SPORT LIST
I Sport ls llstcd as diary: by sport. than by day. than by event.
BADMINTON Thursday 5
I Scotland V Wales (ialleon Centre. Titchfield Street. Kilmarnock. There are two sessions. beginning at 4pm and
7. 15pm. The order of matches has yet to be decided. but there will be twomen's singles. two men‘s doubles. one ladies‘ singles. one ladies‘ dottbles and one mixed doubles. Admission to the first session. in which three matches will be played. costs £1 for adtilts. Slip for children or ( )Al’s; these costs double for the second session. which covers the remaining four matches.
BASKETBALL Friday 6
WOMEN'S LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
I City OI Edinburgh V Rangers .‘sleadowbank Sports Centre. London Road. Iidinburgh. 6.45pm.
Sunday8
WOMEN'S LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
I Boroughmuir Aces v Ml Livingston Meadow bank Sports Centre. London Road. Edinburgh. 1.15pm.
MEN'S LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
I Boroughmuir v Murray Livingston Meadowbank Sports Centre. London Road. Edinburgh. 3pm.
I James Watt v Dundee James Watt College. Nelson Street. (ireenoek. 4pm.
Edinburgh
I Race Days Tuesday. Thursday and Saturday. Powderhall Stadium. Beaverhall Road. Edinburgh. liach meeting includes Ill races. starting at 7.30pm. £2.5(lStand: £1.5ll(iround. Race programme free with admission.
Glasgow
I Race Days Tuesday. Thursday and Saturday. Shawfield Stadium. Rutherglen Road. (ilasgow. There are ten races in each meeting. starting at 7.45pm. £2.
FOOTBALL Saturday 24
PREMIER DIVISION
No Premier fixtures today. for reasons best known to Jim Parry and his pet computer.
FIRST DIVISION
I Clyde v Airdrie Firhill. l-‘irhill Road. Glasgow. 3pm.
I Clydebank v Raith Rovers Kilbowie l’ark. Clydebank (2 mins from Singerstation). 3pm. Considered by many to be lacking in ambition and thus to have little chance of promotion. Clydebank have nevertheless had a consistent first halfof the season. and should see off Raith today.
I Dunlermline v Ayr liast lind Park. Halbeth Road. Dunfermline. 3pm. An open. attacking game is on the cards. with Ayr aiming to get back into contention for promotion. while [)unfermline - still most people‘s favourites to win the championship - need a convincing sequence of victories to start putting pressure on Falkirk and Airdrie.
I Falltirlt V Particlt Thistle Brockville. Falkirk ( lllt) yards from Crrahamston
50 The List 23 Dec 1988— 12 Jan 198‘)
SPORT
station). 3pm.
I Kilmarnock v Meadowbanlt Thistle Rugby l’ark. Kilmarnock ( 10 mins from bUs
; station).3pm. I Morton V Forfar Cappielow I’ark.
(ireenock (5 mins Cartsdyke station).
3pm. SECOND DIVISION I Albion Rovers v Stenhousemuir
I Cliftonhill. Coatbridge ( Ill mitts ('oatdyke .
station). 3pm. The home team. still at the top of the league. should expect to pick tip another two points today without too much bother.
I Dumbarton v Montrose Boghcad. Dumbarton ( ll) mins Dumbarton liast station). 3pm.
I Queen‘s Park V Arbroath I Iampden Park. (ilasgow (5 mins Mount lilorida and Kings Park stations). 3pm.
Stirling Albion v liast Stirling Annfield. Stirling( Ill mins from stations). 3pm.
Saturday 31
PREMIER LEAGUE
I Celtic V Hearts Celtic Park. (iallowgatc. (ilasgow. 3pm. The biggest match ofthe day. between two teams who have begun to return to something like their true form of late. Thanks to Rangers‘ recent defeats. Celtic are at last well placed to win the league. while Hearts' ambitions must be restricted to securing a place in Iiuropc - just in case they don't win the [JEFA Ctip.
I Dundee vaerdeen Dens Park. Sandeman Street. Dundee. 3pm. The Dons visit Dundee again on Tuesday to play United. and will be looking for three points out of four to stay in the championship chase. They should be able to play well within themselves today and still win. given Dundee's recent lack of morale and direction.
I Hamilton V Rangers Douglas Park. Hamilton ( 100 yards I lamilton West station). 3pm. Hamilton almost match Rangers for points gained over the last halfdozcn matches. but only insanely optimistic fans (to wit. J. (ireaves) would predict a home victory here.
