Snow and Blizzards Strike

Just before Christmas, snow falls in the north and east of Scotland, particularly around Aberdeen, gave that part of the country a traditional white Christmas. Initial falls were not very deep and caused only a minimum amount of disruption - though the Aberdeen v Dundee football match was cancelled. These early snow falls did not extend to the central Lowlands, including Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Throughout the holiday period, clear skies and day-time temperatures hovering around freezing point produced a bright if chilly end to the year. But gale force winds on 27 December battered the west coast of Scotland, bringing down power lines and toppling trees. At the same time, more snow fell in the Grampian mountains and the north-east - whipped up by 65mph winds. A number of roads were closed and Aberdeen and Inverness airports were affected. Power lines were brought down leaving nearly 14,000 homes without electricity for a spell. Motorists in the main shopping centre in Aberdeen were stranded as a result of power cuts there.

At least the soft snow helped one couple who fell 700 feet in the Cairngorms. They suffered leg injuries but survived their ordeal.

But on 3 January, although there was not much more snow, high winds whipped the light snow from fields and created drifts up to six feet deep in north-east Scotland. The main road between Aberdeen and Inverness was blocked and many other roads were closed too.

New Year Celebrations Exceed Millennium

Figures produced by the Scottish Retail Consortium showing that consumers are spending at record levels on retail purchases and sales of food and drink have outstripped the excesses of the Millennium celebrations. It is estimated that £930 million (£182 for each person in the country) will have been spent in December, significantly more than in December 1999. And the Confederation of British Industries distributive trade survey predicts that overall growth in sales volume in the first two weeks of December is likely to be the highest for 14 years. However, the buoyant retail sector may mean that the Bank of England will keep base interest rates on hold instead of going for further reductions.

Bumper Whisky Sales

There were early signs that sales of Scotch whisky are moving ahead of previous years. The festive period normally accounts for a third of annual sales so it is an important time for the industry.

Large Rises in Rail Fares

Scotrail, who operate 95% of the rail services in Scotland, are increasing fares on some routes by up to 23% and the peak-hour single fare between Edinburgh to Glasgow and Stirling to Glasgow routes is being increased by £1 from 6 January.. The Edinburgh-Glasgow route carries 12,000 passengers each day. The company blames the loss of government subsidies of £12 million a year. The announcement of the increased fares (an overall average of 3% - three times the current rate of inflation) came at a time when staff were about to impose an overtime ban which has caused 25% of train services to be cancelled. The trains between Edinburgh and Glasgow are now every 30 minutes instead of every 15 and a number of other routes are having their frequency reduced. Scotrail have introduced an "emergency" timetable but talks between management and unions will not resume until next week.

Scotland Loses Euro Rail Link

The direct rail freight link between Scotland and Europe, via the Channel Tunnel, closed down this week. Problems with asylum seekers trying to smuggle themselves into the UK from France by using the rail link has caused the French rail operator SNCF to suspend most of its freight services through the tunnel. So all goods are having to be transported by lorry and sea ferries. Only five months ago there were plans to expand the facility at Mossend in Lanarkshire.

Pay Rise Not a Pick-me-up for Health Service

Unions involved in the National Health Service expressed disappointment at an announcement of pay rises of 3.6% (three times the current rate of inflation) for hospital doctors and nurses and 4.6% for doctors in General Practise. The pay increases were recommended by an independent pay review body and for the fourth year in a row the Scottish Executive has implemented the full award. But staff and unions point to the 11% pay rise which Members of the Scottish Parliament are set to receive in 2002 as a result of the recommendations of a Senior Salaries Review Body.

Jack and Chloe - Most Popular in Scotland

The Office of National Statistics has reported that the most popular names given by parents to their children in Scotland during 2001 were Jack and Chloe. The same names were also the most popular in England and Wales. But in Scotland, there were a number of traditional Scottish names in the rest of the "top ten" - Lewis, Cameron, Ryan, James, Callum, Andrew, Dylan, Ross and Jamie. But familiar Scottish names were not popular when naming girls - after Chloe, the most used names were Amy, Lauren, Emma, Megan, Erin, Hannah, Rebecca, Sophie and Caitlin.

