Hibernian FC has urged supporters to enjoy today’s Cup Final and reiterated that they should watch – and hopefully celebrate – the match in line with Government restrictions and with consideration for others.
The Club confirmed yesterday that Easter Road Stadium would close on Friday and will not reopen over the weekend, regardless of the game’s outcome.
And following the harrowing scenes from Glasgow city centre – where a man had his hand blown off in a shocking pyrotechnic incident – the Club is asking fans to desist from any use of pyrotechnics. These are not safe, can cause severe injuries, and can be harmful to health – particularly to those suffering from any respiratory illness.
Fans can now enjoy the game with families or close friends provided they do so in line with Government restrictions – so basically up to six adults from three households, whether in a private home or hospitality setting.
The game is being televised live via Hibs TV to International Subscribers and is also being shown on BBC and on Premier Sports – so loads of options to watch.
In his open letter to all supporters, Hibernian Chairman Ronald J Gordon said: “I also want to ask one more time for your support and patience. Please, cheer the team on, but please do it with your friends and your family and do it within the Government restrictions that are there to protect us all. Let’s not be part of anything that risks the progress made in tackling the pandemic.”
The Club is asking supporters to resist the temptation to gather unsafely in large numbers and making it clear that there will be no opportunity, sadly, to celebrate together as we would all like if Jack Ross and the players cap a great season by winning the Scottish Cup.
By adhering to the rules, Hibernian fans can help bring a return to stadiums a little closer.
Duke of Cambridge calls in at Spartans to talk mental health
Duke visits Spartans FC to hear about positive impact of the Heads Up ‘Mentally Healthy Football’ declaration in Scotland
Scotland’s spot-kick hero David Marshall joins Duke and other Home Nations players in zoom conversation on mental health
Mental Health League players engage in shooting drill with Duke and former Scotland international Steven Thompson
Spartans FC received a royal visitor yesterday when the Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, paid a visit to Pilton to hear about the progress made in putting mental health and wellbeing at the forefront of the game in Scotland.
The trip to Spartans was the Duke’s first stop on his visit to Scotland, and saw him meet with representatives from the Scottish FA, Breathing Space, Time to Tackle, the Hampden Sports Clinic and Bonnyrigg Rose to discuss the range of mental health initiatives running in Scottish football.
With the visit also coming on the eve of the Scottish Cup Final, the Duke met with former Scottish Cup winners Chris Iwelumo and Marvin Bartley, who previously won the Scottish Cup with tomorrow’s finalists St Johnstone and Hibs respectively.
David McPhee, Chair of the Scottish Mental Health and Wellbeing League, spoke with the Duke as they took in some action from small-sided matches featuring players from the League.
The League, which was previously run by the Scottish FA, was set up to support recovery and tackle stigma associated with mental health.
A number of the Mental Health and Wellbeing League players then helped the Duke test his shooting skills, as he took part in a friendly skills challenge with them and former Scotland striker Steven Thompson.
Scotland’s spot-kick hero David Marshall then joined the Duke and other Home Nations players in a zoom conversation to discuss changing the conversation on mental health and their experiences over the past year.
Also taking part in the catch-up ahead of UEFA EURO 2020 were Harry Kane for England, Julie Nelson for Northern Ireland, and Jess Fishlock MBE for Wales.
The plan, which supports the Royal Foundation’s Heads Up mental health campaign, aims to end the stigma around the issue in football and create an environment for people to talk openly about their mental health in the game.
The Duke learned of the success of the Scottish FA’s mental health e-learning platform, which has seen more than 9,000 players, staff, managers and officials in the Scottish football community complete mental health awareness training through the platform in less than a year.
This commitment saw governing bodies, leagues and organisations from across UK football join in recognising that mental health is as important as physical health, and pioneering a ‘team approach’ on this important issue.
With just over two months until the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Aldi is running a nationwide competition with Team GB, calling on budding child artists to submit a design for its latest lorry.
