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
Gretna's lead at the top of the First Division increased to 5 points as a result of their win and Partick Thistle's defeat. The Glasgow club are three points ahead of a chasing pack of St Johnstone, Livingston and Hamilton. The battle at the foot of the table is close, with Queen of the South one point behind Airdrie.
In the Second Division, Greenock Morton are just one point ahead of Stirling Albion at the top. But Forfar are 12 points away from Stranraer at the foot of the division.
East Fife are 5 points ahead of Arbroath at the top of the Third Division. Meanwhile, Elgin sit uncomfortably 9 points away from East Stirling at the foot of the table.
Despite their surprise defeat by Glasgow Hawks on Saturday, Currie are still on top of the BT Scotland Rugby Division 1, two points ahead of Ayr. Hawick are second from the foot of the table with 22 points, but probably don't fear relegation this year as they have 11 points cushion from bottom-placed Hawick. Magazine Section
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Anyone Seen Noah's Ark?
After breaking the rainfall records for Scotland in November, we might have hoped for a respite this month. But already the amount of rain in December is close to the previous record - and we are only half-way through the month. Day after day of heavy rain has been bad enough, but often it has often been accompanied by strong winds, with gusts of over 50mph and sometimes as high as 70mph this week. Inevitably, there has been flooding and structural damage in many parts of the country. Last weekend in Oban, on the west coast, torrential rain caused the roof of a supermarket to collapse while in Arbroath, in the east, the roof of another store was torn off by high winds. A river burst its banks at Milnathort, near Kinross and villagers trapped in their houses had to be rescued by the Fire Service. Kingussie High School in the Highlands had to be evacuated after a river burst its banks. A number of residents in the aptly named Riverside area of Stirling had to leave their homes due to floodwater from the river Forth. Council staff there worked round the clock to deal with what they described as the worst weather for 40 year. A number of roads in various parts of Scotland became impassable, while many others had small lakes for cars and lorries to plough through, creating spray for other vehicles - and passing pedestrians. Inevitably, some cars became stranded when the water turned out to be deeper than expected. In the countryside, acres of low-lying, waterlogged fields began to be covered in water several feet deep. As the days of relentless rain continued, the local media began reporting on the total amount of rain that had been falling on Glasgow (one of the worst affected areas) since the start of this month. By 14 December, 243.4mm (9.58 inches) had been recorded, with 70.4mm ( 2.77 inches) on Wednesday alone. The record for December is 261.2mm (10.28 inches) set in 1999. The weather outlook? Frequent showers...
Government Expenditure and Income Review
Each year, the National Statistics Office produces an estimate of the amount of public money spent in Scotland in 2004-05, compared to the amount raised. You might think that discussion of the dry statistics of the Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland 2004-05 (GERS) would be confined to the business pages of the quality press. But the report is regularly seen as an assessment of the financial viability of an independent Scotland - and produces reams of column inches by the political parties and the media. The bald statistics suggest that total government expenditure in Scotland amounts to £47.7 billion (9.7% of the UK total). Thus, expenditure per head amounts to £7,597, which is £1,034 higher than the UK average. Total receipts are estimated at £36.4 billion (8.1% of total UK receipts). Thus the net deficit is £11.2 billion or 12% of Scottish GDP. These figures do not take North Sea Oil revenues into account - if they are all attributed to Scotland, it would reduce the deficit by £5.2 billion. Understandably, the Scottish National Party disputes the government statistics and produces its own data - which assert that Scotland would have a surplus of income over expenditure. Of course, if/when a referendum on Scotland becoming independent takes place, most people will vote for emotional reasons, not on the basis of statistics (no matter who produces them).
Government Funds to Cut Local Taxes
After years of well-above inflation increases in the local government taxation system, the Scottish Executive has announced that next year it will provide additional funding of nearly £220 million so long as local councils keep tax rises down next year. Of course, it may be a coincidence, but there is an election for the Scottish Parliament next spring... And local councils (many of them currently controlled by the Labour party who are also the largest party in the parliament) are also up for re-election... Shouts of "bribery" by opposition parties are brushed aside by the Executive, as clearly they think that voters have short memories. Local government sources estimate that the extra funding should keep local tax increases to around 2.5% - which is lower than the current consumer price inflation of 2.7%.
