Rail Passengers' Misery Increases

As if trains running late was not enough, the new rail franchise operator in Scotland has announced an average 4% increase in fares, roughly double the present rate of inflation. First Scotrail took over the network in October and, since then, punctuality has plummeted even further, with some areas experiencing the worst performance for years - and that is quite an achievement, considering the record of the previous franchisee. On average, 20% of trains do not arrive on time and the figures have been around that level for some years. It is argued that fares have to rise to pay for the huge investment being planned to improve services - but that is a story that has been heard frequently over the years.

Prime Minister in Scotland

Tony Blair was in Scotland on Friday to give a talk on the economy at Edinburgh's Napier University. Of course, with an election looming next year, the speech dwelt more on the government's success (as he perceived it) and his philosophical values than on the economy in general. He said that voters should be proud of the fact that Britain was now the fourth largest economy in the world. His speech followed a visit to the HQ of the Royal Bank of Scotland, now the sixth largest bank in the world. Later he met First Minister Jack McConnell at his official residence at Bute House, in Charlotte Square.

Climate Change Consultation

Options to strengthen Scotland's response to the threat of climate change were outlined in a consultation paper published this week by the Scottish Executive. The Executive's last climate change programme, published in November 2000 to complement the UK Climate Change Programme, set out a range of regulatory, voluntary and educational measures aimed at delivering emissions reductions in areas devolved to the Executive. The latest emissions data for Scotland show that Scottish emissions overall fell by 5.7 per cent between Kyoto base year 1 and 2002. Emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, fell by 3.2 per cent between 1990 and 2002, despite over a 25% growth in the Scottish economy over the same period. The consultation document highlights and seeks views from the public and organisations on such areas as the 40% renewables target and a commitment to spend 70% of Scotland's transport budget on public transport.

Black Watch Depart from Dogwood

The deployment of soldiers of the Black Watch to the Dogwood barracks south of Baghdad, in support of US forces, came to an end on Saturday as the battle group moved back to Basra. They are expected to be home in Scotland within the next week - so Tony Blair's promise to that effect is being fulfilled. During their deployment they lost five men at the hands of suicide bombers and roadside bombs. The US commander paid tribute to the "fantastic" job they had done. He commented that the only problem had been wireless operators who had difficulties sometimes understanding the Scottish accents!

Scottish Executive Launch New Website Layout

On 30 November (St Andrew's day,of course) the Scottish Executive launched a redesign of their Website, incorporating the Saltire in the banner at the top of each page to reinforce its Scottish identity. There may be a reluctance to fly the Scottish flag on the Scottish Parliament building, at the moment, but the Website has no such restraint. The redesign follows a users' survey carried out earlier this year, which found that more than 80 per cent of people were 'very or fairly satisfied' with the style and content of the website. The areas for improvement that were identified were the need for a stronger identity and a more prominent position for "Topics" on the Home Page for ease of navigation. Independent audit figures (November 2003 - up-to-date statistics was never a strong point of the Scottish Executive) show that their website has a monthly average of more than 2.5 million page impressions, almost 500,000 visits and more than 263,000 unique users. See www.scotland.gov.uk/Home

More Foreign Visitors for Glasgow, Fewer to Edinburgh

According to figures published this week by VisitBritain, the UK-wide tourism agency, the number of overseas visitors to Glasgow rose by 5% between 2001 and 2003 but fell by 10% in Edinburgh over the same period. VisitBritain claims that Glasgow's rise is due to the city positioning itself as a European city break destination and tourism chiefs are said to believe that Glasgow's new marketing campaign "Scotland With Style" has helped to attract extra visitors - which is amazing, as the new campaign wasn't launched until 2004. Edinburgh's decline is put down to a greater dependence on the US market which was badly affected after 9/11. Of course, there has been a rise in the number of UK-based tourist numbers over the same period, resulting in an overall rise in tourism spending. And there is strong evidence that foreign visitor numbers recovered strongly in 2004.

