result of their financial muscle, the Office of Fair Trading is likely to step in and order the sale of some of the outlets because it would be seen as creating too big a monopoly in some areas. That is where Tesco (which took over the Scottish-based William Low chain some years ago) is likely to step in and snap up the surplus premises. While larger food retailers are likely to produce even more competitive supermarkets, farmers and other producers expressed concern. It could mean that they would have fewer companies to sell to - and would have to reduce their already low prices accordingly.

Edinburgh Office Space More Expensive Than New York

The rocketing cost of office space in Edinburgh - driven up by continuing strong demand for businesses to be in the capital and beside the Scottish Parliament in a city which has a limited amount of space in the centre - has now made "Auld Reekie" more expensive than New York. Only London, Tokyo and Paris have more expensive office space than Edinburgh. Of course, the strong pound also makes costs in the UK look higher when compared with locations in some other parts of the world. Maintenance and property taxes in the UK also drive up the total cost in Britain.

Record Increase in House Prices

The largest ever year-on-year increase in domestic property prices has been recorded in Edinburgh. Even in the over-heated housing market of the late 1980s, prices did not grow as fast as in the last year. The average increase was 21.3% but parts of the city centre - a popular hot-spot in the New Town - showed increases of over 35%. Experts have been predicting a downturn in the rate of increase but growth was as strong in the final quarter as at the start of the year. In Glasgow, the average increase was also high, at 17.5% on the year - the illustration is of a busy estate agent in the outskirts of the city.

Job Cuts as Oil Giant Sells Forties Field

The first major discovery of oil in UK waters was in the Forties field in the North Sea in the 1970s. Now the owners, oil giant BP, have sold the field to the American independent oil company Apache. While the US organisation plans to continue employing as many of the BP staff as possible, the sale of the field will precipitate another restructuring exercise at BP, which will mean more job losses. BP employs 1,656 staff onshore, most of these in Aberdeen, and has over 1,000 staff on the off-shore oil and gas platforms.

French Hotel for Clyde Riverside

The Campanile hotel and bistro chain is to build a new hotel beside the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre and the Rotunda Casino. The Moathouse Hotel and the City Inn are already operating in the area. The Campanile chain is one of the largest in France with 900 hotels and restaurants across Europe. The Campanile will be the 12th new hotel to be built in Glasgow in the last two years. The city now boasts over 100 hotels with over 15,000 rooms.

Flights to the Sun For £25

Air-Scotland, a new budget airline which will fly holidaymakers to Spanish resorts at budget prices, opened its on-line doors on Thursday - but was forced shortly afterwards to close down again because their site was overloaded. Flights from Glasgow to six popular destinations such as Alicante, Malaga, Palma and Tenerife in the Canary Islands will cost from £25.

Approval for "Squinty Bridge"

Plans for the new bridge across the river Clyde in Glasgow at Finnieston and Pacific Quay were approved this week by the Scottish Executive - the City Council had already given the go-ahead. The 140-metre link will run at an angle of 120 degrees across the river, opening up access to the Pacific Quay developments which include a new HQ for BBC Scotland. But critics say that the bridge will damaging to the development of the river as a transport artery as it is set too low. Clydefast Ltd, who had planned to run high-speed ferries between the centre of Glasgow and the Firth of Clyde, will not be able to go ahead as planned.

Climber Survives Avalanche

A 62-year-old climber had a lucky escape on Lochnagar, a mountain in the Cairngorms, when he was swept away by an avalanche and carried 800 metres down the slopes. He suffered only broken ribs and bruising and was airlifted to safety after being rescued by the Cairngorm Climbing Club. A companion had called for help on his mobile phone. The climbers had been near the summit of 3,800ft Lochnagar when the accident happened.

Vicky on Top of the World

A personnel director is training on Scottish Munros with 12 telephone directories on her back. Vicky Jack from Perthshire hopes to be the first Scotswoman to climb the highest peak in all seven continents in the spring when she tackles the last one - Everest. She aims to conquer the world's highest mountain to mark her 50th birthday on March 27. Vicky began her epic climbs in 1997 and has climbed Mount McKinlay (North America), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Aconcagua (South America), Elbrus (Russia/Europe), Mount Vinson (Antarctica) and Carstenz (Australasia).

Caramel Wafers on the Menu?

