The Rampant Scotland Newsletter - your weekly insight into what has been happening in Scotland, snipped from the Scottish media, for Scots in Scotland and abroad, bringing you news, events plus a Scottish magazine section. Printed with 100% recycled electrons.Previous editions of this Newsletter are available in the Archive> and the Index to the other pages of the Rampant Scotland site is available here>.
The Scottish Snippets Newsletter in its original format began in April 1997 and continued in an unbroken series for 591 issues. Although no longer produced in that format there is now a regular update on the new and updated pages on the Rampant Scotland site and also "Scottie's Diary" on an intermittent basis, To receive this, kust send an e-mail to Scottie with "Subscribe Newsletter" in the subject line.
Current Affairs
Historical Affairs - Topical Items from Scotland's Past
Entertainment
Sport
St Johnstone conceded a goal in the last five minutes of their game against Clyde and that allowed Partick Thistle to pull 2 points clear at the top of the First Division. Hamilton moved into second place, ahead of the Perth club, as a result of their defeat of Gretna (who are now fourth). Queen of the South bring up the rear, two points behind Airdrie United.
In the Second Division, Greenock Morton are still 6 points ahead, despite losing to Alloa on Saturday. Stirling Albion are second. Forfar are last in that league, 5 points adrift from Raith Rovers.
In the Third Division, East Fife are still well on top, 9 points clear of Dumbarton, Queens Park and Berwick. East Stirling are having their best season for a while - they are 4 points ahead of Elgin, at the foot of the table.
In the Scottish Rugby Premiership 1 table, Currie moved further ahead as a result of Saturday's games - they now have 6 points more than Boroughmuir and Ayr. Aberdeen are struggling at the foot of the table, 4 points below Hawick. Magazine Section
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Record Number of Overseas Visitors
The tourism industry in Scotland is estimated to have been worth £4.2 billion to the local economy last year. 28% of that figure (over £1.2 billion) was due to overseas visitors, the highest figure since 1996. The numbers who came to Scotland from abroad last year totalled 2.4 million - which was 50% higher than in 2001. 344,000 of these came from USA, though that was well down from the 421,000 in 2001. But the number of Canadians coming to Scotland doubled in the same timeframe - to 181,000. That was quite a total, bearing in mind that Canada's population is just over 10% that of the US. Germany had the second highest number of arrivals, with 285,000, which was well up on the 155,000 four years earlier. The number of travellers from France more than doubled between 2001 (61,000) and 2005 (144,000). The biggest percentage increase was from Sweden - up from 23,000 to 131,000 in the same timescale.Tourism Minister Patricia Ferguson put the growth down to an increased budget for marketing by VisitScotland, and the rise in cheaper air travel, with a significant increase in direct flights from a wide range of locations. The Scottish Executive announced this week that a further £800,000 has been allocated to the route development fund, which has so successfully encouraged airlines to start flights on new routes. The overall aim is to increase revenues from tourism in Scotland by another 50%, over the decade to 2015.
Scotland's Economic Growth Spurt
The latest economic data from the Scottish Executive shows that Scotland's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose by 2.2% over the year to the end of 2006 Quarter 2. The economy grew by 0.6% during the second quarter of 2006. GDP is a measure of the value of goods and services produced by residents and is a key statistic in establishing economic performance. The Scottish service sector grew at an annual rate of 2.9%, but the production/manufacturing sector dropped by 1.1%, dragged down largely by the troubles in the electronics industry. However, the booming construction industry rose by 4.6% to produce the best overall performance for some time. AS usual, however, Scotland is lagging behind the UK growth figure - but now the gap is only 0.1%. Economists are cautiously predicting that Scotland's longer-term economic growth can be maintained at or above the UK level as it is being boosted by a greater influx of workers from eastern Europe. Most of those incomers are economically active, helping to create more wealth - and increase demand for locally produced goods within Scotland while they are here.
Flooding and High Winds Cause Chaos
Torrential rain on Monday caused flooding in some parts of the far north of Scotland, after a number of rivers and burns burst their banks. The worst affected areas were in Wick and Thurso (where properties in the town centre were badly hit) and in Kirkwall in Orkney where most of the local schools had to close. The main A9 road was closed for a while at Cromarty Bridge and the railway line between Dingwall and Thurso closed, due to a landslip. Then, on Thursday, heavy rain accompanied by high winds, created chaotic conditions in the north again. The A9 was closed once more, when a landslip exposed four unexploded bombs. These had to be detonated, before the road could be re-opened on Friday. All the rail services north of Inverness had to be cancelled due to a combination of flooding and fallen trees. 7,500 homes in the north lost their electricity supplies after overhead cables were blown down after winds gusted to 80mph and some were still without power on Friday. Further south, the Tay Bridge between Dundee and Fife was closed to high-sided vehicles and motor bikes because of the high winds on Thursday, and a number of minor roads were blocked as a result of fallen trees and branches.
