Tag: Sport

East of Scotland league preview

Alan Clark checks out local clubs’ prospects as the new season kicks off …

For the local teams of North Edinburgh, the new season is well under way. The area has two clubs in the top division of the East of Scotland set-up – The Spartans FC and Civil Service Strollers FC. Leith Athletic FC dropped down to the First Division for the new campaign, and join Craigroyston FC there.

Having taken over from long-serving co-managers Sam Lynch and Mike Lawson, Spartans boss Douglas Samuel is keen to re-claim the league title but is wary of holders Stirling University, who have recruited ex-Falkirk manager Eddie May as boss. He said: “The short term goal is to win the title back. I believe we are capable of doing so. However, two or three other club managers will be thinking and feeling exactly the same way.”

The Ainslie Park side are going through a transition and have started blooding more youngsters in the first-team. Samuel explained: “I believe our new squad has a good combination of established players with a great pedigree and proven track record mixed with younger players with great potential; however, it’s also fair to say that it’s a work in progress.”

After a trophy-less season just past, Samuel is desperate to win silverware in his debut in the Spartans’ dugout, and sees a huge benefit from a Scottish Cup run. Spartans host Highland League outfit Wick Academy in the Cup on Saturday 25 August. He added: “Clearly after a season when the team didn’t win a single trophy we are desperate to win something this coming season. A Scottish Cup run would give everyone a huge lift at the start of our journey.”

Civil Service Strollers will be looking to raise their game as they strive to better last season’s disappointing 7th place finish in the Premier Division. Manager Chic McAleavey – appointed near the start of the year – will be hoping to put his stamp on the team. Newton Stewart, from the South of Scotland League, will travel to Silverknowes this Saturday in the Scottish Cup, the draw giving the Strollers a great opportunity of making the next round of the prestigious old tournament.

With an opening-day league fixture at home to local rivals Spartans on the first day of September, it gives the Strollers something to look forward to and a good result there would give them a confidence boost heading into their league campaign.

Relegated last season, Derek Riddel’s Leith Athletic are looking for a swift return to the top-tier, with a title success on their minds. He said: “Two teams are promoted from the First Division to the Premier so whilst we’d be happy just getting there, I’d have to say that going up as champions would be sweeter. We finished a very close second to Gretna 2008 two years ago so it would be nice to win the league and give the players a medal to cherish.”

However, Riddel is well aware of the forward planning that the club officials have who see Leith as a long-term project. He added: “We’ve only been in the East of Scotland league for four seasons, with this being our fifth. In that time we’ve won a cup, been promoted and been relegated. A lot of clubs haven’t achieved that in a longer period of time and whilst promotion is our aim for the season, the club’s committee are looking at the long-term future of the club and they see great potential over the longer term.”

Craigroyston, who finished a respectable fifth in the First Division, are looking forward to meeting Leith in the league and expect their players who have Premier League experience will aid their promotion hopes. Head coach Ross McNeil said: “I have played the Leith team over the years as a youth manager and I always enjoyed playing them – I am looking forward to playing them even more in the East of Scotland league. We have the right balance of experienced players who have got out of this league before and this was one of the reasons in signing these players as they have played well in the Premier League.”

Alan Clark

Spartans boss has high hopes for season

DOUGIE SAMUEL: high hopes

Having taken over from long-serving co-managers Sam Lynch and Mike Lawson, Spartans boss Douglas Samuel is keen to re-claim the league title for the club as well as go on another famous Scottish Cup run (writes Alan Clark). In this exclusive interview with North Edinburgh News, Samuel also discusses the young element of the new Spartans squad and entering the SFL in the future.

Stirling University, who have recruited ex-Falkirk manager Eddie May as boss, pipped Spartans to the league championship on goal difference on the last day of the season and Samuel has admitted wrestling the title back is one of the priorities he has as manager.

He said: “The short term goal is to win the title back.  I believe we are capable of doing so. However, two or three other club managers will be thinking and feeling exactly the same way.”

The Ainslie Park side are going through a transition and have started blooding more youngsters in the first-team.  Samuel explained: “I believe our new squad has a good combination of established players with a great pedigree and proven track record mixed with younger players with great potential; however, it’s also fair to say that it’s a work in progress.

“It’s a new squad and the start of a new era of major transition for the football club on and off the park.  From last year’s squad, five experienced players have moved on.  Everyone in the group has a real desire to do well, to restore the club to its former glories.

“The immediate test is to integrate our new signings, to create a real sense of togetherness and understanding around how we would like to play throughout the group.  I know from past experience that both of these things take time to develop and achieve.”

