Events are listed alphabetically by sport, then by day. Sport Listings compiled by Jonathan Trew.
AMERICAN FOOTALL Sunday 21
I Capital Bonl X Meadowbank Stadium. Edinburgh. 477 0246. lpm. £6 (£3 OAPS and kids). Six-time champs the Glasgow Lions take on last year‘s winners. the Fife 49ers. in the first semi-final and then the Dundee Whalers play the Clydesdale Colts. The two winners then compete for the championship. Each game lasts just one hour since there are no time-outs or stoppages.
Saturday 27
I Scottish Claymores v Barcelona Dragons Murrayfteld Stadium. 220 1314. 7pm. £5-£20. More grid iron action. Note the evening kick-off now that balmy summer nights are meant to be here.
CRICKET Saturday 20
SCOTTISH COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP
I Strathmore County v West Lothian Lochside Park. Forfar. lpm.
I Perthshire v Aberdeenshire North inch. Gannochy Sports Pavilion. Perth. lpm. I Fife v Clackmannan County McKane Park. Dunfermline. lpm.
I Ayrshire v Arbroath County Cambusdoon. Alloway. Ayr. lpm.
I Stirling County v Forfarshire Williamfteld. Torbrex. Stirling. lpm. HALL WESTERN UNION
I Kelbnme V Ayr Whitehaugh, 2 Barshaw Drive. Paisley. lpm.
I Poloc v Uddingston Shawholm. Pollokshaws Road. Glasgow. lpm.
I llllmamock v Ferguslie Kirkstyle. Little Bellsland Road. Kilmamock. lpm. I Drumpellier v West at Scotland Langloan. Drumpellier Avenue. lpm.
I Greenock v Clydesdale GIenpark. Brisbane Street. Greenock. 1pm.
RYOEN EASTERN LEAGUE
I Falkland v Freuchie Scroggie Park. Falkland. lpm.
I Edinburgh Academicals v Carlton Raeburn Place. Edinburgh. lpm.
I Watsonlans v Grange Myreside. Myreside Road. Edinburgh. lpm.
After a tricky season Airdrie are due a slice of luck. The First Division side, affectionately known as the Diamonds, used to play their home matches at Broomfield Park in the middle of Airdrie. Two years ago however, the club sold the ground to the supermarket chain Safeway for a
: reputed £45 million. Initially the club ‘ had planning permission from
i Monklands District Council for a
i multi-purpose stadium just off the M8 at Airdrie. Strathclyde Regional Council scuppered this when they
I designated the land as green belt.
I Since then the club and Monklands
" . i have looked at sixteen different sites ‘4‘ it}: i for a new ground. The only possible
! option for Airdrie and Monklands is at Raebog, outside Airdrie. However, the planning committee of Strathclyde are not due to discuss the application until this coming August. At the very least, it means that Airdrie will spend another season playing their home games ten miles away in Cumbernauld
‘ at Clyde’s Broadwood Stadium.
Groundsharing has not been without its problems for Airdrie. Contrary to the belief that diamonds are forever, support has dwindled from their usual 4,000 to 2,000. As there is no home ground to train in, Airdrie are forced to train like a Sunday League team in Strathclyde Park. Unlike most modern professionals who have a backroom of bootboys waiting to clean their kit, Airdrie players literally do all their own dirty work, taking their training gear to the park and doing all their own laundry. Manager Alex MacDonald doesn’t necessarily believe it to be a bad thing. He thinks the squad are now united in their cause.
‘The players have coped very well, there have been no complaints and nobody has lost anythying yet,’ he iests. ‘The great thing about this club is that we use troubles like this to our advantage. We only just fell out of the promotion at the death, and we won the B & 0 Cup earlier in the season. We got put out of the Coca-Cola Cup by Raith who went onto win it. If we win the Scottish Cup I think we should consider staying put.’
The Scottish Cup Final is Celtic’s second maior cup final of the season.
