Tag: Super John McGinn

Watch Senga the Highland Cow predict Scotland’s chances in the World Cup – and a surprising outcome for England

MOVE OVER, PAUL THE OCTOPUS!

Bookmaker Ladbrokes has teamed up with Senga—a two year old Highland Cow turned psychic pundit. Senga, which is Gaelic for slenderness, is based at Kitchen Coos and Ewes at High Airyolland Farm in Dumfries and Galloway.

Faced with a choice of equally filled feed buckets labelled with the outcomes of Scotland’s Group games, the hairy heifer didn’t hesitate to deliver her verdict and has predicted a classic rollercoaster tournament for the national team, opting for a Scotland win against Haiti, a draw against Morocco, and a loss against powerhouse Brazil. With four points predicted, Senga’s calculations mean Scotland will face a nail-biting wait to see if they progress to the knockout stages.

If they do, Senga has predicted that they will battle through and make it all the way to the quarter-finals.

Senga was also tasked with picking Scotland’s top scorer. Snubbing the front line strikers, she put her hoof down and picked Aston Villa midfielder and captain JOHN McGINN to finish top of the Scots’ scoring charts.

Turning her attention to England, the bolshy bovine predicted the Three Lions would enjoy a strong tournament and make it into the semi-finals, but in a twist that will surprise absolutely nobody north of the border, Senga predicted that the English campaign will end in heartbreak: getting knocked out on penalties.

Neale McQuistin from Kitchen Coos and Ewes said: “We always knew Senga was special, but we didn’t expect her to become a football pundit.

!She’s usually incredibly level-headed, but if she thinks we can take four points from the group, the Tartan Army should start letting themselves believe anything is possible.”

https://twitter.com/Ladbrokes/status/2065359067380388055/video/1

Alex Apati, PR Manager at Ladbrokes said: “If Scotland make it to the quarter finals and England go out on penalties, then we might see Senga becoming an honorary member of the Tartan Army. 

“We’ve already seen a flurry of bets on an England shootout exit, because if there’s one thing more reliable than a psychic coo, it’s English penalty heartbreak.”

AFTER this morning’s nervy 1 – 0 victory over Haiti it’s so far, so good – Scotland sit proudly at the top of the group! Maybe, just maybe …! – ED.

McGill’s Buses becomes ‘McGinn’s’ as Scotland World Cup fever grips the nation

McGill’s Buses is getting behind Scotland’s World Cup heroes by temporarily rebranding one of its electric buses as ‘McGinn’s’ in tribute to midfield favourite John McGinn.

The specially branded Yutong E12 electric bus will take to the streets with a playful twist on the McGill’s name, celebrating Scotland’s qualification for the FIFA World Cup and paying tribute to one of the national team’s most recognisable and much-loved players.

The one-off rebrand comes as excitement builds across the country ahead of Scotland’s return to football’s biggest stage, with John McGinn’s passion, personality and commitment making him a firm favourite with the Tartan Army.

The ‘McGinn’s’ bus will operate on the McGill’s N6 service, giving fans the chance to spot it on the road as World Cup fever gathers pace.

Colin Napier, Group Service Delivery Director, said: “Scotland reaching the World Cup is something the whole country can celebrate, and we wanted to mark the occasion in a way that would get people smiling.

“John McGinn has become one of the real faces of this Scotland team. He plays with heart, humour and total commitment, so turning one of our buses into ‘McGinn’s’ felt like the perfect tribute.

“We are proud to back Scotland and we hope the bus helps spread a bit of excitement as supporters get ready for what promises to be a brilliant summer.”

With Scotland’s matches set to bring late nights for supporters, McGill’s is also going the extra mile to help fans get home safely after cheering on the national team.

The operator has confirmed enhanced NightBus services during Scotland’s World Cup fixtures, with additional journeys and later departures on key routes to support fans travelling to and from pubs, clubs and city centres for the big matches.

Services including the N3, N4, N6, N26, N38 and N60 will see extra late-night journeys, helping keep supporters moving long after the final whistle as Scotland chase World Cup glory.