600 Post Offices to Close
There was a time when there were 25,000 post offices in the UK, but the numbers have been steadily declining for many decades. Many of the remaining 14,000 are only able to remain open because of an annual £150 million subsidy, designed to aid rural offices and those in deprived inner-city areas of the country where there are no banking facilities. Indeed, it is estimated that only around a third of the outlets are "commercially viable." But as more and more services are provided by the Internet, the number of customers in some locations has become minuscule. 8.5 million of the 11 million pensioners in the UK now have their state pension paid direct into bank accounts, rather than queuing in the post office, as they used to have to do. So this week the UK Trade and Industry Secretary announced that 2,500 rural post offices would be closed in the UK - 600 of these in Scotland, where there is a sparser population. There are plans for some mobile post offices and moving to village halls and community centres. The existing subsidy will remain for a number of years, to assist in the transition. The announcement has been greeted with dismay in many villages, however, where the post office is also the only local shop.
25-Year Plan for National Park
The Cairngorm National Park opened in September 2003, covering 14,660 square miles of wild and spectacular Scottish scenery. The UK's largest national park stretches between Grantown-on-Spey, Ballater and Dalwhinnie. Featuring mountain plateaux, heather moorland, forests and farmland, the Cairngorms is Britain's largest area of arctic landscape. It is also home for 16,000 people - and also 25% of Britain's threatened species of wildlife. This week, the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA), produced its 25-year development plan for the park which is aimed at producing the guidelines for running the area. Objectives include conserving habitats, landscapes and supporting deer management and developing "green tourism". Efforts will be made to make housing in the area more affordable - in the past, property has been bought by outsiders as holiday accommodation, driving up prices and making it impossible for many locals to afford to enter the housing market.
The illsutration here shows Loch Morlich, Cairngorms.
Shopping Centres Win Retail "Oscars"
As a frequent customer at both the Buchanan Galleries in the centre of Glasgow and the Glasgow Fort (pictured here) near Easterhouse, it was no great surprise to me that these retail outlets won prestigious UK industry awards this week in the face of fierce competition. The British Council of Shopping Centres gold awards are the "Oscars" of the UK retail world and Glasgow Fort was voted Britain's best out-of-town shopping centre. That award recognises its commercial success as well as its contribution to the Easterhouse area, one of the more deprived (but rapidly improving) parts of the city. Buchanan Galleries was joint winner with a retail complex in Kent in the "best-established" centre category. Proposals to double the size of this city-centre mall were announced only recently.
Aberdeen Runway Extension Takes Off
Having postponed a decision a few weeks ago, Aberdeen City Council have now bitten the bullet and approved the 300 metre extension of the runway at Aberdeen Airport. It is argued that the development will allow bigger, more energy efficient aircraft to land, with less noise and pollution. More international routes are also essential for the economy of the north-east of Scotland. Environmental campaigners are of course against the plan, arguing that more aircraft mean more pollution.
Giving Paisley Back Its Heart
In the last ten years, as retail sales have soared across the country, trade in the centre of Paisley has slumped by 50% as a result of out-of-town shopping complexes such as Braehead in nearby Renfrew. Braehead attracts 384,000 shoppers a week, many from Paisley, but also from far afield. This has produced derelict shop units in the town, with 20% of all prime retail units in Paisley empty and small traders saying that they cannot afford the rents as sales have declined. But now Renfrewshire Council has agreed to provide £7 million to upgrade derelict shops and fund environmental improvements, including improved walkways, in an effort to give the town back its retail heart. The aim is to attract small traders, artists and theatre groups to take over vacant units and to create a student quarter in the centre of Paisley.
45 Weeks of Repairs on Bridge
When motorists saw the headline that the Erskine Bridge over the river Clyde was to undergo repairs lasting 45 weeks, their hearts sank at the thought of lane closures and lengthy delays. The Erskine Bridge was built in 1971 and, for the first time, the gantry beams on the west side of the bridge are to be replaced. But amazingly the engineers say that there will be no disruption to the traffic. The bridge used to carry 26,000 vehicles a day, crossing between Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire. But tolls on the bridge were removed in April of this year and traffic volumes have increased as a result. And with no toll booths to stop at, there are now no long delays, even at peak times.
