It’s been a lot of hard work for everyone involved, but they’ve made it. Tonight’s the night for ‘The Jewel of the North’, KABO’s biggest ever boxing event.
Some seats are still available for the show at Edinburgh College Granton Campus: there’s one ringside table left at £20 per seat, and you can also pay on the door (£15).
Doors open at 6.30 and the action starts at 7pm
Seconds out …
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Craig Gowans team plans world record attempt at Spartans
The football season may now be over, but friends, family and teammates of the late Falkirk midfielder Craig Gowans have embarked on a gruelling training regime in preparation for their challenge: to break the Guinness World Record for the longest 11-a-side football match!
The mega-match, which will take place from 4 – 8 July at Ainslie Park, home of Spartans FC, will raise money for the Sick Kids Friends Foundation on behalf of the Craig Gowans Memorial Fund, a fund set up by Craig’s family and friends following his tragic death to ensure that his memory is used as a driving force for good.
Craig, a former pupil of Daniel Stewarts and Melville College, died during training when a 20ft long pole used for transportable nets came into contact with power lines. Craig, who was 17, had signed his professional contract with the club just two weeks before the accident.
Since the charity was formed in April 2007, it has raised over £80,000, supporting charities such as the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS), the Sick Kids Friends Foundation and the Chesney Trust. The fund has also contributed towards building state-of-the-art educational facilities for children and young adults in places such as Malawi.
With each player running the equivalent of at least two marathons every twenty-four hours, the Guinness World Record attempt will be the most demanding challenge to date. The final few months of the training regime, and the attempt in July will be a real test of discipline and commitment for all players involved.
The two 18-man squads hope to raise over £37,000 (Craig’s professional number being 37 at Falkirk). The money raised will be used to fund enhancements to the new Sick Kids hospital at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France, specifically a state-of-the-art Snoezelen room in Craig’s name, a calming room with multi-sensory equipment to provide a relaxing and stimulating space for children with sensory impairments.
The Craig Gowans World Record already has the support of high profile football associations and charities such as the Scottish Football Association, Football Aid, The Sick Kids Friends Foundation and the Hibernian Football Community.
A number of celebrities will also take part in the event, including ex-Scotland boss and current FC Genk Manager, Alex McLeish.
The Craig Gowans Guinness World Record Committee is a group of Craig’s school friends, Jonny Wallace, Dario Alonzi, Chris O’Shea and Eoghan Molloy who are working hard to ensure that the event is as successful as it can be and raise as much awareness as possible. The group launched the event at their flagship dinner on 28 March at Stewarts Melville school. The committee have so far raised over £22,000 and are hoping to smash their target.
The teams are looking for more volunteers to get involved in the event, at all levels. Anyone who would like to get involved in the World Record attempt can get in touch through:
the website www.tcggwrm.org
Twitter www.twitter.com/TCGGWRM37
and on Facebook www.facebook.com/TCGGWRM
Donations can be made via JustGiving www.justgiving.com/teams/worldrecord
For more info contact Jonny Wallace at TCGGWRM37@gmail.com
The Edinburgh branch of the Manchester United Supporters Club has raised £1000 from a club raffle for Macmillan Cancer Support.
The branch, founded in 2001 by Peter Wood and Ian McKenzie, organise cost-effective luxury coach travel to United games for Scottish supporters.
Branch Chairman Peter Wood said: “Supporting Macmillan is a no brainer for us. Who hasn’t been touched by cancer? Raising funds is something we can do easily and very readily.”
Ian added: “I am aware of the support and care Macmillan offer as my wife is a nurse. This is an important cause to lots of people and one everyone should support them if they can.”
Macmillan’s Edinburgh Fundraising Manager, Jayne Forbes, said: “We couldn’t fund the services we provide without the support of people like the Edinburgh Reds. We support and improve the lives of people affected by cancer by providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support and by pushing for better cancer care. We’d like to thank Reds committee members Peter, Ian, Umeir, Waqqas and Gordon as well as the entire club for their excellent help.”
It’s an age-old rivalry that stretches back as far as anyone can remember – and the latest in a long line of sporting battles between Edinburgh and Glasgow will be fought out at Meadowbank later this month. LUCY GLENNIE explains …
The ‘derby derby’ rolls back into the capital in an all-Scottish battle of all-female fitness, strength, and speed on skates later this month when Edinburgh’s Auld Reekie Roller Girls (ARRG) will take on their greatest Scottish rivals Glasgow Roller Derby (GRD) at Meadowbank Stadium.
The latest roller derby game will see ARRG fighting to regain their crown from GRD, who came out on top in their last battle.
GRD are the finest they’ve ever been right now, having swept to the top spot in the latest UK Roller Derby Association rankings for the first time too. The slip from #1 ranking for ARRG has seen them training harder and smarter than ever in the last few weeks to be on peak form to snatch back the gold.