After a trophy-less season Samuel is desperate to win silverware in his debut in the Spartans’ dugout, and sees a huge benefit from a Scottish Cup run. He added: “Success for us will come in various shapes and forms. Clearly after a season when the team didn’t win a single trophy we are desperate to win something this coming season.  A Scottish Cup run would give everyone a huge lift at the start of our journey.”

Samuel, who is also Development Manager at the club’s Community Football Academy, is looking at his squad’s development as well as the obvious craving for success through silverware.  He commented: “If, by the end of the season, we have improved as a group and each player has developed and improved as a player then that would represent real progress and success.  Crucially, it’s also something we can control.  Whether or not that results in silverware, time will tell.”

The former Edinburgh University boss, who spent nine years with the club, believes the proposed Highland and Lowland league – which would create a route into senior league football – would be a great thing for the game and his club.

He said: “A pyramid system would be great for Scottish football.  As a club we would relish the opportunity of playing our way into the Scottish Football League.  Our current focus is on meeting short term goals but with one eye on the future too.

“For example, the majority of our new signings are young players starting off their careers with what we hope will be their best years in front of them.  This season is the start of a transition, however, the goal remains to win football matches and see where that takes us in terms of winning silverware.”

Olympic fever grips Craigroyston!

If tickets are hard to come by in London, Craigroyston Community High School’s Early Years Olympics were even more exclusive – by invitation only!

The great event took place today and the NEN was delighted to be there. Thanks to Lorraine Grant for the invitation, the Early Years volunteers for the organisation and attention to detail, the spectators (mums, dads and carers) for creating that unique Olympic atmosphere and most of all to the brilliant wee participants – maybe there’s a wee future Hoy or Ennis in the following pictures!

TeamGB wins Play2Learn Olympic football

More than forty children took part in Play2Learn’s Olympic football competition at the Royal High School yesterday.

Ranging in age from four up to teenagers, it was a fun day for all of the youngsters who represented the footballing nations of the world at the event.

And the champions? In a hard-fought contest it was – you’ve guessed it – local heroes Team GB who came out on top to lift the trophy!

Ferry Road’s friendly games get underway

Oh-Limp-Nix athletes: a tense wait before going for gold …

OH-LIMP-NIX IS UNDERWAY

Depressed with Tom Daley? Frustrated with Zara Phillips? Had enough of Hannah Miley? Or cursing Mark Cavendish? Only three days in, is the London Olympics experience wearing you down? Perhaps a sporting event being held closer to home will reawaken your Corinthian spirit – yes, it’s the St Nicholas Court Oh-Limp-Nix!

The eagerly-awaited sporting extravaganza – perhaps the biggest event in Leith’s sporting calendar – is underway at last! The St Nicholas Court Sheltered Housing Complex’s ‘Oh-Limp-Nix’ kicked off yesterday with John Haggie for the Australia team victorious on the first day of the tournament on the Wii bowling round with a score of 201.

Four teams – Great Britain, USA, Australia and Spain – each made up of three people, are battling it out for the coveted win at the end of the four day games being held to coincide with the London Olympics.

Ian Vanhegan, a resident of the Port of Leith Housing Association Ferry Road complex is part of the Australia team – but his wife May is on the rival Great Britain team!  He said: “We’ve been preparing for about three months so it’s great it is here. It’s a good laugh.”

Each day the teams will play different games. Today (Tuesday) there will be shot putt and hoopla, tomorrow (Wednesday) Wii archery and on Thursday Trionimos (three sided dominoes).

Frances Veitch, who ‘represents’ America, said: “It’s been good fun training” while her husband Alex, who is on the British team, said: “It makes the Olympics feel more real and it’s great to be involved.”  Lets hope the competition doesn’t cause any rifts in the ‘special relationship’!

The competition is already heating up. On the first day, ‘Spain’s’ Margaret Dodds got four strikes in a row which were met with applause from her fellow competitors and spectators. She said (in perfect English!): “We all have the same chance really so the week will be interesting.”

Food from a different nation will also be served following the day’s games, including paella and fish and chips – but apparently there’s no room on the menu for deep-fried Mars bars.

Maureen Tait, Senior Sheltered Housing Coordinator, said: “It’s been a long time in the coming so we’re absolutely delighted that we’re now underway and cracking on with a great week of games. It’s certainly created some good-natured rivalry in the complex and everyone has been really excited in the build up. It’s been popular so far and we’re delighted family, friends and our other residents are all getting involved in the spectator action.”