The UK’s fifth-largest supermarket is inviting school children aged between five and 14 to enter a hand-drawn design by Friday 25th June that celebrates fresh, healthy food.
The competition is the next step in Aldi’s longstanding partnership with Team GB, and the shortlisted entries will be judged by Team GB athletes – including Max Whitlock, Shauna Coxsey, Lois Toulson, Jade Jones, Lutalo Muhammad, and the Brownlee brothers – who will select one winner for Scotland, and one for England and Wales.
This initiative also forms part of Aldi and Team GB’s Get Set to Eat Fresh programme that aims to inspire young people to build their understanding and love of healthy, fresh food. Over the past five years, the programme has reached more than 1.9 million children across the UK.
Winners will see their design on an Aldi lorry, which will deliver food and drink products to stores across the country.
The supermarket will also reward the winning artists with Aldi vouchers and an exclusive Team GB goody bag. The winners’ schools will receive £1,000 to spend at Aldi.
Mary Dunn, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi, said:“The Design a Lorry competition is the latest in a series of initiatives we’re delivering in partnership with Team GB to encourage young people to think about healthy eating.
“We are looking forward to seeing the entries and hope that those taking part will learn about the benefits of choosing to follow a healthy diet along the way.”
Tim Ellerton, Commercial Director at Team GB, said: “Throughout our partnership with Aldi on the Get Set to Eat Fresh programme they have continuously created new and innovative ideas to engage and inspire young people around the topic of eating fresh and healthy food.
“This is a fun opportunity for school pupils to see their creativity rewarded and for their schools to benefit also. We look forward to seeing the end results.”
Alongside the Design a Lorry competition, the Get Set to Eat Fresh programme also offers a series of teaching resources, which can be used to educate children about eating well, the skills they need to cook for themselves and how fresh, healthy food powers Team GB’s champion athletes.
On Saturday, 22 May, 2021, St Johnstone and Hibernian go head to head in the Scottish Cup Final.
There is always significant interest in these extremely important fixtures and despite the match being played behind closed doors, this weekend’s game will be no exception.
The game is eagerly anticipated and passions can run high. However, fans can be assured that preparations for policing any gatherings in relation to the match are well underway with public safety being Police Scotland’s primary concern.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs said: “The Scottish Cup Final on Saturday is an important day for everyone involved with St Johnstone and Hibernian football clubs and we will have an appropriate policing plan in place to maintain public safety.
“It is vitally important that both sets of fans avoid gathering in large groups and stick to the regulations in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“I also want to take this opportunity to remind people that the use of pyrotechnics is extremely dangerous. We have seen from events in recent weeks that the consequences of their use can be severe, you might not just injure yourself using them, but you could also seriously injure those in your vicinity.
“Police Scotland is already working with both teams and our partners, including the Scottish Government, to ensure the match goes ahead safely and supporters follow the restrictions for their own safety and that of the wider public and our officers.
“Our approach throughout the pandemic has been to engage with the public, explain the legislation and encourage compliance, but officers will not hesitate to use enforcement powers as a last resort.”
STREET Soccer Scotland’s free adult football session at Muirhouse starts back this Friday – for all abilities and anyone looking to improve physical and mental health get in touch!
A new name will be appearing on Civil Service Strollers shirts this season as a result of a new local partnership.
Strollers club secretary Keith Stewart explained: “We are delighted to announce that this season we have entered an agreement with Pilton Community Health Project (PCHP).
“We are currently looking at the ways that we can work together to promote and deliver effective health and wellbeing practices.
“Here at the Strollers, the tough year that we have all had has opened our eyes to the view that if you are healthy, you are wealthy. So, this season, instead of seeking sponsorship in the current economic climate, we have decided to support PCHP by promoting them on our youth and Lowland League teams shirt fronts and around the pitch at our own expense.
“We look forward to building a strong relationship with PCHP.”