Will the mighty ARRG be able to reclaim their top spot, or will the Glaswegians opposition be too strong and hold the lead?
It’s sure to be a fiercely-fought battle between the two highest-ranking teams in the UK. This is an incredible chance to see the love-hate rivalry of these Scottish opponents – come and see why people are getting so excited about the fastest-growing women’s sport in the world!
Auld Reekie Roller Girls v Glasgow Roller Derby
2pm, Sunday 28 June: Meadowbank Sports Centre, London Road
Tickets:
Tickets available from: http://www.brownpapertickets.com
Advance tickets – £5.00
On the door tickets – £7.00
Free for children aged 14 and under.
City to host third Festival of Cycling from 11 – 21 June
The third Edinburgh Festival of Cycling will be held from 11 to 21 June, and Scotland’s greatest cycling celebration promises to be a real showcase of all aspects of bicycle culture.
The jam-packed 10-day programme features not only bike rides and races, but talks, films, drama, art & photography exhibitions, family events, and workshops. Among the rides there are several new rides, including the inauguration of the Capital Trail a long distance mountain biking challenge, and two new Audax rides aimed at beginners and families. There will also be rides and events for children and families.
The festival will feature inspiring speakers such as: Shannon Galpin, National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, talking about her work in Afghanistan using the bicycle as a vehicle for social justice. Juliana Buhring (the fastest woman to cycle round the world) will be giving a Q&A after the Scottish première of ‘Inspired to Ride’ the new film about the 4,233 mile Trans America race, in which was the first woman to finish (and fifth overall). Also, new at the Festival is the powerful new drama ‘The White Bike’ by Tamara von Werthern, who was inspired to write the play by the death of Eilidh Cairns who was killed as she cycled to work.
This years Festival of Cycling will see the return of the Original Edinburgh Night Ride, for its third year: this is a supported ride which has been described as a magical mystery tour from Edinburgh to East Lothian and back through the mid-summer night – this ride sold out for the last two years.
Then there’s the Bike Curious Family workshop – showing families how bikes can be the perfect transport solution for children of all ages. Also, returning this year is Women’s Cycle forum, an evening of discussion, inspiration and networking on how to build a better world.
In addition to all this there will be plenty more to do including a literary tour, rides and tours for all-abilities, novice riders, children and the elite, workshops, exhibitions of art & photography, various workshops, including one where you can build a bicycle from scratch using bamboo to make the frame, and public meetings.
Throughout June, ‘Pedalling past: Edinburgh’s Cycling Heritage’, explores Edinburgh’s cycling heritage in a free exhibition at the Central Library, through historic photographs and other material from the collections of Edinburgh Libraries and Museums and Galleries.
The Festival also caters to the increasing amount of people commuting in Edinburgh. The Spokes’ Bike Breakfast will be free to all who arrive by bike and features a range of stalls, speeches, security marking and servicing for bikes at the Edinburgh City Chambers. The Brompton Fold-Fest will have prizes for the quickest in town to fold a Brompton bicycle at Biketrax and at the SEStran Commuter Challenge participants will set off from Ferrytoll, Ingliston, Straiton and Newcraighall by car, bus, train, tram, bicycle, or jogging/walking and head for St Andrew Square, to see which mode is the fastest and causes the least environmental damage.
Louise Haston, Commonwealth Games double Silver medallist said: “Over the past few years cycling in Scotland has gone from strength to strength and it’s great to see events such as the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling taking place,
especially for the 3rd year running.
“Events like this are key to getting people of all ages and abilities involved in cycling whether it be for sport, leisure, to stay fit or have fun! There are some fantastic events on this year’s calendar – I can’t wait to be involved!”
Director of the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling, Kim Harding, says “This year we are bringing you our strongest programme yet: more rides, including the new Capital Trail and two new Audax rides. More films, including the première of ‘Inspired to Ride’ with a Q&A with one of the stars. Great talks, such as ‘Pedalling a Revolution’ by Shannon Galpin, founder of the nonprofit organisation Mountain2Mountain, on her social justice work in Afghanistan, a country where there is a cultural taboo against women and girls riding bicycles.
“Also, Emily Chappell a cycle courier taking on the world, and Swiss mountain biker Gian Liesch. The powerful new drama ‘The White Bike’ by Tamara von Werthern, plus books, photographs, workshops, rides and more. Did I mention the rides?”
Held across different venues around Edinburgh, more information on all events of the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling and tickets are available online at www.edfoc.org.uk.
The Festival can also be followed on Twitter at @edfoc, on Facebook at EdinburghFestivalofCycling, on Instagram at @edfoc and on Flickr at edincyclefest. The hashtag for the event is #edfoc2015.
The Edinburgh Festival of Cycling is supported by Sustrans, Sestran, The City of Edinburgh Council, Spokes and the Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative. Booking information and contact details for all events can be found on www.edfoc.org.uk, the online brochure can be browsed at goo.gl/TYrM6z.