Clyde Ferry Strike Cuts Off Islands

In the week before Christmas, strike action by staff employed by the Caledonian MacBrayne company in the Firth of Clyde, meant that the islands of Arran, Bute and Cumbrae in the estuary were without a regular main ferry service for eight days.Although smaller ferries on minor routes continued to operate, the local tourist trade was hit as visitor bookings were cancelled. Staff working on the ships in the Clyde rejected a 3.5% increase which had been accepted by staff on other parts of the ferry company. The strike was eventually resolved on Christmas Eve, when management offered parity for the Clyde crews with their Western Isles colleagues and a reduction of one hour in the working week. But the late agreement just before Christmas meant there were no sailings until 27th December.

1,200 Jobs Lost as NEC Closes Scottish Factories

Why is it that companies often announce major job losses just before Christmas? This time it was the Japanese micro-chip manufacturer NEC at Livingston who gave 1260 workers at the plant the news that it was to close by March. NEC has been in the town for 20 years but says that "market conditions" had forced the cut-backs. But workers at the plant said that production of a new Splash chip for computer games, which had been developed at Livingston, was being switched to a Japanese factory.

2,600 Jobs at Motorola Under Threat

Last year, 3,100 jobs were lost at the Motorola plant in Bathgate (only five miles from Livingston where NEC have just cut 1,200 jobs as reported in the previous item). Now 2,600 workers in Motorola's semiconductor division at East Kilbride and South Queensferry are under threat as the company announced in the week before Christmas that it was planning to cut 9,400 jobs worldwide.

Bank Staff Strike on 2 January

Staff in the Royal Bank of Scotland went on strike on 2 January, claiming that the day was a "traditional" Scottish holiday. They were correct in the sense that it is a statutory bank holiday in Scotland - but that only means that banks may close, not that they must do so. And the holiday only came into operation in the 1970s. But five years ago the Scottish banks decided to align the days on which they closed with the holidays taken by English banks. That meant, among other changes, swapping 2 January for Easter Monday. When this was implemented, there were staff protests and an attempt at strike action. But by dint of using "volunteers" and closing small branches, the banks weathered that storm. Since then, Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale Bank have re-introduced the 2 January holiday. This year, Royal Bank, which now owns the former National Westminster Bank in England, opened a third of its Scottish branches. The bank claimed that with 15,000 staff in Scotland only 900 voted for strike action.

£200 Million Investment by Football Club Owner

David Murray, the owner and chairman of Rangers Football Club, has announced that he is investing £200 million in his business interests - but none of the cash is being spent on the club. Murray International Holdings has a large portfolio in a wide range of businesses and property which are doing well. But Rangers Football Club, which is separate from this, has debts of around £50 million due to previous purchases of players and a high wage bill.

Top Restaurant Chain Bankrupt

Leonardo & Co, who have four bistro-style restaurants in Glasgow and others in Aberdeen, Dundee and Stirling, has gone into receivership. The restaurants are remaining open while accountants try to find a buyer to take it over as a going concern. The largest restaurant in the chain is in Glasgow's Merchant City

Ferry Service to Belgium Approved

The European Commission has approved the £12 million grant to Forth Ports and the Greek Superfast Ferries company, signalling the start of a direct ferry service from Rosyth in Fife to Zeebrugge in Belgium in the summer. This will be the first direct ferry service between Scotland and mainland Europe. It will initially operate passenger and freight services twice a day. Superfast Ferries are believed to be looking at other routes from Rosyth, including Scandinavia. Consideration is also being given to introducing a shuttle ferry service between Leith, Edinburgh's port, and Rosyth.

