SPORT LIST

0 Sport is listed as diary: by sport, then by day, then by event. This is a tree listings service. Please send all details not later than 10 days beiore publication.

ATHLETICS

Wednesdayl and Thursday 2

0 New Year Athletics Gala Meadowbank, Edinburgh. A 12 noon start each day with finals on the 2nd. Full programme available at Meadowbank on the day.

BADMINTON Saturday 14 and Sunday 15

0 Sun Lite Scottish Invitation Singles Championships BishopBriggs Sports Centre, Glasgow. Sat 10am—5pm. Semi-finals Sun 10am. Finals Sun 2pm. £1 .50 for two days.

Friday 27 and Saturday 28

o Meadowbank Xmas Junior Restricted Age groups: Under 12, 14, 16& 18. Meadowbank, Edinburgh. 9.30am—7.30pm (all day). Free. Competition restricted to the Lothians area. An annual event popular, high standard badminton.

Saturday 28 and Sunday 29

o Cockbum Xmas Junior Open (13 a 15 years) Cockburn Centre, Glasgow. 9.30am—6pm. Free. Open to competitors from all over Britain, this event aims at the in-between junior ages (13 & 15) to give those youngsters a chance of competing in their specific categories.

Thursday 9

0 Scotland v ireland Hawick High School, Hawick. 4 & 7pm.

Afternoon £1, Evening£1.50. Child 75p. With the Irish side not

providing really heavy opposition this senior international will give some Scots a chance of getting their first cap without the worry of weakening the Scottish performance.

BASKETBALL Saturday 14

0 National Cirobanlt Senior Men's Scottish Cup Semi-linals Meadowbank, Edinburgh. Falkirit v Buster Browns 1pm. Murray iM v Perth 3pm.

Sunday 15

o Boroughmulr Aces v Dundee Meadowbank. 1.15pm Div 1 (Women).

0 Royal Deeside v Paisley Stirling University. 3pm Div 1 (Women).

Friday 20 to Sunday 22

0 21st Boroughmuir International Club

Tournament Meadowbank, Edinburgh.

Game times: Fn' 7pm. 8.45pm. Sat 2. 15, 4, 7and 8.45pm. Sun 12. 15, 2 and 4pm.

Admission: Adult £2, Child £1. Murray IM, Falkirk, Perth and Buster Browns are joined by visiting teams K.R. from Iceland and Gravelines from France. Murray will probably be strong enough to win the event with Gravelines following a close second.

Sunday 22

0 Perth v USS Hunley Bells SC. 3pm Div 1 (Men).

0 Dunlermline v Inverclyde Dunlermline HS. 2pm Div 2 (Men). 0 BRC Jets v East Kilbride Bo‘ness RC. 2.30pm Div2 (Men).

0 Clydebanlt v Pentiand The Hub. 3pm. Div 2 (Men).

0 Cumnock v Bruins Cumnock Academy. 3pm Div 2 (Men).

0 Gearv Edzell Alexandra Park SP. 3pm. Div 2 (Men).

0 Magnum v Dundee Magnum LC. 3.15pm Div 2 (Men).

Sunday 29

0 SC Dean v Falkirlt Lasswade SC. 3pm Div 1 (Men). 0 Paisley v Buster Browns Barrhead

SC. 3.45pm Div 1 (Men). fairly flat water between Stonebyers Friday 3 Power Station and Crossford

0 Altered Images v FalkHK Forrester HS. 7.45pm Div 1 (Women).

Saturday 4

o lnverclyde v East Kilbride Greenock SC. 6.30pm Div 2 (Men).

Sunday 5

o Buster Brownsv Falltirtt Meadowbank. 3pm Div 1 (Men).