Delay for University of the Highlands and Islands
In April 2001, the University of the Highlands and Islands Millennium Institute (usually referred to as just "UHI") was awarded the status of a Higher Education Institution, providing university level courses throughout the region. It had taken ten years to get the project to that level, but the aim had always been to create a full university, able to award degrees on its own account, instead of having to have them externally validated by the Open University and others. The hope had been that this would be achieved in 2007. But the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has decided that more time needs to be taken. The QAA found courses to be of high quality and notable for their support for student learning and needs. But it wants to see a strengthening of the structures of the proposed university and development of its research base. UHI is unique, with 15 colleges and research institutions, serving communities from Shetland to Perth and from the Outer Hebrides to Moray, all of whom are autonomous institutions in their own right. Their work is coordinated by the UHI executive office in Inverness.
More European Regional Aid for Highlands
Since 1994, the Highlands and Islands area has received £450 million from the European Community to help boost economic growth, education and training and infrastructure in the region. The finance has been used to help build roads, bridges, causeways and other infrastructure projects. As one of the poorest regions in the European Union, the region was entitled to priority "Objective One" funding. But the Highlands and Islands have prospered in the last decade and poorer eastern European countries have joined the EU. As a result, the Highlands lost its priority status. However, between 2000 and 2006 the area was allocated £200 million "transitional" funding. Now that this is coming to an end, a further £106 million has been awarded, spread over the next seven years. The cash will allow a number of valuable infrastructure improvement projects to go ahead, assisting economic growth.
Adventure Capital of Europe?
A campaign was launched in the Highlands this week to attract extreme sports enthusiasts to a range of activities such as white-water rafting, mountaineering, snow sports, kitesurfing, sea kayaking and dogsledding. The aim is to attract participants in the 18-40 age bracket to the Lochaber and Fort William area, where 30 organisations have teamed up to offer discounts on everything from the providers of activity sports themselves to accommodation, bars and restaurants. If it is successful, the scheme will be extended to other parts of Scotland.
Capital Leisure Projects Axed
The escalating cost of the refurbishment of the Usher Hall in Edinburgh is having a ripple effect over a number of leisure developments in the capital. The city's budget for such projects is said to be £13 million in the red. So planned improvements to swimming pools, libraries and arts venues are having to be put on the back burner. The City Council blames the rising cost of raw materials and a shortage of contractors in the construction industry prepared to undertake the work. These delays, in turn, incur further rising costs, with construction cost inflation running at 2.5 times that of normal inflation. As a result of the financial problems, improvements to the Assembly Rooms, Leith Library, Morningside Library and Glenogle Swim Centre in Stockbridge are all facing lengthy delays, to pay for increased costs on other projects.
Green Light for Rebirth of Ravenscraig
Fourteen years after the furnaces at the steelworks at Ravenscraig in North Lanarkshire were extinguished, the project to create the "new town" of Ravenscraig appears to have jumped over the final legal hurdle. The Scottish Executive had given its approval nearly three years ago, but there had been continuing legal wrangles, which went as far as the House of Lords. The owners of nearby shopping centres such as East Kilbride, Motherwell, Wishaw and Hamilton believe that the plans for 57,600 square metres of new retail space at Ravenscraig will undermine their operations. They argued that leading property companies had invested heavily in these locations as they had understood that there was a clear planning policy which was designed to protect and enhance existing town centres. They contended that the Scottish Executive had ignored their own planning guidelines in approving the plans. But the Law Lords have now rejected the objections. In addition to the retail developments, the 1,150-acre site at Ravenscraig will accommodate thousands of homes, community facilities, schools and a college. Although detailed planning permission has still to be obtained from North Lanarkshire Council, the outline approval already granted will allow work to start on the site before the end of the year. The total cost is likely to be in the region of a billion pounds and will take twenty years to complete.