Church Rebels on Funds for Poorer Parishes

Greenbank church in a Clarkston, a prosperous suburb of Glasgow, raises more than £200,000 each year from Sunday collections from its 1,267 members. About 25% of that is taken by the Church of Scotland to support churches in poorer areas and overseas where collections are understandably much smaller. But Greenbank and a number of other churches are objecting to plans by the church authorities to increase the amount of "tax" taken in this way. Instead of £50,000 Greenbank is being asked to contribute £63,000 and they are protesting that this is unfair. They have agreed, reluctantly, to stump up this year but a refusal to pay in future years is a distinct possibility. In the Church of Scotland at large, there are 1,600 congregations, of which 1,200 are self supporting. In the past, the Presbyterian principles of pooling resources has always been accepted.

New Development for Kirkintilloch

A £39 million project to redevelop the former Woodilee Hospital and the site of an old swimming pool in Kirkintilloch, a few miles from Glasgow, has been given the go-ahead. It will create a new health centre, civic theatre, town hall, supermarket and 800 houses. A new link road is also to be built to connect the town to the M80 motorway.

Facelift for Greenock Harbour

The run-down harbour area of Greenock, on the estuary of the river Clyde, is to get a £6.5 million makeover which will create apartments overlooking the river, a marina and an ocean terminal for cruise liners. The dock played host to the Tall Ships Race in 1999 and the QE2 called there on its last visit to the Clyde.

Saltire Number Plates Could Cause Problems

The Automobile Association has warned that the change to UK law to allow the flags of Scotland, England and Wales instead of the UK flag as part of car number plates, could create problems in other parts of Europe. The number plates can also include the letters ENG, SCO and CYM (Cymru, the Welsh word for Wales) but motorists would also have to display a separate GB sticker if they travel outside of the UK. While it was unlikely that officious police officers would try to fine motorists who did not display the correct GB indicator, they could still delay drivers while the matter was sorted out.

Old Kirk, Kilmarnock

Built in 1732, Old Kirk Kilmarnock is the oldest complete church in the town and has one of the only unique sets of stain glass windows which were created by the same artists in the 1860s. The Finnie family who built John Finnie Street also have a stain glass window in the Church. There are many links with Robert Burns, as the kirkyard is the resting place for many folk related to the bard, plus John Wilson, the printer of the Kilmarnock Edition of Burns poems. The church is keen to contact any Scots at home or abroad who have connections with the church and who would be interested in receiving more information about the church. The e-mail contact address is Maaitchison@aol.com

Anyone Here Speak Australian?

Staff at the Scottish tourist information office have revealed a list of the favourite daft questions they have been asked during the year. They include one man who wanted directions for Brigadoon (a mythical place made infamous by a Hollywood film) and another who wanted to know where to see the northern lights - and what time they were switched on. There is often confusion over placenames such as "How do you get to Loch Lomond and the Trollops" (he meant the Trossachs - pictured here) but the visitor who wanted to know where he could find Glasgow in Edinburgh needed more than a geography lesson. Others have asked for directions to Glasgow Castle (there isn't one) and there have been requests for "fresh" bottles of whisky rather than "matured". But visitors get their own back with horror stories too. Like the member of staff at a youth hostel who asked where the showers were - and was directed to a waterfall about a mile away.

Wild Boar Roam in Scotland Again

Wild boar were hunted to extinction in the 17th century but are now making a comeback as estates in the Highlands reintroduce them to help to regenerate areas of forest. The boars destroy rhododendrons which, in some areas, are spreading out of control. The boars have razor sharp tusks and have a reputation for being quite fierce. But estate managers claim that as long as they are handled correctly they do not cause any problems. About 15 estates have introduced them to clear hilly areas before the land is replanted with trees.

Italian Salesman for Scotland

A contestant in the Italian version of the TV programme "Big Brother" would not normally be mentioned in this Newsletter. But Francesco Maria Gaiardelli is obsessed about Scotland and was narrowly beaten in the show while wearing full Highland dress and playing the bagpipes. He finished all his diary sessions shouting "God save Scotland" and slept with a large Saltire flag above his bed. The 30-year-old Italian is convinced that he has Scottish ancestors - dating back to 1525. When voted off the programme in the final stages, he marched out wearing his kilt and playing a triumphant march on his bagpipes. He was immediately presented with a hamper of Scottish food, whisky and tartan by VisitScotland and invited to visit Scotland on a publicity tour.