0 SC Dean v USS l-lunley Lasswade SC. 3pm Div 1 (Men).

0 Perth v Murray IM Bell‘s SC. 3pm Div 1 (Men).

0 Dunlermline v Gear Dunlermline HS. 2pm Div 2 (Men).

0 BBC Jets ll Pentland Bo’ness RC. 2.30pm Div 2 (Men).

0 Clydebanli v Bruins The Hub. 3pm Div 2 (Men).

0 Cumnock v Dundee Cumnock Academy. 3pm Div 2 (Men).

0 Edzell v Magnum RAF Edzell. 3pm Div 2 (Men).

0 Bruins v BRC Jets Allander SC. 7.30pm Div 2 (Men).

0 Boroughmuir Aces v Paisley Meadowbank SC. 1.15pm Div 1 (Women).

0 Cavalry ParkvAlI Blacks Holyrood HS. 1.15pm. Div 1 (Women).

Sunday15

o Clyde White Water Race Crossford, Stonebyers. 11am start. Entries accepted up to 10.30am. One ofa series of 12 races held in Scotland over the winter season, the Clyde race sponsored by British Oil is the only one to be held in the west of Scotland. The course is 23/4 miles of

_ RUGGER DOWN UNDER

Dec 14 at Murraylield will be the third Scottish encounter with the Australian Schools international team since 1974, and fingers are crossed ior s first Scottish victory.

Captaining the Scottish XV is Colin Pearson 01 Dollar Academy (pictured here), the only boy in the team to have played in last season’s side although hooker, Kevin Mackenzie (Dunblane High School) was reserve last year and will now gain hisiirst cap against the Australians. Pearson played against Wales and France and led the Blues in the llnal trial at the end oi November. Capped beiore at under-15 level, Craig Chalmers (Earlston High School) plays at stand-oil and the strong second row irom the Blues- Michael Hinton and Alistair Rinlret-are ltept lor the lull international team.

Most of the boys to be selected are lrom the South at Scotland team with exceptions like David Rowand (Kelvinside Academy) and with Antony Stanger and Andrew Furley both now playing in senior rugby teams the Scots have certainly put together an exceptionally strong slde.

Lilte their senior counterparts, the Australian Schools produce a very high standard oi rugby and will be lormidable opponents lor the Scots,

DAVID STRANoc

”_ 0', .\,__11

who will be out to avoid a repeat at last season’s 37-6 deleat by visiting New Zealand. The Australians are currently playing in Europe and the Murraylield game will be their lirst llxture In this country. As they go on to meet the Scottish Schools B team, the Scots will prepare to meet France at Netherdale. (Janet McLean).

50The List 13 Dec-9Jan

Annfield 3pm.

(approx 4 miles below Lanark). A division C race, this is expected to attract between 50 and 70 paddlers from all over Scotland.

Friday 22 o Linlithgow Mini-Marathon.

Sunday 5 o Tay Mini-Marathon.

Saturday 4

0 Scottish Canoe Polo Championships - Dualilying Rounds Grecnock. 9am—5pm.

CRICKET Sundays

0 lndoorb-a-side Meadowbank, Edinburgh. 10.30am start. Initially a style ofcricket invented to keep up cricket activities over the winter, this is a fast and interesting spectator

sport. lim- Edinburgh 5

o Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays

7.30pm. Powderhall Stadium, f Beaverhall Road, £2.20 Stand, £1.30 . Ground, inc programme. 5

Glasgow

0 Tuesdays, Thursdays 7.45pm, Saturdays 7.30pm. Shawfield Stadium. Rutherglen. £1.50, inc programme.

(N0 racing at Powderhall on Thursday 26 December, and racing at Shawfield on New Year‘s Eve is also off).

FOOTBALL ;

Saturday 14

FINE FARE LEAGUE

PREMIER DIVISION

0 Hearts II Celtic Tynecastle 3pm. A _

four-pointer. Ifhearts aren‘t already

top ofthe table, this is the game that i

could take them there.

0 Motherwell v Clydebanli Fir Park

3pm. Could be the only opportunity

either of these teams gets to collect

any points before the New Year.

0 Rangers v Dundee Utd Ibrox 3pm.

The match which could decide

whether Gers or United are about to Q

be left hopelessly behind in the title

race.

FIRST DIVISION

0 Alloa V Hamilton Recreation Park

3pm.

O Ayr United V Alrdrie Somerset Park

3pm.

O Dumbarton V Clyde Boghead 3pm.

0 Morton v Brechin City Cappielow 1 i

3pm : l :

o Particit Thistle v E File Firhill 3pm. SECOND DIVISION

0 Albion Rovers v St Johnstone Cliftonhill 3pm.

0 Dunlermline v Stranraer East End Park 3pm.

0 Meadowbank v E Stirlingshlre Meadowbank 3pm.

0 Queen’s Park v Cowdenbeath Hampden 3pm.

0 Stirling Albion v Stenhousemuir