Albion Road. Edinburgh. 3pm.
this season. and tedious. systematically defensive teams like .‘ylotherwell are best equipped to take advantage of any lapses. But with Joe McBride on form at the
l havingan excellentattack.especiallyil John Collins manages to take controlof the midfield.
I St Mirren v Dundee Utd Love Street. Paisley (5 mins from (iilmour Street station). 3pm. The Buddies (sic) are not Linited's favourite team. having a habit of beating them in cup finals and crucial league matches. The visitors. though. have been playing near the peak oftheir form recently: (iallacher. .‘ychinlay and the admirable Krivokapic provide intelligent midfield play: the defence isas reliable as ever; and l’aatelainen isa dangerous striker who will (futile prediction time) score the winner today. FIRST DIVISION
I Airdrie v St Johnstone Bmomt‘ieltl. Airdric (5 mins Airdrie station). 3pm.
I Clyde v Raith Rovers I’irhill. Firhill Road. (ilasgow. 3pm.
I Ounfermline V Falltirlt liast [ind l’ark. llalbeath Road. Dunfermline. 3pm.
I Kilmarnoclt v Clydebank Rugby Park.
I Hibs V Motherwell lias‘ter Road Stadium.
Inconsistency has been llibs' maior failing
moment. the home side are not far short of
Kilmarnock ( It) mins from bus station). 3pm.
I Meadowbantt Thistle v Queen of the South Meadow-bank Stadium. London Road. Edinburgh. 3pm.
I Morton V Particlt Thistle Cappielow Park. (ireenock (5 mins Cartsdyke station).
3 m.
SECOND DIVISION
I East Stirling v Dumbarton l-‘irs- Park. Firs Street. Falkirk. 3pm.
Tuesday 3
PREMIER LEAGUE
I Dundee Utd V Aberdeen Tan nadice Park. 'l‘annadice Street. Dundee. 3pm. See panel.
I Hamilton v Motherwell Douglas Park, Hamilton ( llltl yards l lamilton West station). 3pm. l.anarkshire derby and relegation crunch match combined. lfthe sight of blood makes you queasy. stay away.
I Hills V Hearts Iiaster Road Stadium. Albion Road. lidinburgh. 3pm. See panel. I Rangers v Celtic lbrox Stadium. Glasgow (2 mins lbrox underground). 3pm. See panel.
I St Mirren v Dundee l.o\ c Street. Paisley (5 mins from (iilmour Street station). ' 3pm. Is it too early in the season tocallthis a meaningless mid-table game'.’ Saints' hopes of a Iiuropean place may sptir them on somewhat.
FIRST DIVISION
I Ayr V Kilmarnoclt Somerset Park. Somerset Road. Ay r. 3pm.
I Clydebank v Morton Kilbowie l’ark. Clydebank (2 mins from Singer station). 3pm.
I Falkirk v Meadowbank Thistle Brockvillc. Falkirk ( flit) yards from ( irahamston station). 3pm.
I Particlt Thistle v Clyde l-‘irhill. liirhill Road. (ilasgow. 3pm.
I Raith Rovers v Dunlermline Stark's‘ l’ark. l’ratt Street. Kirkcaldy. 3pm.
KEEPING THE SCORE
Halfway through the season, four teams are still in contention for the league championship following Rangers' recent decline in form. The Old Firm play each other at Ibrox on Tuesday 3, and depending on how results prior to that have gone, Celtic’s incentive could be that a win will take them to the top of the league. Rangers, needless to say, are no spent force: injuries to key players have certainly affected team performances, butthe longer the season goes on, the more a club with their resources is likely to predominate.
The other two league hopefuls, Dundee United and Aberdeen, meet at Tannadice, also on Tuesday 3. The Dons have been in a relative decline for the past few years, whereas United once more have the makings of an excellent side: the missing factor for both, however, is sell-belief, especially vis-a-vis the two Glasgow giants. A draw in this match should be regarded by both teams as a point lost it they have serious ambitions of winning the championship, but such is their caution and fear of losing that they will happily accept that result (or miserably accept it, in the case of a certain team manager).
The third big match on the same day is in Edinburgh, where Hearts travel to Easter Road in the unfamiliar position of not having beaten Hibs yet this season. The Tynecastle team need to
string together some fairly impressive results if they are to finish in fifth place and qualify for Europe, but Hibs, who have been transformed into a semblance of a decent team by Steve
Archibald and John Collins, harbour the same ambition. Predictions are superfluous (well, mine are anyway), but stylish, delicately skilful play is not on the agenda. (Stuart Bathgate)