Tag: Sport

Gibson Kerr sponsors UK’s largest men’s university sports club

Popular Edinburgh hockey club boosted by sponsorship backing from legal firm

A RENOWNED Scottish law firm is sponsoring Edinburgh University Men’s Hockey Club (EUMHC) following one of the most successful seasons in the club’s 120-year history.

Gibson Kerr’s sponsorship of EUMHC will help the club with general admin and running costs that are crucial to its continued success.

With a commitment to the development of its players and the aim of encouraging more students to play sport, long-established Gibson Kerr was keen to support the growing club which is now the biggest men’s university sports club in the UK.

Current Sponsorship Secretary of the EUMHC, Ben Wilson, said: “The whole team feel really privileged to receive Gibson Kerr’s sponsorship.

“As a club, we have considerable expenses. We now have four teams training a night and we require good equipment. Last year, we spent a lot of money on balls, bibs, cones and other kit that is crucial for the club and we expect that this year, that outgoing might be even more.

“In addition, we have umpires to pay, goal keeping kit to invest in, more bibs to purchase and with the introduction of our 8th team this year, another training session to fund.

“As you might imagine, we’re absolutely thrilled with the sponsorship from Gibson Kerr. The money will go a long way in helping us pay a massive chunk of our expenses and it will really help take the weight off and provide much needed security.”

The newly Gibson Kerr branded kit made its first appearance at the hockey club’s first game this season at Peffermill Playing Fields on the 11th September following one of its most successful seasons to date.

The club added to its list of growing accolades last year which now includes becoming two-time Scottish League and Scottish Cup champions and four-time British Universities and College Sport champions.

The club was also the first Scottish men’s side to gain promotion to the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Premier National since the formation of BUCS in 2008.

Ben added: “After such a strong last season, we are hoping to build upon this success next year. At the moment we have 190 members and we are looking forward to another great year ahead as we continue to nurture some of Scotland’s future hockey stars.”

The legal firm has also been invited to meet the club members and present to the teams, sharing some information on Gibson Kerr and the work that they do, as well as joining them for a spot of hockey.

Donald Towsey, solicitor in Gibson Kerr’s property team and keen hockey player, said: “The club plays a huge part of the university’s sporting community and Gibson Kerr are delighted to support it.

“We are also hoping we might be able to inspire some budding lawyers in the team by telling them about the work we do.”

Gibson Kerr dates back more than 100 years and was acquired by Partners Scott and Fiona Rasmusen in 2005. Fiona is Head of Family Law, Partner Lindsay Maclean, who joined the firm in 2007, is Head of Personal Law, and the Property team is headed by Beverley Cottrell.

For more information on Gibson Kerr, visit:  https://www.gibsonkerr.co.uk/

Marvellous Musselburgh Gold Cup seeks Superheroes

Musselburgh Racecourse’s final hurrah of the summer is set for an invasion of superheroes with next month’s Musselburgh Gold Cup Family Raceday.

Proving that racing isn’t just for the adults, the whole family is invited to embrace Superheroes Day with entertainment celebrating some of Marvel and DC’s most daring characters – from Batman and Spiderman to Captain America and Bumblebee.

Taking place on Sunday, September 11 and marking the last of The Sensational 7 Series of the year, the event invites youngsters to dress up as their favourite superhero or character in costume for a day at the races filled with family fun.

In the words of Spiderman’s Uncle Ben, with great power comes great responsibility – to enjoy yourself … !

Children 17 years and under are admitted free, when accompanied by a paying adult, and can enjoy the Clip Clop kids zone with children’s rides and superhero shows, prizes for the kids in the best dressed superhero or character costume, chill out tepee, bubbles and the ever-popular face-painting – all included in the ticket price. If that isn’t enough, they can also enjoy the day at the kids disco.

Alongside all the family fun, the East Lothian track is hosting an afternoon of equally exciting, top-quality racing and the raceday packages Musselburgh is renowned for, including picnic table reservations, dining at the Harris Tweed Bistro plus Fish & Chips and Gourmet Hot Dog options.

The Musselburgh Gold Cup over two miles, is one of the three feature races carrying £25,000 in prize money. Last year it was won by Haizoom, trained at Carluke by Keith Dalgleish and four out of the last five favourites have been successful.

Dumfriesshire-based Iain Jardine is another trainer from Scotland that has won this staying event which has also gone to horses from Newmarket and Yorkshire in the past.