New Park-and-Ride Facility
A new car park, capable of accommodating 800 vehicles, opened this week at Shields Road underground station on the South Side of Glasgow. Drivers who park there will have just a five-minute subway journey to the city centre. Charges are only £1.50 to park all day and unlimited parking and travel on the underground train can cost as little as £2.50 a day. When it was proposed, there was controversy because the multi-storey car park is just across the road from the Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed Scotland Street School. There were concerns that it would dwarf one of his most famous buildings, which is now a museum.
Delay in Flu Vaccination
Due to a late change in the make-up of this year's influenza vaccine, supplies have been delayed and many National Health Service patients have been told that there will be fewer vaccine kits than patients for many weeks. Some medical centres and clinics are predicting it could be December before they get all their supplies. Priority will be given to the most vulnerable groups, such as those over 65 and those under 65 with long term medical conditions such as diabetes and asthma. While there seems to be a delay for the free flu jab via the NHS, supermarkets and large chemists have stocked up with vaccine kits and are selling them for between £12 and £15. A Scottish Executive spokeswoman claimed that there was no shortage - "just a Europe-wide delay in delivery."
Satellite Broadcaster Brings 250 Jobs to Livingston
British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), which operates Sky Digital, the most popular subscription television service in the UK and Ireland, is part owned by News Corporation, chaired by Rupert Murdoch. BSkyB already has its subscriber services headquartered in Dunfermline in Fife and now is to consolidate its UK corporate finance and legal departments in a new centre in Livingston, creating 255 new jobs. The Scottish location was selected after assessing a number of other potential locations in Asia and Europe. But it seems that Scottish Development International worked hard to secure this project - and a Regional Selective Assistance grant from the Scottish Executive of £800,000 no doubt helped. BSkyB began its operations in Scotland in 1989 and now employs over 5,000 people here, so they know the local situation very well.
Poppy Appeal
Poppyscotland, formerly the Earl Haig Fund Scotland, has launched the annual appeal for the charity that supports veterans and their dependents in Scotland. Last year it raised a record amount of £1.4 million, mainly through the sale of poppies in the weeks before Remembrance Sunday - this year on 12 November.
Scots Waste Energy
A survey of the energy-saving habits of people in the UK, Spain, Italy, France and Germany claims that the Scots are at the bottom of the league when it comes to wasting energy. We apparently use cars for short journeys, rather than walk or take a bus - and we are prone to leaving electrical appliances on standby, rather than switch them off. And as a nation of tea and coffee drinkers, we overfill kettles, using more electricity than we need to heat up the water. Our reputation for looking after the pennies didn't totally fly out of the window. When it gets a bit chilly, we tend to put on another sweater, rather turn up the central heating. Overall, however, the UK came out worst in the survey - and Scotland emerged as the third-worst region in Britain.
Highest Retail Rents in Scotland
A survey of rents being paid in the main retail streets in the UK shows that the most expensive properties in Scotland are in Buchanan Street in Glasgow where it now costs £250 per square foot per year for "Zone A". That's an increase of 8.7% since last year and has pushed values higher than even Princes Street in Edinburgh, where the retail property market has remained flat in the last twelve months. But retail stores are paying higher prices for shops in Birmingham and Manchester in England - and London's New Bond Street is the most expensive shopping street in Britain.
One Scotland Photography Competition
Scottish Television (STV) and the Scottish Executive have joined forces to launch a photographic competition aimed at capturing Scotland's many cultures in one photograph. Budding amateur photographers have been invited to submit an image which they consider represents a modern, diverse Scotland. The image can be of any subject - people, places, events or objects - taken within the last six months. But it must offer an inspiring or thought-provoking image of "One Scotland." Entries will be judged in three categories - under 18; over 18; and mobile phone camera. Shortlisted images will be voted on by the public via the STV web site. The top image will then be announced on 30 November - St Andrews Day. The One Scotland campaign aims to raise awareness of the damaging effects of racism and promotes Scotland's cultural diversity. Further detail on how to enter 'One Scotland in the picture', including full terms and conditions, can be found at www.stv.tv/onescotland.
Isle of Bute Wins Lottery
The Heritage Lottery Fund has allocated £1.7 million to the Isle of Bute, in the Firth of Clyde, to help to regenerate the island and bring economic, educational and social benefits to its inhabitants. The finance is part of the lottery's rural regeneration Landscape Partnership Scheme. This aims at a "holistic" approach, working with the natural, cultural and built heritage across a large geographic area. Bute, has a resident population of 7,228, according to the last census. The island was once a popular seaside holiday destination, but has struggled in recent years with the growth of foreign travel.