Car Park Funds Cathedral Refurbishment
The £5 million refurbishment of the St Andrew's Roman Catholic Cathedral, in Clyde Street in Glasgow, is being helped by funds from an adjacent car park on ground owned by the church. The profits on the enterprise produce around £100,000 a year and the bank loan for the work is being secured by that income. The plan is for a full refurbishment of the interior and building a cloister extension. The work will include the creation of a memorial garden to honour the contribution made to Glasgow by Italian Scots. When it was built in 1816, by Irish immigrants, St Andrew's was the first Catholic church to be constructed in Glasgow since the Reformation in the 16th century.
Perth Links Reinforced
In September, the lord mayor of Perth, Western Australia, and a small delegation, paid a visit to Perth in Scotland. The two councils signed a charter of mutual friendship, recognising the long and historic, cultural and social connections which have existed for more than 150 years. The Australian officials visited St John's Kirk, Perth Theatre and Perth Concert Hall during their tour and a formal link now exists between the concert halls in the two locations. The provost of Perth in Scotland has just returned from a visit to his Australian counterparts, during which he undertook civic duties, including a civic reception in Perth, Western Australia and a visit to the local Craigie Primary School and an aboriginal school in nearby Stirling WA.
24 Ferry Routes Out to Tender
Ferry company Caledonian MacBrayne (better known locally as Calmac) has been operating the lifeline ferry services to the Hebridean islands and in the Firth of Clyde for 150 years. It is currently owned by the Scottish Executive, but because large subsidies are paid to keep down fares (the 24 routes cost the taxpayer £32 million this year), the European Commission in Brussels has insisted that the services must be put out to tender to allow private companies to bid. The tendering process got off to a bad start earlier this year when the first route (between Gourock and Dunoon on the Firth of Clyde) failed to attract even one bid, even from CalMac itself. Now all the routes are out to tender - although the final results will not be known until next summer. Putting a positive face on an exercise they would rather not have had to follow, the Scottish Executive say that the competition process should result in more sailings, new ships and better timetables. Quite an indictment of their own governance of the services.
The picture here shows Calmac's "Lord of the Isles" leaving Oban.
Hotel Group Threatens to Abandon Aviemore
After years of decline, the Aviemore ski resort and tourist resort took on a new lease of life with a major investment by the Macdonald Hotels Group, Bank of Scotland and Tulloch construction group to create the Aviemore Highland Resort. The first phase reopened in August 2005 and attracted 750,000 visitors in the first year. The run-down area had been regenerated with three new hotels, a leisure centre, conference centre and an upmarket shopping area as well as creating a new championship golf course in the village. But the Macdonald Hotels Group is reported to be frustrated by lengthy delays over planning permission for 170 new houses on the site. Clearly such construction would help cash flow considerably, and they believe that the local council planning process has created "unnecessary delays". The company's new managing director is reported to have said they will make no more investments in Scotland until the dispute is resolved. And they are even thinking about whether they want to continue with what they describe as a "farce" and throw good money after bad.
"Super Campus" Approved
Full planning permission has been granted to allow the creation of a £37 million "super campus" at the Crichton in Dumfries. This will allow Dumfries and Galloway College to relocate there and share the site with the University of Glasgow, University of Paisley and Bell College. The unique project is due to open in the academic year 2008 and will be the first such collaborative project on this scale in Scotland. It is said that the close proximity of four institutions working together will not only provide efficiencies and value for money by sharing resources, it will enhance the educational opportunities of all of the students.
Bridge Over Troubled Name
The smallest county in Scotland often punches above its weight and clamoured long and hard to ensure that a second crossing of the river Forth, near Kincardine should be built. Having achieved that aim, with its associated economic benefits, they staked their claim for the bridge to be named after the county, even though the northern end of the bridge technically lands in Fife, before the road swings into Clackmannan. The county council sought the support of their neighbours for the "Clackmannan Bridge" proposal - but Fife has responded with "Kingdom Bridge", arguing that the crossing is important to the "Kingdom of Fife" (as they like to be known) and that local people in the county had also fought hard for the new bridge. So far, there has been no reported comment from Falkirk Council, on the souther end of the bridge. In the end, it will be the Scottish Executive - after "wide consultation" as usual - who will have to exercise the judgement of Solomon.