Aisling Johnston, Commercial Manager at Musselburgh Racecourse said: “We’ve had a fantastic summer season and we want to go out on a high, with an event that brings together the whole family for a spectacular finale.

“We can’t wait. Bring on the invasion of the superheroes, we’re ready for them!”

Tickets for The Musselburgh Gold Cup Family Raceday are now on sale and booking before midnight on the 26th August will save £10.00 off the raceday gate admission price (£30.00). Children 17 years and under are admitted FREE at Musselburgh Racecourse when accompanied by a paying adult. 

Concession tickets are available at the gate on the day for £15 per person.

For a full range of ticket information please visit https://www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk/tickets/afternoon-meeting-11-09-22

Tickets for the Summer Finale Raceday on Saturday 10th September are also available for purchase. To find out more information about this day and the additional 28 fixtures throughout the year, please visit https://www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk

Craigroyston FC 2009s looking for more players

Craigroyston FC are looking for players born in 2009 to join our squad.

Craigroyston plays in SERYFA | South East Region Youth Football Association in division 4 were looking for players who are committed and a good team players

We train on Mondays and Thursdays 6.30pm-8pm and have games on Sundays around 11am.

From Sighthill to the Superbowl? 

Napier Knights giving young players a head start in American football

Edinburgh Napier Knights, the university’s American football team, is celebrating the achievement of breakthrough quarterback Cameron Dunn – one of several young players who are making moves towards playing the sport professionally.

The 20-year-old, who took up the sport with the Knights youth teams in Sighthill, is embarking on a scholarship with St John Fisher University in New York state, which is due to formally start next month.

After arriving in the USA, he said: “The move over has gone well so far. We are just settling into the pre-season camp schedule now. With practices underway, every day is busy, but exciting.

“The Knights have really helped me prepare to compete at this level with the quarterback coaching I received last year.

“Being able to compete against Americans who have played all their life is really special.”

Edinburgh Napier Knights Head Coach and Club Chairman Pete Laird said: “Cameron started with us as a youth, ended up choosing to come to university, then broke all sorts of records with the team.

“He’s so dedicated, such an earnest kid, his parents have kept him on the steady level. He is a wonderful example to others at the club.”

Cameron isn’t the only young Knights player to have been offered a chance at a higher level. The Knights’ youth teams, which were founded by Edinburgh Napier University students in 2017 as a way of getting children from the Sighthill and Broomhouse community into sport and education, have also drawn more attention from across the country.

Just weeks after the club fielded an under 19s outfit for the first time, it will provide 25 players for the Scotland under 19 squad for an upcoming fixture on 24 September.

Some of those players – AJ Danso, Charlie Torrance-Hay and Steven Malan – have been recruited on athletic scholarship degrees by English universities, while under 16s Luca Clement and Charlie Rattray were invited to try out for a place at the new NFL Academy in Loughborough.

Their development stems from the club’s determination to give young people opportunities in sport in an area of Edinburgh which has suffered from anti-social behaviour and vandalism.

Pete Laird explained: “American football has gone from being a novelty to a participation sport. That is the big difference for us.

“We had 85 kids last year and we’re now starting to see scouts come from elsewhere coming to watch our players. We get kids that have never played before and we teach them the game. We have a resource in our students who can do that – they have such a love and a passion for it.

“For us the main thing about trying to engage with the local kids and offer them an alternative. The university was always seen as an alien external building to them, but we try to show them it’s part of the community. We tell them ‘students at Napier are just like you’.

“That’s what we’re in it for, if they use it as a platform to stay in studies then we’ve done our job. I always say we could be teaching tiddlywinks. It is about giving them an outlet.”

The club is open to anyone aged 8-19 and is always on the lookout for new players.

Anyone interested in playing with the Knights youth team can contact Sam Stoddart Durning on: edinburghnapierknightsyouth@gmail.com.

Home Secretary praises ‘true’ football fans and urges respect at games

Home Secretary Priti Patel has visited Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium to see the valuable work that football clubs, the police and sport bodies are doing to prevent antisocial behaviour and increase fans’ enjoyment of the game after disorder at matches last season.

The Home Office is working closely with the police and football bodies to ensure the matchday enjoyment of the majority of fans and families is not ruined by the selfishness of a few who invaded football pitches, threw flares, and abused players and fans at matches in England and Wales last season.

The Home Secretary met officials from the Premier League and Brentford Football Club, which came top of a recent Premier League survey for matchday fan experience, and saw the new safe standing areas within the Gtech Community Stadium for fans, toured the control room and spoke with the security team about the valuable work they do to ensure match days are positive experiences for spectators.