PCHP’s Dawn Anderson said: “Pilton Community Health Project are delighted to announce a new partnership with Civil Service Strollers FC. This opportunity to work alongside Civil Service Strollers will help even more local people take steps to better health and increase access to a wide range of wellbeing initiatives tailored for the Club’s members and their families.
“Together, we hope to increase the impact of our resources locally, sharing ways to cope with the multiple impacts of the pandemic on our community, and ultimately feel stronger through looking after ourselves and each other.
“We welcome this innovative approach by the Civil Service Strollers and look forward to working with their members and developing a strong community partnership.”
Chief Superintendent Mark Sutherland, Police Scotland’s Divisional Commander for Greater Glasgow, issued a statement last night following the scenes across Glasgow as Rangers fans celebrated their title victory:
“During the evening of Saturday, 15 May 2021, Rangers supporters continued to gather and celebrate the awarding of the league championship trophy in George Square.
“Throughout the day Police Scotland had managed the gathering appropriately tackling anti-social behaviour and encouraging dispersal under Scottish Government Coronavirus regulations.
“As celebrations continued sections of the crowd became increasingly disorderly, property was damaged and people were assaulted. Our officers became the focus of the crowd’s attention with missiles and flares being thrown at them. Our policing response has been proportionate. We have responded appropriately and consistently to the behaviour of those gathered.
“This disgraceful behaviour which clearly endangered public and officer safety could not be tolerated and officers dressed in full public order equipment and, after appropriate warnings were given, moved in to disperse those present.
“Although most of those present dispersed, a number remained and confronted officers with violence and aggression. Missiles were thrown and officers came under direct attack as George Square and the surrounding area was cleared.
“I strongly condemn the behaviour of these supporters who have not only placed our officers at risk but have sought to damage the image and reputation of this great city, especially during this critical period of the pandemic.
“I would like to place on record my thanks to the police and partners who manged this incident, especially those officers who put themselves in danger to bring this violent and disorderly gathering to an end.
“So far we know that three officers have been injured and more than 20 people have been arrested.
“We will be continuing our enquiries and my message is clear that if you have been involved in these ugly scenes then we you will be identified and arrested.”
Scottish Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said last night:
Rangers FC have yet to make a public statement on last night’s events, and neither SPFL or the SFA have commented so far.
A team of amateur footballers from an east Edinburgh neighbourhood are seeking a permanent place to call home and are asking the council for help.
Bingham Athletic Football Club has submitted a bid to The City of Edinburgh Council to take over the lease of the Bingham Pavilion, and are crossing their fingers for a positive result next week.
The Pavillion’s lease is currently held by a private club who have refused to share the facility with the local Bingham lads. But the Bingham team believe that people from the local area should have access to and ownership of this local resource.
Team manager Reece Taylor explained: “The team currently has no access to the Pavilion as the lease is exclusively held by a private football club which charges fees to join. That means we have had to lead quite a nomadic and precarious existence, practising in places that just aren’t fit for purpose.
“As most people know, Bingham is one of the most deprived areas in Scotland, so it isn’t an option for most of these lads to pay membership fees or travel further afield to other areas. By gaining permanent access to the Pavillion, the group will have the opportunity to practice in a proper area and play games which friends, family and the local community can actually attend.”
The club is being supported by the Scottish charity Community Renewal who have been active in the area since 2016.
Community Renewal’s Cris Thacker said: “Everything we do in the neighbourhood starts with listening to what the community of Bingham, Magdalene and The Hays want for their area and then supporting them to achieve those aspirations themselves.
“We have been working closely with the football club and have assisted them in writing the bid. We will also provide ongoing support should their bid be successful.”
The bid has also received a massive show of support from Scottish international footballer, local lad Marc McNulty.
Marc said: “As a budding footballer growing up in Bingham, I know how important it is to have something that is accessible, so I fully support the bid.