Clan Innes Helps Elgin Museum
The secretary of the Clan Innes Society was in Moray this week to hand over another donation to the Elgin Museum to help in the preservation of exhibits. Moray is the ancestral homeland of the clan (going back to the 12th century) and so far this year, the clan has donated £4,250 to support the museum. These days, most members of the clan society are in North America.
Relocation Policy Under Scrutiny
The Scottish Executive has adopted a controversial policy of relocating government departments and agencies from Edinburgh to other parts of Scotland. The aim is to spread the jobs and economic benefits of government functions, but those who have been employed for many years in the Capital, are not always keen to move (to put it mildly). The dispersal of Scottish Natural Heritage to Inverness was one such project that ran into a lot of difficulties - and high costs of both persuading staff to move and redundancy packages. The move has now been completed, but now the Scottish Parliament's audit committee is to summon Ross Finnie, the environment and rural affairs minister responsible to "explain" the decision. Normally, it would be senior civil servants who would be called before the watchdog body. But in this case, the minister had over-ruled the advice of his senior officials - who had recommended that SNH should remain in Edinburgh. While nothing can be done about past decisions, it may place a question mark in future over the overall dispersal policy, or at the very least, how they are handled.
Million Pound Parking Fines
Motorists parking illegally or who don't get back to their cars before the meter runs out in George Street in Edinburgh, incurred nearly 21,000 parking fines last year. That was the second highest total for one street in the UK - only beaten (if that's the right word) by Lordship Lane in north London. At £60 a time, the George Street tickets would generate £1.2 million for the city council. However, if the penalty is paid within 14 days, the value drops to £630,000. Parking meters in George Street itself are usually well filled, inducing some folk to take a chance to nip into one of the retail outlets or offices. But the attendants (known in that part of the country as "Enforcers" - and a few other well chosen words) patrol assiduously (see illustration). Meantime, in streets a block or two away, I know from experience that there is no problem finding an empty meter. Parking attendants are thinner on the ground there too, as they concentrate on more lucrative areas. Glasgow's worst (or best, if you are the city council raking in the charges) street for parking fines is Sauchiehall Street - renaming to SauchieHAUL Street has been suggested. In 2005-06, 6,303 penalty fines were imposed. If the fines were paid within 14 days (most are) then the cost to motorists would be £189,000.
Dram Good News
Inspectors checking up to see that customers were not being given short measure in bars and hotels in Argyll found instead that 80% were actually serving drams that were too large. Some of the measures were as much as 60% over what they should have been, with the average 11.4% above the legal spirit measures.
Classic Cars Touring Highlands
Anyone driving in the Highlands this week would have been surprised if they came across a fleet of elderly motor cars, dating from 1934 to 1967, driving in a convoy. The Scottish section of the Alvis Owner's Club is touring with 14 of these classic cars. They set out from Boat of Garten near Aviemore and travelled to Plockton on the west coast and then across the Spean Bridge to Skye. The ferry from Glenelg to Kylerea is stopped for the winter, but the operators made a special run for the venerable vehicles. They have encountered some steep hills and one of the cars seized a brake cylinder. But, unlike today's engineering marvels, they just hit it with a hammer and off it went...
Weather in Scotland This Week
As noted in an earlier item, there was heavy rain on Monday and further downpours, accompanied by strong winds, on Thursday. The other days were mostly overcast with frequent showers and longer periods of rain, interspersed with just a few brighter intervals. Temperatures continued to be above the norm for this time of year. Edinburgh and Glasgow reached a maximum of 14/15C (57/59F) on Thursday and Saturday, with Aberdeen rising to 16C (61F) on Saturday (after managing to reach only 9C/48F on Friday).
The illustration is of a lupin, still surviving in mid-October.
This Week's Colour Supplement
This week's large format photographs taken in Scotland to show the current season include misty Edinburgh Castle in the rain (see thumbnail version here), Princes Street shops and Gardens (with the Scott Monument and Balmoral Hotel), Drumpellier Country Park Peace Garden, button chrysanthemums and, finally, the sun trying to peek out from behind the clouds.
See This Week's Colour Supplement.