She also spoke with staff members who work on programmes such as Premier League Kicks, which has been working in local communities to inspire thousands of young people. Premier League Kicks started in 2006 – with Brentford one of 4 pilot clubs – and has a long history of using the power of football and the value of sports participation to help youngsters in some of the country’s most high-need areas.

The Home Secretary urged football fans across England and Wales to respect others’ enjoyment of the game, and the law, or risk receiving a football banning order (FBO) preventing them from attending home and away matches, including potentially the World Cup in Qatar, if they attack or abuse other fans, staff, players or managers.

Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said: “There is no place for the ugly scenes we saw at some matches in England and Wales last season and it is good to see the positive work being done by clubs like Brentford to ensure our stadia are safe places for families and children to enjoy the beautiful game.

“I am determined not to let a small minority ruin matches for true fans as the football season gets under way and we are working closely with the police and the football authorities to tackle antisocial and criminal behaviour.

“I wholeheartedly support the extra measures all football bodies and clubs are bringing to keep fans safe and would encourage police and the courts to make full use of Football Banning Order legislation which we have recently extended to online abuse and will be shortly bringing in to root out class A drugs at matches.”

FBOs are a preventative behavioural order designed to prevent violence, disorder and harm and are imposed by a court, following an application or on conviction for a football-related offence.

Nearly 1,400 troublemakers have already been targeted by FBOs and banned by the courts.

In the last 12 months the UK government has significantly expanded the scope of FBOs in order to crack down on disorder by:

  • adding football-related online hate crime to the list of offences for which a FBO can be imposed on conviction so that those who are convicted of online racism and other hate crimes connected to football can be banned from stadia, in the same way that violent offenders are barred from grounds
  • committing to add football-related class A drugs crimes to the list of offences for which a FBO can be imposed on conviction, sending a strong signal to those who use class A drugs in and around football matches that their behaviour will not be tolerated and that they will no longer be able to attend games

In addition, FBOs have recently been extended to the women’s domestic game, showing that regardless of which games fans are attending, violence and hate will not be tolerated.

Recently the Football Association (FA), Premier League and English Football League (EFL) announced they were introducing new measures and stronger sanctions across the game to tackle the increased antisocial and criminal behaviours seen at football grounds last season and to underline the importance of a safe matchday environment. The football bodies are making it clear such acts are dangerous, illegal and have severe consequences.

From the start of season 2022 to 2023, all offenders will be reported by clubs to the police and prosecution could result in a permanent criminal record, which may affect their employment and education, and could result in a prison sentence. The FA will also be enforcing a tougher charging and sanctioning policy for clubs, which will reinforce these measures.

Furthermore, anyone who enters the pitch, and those carrying or using pyrotechnics or smoke bombs, will now receive an automatic club ban. These bans could also be extended to accompanying parents or guardians of children who take part in these activities.

Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Masters, said: “Everyone should feel safe and able to enjoy a football match. In coming together with clubs and partners across football, we are making clear the type of incidents we saw last season must stop. If we don’t take collective and sustained action, it may only be a matter of time before someone is seriously injured, or worse.

“The new measures introduced at the start of this season are a strong response to a significant increase in fan behaviour issues, but we know it is the minority who have behaved unacceptably and unlawfully.

“Premier League football should be a fantastic experience for everyone and we don’t want matches to be marred by these sorts of events.”

Culture Secretary, Nadine Dorries, said: “We are on the side of football fans and understand the passion and emotion that comes with supporting a team.

“As the new season gets into full swing we want to remind people we will not tolerate antisocial behaviour and have strengthened the powers under our football banning order legislation to tackle drug use and hate crimes.

“Together with the work being done by the football authorities, we are helping root out those who seek to disrupt match days so proper fans can enjoy a fantastic football experience.”

Musselburgh Racecourse Stobo Castle Ladies Day crowns winners of The Style Awards 2022

Scotland’s biggest and most prestigious 5-star Ladies Day held on Friday 5th August at Musselburgh Racecourse in East Lothian, has announced the winners for this year’s Style Awards.

Newly launched for 2022, the competition looking for style, elegance and individuality was judged by leading Scottish stylists and influencers including Eva Arrighi, Laura Russell, Amee Young, and Maggie Smith.

Commenting on the judging process, Eva Arrighi stylist and judge at Stobo Caste Ladies Day said: “Ladies Day is synonymous with getting dressed up, and each year we see a collection of stunning styles and fashions.