The event will culminate with a prize giving ceremony on Friday (August 3) where Port of Leith Housing Association’s Chief Executive Keith Anderson will present the twelve Olympians with medals and the winning team will be revealed. It’s not known at this stage whether Her Majesty the Queen will be making a surprise parachute landing at St Nicholas Court to join the celebrations …!

 

Public meeting to discuss Edinburgh Accies plans

Stockbridge and Inverleith Community Council is to hold a public meeting to discuss Edinburgh Accies’ controversial plans to develop their Raeburn Place home. Campaigners have vowed to fight plans for the commercial development of the site which hosted the first ever rugby international, and the public meeting offers an opportunity to hear what exactly is being proposed for the site.

The meeting will take place in LifeCare House in Cheyne Street next Wednesday 18 July at 7pm – all welcome.

Local campaign group SoS Save our Stockbridge was established when the development plans were made public and now has almost 100 members. Explaining the reasons for the campaign on the group’s Facebook site, Ann Mcleod said: ‘This Group is for everyone who is against a 5000 seater stadium being built in Stockbridge in the centre of Edinburgh. The Stadium is to be built over the historic rugby grounds at Raeburn Place. These are the oldest rugby grounds in Scotland and the site of the first ever international rugby match. The area is surrounded by beautiful Victorian and Georgian buildings. It has a unique skyline across to Inverleith Park and beyond to Botanic gardens. I fear that a monstrosity of glass and steel would destroy this skyline and blight this historic area.”

She continued: ‘The current pitches are well used and well-loved by the community.  The proposed stadium will require thousands of parking spaces and room for the structure itself, so one of the two historic rugby pitches would almost certainly be lost.  Retail outlets are planned as part of the stadium. The Stockbridge area already has empty shops. I believe this massive development would destroy the character of the area. I believe this would adversely affect local businesses and reduce property prices. The chaos generated on the main road by the thousands of cars coming out of the stadium does not appear to have been considered. The drunken hospitality nights would also be unpleasant, there is already a problem with this. There is also concern about the historic walls and protected trees around this ground. This development is madness and totally out of proportion – Edinburgh Accies need to think again.’

However the rugby club believes that it must now ‘sensitively redevelop’ it’s existing facilities and that plans will bring benefits to both the club and the wider community. In an article posted on the club’s website before two pre-application consultation events held at the end of June, Edinburgh Accies said:

‘Raeburn Place is a sports ground with major historical significance. It’s home to the Edinburgh Academical Football Club, the oldest rugby club in Scotland, and the second oldest in the entire world. The first ever international rugby match between Scotland and England was held here in 1871. It’s a landmark of decades of sport and community, although in its current state you wouldn’t know it.

Finally the time has come to begin the sensitive redevelopment of this iconic sports ground and the Club is now in the final stages of the pre-application consultation, following which they will formally lodge for planning. Their main aim is twofold: to provide state of the art sports facilities and, in turn, to add to the vibrant Stockbridge community and benefit neighbouring schools.

The plans comprise two elegant double tiered buildings:

–  A clubhouse and function suite facing onto Comely Bank Road. These facilities will be located on the top tier with space for retail units below. Its main entrance will be next to the currently disused Raeburn House Hotel, which has been bought privately to be transformed into a boutique hotel.

– Changing rooms located along Portgower Place. More excitingly, part of the top tier will be dedicated to a rugby museum focused principally on the historical significance of the ground and the Edinburgh Academical Football Club.

– Players can enjoy a full-sized rugby pitch and two smaller training pitches. The plans also provide for the relocation of the cricket pitch which has been absent from the ground for the past 5 years.

The benefits of the development are numerous:

– Income from the development will go to supporting sport at junior and youth levels throughout North Edinburgh.

– Schools, residents and clubs can enjoy high standard sports facilities.

– It’ll be one of the few sports facilities not owned by the council or a school and so will enjoy flexibility of use.

– It will also provide a top quality function space for Stockbridge.

– The museum will add culturally to the area as well as going towards preserving the history of the site, brining in new visitors to the area.

– The trees running along Comely Bank Road will remain.

– Perhaps most importantly though, the development is required to ensure the longterm survival of this iconic and historic club, not to mention the survival of sport at this 157 year old sports ground. Although there will be some space (only 5% of the development) allocated for retail units, this is nothing compared to what could materialise should the Club not be able to secure its future as proposed. These retail units will be a modest yet effective addition to Stockbridge business, and will provide the income to the Club to sustain the high standard of the sports facilities.’