Minnie Loses Her Arms

Minnie the Minx is a rough, tough, cartoon character in the long-running Beano comic who is always carrying out pranks, particularly with her catapult. So when a statue of Desperate Dan, another of the comic's characters, was being erected in Dundee's main shopping precinct, it seemed very appropriate to have a statue of Minnie creeping up behind the cartoon cowboy, catapult at the ready. But she has proved to be a bit of a softie after all - a structural weakness in her catapult arm has resulted in the loss of her limb - later handed in at the Tayside Police lost property office. So Minnie has had to be removed for repairs - leaving the 8ft high Desperate Dan to stride out on his own.

River Clyde Home for Sammy Seal

Although efforts have been made to clean up the river Clyde and encourage fish to thrive in the water which flows through Glasgow, there was some surprise when a seal was spotted basking as far up as Glasgow Green, which is further up the river than the city centre. Seals have been seen downstream before, particularly at the confluence of the river Kelvin and Clyde. But they don't usually stay for long. But to the delight of passers-by and locals (who have dubbed him "Sammy") this seal has been in residence, 16 miles from the sea, for nearly two months. He looks to be in good health and quite plump, so he is must be getting enough fish to keep him well fed.

Dundee Twinned with Ndounde

When Chief Kamsung in the Cameroon township of Ndounde (population 1,500) was looking for a town with which to "twin" he decided to write to Dundee (population 150,000) for no other reason than the fact that the names sounded similar - Ndounde is pronounced "N-Dun-day". But the chief made a good choice, because two years later, as a result of the cultural exchanges, the City of Discovery has raised the funds to provide Ndounde with its first fresh water supply. No doubt the Cameroon chief would agree with the erstwhile poet, William McGonagall:

"And the city of Dundee seems beautiful to the aye
With her mill stacks and Old Steeple so high,
Which can be seen on a clear summer day
From the top of Broughty Castle near the mouth of the Tay."

Pink Bin Bags to Make Glasgow Green

A scheme is to be introduced on a trial basis in Battlefield and Cathcart areas of Glasgow to encourage residents to be environmentally friendly and recycle newspapers, plastic bottles and aluminium cans. They will be issued with pink plastic bin bags in which to put these items for uplift with normal household waste. The contents will then be separated and sold for recycling. If the scheme is successful, it will be extended to the rest of the city of Glasgow, making the "dear green place" even greener.

Weather in Scotland in November

The Meteorological Office has published the overall weather statistics for the month of November and they show that most of Scotland experienced temperatures 1.5/2.0C (2.7/3.6F) above average. But apart from the east coast, there were below average hours of sunshine. Rainfall was below average in the east and centre of Scotland although the Fort William area in the west had more rain than usual. The highest temperature in November was 16.9C (62.5F) at Tain on the Dornoch Firth on 2 November. On 5th November, over two inches of rain fell on Loch Awe in Argyllshire which must have put a damper on the fireworks for Guy Fawkes night!

Weather in Scotland This Week

The freezing weather, clear blue skies and snow falls this week have been covered in the first item in this week's Newsletter. Overnight temperatures fell as low as -14C (7F) in Aviemore and even Edinburgh had an overnight low of -8C (17F) on Wednesday. By the weekend the thermometer began to rise but that resulted in thick mist and fog over large parts of the country.

Despite the freezing temperatures in the last couple of weeks of the year, 2001 was the second-warmest year since records began. The warmest year was 1998 and nine of the ten mildest years have come after 1990. Leaves have stayed on the trees longer than usual and October was the warmest on record. Hard frosts did not arrive until mid-December.

The berries on this semi-evergreen variety of cotoneaster "John Waterer" (pictured above) have survived the winter - and the attentions of the local bird population. The photo was taken in suburban Glasgow earlier this week.