£300,000 to Show Visitors the Way

Glasgow has more pedestrian-only streets than any other city in Scotland and it is thought that this adds to the success of the city as a top shopping destination. Now the City of Glasgow Council plans to capitalise on this, with a £300,000 project to point pedestrians in the direction of top attractions in the city centre and west end. They have realised that the present signage is too expensive to maintain and alter and the aim is to create new signposts which will stand the test of time but not clash with their surroundings. It is thought that the cost to the city could be reduced by offering advertising space, in the same way that bus shelters are sponsored.

Edinburgh's Capital Christmas 2004

The month-long programme of events leading up to (and beyond!) Hogmanay in Edinburgh got off to a flying start with a traditional German Christmas Market this week, offering food and souvenirs, mainly from Bavaria. The market takes place in Princes Street Gardens, overlooked by a giant ferris wheel, covered in Christmas lights and providing a different view of the city below. The Winter Wonderland skating rink in the lower gardens at Princes Street is also in full swing.

"Golden Hello" Fails to Attract Dentists

There is an acute shortage of National Health Service (NHS) dentists in rural areas of Scotland, as large numbers move over to private practise instead. This prompted the Scottish Executive to offer up to £100,000 to lure qualified dentists from England or even from the European Union countries such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. But the "temporary fillings" have failed to attract new dentists, leaving large areas with no NHS cover. Dentists claim that it is not just that private dentistry is more lucrative. There is more preventative health care in private practise (paid for by the patients) and NHS dentists are now in such short supply that they are grossly overworked.

Farm Incomes Fall

The annual government estimates of total farm income this year suggest that they fell in Scotland by £13 million to £536 million. Scotland accounts for over 16% of UK farm income (compared to Scotland being 10% of the overall UK population). Income per head in Scotland was put at £18,400, well down on the £27,500 level achieved in 1995, but much better than the woeful figures earned in 2000. A poor harvest, a stronger pound and rising fuel costs have all put pressure on farm profitability. Dairy farmers have suffered more than most with a fall in ex-farm milk prices enforced by distributors and supermarkets (where profits are soaring).

Capital's Plans for Sports Stadia Fade

Ambitious plans by Edinburgh City Council to spend £126 million on overhauling the sports facilities in the capital were in tatters this week, as they admit that there is a huge funding shortfall. Plans had included a revamp of the jaded Commonwealth Pool, a replacement for Meadowbank Sports Stadium and a flagship sports complex in Craigmillar are £106 million short on finance. The council were allocated £17 million a few months ago by Sportscotland but other sources of funds are proving hard to find and the sports developments are likely to have to be severely trimmed. The city is planning to sell the Meadowbank Stadium site to provide some finance but it will be at least two years before that can be completed. Other projects such as modernising the King's Theatre, the City Chambers and the Central Library are all also struggling in Edinburgh.

Scotland Gets the Bird

The public petitions committee of Members of the Scottish Parliament has recommended to the Scottish Executive that a national bird for Scotland should be named. The most likely candidate, if one is selected, is the golden eagle, though some MSPs suggested that one which was less aggressive should be chosen. The members of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in Scotland clearly agreed. As part of their centenary celebrations this week, the conservationists announced at a black-tie dinner in People's Palace at the Winter Gardens in Glasgow, the result of their poll for Scotland's favourite bird - the winner was the Robin. How appropriate - bold, cheeky, friendly, territorial - and good looking!

Bars Plan "Comfort Zones" for Smokers

The Scottish brewing group Belhaven has announced that it is to introduce outside "comfort zones" for smokers, providing them with shelter and heating to get round the no-smoking ban which will follow new legislation. Belhaven is looking particularly at bars in poorer areas where smoking is most prevalent. Smokers in the poorest districts of Glasgow, for example, spend an average of £633 a year on cigarettes, compared with a nation-wide average of £354. Out of 833 local council wards, 18 of the top 20 districts for spending on smoking were in Glasgow.