No such thing as a free meal? Ask the staff who work at the Tunnock's factory at Uddingston in North Lanarkshire. To mark the 70th birthday of Boyd Tunnock, the chairman of the company, whose caramel wafers and tea cakes are consumed in vast quantities in Scotland and elsewhere, the 600 staff are being treated to slap-up meal with a free bar at a five-star Glasgow hotel on Saturday evening. The £70,000 bill will be Boyd's way of saying "thank-you" to many of the staff who have worked for decades to make the bakery such a success. And, for the first time since the second world war, there will be no cakes made on Sunday - so that the staff can have a "long lie" after the celebrations. The firm was founded in 1890 by Thomas Tunnock (Boyd's father) and now exports 13% of its production to over 30 countries. Kuwait, apparently consumes more Tunnock caramel logs each year than the UK.

Best Chippie in Scotland

Fish and chip shops, selling deep-fried battered fish and chips (French fries in some parts of the world) outnumber MacDonald fast food outlets in Scotland by 8:1. Some 200,000 "fish suppers" are sold each week. Some establishments are of dubious quality (greasy fish and soggy chips) but the top "Chippies" produce food fit for a king. There is an annual competition, these days, to find the best in the country. For the last two years the Anstruther Fish Bar in the East Neuk of Fife has taken the honours. It's not just the fresh fish (it overlooks the fishing harbour, after all) but the batter and oil used to cook them. But this year, Anstruther decided not to enter the competition "to let others have a chance." This week a TV programme gave an insight into the "Fry Spy" as he went round the contestants as a mystery shopper to try out what they had to offer. He then went back and grilled (or should that be fried) the staff and their products, giving points for various aspects of the fish supper - not just quality, taste, colour and texture but other issues such as hygiene. The three finalists (Zanres in Peterhead, Harry Ramsden in Inverness and Land-Sea in Polmont) were then subjected to an even more intense examination. Finally, the winner was announced - Harry Ramsden's. This was a surprise to many of us as this is a chain of fish restaurants which, although producing excellent food, one would have expected it to be a standard product. But clearly the care taken by the staff counts for something too. Of course, to win this contest does not just mean a trophy in the window - but thousands of extra customers. The last time I was at the Anstruther Fish Bar the 40 minute wait in the queue was well worth it!

Government Pours Whisky on Troubled Waters

The bar at Stornoway Airport has become the only non-hotel hostelry in the Western Isles to open on a Sunday. The move follows the start of flights to and from the Hebridean airport a few months ago, despite the protests of some of the staunch presbyterian islanders who follow the exhortation in the bible "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." But as the airport is owned by a government department, the "refreshments" dispensed on Sunday at the airport terminal are, as it were, being sold by the Scottish Executive.

High Fence for Reservoir?

There was speculation this week that the reservoir which supplies much of Glasgow's water might have to have a three-metre high fence erected around it as an anti-terrorist measure. But it may just have been a coincidence that the story broke about Mugdock reservoir at Milngavie on the day that an exhibition opened in the City Chambers in Glasgow, illustrating the benefits of a new filtration plant at Mugdock. This has been fiercely resisted by locals who fear that it will spoil the attractive walkways around Mugdock. Access and amenity would be badly damaged by a high fence - but the filtration plant would remove the need for such an eyesore. However, even if planning permission is granted at a meeting of East Dunbartonshire Council next month, it will be three years before the filtration plant is operational. The Scottish Executive and Scottish water declined to comment on the story, saying that they never discussed "security issues" with the media. The Mugdock facility was built in 1887, taking water from Loch Katrine to supply neighbouring Glasgow. These days, other sources are used - including Loch Lomond. Mugdock is now the only supply in Scotland which does not have filtration to the required standard.

Fireworks Ban?

Members of Parliament at both Westminster and Edinburgh have been left in no doubt that the general public finds the increasing use of noisy fireworks at all times of the year a nuisance, not only to themselves but also to their household pets and to wild animals. Fireworks used to be confined to around November 5 (Guy Fawkes night), though the weeks before and after were increasingly subjected to the bangs and whizzes of exploding pyrotechnics. But after the Millennium celebrations at the end of 1999, the use of fireworks has increased dramatically. And the decibels they produce have also increased - much to the delight of small boys with too much pocket money. Now a private members bill, with backing from the government, has been introduced into the Westminster parliament. It seeks to ban the sale of fireworks to the public except during a month-long window around November 5 and introduce a curfew on setting off fireworks of 11pm. Public displays such as the Hogmanay and Festival displays in Edinburgh would be exempt. The backers of the bill hope to see the legislation on the statute book before November this year.

Swans Rescued on Linlithgow Loch

An oil slick caused by a spillage of cooking oil on the loch beside Linlithgow Palace, resulted in experts and volunteers having to rescue and clean the large population of swans which inhabit this lovely stretch of water. Three swans did not survive but the remaining 30 swans and other ducks and moorhens were all taken to the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' facility in Fife where they were cleaned by a team of volunteers. Swans mate for life and some were visibly distressed at being away from their partners. But when they were released back in the loch, they immediately noisily reunited with their mates.

Islay's Eco-Bus Becomes Nuclear Powered

When Friends of the Earth bought an electrically powered bus which was to get its fuel from turbines driven by the waves, it sounded like an environmentalist's dream. But the reality has turned out to be a lot less positive. First of all, the wave generators have broken down and the bus has to be plugged into the mains overnight. Since much of the electricity in the north is supplied by nuclear power stations, its green credentials are becoming somewhat tarnished. And the bus has a limited range (nine miles) and failed to pass safety checks. So it is only used on a restricted basis for special hires. The Islay Development Company are now considering whether to convert the vehicle to diesel power. But Greenpeace are adamant that "one day all cars and buses will be powered by renewable energy - and Islay has been leading the way."

Salmon Season Opens

Weather conditions were not particularly favourable - cold, wet and windy - as the season for the legal catching of salmon opened on Wednesday on the river Tay - regarded as the start of the salmon fishing season across the UK. A quaich (a traditional silver bowl with a handle at each side) of whisky was poured into the river in the usual ceremony to mark the occasion. But it will need more than a nip of whisky to ensure a high number of salmon caught on the river. The drop in numbers over the last five years has been dramatic. However, those who turned up for the event at Kenmore were warmed by a few tots of whisky not thrown into the river, courtesy of the sponsors, Dewars World of Whisky.

Gott is Not Good Enough

The 800 residents of Tingwall in the Shetland Islands, in the far north of Scotland, have campaigned for years to persuade the Post Office to change the postal district stamped on their letters from "Gott" to "Tingwall". The local sub-post office just happens to be close to a farm called Gott and that is what the postal service insists on using. Residents in Tingwall (named after Ting, the Norse parliament in Shetland many centuries ago) have successfully had all the road signs and the name of the local school changed from Gott but the post office refused to comply. But now, new rules have been introduced and the Tingwall residents are hopeful that they will at last get their way.

Police Station Gets Calls for Overnight Stays

Due to a misprint in 300,000 copies of the accommodation brochure produced by the Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and the Trossachs Tourist Board (yes, their long title does trip off the tongue, doesn't it?) the police station in Oban is now getting calls from people looking for overnight accommodation and bed and breakfast. The Chief Inspector is taking it all in his stride and quips "We do have en-suite accommodation but we're not sure how many stars the Scottish Tourist board would put on it." However, the police station has done some detective work and give callers the correct number for the self-catering establishment being advertised with "fantastic views over Loch Linnhe."

Weather in Scotland This Week

The very cold weather which had gripped Scotland since the start of January gave way last weekend to very mild but cloudy conditions. Temperatures hovered around 9/11C (48/52F) with Aberdeen reaching 13C (55F) on Monday. But heavy cloud kept the sun from shining - it broke through over Edinburgh from Sunday to Friday for only 1½ hours. 90mph gusts lashed the west and north of Scotland in the middle of the week as a series of deep depressions swept in from the Atlantic. However, damage to trees and property was minimal though the heavy rain produced some local flooding in a few places. There were speed restrictions on the Tay and Forth bridges but the anticipated impact on ferry services to the northern and western isles was slight, with only inter-island services affected. But flights between Aberdeen and Orkney and Shetland were cancelled.

This week's illustration of current flowers in Scotland shows the oddly shaped petals of the hamamelis or witch hazel bush. It was spotted growing in a garden in the suburbs of Glasgow.

A Positive Side of The Clearances?

The Clearances in the 19th century, which saw the depopulation of the Highlands and large-scale emigration, have long been seen as a stain on Scottish history. Anyone suggesting that there were factors other than rapacious landlords, violently ejecting their tenants to make way for sheep, was regarded as a "revisionist". But there has been an increase in the number of historians who have gone back to the original documentation of those days and who have attempted to produce what they see as a more "accurate" and balanced picture based on the facts. The latest book on the subject, by Dr Marjory Harper, a lecturer at Aberdeen University, is being published next month. She says that while some emigrants were indeed forced off the land and saw emigration as their only option, many of the two million Scots who left the country between 1850 and 1939 went more than willingly. Many of the Scots who left were not agricultural workers or victims of famine in the Highlands (prevalent between 1846 and 1855) but were from the cities and towns of the Lowlands (though some at least may have been agricultural workers who had moved to the towns). Many of the migrants were professional people and tradespeople who were attracted by the opportunities available. Land was available for purchase in Canada for the same cost as a year's rent on a farm of the same size in Scotland. Many crofters who could have stayed, were persuaded by letters from those who had moved abroad and which were full of the positive aspects of the new lands.

Threat to Close Perth Prison

The chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service has threatened to close Perth jail after Perth and Kinross County Council refused permission for the demolition of an A-listed accommodation block and former governor's house in the prison. The buildings were erected in the first half of the 19th century and are the oldest surviving buildings of this type in the country. But the prison service says that it "cannot justify spending huge sums of money to create a historic monument." So if the demolition is not permitted, to allow the prison to create a new accommodation block, a move to Dundee would be on the cards.

Miss Baxter Rules at Scotland Street

Children will be dressing up and taking part in a living history experience at a number of events taking place at Scotland Street School over the next few weeks. An actress will take the part of "Miss Baxter" who will take the kids back the classrooms as they were in Victorian and Second World War times. There will be demonstrations of the dreaded "belt" - the leather strap used to smack the hands of children who had misbehaved - or just got their sums wrong! Scotland Street School was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and is now a museum of education.

Historic Bridge Closed

The pedestrian suspension bridge, between Clyde Street and Portland Street in the centre of Glasgow, has had to be closed after cracks were found in one of its 144 iron support tendons. The bridge is a well-known landmark and was built in 1853, though its decks and tendons were replaced in 1926.

Sir John A Macdonald

Recently in this section the birthplace of Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, was quoted as Rogart Sutherland. As a number of you pointed out, he was born in a flat situated at 20 Brunswick Street in Glasgow, which is off the Trongate. There is no notification at his birth place but in 1965 there was a plaque unveiled in the Ramshorn Kirk on Ingram Street to commemorate this famous Scot. It was also pointed out that he spelt his name with a lower case "d". The Encyclopedia of Scotland spells his name as "MacDonald" - but they take the easy route and follow all "Macs" with a capital letter!

This Week in History

• January 19 1644 - A Scottish army under the Earl of Leven crossed the river Tweed into England. It remained in England for three years playing an important part in the Civil War.
• January 19 1736 - Birth of James Watt, mathematical instrument maker who developed the steam engine, invented the condenser and copying machine.
• January 20 1937 - Benny Lynch crowned world flyweight champion.
• January 21 1290 - Sweetheart Abbey, near Dumfries, founded by Devorguilla, mother of John Balliol.
• January 22 1570 - James Stewart, the Regent Moray on the abdication of Mary Queen of Scots, murdered in Linlithgow, triggering civil war.
• January 22 1689 - William of Orange and Mary become joint sovereigns of the UK.
• January 22 1788 - Robert Byron (later Lord Byron) born. He moved to Aberdeen at the age of four and attended Aberdeen Grammar School.
• January 24 76 - Birth of Publius Aelius Hadrianus, who built Hadrian's Wall to cut off Scotland from the rest of Britain.
• January 24 1890 - First train over Forth Rail Bridge.
• January 25 1759 - Robert Burns born Alloway.

Celebration of Scotland's National Poet

The birthday of Robert Burns on 25 January will be celebrated around the world as Burns Suppers allow people to renew their acquaintance with Scotland's national poet. At Robert Burns House, now a museum in Dumfries, they will be marking the event from the 21st to the 25th January with museum trails, games and competitions. The museum is also supplying advice on planning for a Burns supper with a special fact sheet. Although it's rather close to the day to be thinking about planning for such an event, there's some helpful advice at How to Organise a Burns Supper.

10th Celtic Connections

Glasgow will reverberate for two weeks to the sounds of concerts, ceilidhs, song sessions, kids' workshops and master classes as the 10th Celtic Connections Festival gets under way. Singer Sinead O'Connor and Bob Geldof are probably the best-known performers. But many other top names in the folk music world will be performing, including Evelyn Glennie, Tom Paxton, Salsa Celtica, Altan, The Dubliners, Cliar and Aly Bain. Celtic Connections runs from January 15 to February 2 at a range of venues across the city. See www.celticconnections.co.uk.

Glasgow's Latest Film Role - as Beirut

Billy Connolly famously suggested that Glasgow would look much the same after a nuclear bomb had been dropped on it. But the city's latest role is to look like war-torn Beirut. The film company making a movie about the four-year hostage ordeal of Brian Keenan in the Lebanon capital is coming to a road haulage yard which doubles as a film studio in Maryhill in Glasgow. The location has been used in the past for scenes in the TV comedy series "Rab C Nesbitt". Brian Keenan was incarcerated along with the journalist John McCarthy and the church envoy Terry Waite.

Rev IM Jolly and White Heather Club

The BBC Scotland Web site of film and audio clips from the past is constantly being expanded. A recent addition was classic clips including some words of wisdom from Scotland's greatest cleric, the Rev IM Jolly. And you can see what Hogmanay used to be like with some footage of Andy Stewart and the rest of the gang leading us into another New Year many years ago at the White Heather Club. That's Andy Stewart in the accompanying picture - courtesy of BBC Scotland Film and Audio Clips.

Dundee Theatre Company in Iran

The Dundee Repertory Theatre is to fly out later this month to Iran to give performances of Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale" as part of the Fajr International Festival. It will be the first performance by a UK theatre company in Iran since 1977, back in the days of the Shah. Subtitles in Farsi will be displayed so that audiences can understand the bard's language. Some scenes have also been altered (no physical contact between men and women and certainly no kissing) to avoid offending the audience and actresses will keep their heads covered.

Science Centre Tower Remains Closed

The 400ft free-standing, rotating tower beside the Glasgow Science Centre is continuing to "entertain" Glaswegians, but because of the continuing embarrassing saga of its almost permanent closure. After initial problems with the lifts which delayed its opening for many months, it eventually opened but then broke down - leaving passengers in the glass-sided lift in mid-air until workers could rescue them. Then, last March, it was found that a 50cm ball bearing which supports the 95-tonne, structure had moved by 15mm (about half an inch). The bearing is crucial to the ability of the tower to rotate and face into the prevailing wind - the slim tower has no cables or other supports. It is the only tower in the world which revolves 360 degrees along its entire height. It was initially said that it would be repaired in a couple of months. But it has been closed ever since and latest estimates (optimistic ones?) are that it will be beyond Easter before it reopens. However, officials at the Glasgow Science Centre claim that they saw a 10% increase in visitor numbers last month compared to a year ago - when the tower was in operation.

Wet, Wet, Wet Voted Best

An opinion poll of over 1,000 Scots aged from 18 to 80 have voted Wet, Wet Wet as the top Scottish band of all time. But getting the views of such a wide age range meant that the veteran country dancing group Jimmy Shand and his Band came in second. In third place was Runrig, followed by Texas, The Proclaimers, Deacon Blue, Simple Minds and Travis, in that order. The Bay City Rollers came in at 9th place and Big Country was 10th.

Scotland's Latest Radio Station

The Radio Authority have announced the award of an 8-year broadcasting licence to Two Lochs Radio to operate a new independent local radio station in the Gairloch and Loch Ewe areas of Wester Ross in the far north-west of Scotland. Inverness, the nearest large town, is some 70 miles away by road. Two Lochs Radio is a non-profit group dedicated to providing a local community-based independent radio station in the area. Serving a population of just under 3,000 residents, the new station will be the smallest licensed broadcaster in the UK. The organisation believe that a truly local radio station will become a real asset to the remote and scattered communities, particularly for those who are house-bound or living alone, and also provide a valuable service to visitors and tourism businesses. A significant proportion of the population is Gaelic speaking or has a keen interest in Gaelic culture and Two Lochs Radio will be producing programmes in and about Gaelic in addition to regular English output. Now more hard work will be required to obtain and install the transmission equipment, and to rally volunteers for programming and presentation. See www.gairloch.co.uk.

Harry Tops the Bestseller List Again

Being at the top of the bestseller list is nothing new for Scottish-based author JK Rowling and her Harry Potter books. But Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will not be available until June 21. However, within hours of an advert appearing on the Amazon.co.uk Web site, the book shot to the top of the children's bestseller list and the adult version (same words, different cover) reached number two.

Tennent's Scottish Cup, 2nd Round

Forfar Athletic 3 Stenhousemuir 1
Morton 4 Deveronvale 3
Peterhead 1 Elgin 0
Raith Rovers 3 Montrose 1
Stranraer 4 Stirling Albion 1

Bank of Scotland Premier League Results

The SPL clubs are having a mid-season break. Next league games are on 28/29 January.

Scottish First Division Results - 18 January 2003

Alloa 3 Queen of the South 3
Arbroath 1 Falkirk 4
Inverness 0 Ayr United 1
St Johnstone 1 Clyde 2
St Mirren 1 Ross County 0

BT Scotland Rugby Division 1 Results - 18 January 2003

Currie 10 Glasgow Hawks 11
Hawick 12 Aberdeen 14
Heriot's 52 Peebles 0
Jed-Forest 26 Stirling County 17
Melrose 10 Boroughmuir 8

League Tables

No change, of course, in the SPL. In Scottish First Division, Falkirk remain at the top with 46 points from 20 games followed by Inverness with 43 points from one game more. Clyde are third with 38 points, also from 21 games. At the foot of the First Division, Alloa have only 12 points from 21 games, one less than Arbroath who have played 22.
In the BT Scotland Rugby Division 1, Boroughmuir's defeat still leaves them 9 points clear of Heriot's at the top, though they have played one more match than the Edinburgh side. Melrose are 4 points further back in third place.

Football Hall of Fame?

Scottish football is currently at a pretty low ebb, so the Scottish Football Association is planning to put the spotlight on the golden years (well, the days when Scotland at least qualified for international competitions, even if they never got past the first round). They are looking at the creation of a footballing hall of fame at the Scottish football Museum at Hampden Park. They almost have that at the moment, with a series of pictures of some of Scotland's footballing heroes of the past (though quite how Ally McLeod's picture got included, is a mystery - though the picture of his dejection is justly famous). There was a good representation of footballers in the recently launched Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in Edinburgh, but one focused on soccer would allow some of the less well-known players from the 19th century to be remembered.

Plastic Pitches?

As the teams in the Scottish Premier League enjoy their winter break and as matches in other divisions are postponed because of the condition of the pitch, some clubs are looking at the possibility of laying artificial grass instead of the traditional turf. Hearts are perhaps the most positive in the SPL about artificial surfaces and say that they would use this if they went ahead with a new stadium. Until now, it has been argued that the quality has not been good enough. But the latest products have overcome that and studies in the US suggest that they produce fewer injuries than natural grass. Artificial surfaces would reduce maintenance costs and yet less wear and tear and would allow greater use of stadia. If all grounds used such surfaces, there would be greater consistency. Perfect drainage would mean fewer matches being postponed, resulting in further savings. Currently, artificial turf is not banned by the European football governing body but clubs can refuse to play on it. But by 2005, UEFA plan to remove that right, so long as the pitch meets the laid-down standard.

Will He Sign?

The long-running saga of the renewal (or not) of Celtic manager Martin O'Neill's contract with the club rumbles on, with many column inches in the sports pages devoted to little more than speculation. But while the players soaked up the sun and trained hard (it is hoped) in the sunshine in Florida as part of the mid-winter break, O'Neill was nowhere to be seen. It appears that the manager and the club chairman Dermot Desmond have been soaking up the sun and working hard too - over a thousand miles away in Barbados.

US NFL Kicks Off UK Revival

The National Football League (NFL) in the US has launched a £1 million campaign to boost interest in American-style football in the UK. Scotland, with its Scottish Claymores team competing in Europe, is an important element in the advertising campaign. Attendance at the Claymores games are usually higher than at most soccer matches (Rangers and Celtic excepted). There was a high level of interest in the UK in the 1980s and even though TV broadcasts were usually after midnight (particularly for live matches, because of the time zone differences), there were large audiences. But it is five years since the Super Bowl was televised live in the UK. However, the game on January 26 this year will be live and the TV channel showing it is to have a week of prime time shows during the week before the match. Later this year, the "World Bowl" which is the European equivalent of the Super Bowl, is being hosted in Glasgow. UK A number of current US players spent time in European teams developing their skills.

Harlem Globetrotters Coming to Scotland

The best-known basketball team in the world is coming to the Braehaed Arena near Glasgow on April 15 as part of their first UK tour for nearly a decade. The Globetrotters have played in front of over 120 million people in 117 countries during their 76-year history. Ticket prices start at £17.