Demolition Starts on Europe's Largest Brick Building

The redevelopment of the Meadowside Granary on the banks of the river Clyde in Glasgow, began just before Christmas as the demolition teams moved in. The first part of the building was put up in 1914 and the complex is one of Europe's largest brick buildings. It is being pulled down to make way for the £500 million "Glasgow Harbour" project which will create 2,500 houses, shops, offices and a river walkway. The debris from the granary is to be ground into fine sand and used on further construction work.

Smarten Up - By Law

A historian at St Andrews University has pointed out that statutes passed by King James I of Scotland, which imposed fines for citizens who were dressed scruffily in public, have never been repealed. So in theory anyone dressed in frayed jeans could be fined up to £200. Equally, anyone dressing "above their station" in society could still be punished. For example, silk should only be worn by lords and other titled people. King James I passed the laws because he wanted foreign visitors to Scotland to get a better impression of the population.

Aberdeen's Past on CD-Rom

An interactive CD-Rom containing information and pictures on Aberdeen's colourful past was launched this week by RS Communications. It has been created with younger people in mind so that they can learn more about the history of the Granite City. It contains images of a number of buildings in Aberdeen, including Marischal College (illustrtaed here), St Machar Cathedral and the Music Hall. There are also photos of Aberdeen as it used to be - in the days of horse-drawn carriages. 150 of the images are copyright free so that people can send the images around the world via the Internet. Contact shop@ajl.co.uk for more details.

Youth Hostel Rival for Skibo Castle?

The Scottish Youth Hostel Association is marketing their property at Carbisdale Castle, which looks over the Kyle of Sutherland, as a romantic setting for weddings during the off-season and a low-cost "alternative" to luxury Skibo Castle. While Carbisdale does not have the same security and exclusiveness of Skibo, it has been brought up to modern standards - and can accommodate up to 200 people a night for only £1200 (that's £6 a head). It is claimed that the surroundings are just as grand as Skibo, the scenic views are better - and it has a resident ghost, if that is a requirement. The castle was completed in 1917 for the Dowager Duchess of Sutherland and still boasts the statues and paintings from these days.

We'll Tak' A Plastic Cup o' Kindness Yet

The refrains of "Auld Lang Syne" on Hogmanay in Edinburgh were accompanied not by the clink of glasses but thousands of plastic hour-glass-shaped containers which were handed out as giveaways to reduce the amount of broken glass in the Street Party on Princes Street. Although glass containers are officially banned, in previous years many revellers have ignored the rules and it was hoped that the free novelties would reduce these numbers. 100,000 people attended this year. The concert in Princes Street Gardens was headlined by the Scottish singers The Proclaimers.

Ice Cold Swims Welcome New Year

Despite the freezing temperatures, the annual "Loony Dook" swim in the Firth of Forth, beneath the famous railway bridge, took place on 1 January. Dozens of hardy (or foolish) souls took part in the traditional plunge into the cold water. And further north, 100 people braved the icy waters of the river Tay at Broughty Ferry. In both "celebrations" money was raised for charity which no doubt made the hearts warm even if the toes were suffering from the water at only a few degrees above freezing point.

Glasgow On Ice

The skating rink set up in December in Glasgow's George Square had nearly double the number of skaters this year compared to last year. 35,000 people donned their skates amid the festive lights and beside a bar/restaurant set up alongside. There was also a small funfair with a helter-skelter and a merry-go-round and stalls selling seasonal wares and hot chestnuts. As the weather was relatively mild for the first three weeks of December, visitors took advantage of the open air facilities.

BBC Win TV Hogmanay Ratings War

The BBC claimed that they won the TV ratings war on New Year's Eve with their mix of comedy and variety hosted by TV presenter Jackie Bird. It was watched by over a million Scots (55% of viewers). Scottish Television came a poor second with just over 500,000 viewers.

Gigha in TV Spotlight

The BBC has commissioned a programme to film life over 12 months on the little island of Gigha which was recently bought by the residents for £4 million - of which the population themselves must find a million pounds over the next two years. The BBC previously had a successful "fly-on-the-wall" documentary about an artificially created community on the deserted island of Taransay in the Western Isles. But this new programme will be about the 110 long-term residents of Gigha.

Magical Wedding for Harry Potter Author

Edinburg-based author J K Rowling, creator of the Harry Potter books, married her partner Dr Neil Murray on Boxing Day in a ceremony at her new secluded home in Perthshire. There was extreme secrecy in advance of the event and only 15 close family members attended as guests. Her 8-year-old daughter from a previous marriage was one of the bridesmaids. Dr Murray's parents had to travel through heavy snow from their home in Huntly, Aberdeenshire.

Knighthood for Head of National Galleries of Scotland

Timothy Clifford, the controversial director-general of the National Galleries of Scotland, has been awarded a knighthood in the Queen's New Year Honours list. He has headed the NGS since 1984 and in that time has seen attendances rise from 460,000 to 1.2 million. Other Scots included in this year's honours list were actress-singer Barbara Dickson and footballer Gary McAllister who both got an MBE. Hugh Morison, the chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association receives an MBE for services to the whisky industry as does Giles Havergal, director of the Citizen's Theatre in Glasgow.

Tartan for the Material Girl

A new tartan named "Romantic Scotland" has been created by the Highlands and Islands Tourist Board to honour pop star Madonna - who gave such a boost to tourism in the north of Scotland with her wedding at Skibo Castle to Guy Ritchie in December 2000. The main colour in the tartan is blue - to reflect an early Madonna album "True Blue" and has references to the Ritchie tartan as well. The design has been registered with the Scottish Tartans Society and a length of the tartan has been sent to Madonna.

Royal Scottish Academy Exhibition for Glasgow

For the last 176 years, the annual exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy has been held in Edinburgh. It is normally held in the RSA building on the Mound in the centre of the capital. But, due to major structural renovations being carried out on the building, it has been decided to stage the 2002 exhibition in the McLellan Galleries in Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow. The RSA plan to return to Edinburgh in 2003 but there have been suggestions that in future years it may be held at other venues in Scotland.

Volunteers Save Fire Ritual

The spectacular, traditional Fireball Ceremony in Stonehaven was in danger of being cancelled this year because of the lack of marshalls to control the crowd of 10,000 onlookers. The number of spectators has been increasing and the small town was hard pushed to organise the 43 men (and some women too) who swing 20 pound fireballs around their heads as they march up and down the main street at just after midnight on Hogmanay. In the past, it was done to ward off evil spirits, now it is a tourist attraction. At the last minute the organisers managed to rustle up volunteers from outside of the Aberdeenshire coastal town - some came from as far away as Dundee and Aberdeen but the furthest travelled marshalls were two visitors to Stonehaven from Poland.

Mid-Week Results

Aberdeen 0 Livingston 3
Celtic 2 Motherwell 0
Hibernian 0 Dundee United 1
St Johnstone 0 Hearts 2
Partick Thistle 2 Clyde 1
Kilmarnock v Rangers was postponed due to a frozen pitch. Likewise, the Division One matches Airdrie v Falkirk and Ayr v Clyde were also postponed.

Tennent's Scottish Cup, 3rd Round - 5 January

Devronvale 0 Ayr United 6
Dundee United 3 Forres Mechanics 0
Dunfermline 3 Motherwell 1
Hearts 2 Ross County 1
Kilmarnock 3 Airdrie 0
Stranraer 0 Hibernian 0
The other nine matches were postponed due to frozen pitches and will be played later in January.

League Tables

In the Scottish Premier League, after the matches at Christmas and 2 January, Celtic are maintaining their lead with 61 points, followed by Rangers on 48. Livingston have faded slightly and have 40 points, followed by Aberdeen on 33 points. St Johnstone are still firmly stuck at the foot of the SPL, 5 points behind Motherwell who have a game in hand.

In the First Division, Partick Thistle have moved into the lead with 43 points, three points ahead of Airdrie but the North Lanarkshire team have two games in hand. Ayr United are in third place but are 12 points behind Airdrie. Raith Rovers are at the bottom of the First Division, 4 points behind Ross County who have played one game less.