CUP HUNGRY AND HOMELESS
ROBERT DALZELL
John Martin, the Diamonds’ goalie: the outcome of the cup rests in his hands
Last November they lost out on penalties to Raith Rovers. The Celtic players still smart at that particular defeat and MacDonald is all too aware that everybody concerned with Celtic will be totally psyched up for this game. MacDonald is not worried for his side who have already won at Hampden this season, when they beat Hearts 1-0 in the semi-final. He sees it as a repeat of the rags versus riches cup final three years ago when Rangers beat Airdrie 2-1. MacDonald feels that his men are ready to go one better.
‘Football is not just about spending as much money as you’ve got. Obviously it would be nice to have that, but at the end of the day it’s about what you’ve got and how you use it. It’s all about pressure, who can handle it, forget it and get on with winning the game on the day. It’s about having a great day out, it’s about my players having a nice holiday and the chance to pay off a bit more of their mortgage. There are no stars at this club, there are no swanky cars and luxury houses. What we do have is a hunger and ability to cope with the pressure. On the day I know who’s going to be better equipped for victory, and it isn’t going to be Celtic. (Philip Dorward)
Airdrie v Celtic. Hampden Park, 3pm, Sat 27 May.
I Corstorphine v Royal High Union Park. Carricknowe Parkway. Edinburgh. lpm. I George Heriot’s FP v Stenhousemuir Goldenacre. Ferry Road. lpm.
Saturday 27
SCOTTISH COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP
I West Lothian County v Perthshire Boghall. Edinburgh Road. Linlithgow. lpm.
I Forfarshire v File Forthill. Fintry Place.
Broughty Ferry. Dundee. lpm.
I Ayrshire v Strathmore County Cambusdoon. Alloway. Ayr. lpm.
I Clackmannan County v Aberdeenshire The Arns. Cambus Road. Alloa. 1pm.
I Arbroath County v Stirling County Lochlands Cricket Ground. Keptie Road. Arbroath. lpm.
HALL WESTERN UNION
I Ferguslie v Kelburne Meikleriggs. Corsebar Road. Paisley. lpm.
I Clydesdale v Poloc Titwood. Bealon Road. Glasgow. lpm.
I West of Scotland v Greenock Hamilton Crescent. Peel Street. Glasgow. lpm.
I Uddingston v Drumpellier Bolhwell Castle Policies. Castle Avenue. Uddingston. lpm.
I Ayr V Kilmarnock Cambusdoon. Alloway. Ayr. lpm.
RYOEN EASTERN LEAGUE
I Carlton V Falkland Grange Loan. Edinburgh. lpm.
I Freuchie v George Heriot’s FP Muir Road. Freuchie. lpm.
I Royal High v Stenhousemuir East Barnton Avenue. Edinburgh. lpm.
I Grange v Edinburgh Academicals Raeburn Place. Edinburgh. lpm.
I Corstorphine v Watsonians Union Park. Carricknowe Parkway. Edinburgh. lpm.
DEE—- Glasgow
I Race Days Tuesdays. Thursdays and Saturdays. Shawfteld Stadium. Rutherglen Road. Glasgow. There are ten races in each meeting starting at 7.45pm.
FOOTBALL Saturday 27
SCOTTISH CUP FINAL I Celtic V Airdrie Hampden Park. Glasgow. 3pm. See panel.
[ESE— Monday 22
I Edinburgh Races Edinburgh Racecourse. Musselburgh. First race 6.30pm. Flat racing.
Thursday 1
I Ayr Races Ayr Racecourse. Ayr. First race 6.45pm. Flat racing.
MOTORSPORTS . Sunday 21
I SMRC Car Racing Knockhill Racing Circuit. By Dunfermline. Fife. 01383 622090. 1pm. £6 (£3). Featuring all Scottish classes including Formula Ford. Special Saloons and Histories.
I City of Glasgow Women’s 10K Starting from the Art Gallery car park at Kelvingrove Park. 10am. The main objective of this race is to encourage women to take part in exercise and to this end the Women in Sport Team have organised a Glasgow Women‘s Jogging network to provide support and a framework for would be runners. The race also incorporates a Five Nations International.
Friday 19
I Edinburgh Monarchs v Hull Powderhall Stadium. Beaverhall Road. Edinburgh. 556 3979. 7.15pm. £7.50 including race card. concs for kids and OAPs. British Premier League match.
74 The List 19 May-l Jun 1995