That Sinking Feeling for £17 Million Building

A B-listed Victorian facade in Glasgow's Ingram Street lay derelict for 15 years as developers and planners wrangled about the retention of the frontage, while still creating a cost-effective building internally. Located in the Merchant City area, work on a compromise proposal for the 1875 building eventually got underway in February this year. But now the workers have left the site because it is literally sinking into the ground after new concrete floors had been laid on all nine levels. The development company is trying to sound optimistic and claims that, after the situation has been assessed, the project will get back on track with completion of retail units by the end of the year and the apartments above by next summer. The illustration is an artist's impression of the finished building.

Vodka Pushing Whisky Under the Table?

A report by market analysts Datamonitor, suggests that within five years the number one spirit consumed in the UK will no longer be Scotch whisky but Russian vodka. The report says that the average Briton drinks 1.2 litres (just over a bottle and a half) of whisky each year, accounting for over 30% of overall British consumption of spirits. But sales have been falling in the UK in recent years, particularly of the cheaper blended varieties. Vodka sales in the UK were negligible until the 1960s but are now almost as high as whisky, at just under a litre per person a year, on average, and the analysts expect sales to match whisky by 2008 and then surpass it. The UK spirits market is worth over £9 billion a year. One of the problems faced by whisky is that vodka and rum are often drunk with mixer drinks, while many people still regard it tantamount to sacrilege to add lemonade or cola to whisky. Meantime, over in Russia, whisky sales are growing strongly...

A Muckle Archive

A new online resource went live on St Andrew's Day, aimed at recording the Scots tongue in its many guises. Clumsily named the "Scottish Corpus of Texts and Speech" so that it could use the acronym "SCOTS", it has been put together by the University of Glasgow, with 400 texts ranging from Broad Scots to Scottish English, capturing the rich linguistic, historical and cultural background to Scotland. It includes prose, poetry, drama, essays, letters and business writing in every type of Scottish dialect, along with cultural and social information about the text and its author. There is also audio and visual material on the site. By coincidence, I overheard the word "jalouse" (meaning suspect, supposed that) in conversation today and the SCOTS site provided 14 examples of the use of the word. Unca guid. See www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk.

Subway May Stop Going Round in Circles

The underground railway system in Glasgow is one complete circle with two lines of tracks in two separate tunnels - one going clockwise and the other anti-clockwise. It covers a distance of 6.5 miles (10.5 kilometres) serving 15 stations on four-feet gauge track around the inner parts of the city - a complete circuit takes just 25 minutes. It was built 108 years ago (when the Victorians didn't argue interminably about the pros and cons of a project - they just went ahead). These days it carries 13 million passengers a year, but the stations on the circular route cover only a small central area of the city. Now the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority (SPTA) who run the system, has announced an ambitious plan to expand the network, so that it reaches the east end of the city and the north-west. If the subway was being built today, it would cost over a billion pounds - not including the cost of the stations. Each new metre of track is estimated to cost £100,000, so the SPTA is looking to the Scottish Executive to help to finance the extension.

Haggis Loses Vital Ingredient for US Market

Exports of traditional haggis to the US have virtually come to a halt over the last few years because of Department of Agriculture there have banned some of the animal intestines used in the "great chieftain o' the puddin' race". Now a Glasgow haggis maker is hoping to overcome the ban by omitting an essential ingredient - sheep's lungs. Some recipe books seem to relish the description of the windpipe hanging over the side of the pot while the sheep liver, heart and lungs are cooking. Rabbie Burns might be lost for words at the idea of haggis without its traditional ingredients (though, whisper it, vegetarian haggis is not so rare as you might think). McLay Wallace make 300,000 haggis each year under the brand name of McKean's of Scotland and has been battling with US officials since 2001.

Knickerbocker Glory Days End

The Nardini cafe in the Clyde coastal resort of Largs used to be an institution for thousands of Glaswegians who flocked to the seaside in days gone by. The 1930s-style Italian cafe with wicker seats and award-winning ice-cream used to be a popular stopping-off point. But reduced numbers of visitors - and a bitter family dispute - has brought Nardini's to the end of its knickerbocker glory days. This week, hundreds of items of crockery and fittings, including a Broadwood grand piano, were auctioned off at bargain prices, with scant regard for their historic significance. The cafe is set to reopen next year, but only after a total refurbishment, financed by the construction of apartments on empty adjacent ground. This has been delayed as the planning authorities will not give approval until March, at the earliest, so it is unlikely to open for the 2005 summer season. The illustration shows Nardini's reopening after an earlier enforced enclosure.

