SPORT LIST
SPORT
LISTINGS
The List selection of the best in sporting events overthe next fortnight. Sport is listed first by event and then byday.
ATHLETICS Monday 1/Tuesday 2
I Carslberg Sprint Meadowbank Sports Stadium. London Road. Edinburgh. noon on both days (beats on Monday. finalson Tuesday). Still known in some quarters as the Powderhall Sprints. this professional. handicapped sprint meeting has once again attracted over l()()athletes.each chasing a first prize of £1500 — which isthe biggest single prize on the current professional circuit. but a paltry sum in comparison to the big money which can be won within the amateur code. To add insult to injury. the process for professionals to be re-instated into the amateur fold is quite expensive. although an amnesty was offered by the SAAA a couple of years ago. The professional athlete is now principally sustained by games meetings which take place throughout the Borders during the summer. and indeed. the winner oflast year's Carlsberg Sprint was Tom Finkle from Jedburgh.
Saturday 6
I The Nigel Barge Trophy Gairbraid Community Centre. Mary-hill. Glasgow. 3pm. The oldest Road Race in Scotland is once again hoping to attract a numberof past and present Commonwealth Games athletes. including the winner of last year's Great Scottish Run (nee Glasgow Marathon). Nick Rose.
BADMINTON Saturday 6 and Sunday 7
I Glasgow European Badminton Championships Cockburn Centre. 40 Bogmoor Road. Govan. Glasgow. Starts 9.30am on Saturday. with the semi-finals commencing at lllam on Sunday. and the finals expected to begin at 2.30pm that same day. Because of sponsorship. partly from the Glasgow District Festivals' Budget. this tournament has attracted a number of overseas players. such as Kris Bruil and Edwin Van Dalm from I Iolland and Rikard Magnusson and Anders llanssen from Sweden.
BASKETBALL Friday 294unday 31
I Karcher lntemational Tournament Meadowbank Sports Centre. London Road. Edinburgh (for the first halfofthe fixtures. taking place on the 29th. from 6pm till 10.30pm. and the 30th. from 9.30am till 1.30pm) and Gracemount Leisure Centre. Gracemount Drive. off Captains Road. Edinburgh (for the second halfofthe fixtures. commencing2.3t)pm on Saturday 3(1). See panel.
Sunday?
WOMEN'S FIRST DIVISION
I MIM Livingston v All Blacks The Forum. Livingston. 1pm.
I Boroughmuir Aces v Royal Deeside Meadowbank Sports Centre. London Road. Edinburgh. 1.15pm.
MEN'S FIRST DIVISION
I Boroughmuir v Dalkeith Kitchens Plus
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE
In a welcome change lrom the more sedentary pursuits which we tend to succumb to during the festive period, the Karcher International Basketball Tournament promises to inject a bit of lite into a rather quiet sporting week between Christmas and the New Year. Organised on much the same lines as the Ultrascan tournament, held ten years ago. the Karcher brings together a number of international basketball players, including many who play in the much-missed, and now exclusively English, Carlsberg Leagues.
Taking place overthree days, and between two Edinburgh venues, the competition will involve eight sides. including three trom England, one from Ulster and anothertrom Denmark.
In some respects. the competition
2 will be used to revive the lortunes oi
Banson Pentland, who have recently relaunched themselves onto the Basketball scene - via the East League — in an attempt to return to the national stage they were obliged to leave a couple oi years ago, when the departure ot key players and the lack of up-and-coming youngsters conspired to force the team into extinction.
One of the driving Iorces behind both Pentland and the competition is John Spence, whose own playing career took him from the now-deiunct Edinburgh Hornets to semi-protessional status with a Swedish side. Siider, and then back to Scotland to participate in Great
1 Britain's attempt to qualin torthe
Munich Olympics in 1972.