Stephen McGinn, former professional footballer and brother of John McGinn, said: “John would probably be equal parts proud and embarrassed to see a bus named after him, but it is brilliant and sums up the excitement everyone is feeling about Scotland getting to the World Cup.

“He has always given absolutely everything for Scotland and the support from fans means a huge amount to him and the players.

“Seeing ‘McGinn’s’ out on the road is a great bit of fun and hopefully it helps build even more excitement as we all get behind the team.”

Fans are encouraged to keep an eye out for the ‘McGinn’s’ Yutong E12 on the road and to follow McGill’s social media channels for updates on NightBus services during Scotland’s World Cup campaign.

Scotland Star Takes Aim at the Stigma Around Kids Wearing Goggles in Football

Aston Villa and Scotland star John McGinn is calling for greater awareness and acceptance of children who wear glasses or protective goggles whilst playing football – inspired by his young nephew, Jack. 

McGinn’s now-famous ‘goggles celebration’ began as a personal gesture of support for Jack, who was found to have poor eyesight at the age of four and needs to wear glasses daily, and goggles to play football. 

‘Jack is my first-born nephew, and he was really upset when he had his eyes tested at first,’ McGinn explains. 

‘He didn’t want to be different from the others,’ says John. ‘As a wee bit of support, I said I’d do the goggles celebration. I didn’t manage to score at the Euros, so the first time I did it was a few months later for Aston Villa. He was absolutely over the moon.’ 

What started as a small gesture quickly turned into something much bigger – a movement helping children around the world feel confident wearing their glasses or goggles with pride. 

John – who has just renegotiated his contract with Aston Villa until 2028 – believes playing in the English Premier League has given the celebration a global platform, raising awareness that eyesight challenges shouldn’t prevent children from enjoying sport. 

‘My celebration gave Jack so much confidence to wear the goggles,” John explains. “He now plays for a little club called Glenvale and all his teammates know Jack is the reason why I do the celebration. 

‘It makes him more comfortable to wear them – and for all children with eyesight issues, you shouldn’t be made to feel different.’ 

McGinn says he has been overwhelmed by the global response from parents and young players, receiving messages from across the world thanking him for raising awareness. 

‘I think it’s amazing, I love being able to be a positive role model. Having an impact on so many kids around the world is a huge reason and motivation to do it. For me, it’s a huge part of my game now and something I’ll keep doing for the rest of my career,’ John adds. 

Super John McGinn also highlighted the importance of safety when it comes to protective eyewear in sport. 

‘The risk of a ball hitting a child wearing glasses is huge. Goggles protect their eyes, and with the technology available now, there’s no reason any child should feel uncomfortable wearing them. It’s about safety, comfort, and enjoyment,’ McGinn explains. 

The 31-year-old hopes he can encourage parents to have their children’s eyesight checked regularly – and that more players will help normalise goggles on the pitch. 

He explains that good eyesight is essential in football – being able to see a defender in your peripheral vision or spot a teammate making a run can be the difference in a game. 

‘It’s great to see players like Andrew Tod in the Scottish Championship wearing goggles and doing their own celebration. There should be more positive messages around glasses and goggles,’ says McGinn. 

Jenny Stephenson, chairperson for Specsavers Scotland, says: ‘John’s story is an inspiration to children across the world, and the very reason Specsavers works so closely with the Scottish FA – it underpins everything we do as opticians.’ 

Specsavers is supporting young athletes by offering a discount on prescription sports goggles for club players under the age of 18. The initiative aims to promote safety and confidence by offering 10 percent off goggles. 

Jenny continues: ‘The new sports goggles campaign is about more than vision – it’s about confidence and inclusion. We want young players and their parents to see sports goggles as a normal, affordable and essential part of the game, so no child ever feels held back from playing the sport they love. 

‘Parents can be reassured by Specsavers’ care and expertise, while players can focus on performance – knowing their eyewear is safe, durable and designed for the demands of football.’ 

John concludes: ‘I would encourage everyone to make sure they’re getting their eyes tested as frequently as possible. The earlier you find out about any issues the better.  

‘Hopefully one day Jack’s out there playing at Hampden for Scotland wearing the goggles – that would be the McGinn legacy.’