“This year we are looking at the evolution of style and the competition was steep with so many amazing outfits worn by both the ladies and gentlemen attending the event.”

The top awards on the day for the most stylish attendees went to:

  • The winner of the Style Awards 2022 – Aneela Afzal (Edinburgh)
  • 2nd placed winner was Heather Burnside (Dalkeith)
  • 3rd place winner was Ryan Young (Eyemouth)
  • Most stylish Hat was awarded to Josephine Lynas (Dunfermline)

This year’s winner bagged an exclusive visit to Champagne Pommery with a guided tour of the Domaine including the Clos Pompadour vineyard, the Pommery cuverie and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed chalk cellars.

This glamorous prize also includes £1,500 spending money, tutored tastings, overnight accommodation at a 4* hotel in the centre of Reims, taxi transfers and lunch at Le Réfectoire at the Pommery Domaine, including a bottle of Pommery Brut Apanage NV.

The second prize winner received a spa day and lunch for two from title sponsors Stobo Castle and the third-placed runner-up won a bottle of Pommery and a £50 gift voucher for Musselburgh Races. There was also a prize for Best Hat at Musselburgh Ladies Day and the winner won a £300 voucher to exchange at Edinburgh Hat Studio, the studio of prestigious Edinburgh milliner Sally-Ann Provan.

Aisling Johnston, Commercial Manager at Musselburgh Racecourse, said: “We were delighted to welcome back thousands of spectators to enjoy our stylish sell out Stobo Castle Ladies Day. It’s always a great day out and such a fabulous opportunity for people to really get dressed up – and this year they didn’t disappoint.”

After the last race, TV presenter, model and DJ, Vogue Williams continued the glamourous theme of the day and entertained the crowds by taking to the decks to keep the party atmosphere going well into the evening.

Highlights from the £90,000 raceday included Sir Chauvelin, at the age of ten, being the oldest in the line-up to win a thrilling renewal of the So Stobo Platinum Jubilee Handicap by a short-head from Dark Jedi.

Scottish trainer Linda Perratt struck with a double courtesy of Chinese Spirit and Monhammer. The former landed the opening Champagne Pommery Rose Magnum by the minimum margin of a nose while the latter was a comfortable scorer of the Mcewan Fraser Handicap.

Arrange, trained in Cumbria by Martin Todhunter, was the most impressive winner of the afternoon as she blitzed home under top-weight by over seven lengths in the concluding Champagne Pommery Cuvee Louise Handicap.

Stobo Castle Ladies Day is part of the Sensational 7 Series and tickets for 2023 will go on sale from tomorrow at www.musselburghracecourse.co.uk.

Tickets to The Summer Finale are also selling fast, so book now to avoid disappointment.

Government to name grassroots football facilities in honour of triumphant Lionesses 

  • Government determined to build future legacy on the back of England’s success and increase participation for women and girls
  • Comes as part of Government’s £230 million investment to build or improve 8,000 grassroots football and multi-sport facilities by 2025

Following the Lionesses’ incredible success at UEFA Women’s EURO 2022, the Culture Secretary has announced that grassroots facilities will be named after the 23 players in and around each of their respective hometowns or places that shaped their footballing careers in honour of their achievements.

As part of the Government’s £230 million investment to build or improve 8,000 grassroots football and multi-sport facilities by 2025, alongside the stipulation that they must provide access for women’s and girl’s football, the move will cement the team’s legacy for generations to come. This will support the FA’s ambition for the tournament to create half a million extra opportunities for women and girls to play football.

£25 million has already been invested over the last year in grassroots facilities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with more than 170 facilities delivered by the Football Foundation, in partnership with the Premier League and the FA.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “The Lionesses have enjoyed amazing success in a record breaking tournament – selling out all of their matches, with over half a million fans at games throughout the competition.

“Millions of women and girls have been inspired by the team’s success and honouring their achievements will mean they leave a lasting impression at grassroots facilities across England.”

The Government continues to support the growth of women’s and girl’s football and driving up participation in the sport.

Working alongside the FA, the Government is determined to achieve their ambition of equal access to football for girls in 90% of schools by 2024, and the £320 million PE and School Sports Premium School Sport and Activity Action Plan will help more girls to take part in sport and physical activity.

During the pandemic £2.9 million in grant funding was provided through the Sport Survival Package to the Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship to cover essential costs and allow the completion of their seasons.

This was part of the unprecedented £1 billion package to ensure the survival of the grassroots, professional sport and leisure sectors during the pandemic. The staging of EURO 2022 has also been supported with £4.6 million.