‘Around 4% of the population of Lothian have diabetes – which although is a life-long condition, as Scott has proved, it does not need to stop you living a full and normal life’ – Dr Alan Jaap
Hibernian midfield star Scott Allan inspired young people with diabetes at a special event at Easter Road on Monday. Scott was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a child, and the recently-named SPFL Championship Player of the Year is the perfect person to prove that the condition need not stand in the way of a successful sporting career.
The event, the first in a series of health promotion activities planned by the Hibernian Community Foundation and NHS Lothian, saw around 100 children who have been diagnosed with diabetes and their families hear Scott talk about how he manages his condition as a sportsman.
Scott said: “I am delighted to be asked to provide positive messages to young people with diabetes. If they can draw some extra energy from meeting with me and having a conversation about how I manage my diabetes then that is fantastic. The fact that so many people want to come along is really humbling.”
Leeann Dempster, Chief Executive of Hibernian FC and a Director of the Hibernian Community Foundation, said: “Scott is a high profile professional athlete and sportsman who has managed to build a successful career despite being diagnosed with diabetes.
“He manages the condition very successfully, even during matches, and because of the help and support he has received is keen to help children and young people with diabetes understand the condition, how it can be managed better, and how much can be achieved despite it. Scott approached us to say he was keen to help in any way that he could, and to raise awareness of diabetes.”
Dr. Alan Jaap, Consultant in Diabetes, NHS Lothian, said: “Around 4% of the population of Lothian have diabetes – which although is a life-long condition, as Scott has proved, it does not need to stop you living a full and normal life. I’m sure Scott will act as an inspiration and positive role model for all of the youngsters attending.”
Scott has always had to consider his type 1 diabetes when playing football – his diagnosis came when he was just three-years-old, and he learned how to manage his condition playing football at school.
Diabetes should be no barrier to young people considering a career in sport, Scott insists. “As long as you manage your diabetes you can do whatever you want”, he said. “There have been a lot of athletes throughout the years that have been at the top of the game with diabetes. You need to live as much of a normal life as possible – don’t let people tell you otherwise.”
The event is part of ‘Healthy Hibs Messages’ – a series of health promotion events undertaken as part of the new GameChanger Public Social Partnership, the first Public Social Partnership launched by a football club in Scotland, and supported by Hibernian FC, Hibernian Community Foundation and NHS Lothian. This unique partnership has seen more than 70 different organisations signing up to work together with the joint aim of making Scotland’s population healthier.
Police have issued an appeal for fans to behave ahead of the crucial Hibs v Rangers SPFL play-off second leg at Easter Road this afternoon.
Over 12,000 spectators are expected to attend at Easter Road Stadium for today’s game, which kicks off at midday, and a significant police presence will be in place to identify anyone in possession of alcohol, fireworks or flares.
Anti-social drinking in the surrounding streets will also not be tolerated and officers will be enforcing the Edinburgh by-law in this regard.
In addition, officers will be assisting stewards to carry out searches outside the ground to prevent illegal or prohibited items being smuggled in, including explosive or combustible materials.
Fans from both sides are urged to ensure their behaviour does not put themselves or others in danger.
Superintendent Phil O’Kane said: “This is a significant fixture in the SPFL Championship play-offs for both clubs and we want all supporters to enjoy the day.
“Police will be patrolling around the stadium with a focus on stopping anti-social street drinking and fans will be subject to searches as a condition of entry to the ground.
“Police Scotland is committed to keeping people safe and while the behaviour of the vast majority of Hibs and Rangers fans is exemplary, the reckless conduct of a small minority could place others in danger.
“Anyone found to be in possession of these items, or any other objects that are not permitted within the stadium, will be refused entry and may face further police action.”
Still time to enter Scotland’s BIGGEST Running Festival!
Now in its 13th year, the Edinburgh Marathon Festival is Scotland’s largest running festival with over 30,000 runners taking part every year. This year’s event takes place on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 May.
There’s still time to enter the 10K, 5K and team relay events with routes which showcase Scotland’s capital city at its very best, taking in panoramic views of the city including sights of Edinburgh Castle and the beautiful Holyrood Park.
The team relay then continues through East Lothian offering stunning views, huge crowd support and an unforgettable running experience – no matter what your goal.
What’s more, with two different junior race distances on offer for 6-12 year olds, the whole family can get involved!
The Edinburgh Marathon Festival is one of the biggest in the world, and it’s right here on your doorstep!
Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen!
Entries close on Wednesday 6 May at 5pm.
Don’t miss out, enter NOW!
For all you football fans St Bernards will play their last match at Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre’s pitch at Linear Park on Thursday (16 April) – kick off 6.30pm (writes James McGinty).
The pitch will then undergo the installation of a new drainage system which should allow many more matches to take place in the future.