Teenagers Blamed for Wasting Energy
Research by Scottish Gas shows that teenagers here are "standby villains" who don't fully switch off appliances when they are not being used. About one third of electricity used by 13 to 19-year-olds falls into that category. Scottish Gas has calculated that the amount wasted is worth £100 million a year and the equivalent of the output of a nuclear reactor. Of course, if manufacturers could devise a way of allowing electrically powered devices to spring into life without lengthy rebooting, it might help to persuade time poor youngsters (and the rest of us) to switch off in the first place.
Bah! Humbug!
A survey of the waist measurements of Santas in shopping centres in Scotland by a medical team has revealed that their average waist size was 47 inches. Health guidelines say a waist circumference of more than 40 inches for men or 35 inches for women is a key indicator of abdominal obesity - which leads to a greater risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. But the survey does not reveal whether the waist measurements were taken with or without the addition of pillows to create the archetypical Santa shape...
Don't Type Too Loudly
Staff moving to the new Edinburgh City Council headquarters have been given a 30-page document giving them a long list of things not to do - and staff don't know whether to laugh or cry. They mustn't talk to themselves or their computer, respond to questions from the doorway, talk loudly on the telephone - or type "noisily". Family photographs are permitted on desks but have to be removed if anyone else uses the same desk and staff must not hang jackets on the back of their chairs. The council says that the guidelines were necessary for the new open-plan office, in which employees will "hotdesk" - share work stations with other employees.
Weather in Scotland This Week
As noted earlier in this newsletter, this has been a week of torrential rain and high winds in most parts of the country. Aberdeen and the north-east did manage a fair amount of sunshine on Monday and Stornoway in the Western Isles had some bright intervals on Sunday and Friday. Otherwise it has been largely a week of unrelenting cloud and frequent outbursts of rain, often prolonged. Until the end of the week, temperatures continued to be well above normal - Lossiemouth and Aberdeenshire reached nearly 14C (57F) on Wednesday and 8/10C (46/50F) was frequently recorded. Some clearer skies on Friday and Friday night brought the overnight temperatures in Aberdeen and the Highlands to below freezing point and Saturday was brighter with maximum temperatures around 4/6C (39/43F).
This Week's Colour Supplement
This week's large format photographs taken in Scotland to show the current season include the view at night from Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh, looking towards the castle (see thumbnail here); the huge illuminated Christmas tree on The Mound, leading to Edinburgh Castle; Princes Street Gardens at Christmas with its skating rink and Ferris Wheel and the moon, just rising, beside the floodlit Balmoral Hotel.
See This Week's Colour Supplement.
Macbeth Requires a Good Spin Doctor
Shakespeare gave Macbeth a reputation as a bloodthirsty nobleman who murdered his king in order to seize the crown of Scotland. As in Shakespeare, the real Macbeth was the commander-in-chief of King Duncan's army and he did kill Duncan in 1040 - but in a battle, rather than by murder. Unlike in Shakespeare, however, Macbeth was a powerful and successful monarch who ruled from 1040 to 1057. He was confident enough of his position to go on a pilgrimage to Rome in 1050 and is said to have been so generous that he "scattered alms like seed corn". Historians have shown that his reign was largely peaceful and prosperous and that Macbeth pulled the country together to help to shape modern Scotland. Now, on the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare's version of the Scottish king, the Dowager Countess of Cawdor, a descendant of Macbeth wants to rehabilitate her ancestor. She is calling for support for a statue to the maligned monarch outside of Cawdor Castle. She argues that it would help to set the record straight - and also act as a tourist attraction.