Question Mark Over Euro 2008 Bid

When Henry McLeish (an ex-footballer) was Scottish First Minister, there was considerable support from government for a bid from the Scottish Football Association to host the finals of the Euro 2008 football championships. But now that Jack McConnell is First Minister, he is asking questions about the economic viability of the project before committing £100 million in financial support - much of it to create enough large stadia to meet the requirements. Options such as using the Newcastle United stadium in northern England or a joint bid with Ireland now appear to be back in the frame.

Aberdeen Match 17-Year-Old Record

The last time that Aberdeen had an unbroken run of nine home league victories was 17 years ago when the now legendary Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge. Last weekend, they had 8 successive home wins but their 9th match was against unbeaten league leaders Celtic and only optimistic Aberdeen supporters believed it was possible. But with the gift of two bizarre goals, Aberdeen ran out winners by 2-0. Aberdeen came back to earth with a bump on 2 January, however, when they were defeated by Livingston 3-0. And the further reality is that despite a better than expected season, 20 of their players will be on free transfers at the end of this season. Aberdeen does not have the finances to offer the sort of money many of these players will now be able to command - especially after such a successful spell.

New Scotland Football Manager?

There was speculation this week that Berti Vogts was the front-runner for the job as manager of the Scottish national football team. The previous manager, Craig Brown, resigned a few months ago when Scotland failed to qualify for the World Cup. Berti Vogts is a German and previously led the German national side to victory in the Euro 1996 competition. But as the German side failed to progress in the 1998 World Cup, Vogts returned to club management. But he is now in charge of the Kuwait national team.

National Stadium Springs a Leak

The pitch at Hampden Park, the national football stadium, will have to be relaid after ground staff appear to have punctured the under soil heating pipes. The new system was installed in 1999 but the pipes, which are 10 inches below the surface, have burst and flooded the pitch. The water then froze in the sub-zero temperatures. It is planned to heat the pitch with a giant heated dome for the CIS Cup semi-finals on 5 and 6 February between Rangers and Celtic and Hibs and Ayr United.

Cash Shortage at Celtic

Despite their success in the Scottish Premier League, the chairman of Celtic Football Club has told fans that the club has no money to buy expensive players, despite raising £22.5 million from a share issue last summer. Most of the money has been used to reduce the size of the club's borrowings and to pay players' wages. Even the plans to create a new youth academy and training complex have ben put on hold. But despite persistent rumours and not having any cash to strengthen the team, manager Martin O'Neill has stated firmly that the only reason he would leave the club would be if he was fired. Given the success which has been achieved since his arrival, dismissal will be the last thing the Celtic board would contemplate.

Larger Than Life Statue to Jim Baxter

A statue to Rangers and Scotland footballer Jim Baxter, one-and-a-half times life size, is to be erected at the Ex-Servicemen's Club in Beath, Fife, near where the legendary Baxter started his career. "Slim Jim" played for local team Raith Rovers while he was working as a miner and joined Rangers at the age of 20.

East Stirling Moving to Grangemouth

East Stirling Football Club has confirmed that they are moving their ground to Grangemouth - and will be changing their name as part of the deal. The Third Division club has accepted an offer of £3 million for their 1800-seat ground at Firs Park in Falkirk. They plan to move to the Grangemouth athletics stadium and build new seated accommodation there. East Stirling's claim to fame is that it was the first managerial appointment of Sir Alex Ferguson in 1974.

Extension to Clyde's Stadium

Clyde Football Club, which is now based at Broadwood Stadium near Cumbernauld, is planning to extend the seated area of their ground so that the capacity will reach 10,000, the minimum size demanded for participation in the Scottish Premier League. Currently Clyde is not in the running for promotion but they are looking to the future. Average attendance at Clyde's games is currently 1,500. The ground is owned by North Lanarkshire Council who are likely to contribute towards the estimated £500,000 cost of expansion.