Secret of World-Beating Scotch Pie

A butcher in Boghall, West Lothian, who won the title of World Champion Scotch Pie Maker this week, has revealed the secret ingredient in his success - he is scared of being criticised by elderly customers if the pies don't come up to standard. His recipe for the pies was developed by his father, who worked with him in the butcher's shop until he retired two years ago at the age of 74. Boghall is a small village, which does not generate a lot of passing trade, so Paul Boyle says he has to depend on regular customers. He blends his own seasoning end ensures that the quality of the beef used is of the highest standard.

From Mammoth to Ma Mooth

A bagpipe maker claims that elephant ivory has become so rare since the international trade in material from elephants was banned, he has had to turn to material made from prehistoric ivory from mammoths found preserved under Siberian ice. In recent years, bagpipe makers have had to use alternative materials, but some pipers prefer ivory to wood or plastic - even though it is argued that it doesn't affect the quality of the sound. Tim Gellaitry has been making bagpipes for 20 years and said he wanted to offer enthusiasts something "a bit special." The price is special too - around £3,500. The basic pipe is made out of African blackwood, the ferrules and caps are made from silver and the mounts from mammoth ivory.

Weather in Scotland This Week

Temperatures fell in the middle of the week to 4/6C (39/43F) with thick mist in Glasgow and the Clyde valley keeping temperatures even lower there on Wednesday and Thursday - Glasgow only just struggled above freezing point on Thursday. Sunshine was again in short supply though Aberdeen enjoyed nearly six hours on Thursday. By the end of the week, as rain clouds moved in, temperatures rose again, reaching 10/11C (50/52F) which is well above the December average of 6/7C (43/45F). The outlook over the next few days is for the temperatures to continue to be above the norm and some brighter weather to return on Sunday.

This week's illustrations of Scotland's flora and fauna taken this week show first of all a Tufted Duck on Hogganfield Loch in Glasgow. Below is a Mallard on Lochend Loch in Drumpellier Country Park in North Lanarkshire. The final illustration is of the sun setting over the same loch - taken at 3.15pm, with sunset officially not long after.

Gala Tribute for William Wallace

A gala dinner is to be held in the Great Hall of Stirling Castle next August to mark the 700th anniversary of the execution of William Wallace. First Minister Jack McConnell is expected to attend and it will be the main event in Stirling's programme to remember Scotland's national hero. Wallace's most famous victory was at Stirling Bridge in 1297. Wallace was captured and brutally executed for treason in London on August 23, 1305. Efforts are being made to persuade the government in London to issue a "pardon" for the treason verdict.
The illustration shows the statue of Wallace on the side of the Wallace Monument on Abbey Craig, above the site of the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

Historic Milestone for Scotsman

The Edinburgh-based Scotsman newspaper has been published for over 187 years and now the organisation has launched a digital archive of every issue from 25 January 1817 to 1900. This web-based electronic archive displays each article as it originally appeared and will shortly be extended to 1950 and eventually to the present day. History, whether on the world stage or about individuals will be available. The assassination of President Lincoln, the death of Sir Walter Scott, the trial of Burke and Hare or the exploits of the Light Brigade at Balaclava sit side-by-side with genealogical information about our Scottish forebears who made it to the pages of the Scotsman for one reason or another. The Scotsman claims to be the first paper in the UK to do this. Of course, the service is not free - a 24 Hour Pass will initially cost around £6 or a 48 Hour Pass provides two full days of unlimited access for around £10. These introductory rates will last until January 2005. See archive.scotsman.com.

House with Rob Roy Connections Sold

Glengyle House, overlooking Loch Katrine in Stirlingshire, was associated with the MacGregor family for most of the 18th and half of the 19th century. It is thought unlikely that Rob Roy MacGregor was actually born in the "big house" but he might well have been born in part of the Steadings (now used as barns) which are also being sold off with the main building. The property was taken over by the Water Board when Loch Katrine became a reservoir for the supply of water to Glasgow (26 miles away) which began in 1859 and still supplies 100 million gallons of water to Glasgow every day. The property has deteriorated over the years,6 but recently Scottish Water repaired the roof and then put the house up for auction. There were calls for the property to be taken over by one of the heritage agencies, but finance was not forthcoming. The Clan Gregor Society welcomed the sale as a way of preserving the historic building which, until now, had been allowed to fall into disrepair. A mystery Scottish buyer eventually bought the property for £470,000, which was well above professional valuation. It is "B-listed" and is in a National Park, both of which put certain restrictions on development. The Clan Gregor Society has offered to assist the buyer with their cultural and historical expertise in a sympathetic restoration of the house and are looking forward to a time when Glengyle House is fully restored.

Plan for Mackintosh Trademark

An attempt is being made to protect the reputation of the architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh as an increasing number of "Mockintosh" designs flood the shops. An umbrella body of Mackintosh heritage groups has begun work on a quality assurance scheme which would give approval and a trademark only to items which meet a required standard. Companies using the trademark will be charged a small commission in return. But some manufacturers who produce "Mackintosh inspired" goods say that the heritage groups had dismissed such designs in the past and now wanted to take control. Mackintosh was born in Glasgow in 1868 and although his work has been much admired as the work of a genius in recent years, he left Glasgow at least in part because of a lack of recognition for his architecture and paintings. Many of his internal design features were in fact created by his wife, Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh.

Next Week in History

• December 5 1560 - King Francis II of France, husband of Mary Queen of Scots, died.
• December 6 1214 - King Alexander II crowned at Scone.
• December 6 1745 - Charles Edward Stewart's entry into Derby during the Jacobite Uprising.
• December 8 1542 - Mary, Queen of Scots, born Linlithgow Palace. Her father, on his deathbed said "It cam wi' ane lass; it will pas wi' ane lass" - a reference to the Stuart line starting when Marjorie Bruce, daughter of King Robert the Bruce, who married Walter, High Steward of Scotland.
• December 9 1165 - King Malcolm IV died at Jedburgh Castle
• December 10 1616 - Ordinance published by the Scottish Privy Council for the establishment of parish schools in Scotland. The same document commended the abolition of Gaelic.
• December 10 1868 - Artist, architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh born.
• December 10 1824 - Novelist and poet George MacDonald, born.
• December 10 1936 - King Edward VIII abdicated and King George VI acceded to the throne.
• December 11 1781 - David Brewster, inventor of the kaleidoscope born.
• December 11 1928 - Charles Rennie Mackintosh died.
• December 11 1712 - William Cullen, first professor of chemistry at Glasgow University, born.

First Ever Highland Gathering

This is not quite the Highland Gathering we normally associate with the phrase, but is the name being given to the largest indoor UK New Year’s Eve party for 2004, being held on Hogmanay at the Royal Highland Centre at Ingleston in Edinburgh, adjacent to Edinburgh International Airport and Scotland’s motorway network. 25,000 revellers will enjoy top live acts and a plethora of local DJs playing across three themed arenas, in a 12-hour festival experience, all under one roof. All-night food courts, late night bars and a range of breakfast options will allow chilled-out guests to relax with a pastry and a latté in the early hours after bringing in the new year. Artists performing at the event include Supergrass, Miss Behavin' (illustrated here), SLAM, Futureshock and Dave Pearce. For further details, see www.highland-gathering.com

Actress Molly Weir Dies Aged 94

The popular Glasgow-born actress and author Molly Weir died this week at the age of 94. Her career began in radio as Tattie Macintosh in the " It's That Man Again" (ITMA) comedy show in the 1940s with Tommy Handley and as Ivy McTweed in The McFlannels. She was "Aggie" in "Life With The Lyons" featuring the real-life family group of Ben Lyon and Bebe Daniels which transferred later to TV. Her best-known role was as Hazel McWitch in "Rentaghost" in the late 1970s, staying with the series until it ended in 1984. The 4ft 10in tall actress also appeared in many films and wrote her Trilogy of Scottish Childhood (Shoes Were for Sunday, Best Foot Forward and Toe on the Ladder) and she was always bubbling over with fun and energy. She was the sister of the naturalist, climber and broadcaster Tom Weir (a youngster of 90) whose original TV series "Weir's Way" about Scotland (some going back to black and white TV days) has had a renaissance in recent years.

Scott's Selkirk 2004

Over the weekend of 3/5 December the Burgh of Selkirk is stepping back in time to experience the real magic of the Christmas season. Celebrating the days when the writer and Scotsman Sir Walter Scott was Sheriff of Selkirkshire, the whole town takes on a 19th century atmosphere, and provides a wealth of entertainment and activity. Throughout the weekend, costumed actors will bring to life Scott and other familiar faces of that time including James Hogg - The Ettrick Shepherd, fellow writer and friend of Sir Walter. There's also street theatre, dancers, jugglers and magicians, or you can rest your feet by taking a ride in a horse drawn carriage. As Sheriff of Selkirkshire between 1799 and 1832, Sir Walter Scott presided over many varied cases in the courtroom in Selkirk and there will be a courtroom re-enactment to bring those days alive. At a concert in Victoria Hall, the audience are being invited to attend in appropriate costume and on Sunday, following the church service, there will be a re-enactment of the 1815 Carterhaugh Ba' Game, which was attended by both Sir Walter Scott and James Hogg.

Scottish Opera Music Director Steps Down

Sir Richard Armstrong, who has been music director of Scottish Opera for the last 12 years, has announced that he is to leave the company when his current contract ends next July. The announcement came on the day the new chairman, William Taylor, started work at the beleaguered opera company, amid denials that there was any connection between the two events. There has been speculation for some time that Sir Richard would leave, following the radical restructuring plan for the embattled company which saw them losing 88 staff and abandoning any major productions between the summer of 2005 and spring 2006, as the company tries to cut costs. During Sir Richard's time at Scottish Opera the company has had many artistic triumphs - but has constantly been unable to manage its finances and kept having to be bailed out by emergency funding packages. This year the government said no additional tax-payers money would be made available.

Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results

Dundee 2 Celtic 2
Rangers 3 Hearts 2
AZ Alkmaar (Holland) 1 Rangers 0 (UEFA Cup Group match)

Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 4 December

Aberdeen 3 Kilmarnock 2
Celtic 2 Hibernian 1
Dundee United 0 Motherwell 1
Heart of Midlothian 3 Dunfermline 0
Livingston 1 Dundee 0
Inverness Caledonian Thistle play Rangers on Sunday.

Scottish First Division Results - 4 December

Airdrie United 3 St Mirren 2
Clyde 0 Falkirk 2
Partick Thistle 0 St Johnstone 4
Queen of the South 2 Raith Rovers 0
Ross County 1 Hamilton 1

BT Scotland Division 1 Results - 28 November

Gala 7 Glasgow Hutchesons' 39
Ayr 26 Watsonians 15
Currie 22 Heriots 23
Hawick 23 Biggar 19
Boroughmuir 23 Aberdeen 8
Glasgow Hawks 50 Melrose 8

BT Scotland Rugby Division 1 Results - 4 December

Glasgow Hutchesons 3 Hawick 16
Aberdeen 16 Ayr 14
Biggar 32 Boroughmuir 27
Watsonians 13 Glasgow Hawks 42
Heriots 74 Gala 0
Melrose 26 Currie 25