Both John Spence and fellow organiser, Stewart Wilson, have been instrumental in creating a competition out of nothing, since they initially started out with free access to Gracemount Leisure Centre, courtesy
of Edinburgh District Council, and not much more. Now, they hope to bring to Scotland the sort oi competition which basketball tans were beginning to accept as standard when both Milli and Glasgow Rangers were all-conquering In the Carlsberg League last season, only a matter ol weeks belore they were consigned to the pages of history.
‘We see this competition as a means ol achieving at least two things: ilrstly, to keep the momentum of Scottish basketball going by inviting quality opposition to play in this country; and secondly, to raise the prolile ol the Pentland club,’ says John Spence. ‘Although a Pentland side, even with
guests, will probably not win the
tournament, we hope that one or two players might look upon us as a viable
outfit, perhaps worth joining.
‘One of the problems which Scottish
basketball has experienced over
last couple of years - as shown by the collapse of teams like Pentland and Glasgow Rangers — is that the franchise
system at ownership does not
compensate for a lack ol premises to play in,‘ continues Spence. ‘Clubs are
too often operating lrom a very
insecure base, in terms of finance and
squad size.’
When an owner can place a club in a
really diliicult position simply by halting the money available to it.
of reducing the risk is to own, and be associated with, a particular playing arena. When a club can collapse as a result of a few players leaving. it’ obvious that a proper youth policy has to be developed as a way of avoiding
the possibility ever arising. (Mike Wilson) Karcher International Basketball
Tournament, 29—31 Dec, Meadowbank
and Gracemount Sports Centres, Edinburgh.
Meadowbank Sports Centre. London Road. Edinburgh. 3pm.
I Cumnock v Paisley Cumnock Academy. Ayr Road. Cumnock. 3pm. A prelude to the semi-final of the Cup. these two sides will meet three times in successive weekends.
I MIM Livingston v City of Edinburgh The Forum. Livingston. 3pm. Again. another appetiser for an imminent semi-final clash, with these two meeting on the 14th and 21st in the two-leg Cup contest.
Glasgow
I Shawlield Stadium, Rutherglen Road, Glasgow.
Greyhound racing now takes place five times a week: on Mondays. Tuesdays. Thursdays. Fridays and Saturdays; with 10 races on a Monday and Friday. 11 on a Tuesday and Thursday. 12 on a Saturday. All races begin at 7.45pm. except on a Saturday. when they are out of their traps at 7.30pm. Over the festive period. there will be no racing on Mondays. the 25th and lst.
Edinburgh
I Powderhall Stadium, Beaverhall Road, Edinburgh.
Saturday 23 12 races. 7. 15pm. Tuesday 26 12 races. 11.09am. Thursday 28 8 races. 1 1.09am. Saturday 30 12 races. 7. 15pm. Wednesday 3 12 races. 7. 15pm. Thursday 4 12 races. 1.29pm. Saturdays 12 races. 7. 15pm. Monday 8 10 races. 7. 15pm. Wednesday 10 12 races. 7. 15pm.
FOOTBALL Saturday 23
PREMIER LEAGUE
A limited fixture list this weekend. with Dundee United entertaining Motherwell (ifthat is physically possible). the only other Premier League match being played.
I Rangers v St Mirren lbrox Stadium. Glasgow (2 mins lbrox underground). 3pm. FIRST DIVISION
I Meadowbank V Hamilton Meadowbank Stadium. London Road. Edinburgh. 3pm. I Morton V Raith Rovers Cappielow Park. Greenock (5 mins from Cartsdyke station). 3pm.
SECOND DIVISION
I Dumbarton v Brechin City Boghead. Dumbarton(1()mins Dumbarton East station). 3pm.
I Kilmarnock v Arbroath Rugby Park. Rugby Road. Kilmarnock. 3pm.
I Stenhousemuir v East File ()chilview
S Park. Larbert. 3pm.
I East Stirling v Queen's Park Firs Park. Falkirk. 3pm.
I Stirling Albion v Stranraer Annfield Park. Stirling. 3pm.
Tuesday 26
PREMIER LEAGUE I Dunterrnline v Dundee East End Park.
the
a way
The List 22 December 1989— 1 1 January 199055
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