Historic Account Books on Display
Accounts books, which have lain in Aberdeen's City Archives for centuries, have gone on public display for the first time. They go back as far as 1570 and show the money paid for the maintenance of the bridges over the rivers Dee and Don at that time, as well as for the upkeep of the Kirk of St Nicholas. The accounts show that although the church authorities banned burials within the church, the local authority continued to do so - because it was an important source of income. In the late 17th-century, it cost £20 to be buried within the kirk and £40 if an oak coffin was required. That was a huge amounts of money at the time. The accounts also show the entries in 1596 when the Kirk of St Nicholas was split into two - creating the West Kirk and the East Kirk. Previously the kirk had been one large building, but the new Protestant authorities wanted to build a dividing wall and create two smaller kirks where people could hear the sermons better. That division still exists today. The accounts have gone on show in Provost Skene’s House in Aberdeen, as part of an "Early Glimpses" exhibition.
Stone Not Destined for Scone
When the Stone of Destiny was returned to Scotland in 1996, after 600 years in Westminster Abbey in London, it was installed in Edinburgh Castle, beside the Scottish regalia (crown, sceptre and sword of state). Since then, efforts have been made to convince the authorities that the Stone of Destiny should be moved to Scone near Perth. The stone had originally been used as part of the crowning ceremonies of the kings of Dalriada, in the west of Scotland (now Argyll). When Kenneth I, the 36th King of Dalriada moved his capital to Scone from western Scotland around 840AD, the Stone of Destiny was moved there too. Coronations of subsequent Scottish kings took place at Moot Hill at Scone Palace for over 500 years - until it was stolen by King Edward I of England in 1296. There is now only a replica of the stone at Scone. Supporters of locating the stone there argue that, unlike the Perthshire location, there is no historical, political, constitutional or economic reason for it to be in Edinburgh. But this week the minister for culture and the arts rejected the arguments. She said that there had been wide consultation before the move in 1996 and that had been decisively in favour of Edinburgh, where 1.2 million people had the opportunity to see it when they visited Edinburgh castle. In Scone, even if a suitable, secure setting could be created, far fewer people would see this iconic symbol of Scotland's history.
Next Week in Scottish History
Aye Write!
The literary festival commenced by Glasgow in 2005 with the eye-catching title of "Aye Write!" is to return next year, thanks to sponsorship by the Bank of Scotland and The Scottish Arts Council, with the Herald newspaper as "media partner". The aim of the festival is to encourage more reading - and writing - by all sectors of the community in Glasgow, as well as attract more visitors, of course. The 2007 programme runs from 16-25 February and will include over 120 author events, featuring leading writers such as Iain Banks, Alasdair Gray, Simon Hoggart, Will Hutton, Andrea Levy and Tariq Ramadan. 13,000 free copies of Andrea Levy's award-winning novel "Small Island" will be distributed to city libraries as part of the project. There will be 70 free events in a week-long programme aimed at school children in the city and a series of film screenings in association with the Glasgow Film Festival. For more details as the festival programme develops, see www.ayewrite.com.
Benefactor Donates £500,000 to Festival
Edinburgh's International Festival (EIF) and the associated Fringe and Cinema festivals generate a huge amount of benefit to the Capital. It was estimated a few years ago that 2.5 million visitors came to the city because of the arts festival and contributed £184 million to the local economy. But the amount of public funding is tiny by comparison - around £3 million from the city council and the Scottish Arts Council, with £2 million from private sponsorship. So a windfall this week of £500,000 has created quite an impact. The lifeline has come from an American, Carol Colburn Hogel, whose family set up a charitable trust from money made from a multi-million dollar electrical company. Ms Hogel says that "Some people's hobbies are buying expensive race horses or whatever. Our hobby is giving." The Dunard Fund has been quietly providing finance for a number of years to the Scottish arts, including support of concerts by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, exhibitions at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and a production of Rosenkavalier by Scottish Opera. In 2006, the fund will give away about £1.5 million. The gift to the Edinburgh Festival will help to clear mounting debts - but Ms Hogel says "I hope we don't have to do it again."