In addition, the Government listed several high profile women’s tournaments, including the Women’s FIFA World Cup, and the UEFA Women’s EUROs as events of national significance. This means they will now have greater opportunity to be shown on free-to-air television, increasing awareness of the women’s game, providing greater commercial opportunities and inspiring more young girls to take up the sport.

It has also been announced that a review of the domestic women’s game will launch later this summer, to look at how to grow the game at elite and grassroots level. More details will be set out in the coming weeks.

The Government’s grassroots pitches investment was announced in March 2022. The next phase of projects will commence later this year.

Glory Hunters!

PM writes letter of support to England’s Lionesses

Scottish Government gets in on the sporting glory act too

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has written to the England Women’s Football team, wishing them luck in the Euro 2022 final:

At least he didn’t mention the War …

All-female crew to lead RAF flypast over Wembley for Euro 2022 final

A C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, crewed by three women, will be flanked by two Typhoon fighter jets as they fly over Wembley Stadium before England’s historic fixture with Germany.

The aircraft will fly over at 4:57pm, immediately after the national anthems, before kick-off. The Hercules will fly from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and both Typhoons will take off from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “I wish the best of luck to the Lionesses as they take on Germany at Wembley.

“It’s a landmark day for English football and women’s sport and it’s fantastic that the Royal Air Force will be marking the occasion with a flypast featuring an all-female aircrew.”

The Hercules is captained by Flight Lieutenant Lauren who has been in the Air Force for 12 years. She has deployed all over the world, including Afghanistan, where she helped train the first female Afghan pilots.

Speaking about the flypast, Flight Lieutenant Lauren said: “I am proud to be piloting the lead aircraft for the flypast over Wembley. I’ve flown missions all over the world with the RAF, but this will be one of the most memorable. 

“It’s been inspiring to watch the Lionesses progress and I will be loudly cheering them on as soon as I land back at RAF Brize Norton.”

Ahead of the match, the RAF and RAF Coningsby station Women’s football teams sent good luck messages to the Lionesses.

The Hercules aircraft flies a wide variety of operational missions including the delivery of humanitarian aid, with the ability to airdrop a range of stores and can operate from natural surface landing zones. To conduct these missions, it is vital that Hercules crews are highly skilled in low-level flying. Recently the aircrafts have been supporting NATO exercises in Eastern Europe, airdropping stores for the troops on the ground.

The Typhoon Fighter Ground Reconnaissance Mk 4 (FGR4) is the RAF’s fourth Generation Multi-role combat aircraft. The Typhoon provides Quick Reaction Alert with Crews on 24/7 readiness in defence of the UK, and the aircraft has been flying daily NATO air policing missions in Eastern Europe.

Meanwhile our Scottish Government is also keen to be associated with sporting success:

SUPPORTING THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES

Athletes representing Scotland at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games have the full support of the Scottish Government, according to Culture Secretary Angus Robertson.

Speaking ahead of arriving at the 2022 Games, Mr Robertson said he hoped Team Scotland would be inspired by their record success at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and looked forward to supporting those hoping to bring medals home in badminton, boxing, table tennis, lawn bowls, gymnastics, basketball, swimming and mountain biking.

The week also marks one year to go until Scotland hosts the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

Mr Robertson said: “Scotland is fully behind all those representing our country at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and I want to offer my best wishes to competitors from across the Commonwealth taking part in this year’s games.

“The 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow was a superb, inspiring and enriching event for us all and I hope that many of the athletes competing in Birmingham will draw on that inspiration – including inspiring those Scottish athletes to bring medals home.

“Major events enrich our cultural and sporting life, and the start of Birmingham 2022 also coincides with a countdown to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. From 3-13 August 2023, Scotland will host the biggest cycling event ever held with 13 World Championships combining into one mega event – so let’s capitalise on the excitement of this year’s Games and look forward to the Championships next year.”

Sports Minister Maree Todd said: ““It has been a pleasure to be at the Commonwealth Games to welcome the athletes competing on behalf of Team Scotland. Seeing their dedication and hard work paying off as they participate at this sporting level is inspiring.”

During her time in Birmingham, Ms Todd has officially opened Scotland House, the Scottish Government’s Games base, and has attended the opening ceremony of the Games.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf will be at the Games next Saturday (6 August) to catch some of Team Scotland in action, as well attending the launch of Athletics Trust Scotland’s campaign to transform lives through the power of athletics at Scotland House.