League Tables

At the end of October, Celtic were 7 points ahead of rivals Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premier League and the Ibrox club had not been league leaders for a year. In recent weeks, a combination of convincing wins by Rangers and Celtic's leaking defence have resulted in the Ibrox club steadily closing the gap. Rangers defeat of Celtic two weeks ago certainly helped, but it took a thrilling 3-2 win against Hearts last Sunday by Rangers and a 2-2 draw by Celtic against Dundee, to thrust Rangers to the top, but only by a single point. With Rangers playing Inverness on Sunday, Celtic moved back to the top on Saturday. Although Rangers will have nine players out of action for Sunday's clash against Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Pittodrie, they are likely to regain their lead. Aberdeen, in third place, have won seven of their last nine matches and are 7 points ahead of 4th-place Hibernian. At the foot of the SPL, Dundee United are just one point below Dundee and Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Falkirk consolidated their grip at the top of the First Division by beating rivals Clyde themselves and seeing St Mirren stumble against Airdrie. Falkirk are now 9 points clear at the top, with St Mirren and Clyde both on 31 points. At the foot of the First Division, Raith Rovers are 8 points behind Hamilton.

Heriots emphasised the gulf between the top and the bottom of the BT Scotland Rugby Division 1 with an emphatic win against Gala, who are now trailing 8 points below Watsonians. Glasgow Hawks are still challenging at the top - although 4 points adrift from Heriots, they have a game in hand.

Walter Smith Grasps the Thistle

The former manager of Rangers and Everton has taken on the unenviable task of being the new manager of the Scotland football (soccer) team on a four year contract. Walter Smith is 56 and began his coaching career at Dundee United in 1977. He became assistant manager of Glasgow Rangers in 1986 under Graeme Souness and took over from him in 1991. During his spell at the club, Rangers won the Scottish Premier League six times (thus helping them achieve the record-equalling nine in a row) and the Scottish Cup three times. He moved to the English Premier League club Everton in July 1998 but was sacked by the club in March 2002. Apart from a short spell this year as an assistant coach at Manchester United, his involvement with the game has been as a TV pundit. He was one of the top favourites for the manager's job when Berti Vogts resigned and many of the big names in Scottish football thought he would be an ideal man for the tough role. Despite Scotland only managing to pick up two points from their first three World Cup qualifying matches, Smith has optimistically said that he has not given up hope of qualifying for the finals in Germany in 2006. Smith hopes to retain the services of assistant manager Tommy Burns, who was number two to Vogts and took charge of the team for the 4-1 defeat by Sweden last month.

End of Rangers' Unbeaten Run

Manager Alex McLeish picked up the manager of the month award the day after his team's 16-game unbeaten run ended in a 1-0 defeat by Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Cup group match. A goal in the 7th minute was enough to allow Alkmaar to move to the top of Group F, with an unbeaten record. Rangers continuation in the UEFA Cup now depends on the outcome of the match at home against Auxerre on 15 December. The French side have only 4 points compared with Rangers' 6, so a draw would be enough to book the Glasgow club's place in the last 32 of the tournament.

International Match Against Northern Ireland Rejected

While Berti Vogts was manager of the Scotland international football squad, the Scottish Football Association arranged a large number of friendly matches which were designed to allow the manager to assess his constantly changing team. However, it was sometimes debatable whether providing cannon fodder for teams that were so much better than Scotland did much for the morale of players (or supporters). So there was perhaps some relief when a request from Northern Ireland for a friendly on February 9 was rejected this week. The Irish Football Association saw such a contest as a good preparation for their World Cup qualifying game against England the following month.

New Manager for Livingston

Former Scotland, Rangers and Tottenham Hotspur captain Richard Gough took over as manager at Livingston this week, replacing Allan Preston who was sacked after a string of seven defeats. Gough made no secret of the fact that he saw the appointment as stepping stone to greater things, describing it as a "great starting point." He lacks coaching experience or qualifications but reckons that his experience playing under top managers will make up for that. Gough got off to a good start when Livingston won 1-0 on Saturday

Another Scottish Snooker Champion Arrives

Scotland has produced a string of snooker players who have reached the highest levels of the game. Stephen Hendry has been the most successful, winning a record number of top trophies, but John Higgins and Alan McManus have been at the top too. Now a new star has emerged as Stephen Maguire convincingly won the Travis Perkins UK Championship title last weekend, beating current Snooker #1 Ronnie O'Sullivan along the way. Maguire won the European Open last season but a steady performance this year has seen him climb in the rankings and his recent win will put him at the #3 spot.