“I hope that maybe some of these young guys can go on to have the career I have enjoyed.”
Reece, Cris and all the team now have their fingers crossed that the tender will be awarded in their favour: “It would mean the world to us to have this great resource for the local club. But they won’t be the only ones who benefit.
“This will be a place for the whole community to meet socially and come and support their local team. Plus, we will work with other local clubs and organisations in the hope that they too can make use of the premises.
“We really believe that we can make this a real asset for the community of Bingham.”
The winners of the Tennis Scotland Awards 2021 have been announced, recognising the exceptional contribution of individuals, clubs, programmes and competitions that helped tennis to thrive in 2020 as participation soared across the country.
As a result of record-breaking year, the University of Edinburgh secured the Education Award which recognises establishments that displayed innovative attempts at ensuring students could continue to develop throughout lockdown in 2020.
Prior to welcoming a safe return of tennis activity, the university kept students engaged in the sport through online fitness challenges, coaching and virtual social events.
As tennis emerged as one of the first sports to return from lockdown, the university capitalised by training volunteers to ensure that they could run additional sessions to cope with growing demand.
The efforts of coaches and volunteers resulted in all-time high participation figures for the university, with around 360-400 individuals signing up for sessions each week.
Meanwhile, John Frame from Penicuik has been rewarded with a Special Recognition honour in acknowledgement of his many years of dedication to the sport.
Across a glistening career in tennis, John officiated more than 75 matches on Centre Court and Court 1 at Wimbledon between 1975 and 2007; including the mens’ singles final between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi in 1999 when he became the first person to chair 3 mens’ finals at the Grand Slam.
As one of a select group of people to have held Gold Badge status as chair umpire, chief umpire and referee, John’s career highlights include officiating in 47 countries at events ranging from the Olympics to Davis Cup ties.
The former school teacher at Penicuik High School has also operated on Tennis Scotland’s board as Tennis Operations Director since 2014.
In total, 13 category winners have been selected to receive awards, in addition to three Special Recognition awards which have been handed to John Stevenson, Rick Gardner and John Frame as an honour for serving the tennis community over a prolonged period.
The award winners were announced yesterday (Friday 23rd April), with an awards ceremony to be held at a later date.
Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland chief executive, said: “The Tennis Scotland Awards provide the opportune platform to celebrate the hard work and commitment which was the driving force behind our sport’s progression in 2020, in face of the challenges posed by lockdown.
“We were privileged to witness such an outstanding standard of nominations and we are extremely proud of the contributions of the winners and nominees, alongside each individual who played a role in providing a safe and welcoming environment to play our sport last year.
“Following the barriers we faced, it feels more important than ever to acknowledge the drive and passion within our community which resulted in the continued growth of tennis in Scotland.”
Tennis Scotland Awards 2021 winners
Lifetime Achievement – Jan Collins
Volunteer of the Year – Amanda Barclay (West End LTC)
Young Person of the Year – Katie McKay (Wormit & Newport TC)
Coach of the Year: Development – Steven Birrell (Wormit & Newport TC)
Coach of the Year: Performance – Mark Openshaw (Giffnock Tennis Squash and Hockey Club)
Club of the Year – Giffnock Tennis Squash and Hockey Club
Education Award: University – The University of Edinburgh
Disability Award – Chrysalis Tennis
Official of the Year – Olwyn Roy
Competition of the Year – Western Health and Racquets Club: Club Championships 2020
Holly Blackham is hoping to raise funds and encourage families to take part in charity event to help society’s disadvantaged
Holly Blackham from Edinburgh is taking part in Scotland’s biggest ever football relay to raise vital funds for Street Soccer Scotland, a charity that helps people from a variety of socially disadvantaged backgrounds through football-themed training.
The 13-year-old will take part in the inaugural ‘Big Dribble’ along with 64 other participants as they look to dribble a specially designed Street Soccer Scotland tartan football 230 miles from Pittodrie Stadium in Aberdeen, down the east coast of Scotland and through the central belt, finishing at Scotland’s National Stadium, Hampden Park.