Scottish Writing in Philadelphia
The Scottish Writing Exhibition is coming back to the US later this month, with lots that's new. The Association for Scottish Literary Studies will be in Philadelphia from 28-30 December for the Modern Language Association (MLA) Convention and are taking books from 15 publishers of Scottish writing. Theresa Breslin and Liz Lochhead are giving a public reading at a local bookstore (Robin's) on Friday 29 December. The event is free - and there will be a whisky reception afterwards! Funding is mainly by the Scottish Arts Council but the Scottish Executive has also provided finance and a new aspect of the exhibition this year is collaboration on the government's Fresh Talent Initiative. This programme is aimed at encouraging American students to come and study in Scotland - on completion of a course, they are eligible to stay in Scotland for a further two years to live and work. For more details on the exhibition and the Fresh Talent Initiative, see www.scottishwriting.org.uk.
Mackintosh Festival Attracts 500,000 Visitors
This year, the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society led the staging of the first city-wide festival to focus on the work of the famous architect who was the main exponent of art nouveau in Scotland. At one time, Mackintosh was perhaps better known in the US than to the general public in Scotland (perhaps because of the similarities between the Glasgow designer and the work of Frank Lloyd Wright). In recent years, however, the buildings, furniture and deign features of Mackintosh's genius have become better known in the country of his birth. So it was inevitable that a festival focusing on his output should be launched. During 2006, there were special exhibitions and events, drama and even an attempt to get into the record books, with the largest gathering of Charles Rennie Mackintosh lookalikes! But it was the buildings designed by Mackintosh that became the main focus of the festival and these saw significant increases in the number of visitors. The Hunterian Art Gallery (containing a reproduction of Mackintosh's own home) experienced an 86% increase in attendance, while Hill House (pictured here) in Helensburgh (a private home created for a wealthy publisher) had 39% more visitors.The House for an Art Lover (designed by Mackintosh but not built until the 1980s) enjoyed an increase in visitor numbers of 38%. Overall, it is estimated that over 500,000 people came to Glasgow and the west of Scotland as a result of the publicity associated with the festival.
Great Santa Run
Media reports about 2,257 Father Christmases racing in Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens explained that the event was organised to raise money for the children's charity "When You Wish Upon a Star" for children with serious or life threatening illnesses. It also allowed 2,257 people to dress up as Santa with running shoes, of course. But the reporters did not enlighten us on the reaction of the many young children watching this sea of Santas...
Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results
Dunfermline 1 Celtic 2
Rangers 1 Partizan Belgrade 0 (Uefa Cup, Group match)Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 16 December 2006
Falkirk 2 Hibernian 1
Heart of Midlothian 0 Aberdeen 1
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3 Kilmarnock 4
Motherwell 2 Dundee United 3
St Mirren 0 Dunfermline 0
Rangers v Celtic will be played on Sunday.Scottish Football League First Division Results - 16 December 2006
Clyde 2 Dundee 1
Hamilton 2 St Johnstone 2
Partick Thistle 2 Livingston 3
Queen of the South 1 Airdrie United 1
Ross County 0 Gretna 1Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 16 December 2006
Brechin City 2 Greenock Morton 3
Forfar 2 Peterhead 3
Raith Rovers 1 Ayr United 0
Stirling Albion 1 Cowdenbeath 0
Stranraer 2 Alloa 2Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 16 December 2006
Dumbarton 2 East Fife 1
Elgin 0 Arbroath 4
Montrose 0 Berwick Rangers 1
Queens Park 1 East Stirling 3
Stenhousemuir 3 Stirling Albion 2BT Scotland Rugby Division 1 Results - 16 December 2006
Boroughmuir 37 Heriots 48
Currie 22 Glasgow Hawks 27
Dundee 31 Watsonians 11
Hawick 26 Aberdeen 7
Melrose 16 Ayr 20League Tables
Aberdeen took advantage of a demoralised Hearts with a late goal to earn three points - and put the more pressure on Rangers. The Ibrox side have to win against Celtic on Sunday to regain second spot on the table from Aberdeen. Dunfermline gained a valuable point on Saturday but still lie 5 points adrift from Motherwell at the other end of the SPL.