Saving Historic Battlefields
Over the years, historians have complained about the way in which many of the sites of battlefields that were turning points in Scottish history have been ignored. As a result, modern developments often encroach on them. There are, of course, honourable exceptions - Culloden (1746) and Bannockburn (1314) are under the ownership of the National Trust for Scotland (though the site of Bannockburn is frequently disputed). However, the site of the Battle of Sheriffmuir (1715) is overshadowed by soaring electricity pylons and the area of the conflict at Dunbar in 1650 is crossed by the main A1 road from Edinburgh to London - and a cement works has been built on another part of the site. The location of Wallace's victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge (1297) was built over many years ago - though the area is likely to become a heritage project, with sculptures and art work. In England, there is the Register of Historic Battlefields, set up by EnglishHeritage, which gives 43 important battlefields some degree of protection. Now, Historic Scotland has undertaken to at least draw up a register of known sites in Scotland. While this would not provide any statutory authority to protect them, at least it would give local authorities relevant information before making any planning decisions. Perhaps Historic Scotland will also be able to resolve the disputes (and there are many) where the exact location of a battle is in doubt.
The illustration here shows the Clan Macrae Memorial at Sheriffmuir.
Cash for Museums and Galleries
A new scheme, backed by a £500,000 a year from the Scottish Executive, has been announced this week. It should help to ensure that important collections by Scotland's "non-national" museums and galleries are identified, cared for, protected and promoted. The "Significance Scheme" will first of all identify local collections which are considered to be of national importance and will then help to fund them. In the past, these museums and galleries have had to rely on voluntary fund raising and/or support from regional councils.
Next Week in Scottish History
Glasgow to Host World Irish Dancing Championship
In 2002, Glasgow became the first city outside of Ireland to host the World Irish Dancing Championships and it is to do the honours again in 2007. This week, it was announced that the championships will be back in Glasgow again in 2010, after moving to Belfast in 2008 and Philadelphia in 2009. With 4,000 competitors, accompanied by family and friends, it will be another £20 million boost to the local hospitality industry. Competitors come not just from Ireland, but also Canada, US, Australia, Scandinavia, Germany, France, Russia and Japan. And Glasgow, with a significant percentage of its population with Irish roots, has a large number of Irish dance schools who will be participating in the event.
New Year Party Train
Train operator GNER is running services between Edinburgh and London and Edinburgh on Hogmanay and on New Year's Day, but now a promotional company has joined forces with the organisers of the Scottish capital's celebrations to run a private charter train to bring revellers on a service being billed as "the only New Year party train". The train will arrive in Edinburgh at 5.30pm and all those on board will have a guaranteed pass for the Royal Bank Street Party. After enjoying the festivities, fireworks, pop concerts and bringing in the New Year, the train will depart again for London at 3am. Any bets on how many won't make it in time?
Newcomers and Veterans at Edinburgh's Hogmanay Concert
Tickets for Edinburgh's New Year's Eve concert in Princes Street Gardens go on sale on 28 October and so information on the headline acts was published this week. Pop veterans the Pet Shop Boys (who have just released a new album "Concrete") will star with Scots teenage soul singer Paolo Nutini (whose debut album "These Streets" has gone platinum) in a three-hour show.
Early Start for Edinburgh International Festival
The new director of the Edinburgh International Festival, who took up his post on Monday, has announced that the arts extravaganza is to start two days earlier than in previous years, on Friday 10th August, but will continue for just over three weeks to Sunday, 2nd September. It is argued that an extra weekend will boost the event's profile.
Things That Go Bump in the Night
A number of "Halloween Happenings" are being organised at various historic (and reputedly haunted) buildings in the north-east of Scotland. On Saturday, an eerie evening out at Fyvie Castle, known as one of the most haunted castles in the area, is already fully booked. Castle Fraser (seen here), near Kemnay, has already hosted a suitably spectral fancy dress party. Along with bewitching games and a buffet, a spooky tour of the echoing castle and ghost stories by a blazing log fire added a seasonal shiver. Coast Ghosts is the topic at the historic House of Dun, near Montrose. The National Trust is winging visitors on their way with a torch-lit tour, after which the Scottish Wildlife Trust leads a bat hunt before supper. On Halloween itself, Halloween at Haddo House is providing a scary spell in the mansion for under-12s.
Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results
St Mirren 2 Rangers 3
Dunfermline 0 Hibernian 4Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 28 October 2006
Falkirk 5 Dundee United 1
Heart of Midlothian 1 Dunfermline 1
Rangers 1 Motherwell 1
St Mirren 1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1
Sunday, 29 October 2006
Kilmarnock v Celtic is scheduled for Sunday and Aberdeen v Hibernian for Monday (to accommodate TV schedules).
Scottish Football League First Division Results - 28 October 2006
Clyde 1 St Johnstone 0
Hamilton 3 Gretna 1
Partick Thistle 3 Dundee 1
Queen of the South 2 Livingston 0
Ross County 2 Airdrie United 1Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 28 October 2006
Alloa 3 Greenock Morton 2
Ayr United 5 Forfar 0
Brechin City 3 Stranraer 0
Peterhead 1 Cowdenbeath 0
Raith Rovers 1 Stirling Albion 3Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 28 October 2006
Albion Rovers 3 Montrose 1
Arbroath 0 Dumbarton 0
East Stirling 0 East Fife 4
Elgin 2 Stenhousemuir 0
Queens Park 1 Berwick Rangers 0BT Scotland Rugby Division 1 Results - 28 October 2006
Ayr 15 Watsonians 8
Boroughmuir 10 Hawick 12
Currie 30 Aberdeen 20
Glasgow Hawks 15 Heriots 22
Melrose 34 Dundee 10League Tables
Well, Hearts didn't lose on Saturday against Dunfermline, so the team may still be employed (see item below). But Celtic can go ten points ahead if they win their match on Sunday against Kilmarnock. As for Rangers, they are 2 points behind Hearts - and only one point ahead of Inverness and Kilmarnock. Dundee United are trailing at the foot of the SPL, one point behind Dunfermline.
Hearts Head Coach Taking a Break
Valdas Ivanauskas, the head coach of Heart of Midlothian Football Club is to take a two-week leave of absence, citing ill-health, which needed attention, as the reason. The announcement came after a meeting in Lithuania with the club's owner, Vladimir Romanov. The coach had declined to talk to the media after Hearts had been defeated 2-0 by Kilmarnock last Saturday. But he later said that his break had not been connected with that result - and that Romanov had given his support and understanding. Last season, the Lithuanian banker sacked George Burley and then Graham Rix as head coach. Veteran manager Ivanauskas was appointed initially only as a caretaker, but the players had made it clear that they wanted him appointed on a permanent basis - and that had been agreed by Romanov.
Win on Saturday - Or You're Fired!
A few days after the announcement of the head coach's two-week break, team morale at Hearts suffered another hard knock. Majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov warned the players that if they didn't win on Saturday against Dunfermline, the first team would be up for sale. He threatened to field a team of youngsters against Celtic the following weekend, if they lost. At the pre-match briefing on Friday, team captain Steven Pressley said that the last two years had been "testing for the players". He said the squad wished Ivanauskas well ,but stressed that trying to maintain team discipline and unity had become "an impossible task". It remains to be seen what Romanov does as a result of the team only managing a draw against Dunfermline, who are, after all, second from the foot of the SPL. Romanov has not earned the nickname "Vlad the Impaler" for nothing...
Dunfermline Manager Resigns
Dunfermline has not had a good season so far, gaining only 8 points from 11 games and are again in the relegation zone. Last Monday, the team was defeated 4-0 by Hibernian and soon after, manager Jim Leishman announced that he was stepping down. This was his second spell as manager, after he stepped back into the role in May 2005, after being promoted to "director of football" following a successful spell as manager. Initially, he had achieved the objective of keeping the club in the Premier League last season, but an emotional Leishman announced his resignation to the players this week, even though he was under no pressure from the board to step down. After his long and valuable service to the club, he is to resume the role of director of football. Media speculation is suggesting that Craig Levein is the front runner for the job. Levein left Heart of Midlothian in October 2004, after a successful spell with the Edinburgh club, to move to Leicester City. That didn't work out too well and Levein is now on a day-to-day basis managing Raith Rovers (currently second from the foot of the Scottish Second Division).
Gretna's Stadium Upgrade Approved
Dumfries and Galloway planning authorities have finally approved the £3.5 million plan to upgrade Gretna's Raydale Park stadium to Scottish Premierleague standard, with a capacity of 6,000 seats and under-soil heating. The project had been held up because of concerns about the impact of so many people turning up for a match in a town with a population of just over 3,000 - and a flourishing tourist trade of weddings and the popular shopping precinct of the Gretna Gateway Outlet Village. Two days before the club got approval for their SPL standard ground, their hopes of promotion to the SPL took a knock when they were knocked off the top spot in the First Division.