The challenge will start at 6am on 23rd April and will see participants walking day and night, with Holly taking part in the Edinburgh part of the relay passing Murrayfield, her old Primary school – Rosemount Primary, and the clubhouse of her current team Hutchison Vale. The challenge is expected to finish at approximately 11.30am on Sunday 25th April.
Holly said: “For me, football is about so much more than just kicking a ball. It’s about playing as a team, having the right mentality and working hard to put in the effort. Street Soccer Scotland have a lot of the same values and see the affect football can have and I want to support them to do the great work they carry out in communities.
“Football plays a big role in my life. I have played for Hutchison Vale for the past few years and hope to one day be a professional player for Aberdeen FC. The Big Dribble was something I was keen to be a part of as it allows me to help others through my love of football.”
David Duke, Founder and CEO of Street Soccer Scotland, hopes the new initiative can help to raise awareness of the charity’s work and believes this is a great opportunity to unite the country through football during these difficult times.
Join us for a special @thekiltwalk challenge as we aim to create Scotland’s biggest ever ‘Tartan’ football relay from Aberdeen to Hampden Park. We are looking for teammates to take a section of the walk (COVID-19 compliant) & help raise funds and awareness of our work. #Kiltwalkpic.twitter.com/1oGFWJSSR4
“We’re excited to launch our first participation event involving some amazing people from across Scotland,” he said. “We’ve been looking at hosting a country-wide event for a while now, but with COVID putting those plans on hold, we’re delighted that we’ve found a solution in The Big Dribble that unites people in a nationwide challenge while safely taking part in their own local areas.
“Dribbling the football from Aberdeen all the way to Glasgow through the day and night is no easy feat, so we’re extremely thankful to Holly and the others for rising to the challenge. Their fundraising efforts are massively appreciated and we’re extremely grateful to everyone who has continued to support Street Soccer Scotland throughout this challenging time.”
Street Soccer Scotland has also launched ‘The Wee Dribble’ so families across the country can also take on their own challenge over the same weekend. The charity has 50 special tartan footballs to giveaway to families who sign up to the event, and anyone who raises over £100 will also receive an exclusive tartan t-shirt.
David added: “We’re overwhelmed at how quickly our Big Dribble spaces filled up, so much so we’ve launched our Wee Dribble fundraiser to allow anyone and everyone across Scotland to still take part safely in their local areas.
“We had so many families looking to sign up to The Big Dribble, but as the challenge takes place during the night in some areas, it was a bit more difficult for them to take part. Now, the Wee Dribble allows children, parents and guardians to put their own spin on the challenge.
“Whether it’s doing laps in their back garden or keep-ups at their local park, we’re hoping as many families as possible will join in the fun to help support those less fortunate at this time when they need it the most.”
The event will be part of this year’s virtual Kiltwalk and allows people to take part in the nation’s biggest ever football relay in a COVID friendly way. The total funds raised by Holly and those in The Big and Wee Dribbles will be topped up 50% by The Hunter Foundation.
Also taking part in the event will be a few well-known faces from Scottish football, along with representatives from global brands Baillie Gifford, John Lewis Partners, Waitrose and The Wood Group.
To donate to Holly’s fundraising efforts, please visit:
Families looking to take part in ‘The Wee Dribble’ can sign up at www.thekiltwalk.co.uk and choosing Street Soccer Scotland as the nominated charity.
Founded in 2009 by David Duke MBE, Street Soccer Scotland is a social enterprise and charity which has helped over 10,000 people by using the power of football to create positive change by providing purpose, opportunity and connection for adults and young people experiencing social exclusion. Street Soccer Scotland delivers programmes across the whole of the country, 365 days a year.
For more information or to donate to Street Soccer Scotland, please visit:
