Weekend of football

I've had a pretty enjoyable, if busy, weekend of football. Saturday of course was Hampden - for me, every Scotland game is a huge must-win game. Macedonia was particularly so.

I love going to Scotland games, and can't stand watching them on the tv. The atmosphere can be breathtaking, and I had a weird feeling as the team ran out, and as we sang Flower of Scotland, that everything would be ok. It took an agonisingly long time for the goal to come (and yet longer for McFadden to find the back of the net), but I was satisfied with the result. I can't wait 'til Wednesday night.

I got back home, and watched some of the England game with my husband, then went out for dinner with my mum and auntie Carol at Celinos on Ally Parade. I love going there, and I'm delighted they've started opening late Thursday - Sunday. I watched the second half of the Denmark - Portugal game when I got back.

This morning, I decided to forgo a Sunday morning lie-in to head out and see my Gran in Wishaw. My Gran White served in the Wrens in the Second World War, but had never been in contact with them after she was demobbed. An item in a Committee paper had led me to discover a contact for the Wrens Association in Glasgow, who had kindly dropped off some info for my Gran. She was very excited to find out they were still going, and I hope to take her along to their meeting on Thursday.

After a quick pit-stop back home for lunch, I headed down to Glasgow Green Football Centre, where I had been invited to the unveiling of a plaque dedicated to the memory of the founders of Rangers FC. The plaque was unveiled by Heather Lang, the grand-daughter of Peter McNeil.

Speaking to some of the attendees, it was interesting to find out that relatively little had been known about the roots of the club and that even Heather wasn't aware of her family connection. The investigative work of journalist Gary Ralston and club historian David Mason had brought a lot of the history to light, culminating in a book and the beautiful plaque itself. The plaque is obviously engraved metal, but this should give you an idea of what it says!



Later in the afternoon, I attended the finals of the UK Asian football championships at Celtic Park. This event was organised by the Scottish Ethnic Minority Sports Association, and was contested by Sporting Bengal and Punjabi Wolves. The very competitive match ended in a 1-1 draw, and went to penalties. Sadly for Punjabi Wolves, their final player to take a penalty missed his second of the afternoon, and the trophy went to Sporting Bengal.

It was a really nice event, well assembled by Dilawer Singh, President of SEMSA, and Culture and Sport Glasgow. To give the players even more credit, many of them were fasting for Ramadan and had also played in the preliminary games yesterday and Friday. Not many professional players would cope with that! There are so few players of ethnic minority origin in Scottish (and English) football, but given the talent on show today, I'm sure there will be plenty coming through.

Just the ticket!

I booked tickets for next week's Scotland - Netherlands match yesterday morning with some trepidation. I usually go and buy football tickets in person, or get someone I trust to buy them for me.

I wasn't confident that my £1 booking fee would allow the tickets to wing their way to me before kick-off, and had a vision of me stalking my postie all week.

I'm very chuffed to report that my worries were completely unfounded!

When I got home tonight, there they were, two crisp and lovely Scotland tickets. Hats off to the people at ticketlink. Simple service, done correctly. I wonder though, if I'd paid £5.50 for the special delivery option, would James McFadden have dropped round to hand them in?

Meetings and events

Today's going to be hectic - and very conversation-heavy. It sounds odd to my other half, who speaks mostly to computers, but a significant part of my job is listening to people. Speaking too obviously, but the listening's the really important part. Remembering what was said by whom and when, and what action I've to take when I get back to the office is a bit more challenging, especially when all the meetings are back to back.

This morning, I've got a meeting with parents from St James' and Queen Mary Street at 9.15, and a Royal visit to the opening of the Community Fire House at Calton Fire Station at 10.15. This afternoon, I've got the pantomime of Full Council at 1.30 and then casework to catch up on with several constituents to call back. I'm also still trying to get hold of some facts'n'figures for the school closure meetings next week.

If I get all my work done, I hope to go and see Motherwell play St Mirren tonight in the cup. Events have kept me away from the football for weeks, so it'd be great to make it along. It has the advantage of being able to switch the conversational part of my brain off for a wee while!