Representatives of the club have been invited to attend next week’s meeting, and members of the SOS Save our Stockbridge group have confirmed their attendance. For more information about the meeting email: contact@stockbridgeandinverleithcc.org.uk

Murray mania! (NEN jumps on bandwagon)

I’ve tried to find a link – however tenuous – between North Edinburgh and Andy Murray, but without success. I’ve been unable to track down a distant cousin in West Granton or long-lost former playing partner in Pilton.

However Murray’s mum Judy definitely played tennis in Edinburgh (at Blackhall, Barnton or St Serf’s maybe?) and Andy must occasionally drive through the area on his way to Easter Road, so the NEN is proud to adopt Andy Murray as one of our own – unless he gets beat, of course, in which case you will never again read his name again on these pages – or until next year, anyway!

Dunblane’s finest will become either the greatest Briton since Winston Churchill – or revert to being a sulking, miserable, surly Scottish loser – depending on this afternoon’s result.

The crushing weight of the nation’s expectations sit on Murray’s shoulders, but Britons always win at Wimbledon in Jubilee Years – it’s the law!

Come on, Andy – it’s your destiny!

Stockbridge hosts rugby festival on Saturday

If you’re a fan of the oval ball game – or just enjoy a sociable day out – Stockbridge is the place to be this Saturday when Edinburgh Accies’ Raeburn Place ground hosts the Edinburgh 10s Rugby Festival.

Tens rugby is very popular and this years’ event sees ten local teams being joined by two international sides for the first time – Stockholm Exiles from Sweden and Les Kebabs from France!  Rugby aside, there will be lots of entertainment on offer for all the family and the event, sponsored by Hunters Residential, promises to be a lot of fun and a great day out.

Former British Lion and 61 times Scotland cap Dodie Weir said: “I’m pleased to support the Edinburgh Rugby 10s Festival at Raeburn Place this year – whether you are a rugby enthusiast or just looking for an entertaining day out it promises to be a fantastic spectacle”.

Olympic Reflections

 

The North Neighbourhood Olympic Torch Project came to a dramatic finale on the 30 May when participants took part in a Mini Olympians final event at Bangholm (writes Ricky Karoyan). Pupils were split into countries before taking part in various Olympic sports – from athletics to martial arts – and competing to win gold!  Pupils were awarded prizes based on effort and being a good player in keeping with the Olympic values.

The torch started it’s journey at Craigroyston Primary on Tuesday 21 February.  The torch was then delivered to St Davids and ended up at Lorne Primary on the 21 May.   As the torch travelled from school to school the pupils got to experience one of the Olympic sports, whilst also sharing the experience with a neighbouring school.  They even got to meet some Team GB Olympians, such as hockey player Graham Moodey) and athlete Lynsey Sharp, who visited schools in their Olympic Games kit!  This project involved P3’s from 11 schools from across North Edinburgh.

The activities experienced were hockey, basketball, judo, athletics, Paralympics events, handball, taekwondo, seated volleyball, fencing and boccia.

The pupils had a great time and learned lots of exciting new sports and skills with neighbouring schools.  Active Schools were really impressed with the effort that the classes put into their class presentations and their flag and mini torch making.

A special thanks to all the schools who supported this project and for their enthusiasm and energy.  Also a big thanks to Telford College who delivered our final festival, bringing lots of energy and excitement to the event. Lets hope our mini Olympians are future Olympic athletes in the making!

Ricky Karoyan

Active Schools Coordinator, Craigroyston Cluster

Dougie Samuel takes charge at Spartans

Douglas Samuel has been appointed senior team manger at Spartans. A statement posted on the Ainslie Park club’s website today confirmed his appointment and that of Neil Irvine as assistant boss. Dougie, a former club captain, is currently development manager at the club.

The Spartans statement says:

‘We are delighted to announce Douglas Samuel as the manager of our Senior team.  As most of you know Douglas has been head coach of Edinburgh University FC for the last nine seasons since leaving us as a player.  Douglas outlined his plans to the Executive yesterday afternoon and we were delighted to select him and his team to help us move forward over many seasons to come.  Neil Irvine will be Douglas’ assistant manager.  Neil was also a player with us before supporting Douglas at the University.

Chairman Craig Graham said “Douglas and Neil’s management and coaching pedigree make them the perfect choice.  We have ambitious plans over the next five years plus and Douglas will spearhead our on field developments.  As well as being manager of our Senior team Douglas will have oversight of our Junior, U21 and U19 set ups to ensure we align all our efforts”.

Douglas will be meeting our players over the next couple of weeks and we look forward to announcing our squad for next season at the end of the month.  Douglas’ full coaching and player development team will also be announced over the next couple of weeks’.