Scottish Cup Third Round
The draw for the next round of the Scottish Cup was made last Saturday. The games (to be played on 6 and 7 January) are:
Celtic v Dumbarton
St Johnstone v Ayr United
Ross County v Partick Thistle
Dundee v Queen of the South
Greenock Morton v Kilmarnock
Aberdeen v Hibernian
Clyde v Gretna
Stirling Albion v Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Airdrie United v Motherwell
Dundee United v St Mirren
Stranraer v Heart of Midlothian
Hamilton Academical v Livingston
Dunfermline v Rangers
Berwick Rangers v Falkirk
Deveronvale v Elgin City
Cowdenbeath v Brechin CityRangers Top Their UEFA Cup Group
Rangers confirmed their place at the top of their Group in the UEFA Cup this week by defeating Partizan Belgrade 1-0 at Ibrox. The win not only assured them of a seeded place in the last 32, but also meant that the team had equaled the 12-match unbroken run in Europe which was last achieved in 1992-93.
Celtic Play AC Milan in Champions League
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan claimed that he was "relishing" the game against AC Milan in the first knock-out round of the European Champions League. Celtic will be at home in the first leg on 20 February and then go to the San Siro stadium in Milan on 7 March. Two seasons ago, the teams met in the group stage and Celtic lost 3-1 in Italy but managed a 0-0 draw in Glasgow. AC Milan have been European champions six times but have been struggling a bit this season.
Rangers Travel to Israel in UEFA Cup
After winning a seeded place by winning their Group in the UEFA Cup, Rangers will travel to Israel to play Hapoel Tel Aviv on 14 or 15 February. They then play the return match at home a week later. While the Israeli side is not one of the better-known clubs in European football, they won 4-2 against Paris St Germain in Paris during the group stage. On the other hand, the Tel Aviv side came third in the group, behind Panathinaikos and Paris St Germain.
New Captain for Hearts
With the sacking of their captain, Steven Pressley, for speaking out about the unrest amongst the players, Heart of Midlothian are still in turmoil. At the press conference, Pressley (Elvis to the fans) had been flanked by Craig Gordon and Paul Hartley. This week, Hartley was summoned to a "disciplinary hearing" over his public support for Pressley. The outcome will not be known until next week. In a surprising turn of events, Craig Gordon was named as the new captain and Hartley remained as vice-captain - despite their involvement in that press conference, which clearly annoyed the club's majority shareholder, Lithuanian banker, Vladimir Romanov. Meantime, Pressley is reported to be in no hurry to sign for another club. He has had an informal discussion with Celtic's manager Gordon Strachan, but is ineligible to play for any other club until the January transfer window.
Gretna Ground Share Plan
Although Gretna Football Club are pushing ahead with the upgrading of their Raydale Park stadium to meet the requirements of the Scottish Premier League, it will not be finished in time for season 2007/08. So the club has confirmed that they will request a ground share arrangement with Motherwell. Gretna are currently at the top of the First Division (having won the Third and Second Division Championships in the two previous years).
Germany Defeat Scotland in Golf World Cup
Scotland won through to the final of the Golf "World Cup" in Barbados last weekend. After the final round, Scots golfers Colin Montgomerie and Mark Warren were tied at 16 under with Germany's Bernhard Langer and Marcel Siem. In the play-off, however, it was the German golfers who held their nerve and Langer sank a putt for victory.
Scottish Swimmers Get Financial Boost
Sportscotland, the agency responsible for allocating government finance to the various sports across the country, has announced that it will allocate £818,000 to swimming, with 70% of that going towards coaching, volunteering, improvement of swimmers. This is probably the largest grant made by Sportscotland to an individual sport's governing body and recognises the success of Scotland's swimmers at the Commonwealth Games earlier this year when they won 12 medals. The announcement came shortly after Scotland's Kirsty Balfour broke her own British record and won a gold last weekend at the European short-course championships in Helsinki.
Scotland Mauled by Tigers
The Scotland cricket team was soundly defeated by Bangladesh Tigers in the first of a two-match one-day series. Scotland batted first but were all out for 153, with the two leading batsmen out for ducks, leaving the score, at that point, five runs for two wickets. Bangladesh passed the Scottish score with ease, with six wickets and 20 overs to spare. The second match of the series takes place in Mirpur on Sunday.