Goodbye to a legend

I'm sure I'm not the only blogger who has been saddened by the death of Motherwell Captain Phil O'Donnell; however, I thought I should wait 'til today to commit my thoughts to the internet. I was down at Joe's parents in Derby when I heard the news. I was all chuffed about what sounded like a thrilling game 5-3 win against Dundee United at Fir Park, and had been watching the result come in on the tv. My brother texted me from the game to say Phil had collapsed, then phoned when the news of his death emerged.

People who know me know I'm a Motherwell fan. I was at the famous Cup Final in 1991, when Phil O'Donnell scored his first goal for the club. I was eight. I was pleased to see him come back to the club, lending experience to our young side. At any game I was at, he always made a significant contribution, no matter the end result. I was at Fir Park for the game against Aberdeen a few weeks ago, and could see what a great role he was playing as club Captain. I've rarely seen such a well organised 'Well side, playing remarkably good football. It looked as though he was having a good time out there, which makes it all the more unexpected and tragic that Phil O'Donnell's life was cut short.

He will be missed.

Unhappy household

Both halves of the Thewliss - Wright household are united tonight in our individual grumpiness and gutted-ness.

Since neither Scotland nor England are going to Austria and Switzerland next summer, perhaps some alternative tournament might be worth having? It would be a useful warm up for the World Cup Qualifiers, and Scotland are now good enough to stand a chance of winning such a tourney... ;-)

Scotland - Italy

Gutted about the result today - I was at the game, and the boys played like heroes. I was crying after Italy scored that last minute goal that should never have been. I really believed and hoped there was a chance that we could qualify, so I'm drowning my sorrows tonight.

I suppose the best thing for the team to do now is regroup and work towards the World Cup, but it's still hard to take after such a fabulous campaign. Almost every minute was nail biting, but it's been phenomenal.

Football not Newsnight?!

Just realised that Newsnight Scotland isn't on tonight; instead we have last weekend's Scottish football highlights. I'm not pleased at this sacrificing of what limited political coverage we have, and particularly because I'm not entirely convinced that the football coverage is worth it.

I love football; watching it live, on tv, and occasionally playing (despite the fact I'm pretty poor at it!). I also love politics, news programmes, and debate. Why does BBC Scotland appear to have such little control of the schedules that they have to sacrifice one for the other? Is this a one-off, or indicative of the recently bemoaned state of Scottish television coverage?

BBC Scotland's football highlights show fits poorly on a Wednesday night in any case. By this point in the week, I've practically forgotten about last weekend's matches, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming fixtures. Monday night is a better timeslot, but Scotsport's coverage is pretty dire.

Match of the Day and MotD 2 are in my view the kings of football highlight shows. They do replays, analysis with fairly knowledgeable pundits, and high quality camera work. I enjoy watching it, and wouldn't want it removed from the schedules, even in an independent Scotland (if we had the same situation as in Belgium, we could continue to watch BBC anyway). I'd also like to see more football from the rest of Europe, and I'm pleased to see that Channel 5 have now started showing Italian games. Perhaps in the interim, we could have a BBC sport digital channel?

Present Scottish football coverage, and often Scottish football in general, can't hold a candle to MotD, and that's a real shame. It may be a funding issue; it may be a demand issue (would most lovers of the game rather watch Caley Thistle and Gretna, or Chelsea and Arsenal?), but Scottish fans (and Scottish politics enthusiasts!) are losing out.

Hope and Independence

This advert I saw on the subway tonight reminded me of just why it is that I believe in independence - no, not because of the beer and football, but because of hope.

None of us know exactly what independence will bring. It might well be a long road, and many many people have trodden that road before me.

I've realised that the best way I know to get around whatever uncertainty is thrown at me is by thinking of the possibilities, the things that will be better and the changes that will come. Hoping for the best, and feeling that I'm doing the right thing.

It's the hope that keeps me going up the tenement closes and down the stairs in the high flats; allows me to ignore the barking dogs and the stenches; makes me forgive the people who rip up our leaflets and slam the door in my face.

And it's hope that we offer people, the chance to grasp an opportunity and do something really radical. The other parties can't offer that special something, and some people are scared to come to us because they don't quite believe in themselves and in Scotland's ability to do well. I hope to convince a fair few more that taking a step into the unknown isn't so scary. If our national football team can do well, it might even help.