SPORT LIST
SPORT
lISTINOS
The List selection at the best in sporting events overthe next lortnight. Sport is listed first by event and then byday.
BADMINTON Saturday 3—Sunday 4
I Clydesdale Bank Scottish National Championships tor we and U-21 Meadowbank Sports Centre. London Road. Edinburgh. Starts 9.30am on Saturday, with the semis beginning at 10am on Sunday. The finals are likely to start at 2pm. Last year. the U- l6titles were won by Graeme Clokey and Hilary Watt. and in the U-21tournament.Jim Mailer and Anne Gibson ran out winners. While the full entry will not be known until nearer the time ofthc event. the Commonwealth Games has already ruled out Anne Gibson defending her crown. Over-age players with Irish passports will not be made welcome.
BASKETBALL Thursday 25
BANK OF SCOTLAND SCOTTISH CUP (MEN), SEMI-FINAL
I MIM V City of Edinburgh The Forum. Livingston. 8.30pm. The second leg ofa tie which very much hangs in the balance. With only two points separating the sides after the first leg (MIM lead 87-85). City of Edinburgh are confident that they can pull off what would be the shock resultof the season.
Fflday26
WOMEN'S FIRST DIVISION
I Boroughmuir Aces v Dundee Meadowbank Sports Centre. London Road. Edinburgh. 6. 15pm.
I Edinburgh Royals V MIM Forrester High
; School. Broomhouse Road. Edinburgh. 7.45pm. Despite their recent narrow defeat by Boroughmuir. the Royals will give MIM a tough match. though probably not enough to avoid defeat.
Sunday 28
WOMEN'S FIRST DIVISION
I Paisley v eo'ness Wildcats Barrhead Sports Centre. Main Street. Barrhead. 1.45pm.
I City of Edinburgh v Royal Deeside Tynecastle High School. McLeod Street. Edinburgh. 3. 15pm.
MEN’S FIRST DIVISION
I Paisley V East End Barrhead Sports Centre. Main Street. Barrhead. 3.45pm. I Cumnock V MIM Cumnock Academy. Ayr Road. Cumnock. 3pm.
Sunday 4
BANK OF SCOTLAND SCOTTISH CUP FINALS The Kelvin Hall. in Glasgow‘s Argyle Street, hosts four cup finals today.
I Kool Kats v Grangemouth Youth Women Cup Final. 1 lam.
I City oi Edinburgh v East End or Paisley Youth Men Cup Final. 1pm.
I MIM V City ol Edinburgh Senior Women Cup Final. 3pm.
I MIM or City of Edinburgh v Cumnock Senior Men Cup Final. 5pm.
BASKET CASES
For a game which claims to be a last, action-packed spectator sport, it is remarkable that lacrosse has struggled to overcome its ‘iolly hockeysticks' image. Indeed, lts lailure to sell itself could reach the point where it may well lace extinction, especially now that it is no longer being taught at any of Scotland’s PE colleges.
As an Illustration ol its current low status, Scotland’s participation in last year's World Cup, in Perth, Australia, had to be financed by the players. Edinburgh’s turn to host the World Cup, in 1993, could well meet with a similar lack ol enthusiasm on the part at the
authorities.
Not unlike shlnty (another sport worthy of more media coverage), lacrosse uses a triangular stick, which is about three foot long and has a basket attached at one end. This is used eitherto carry the hard, rubber ball or rille it at speed as a pass or at goal. Players who choose to run with the ball in the basket risk being tackled by a clash at sticks, though only in the men’s game is some form of head protection permitted.
Whether men are less able to take the knocks or choose to go about the game (which are played according to women’s rules) in a more aggressive fashion, is open to debate. But the coincidence that two at the more dangerous games in sport, hockey and lacrosse, are traditionally associated with women is not lost on its lemale supporters.
Although the rules allow for an exclusion zone around the head at a player, injury, for instance, to hands when being hit by the stick of a tackling opponent, is common. While schools can coach youngsters a throwing technique which places the hands very high up the stick, university or club lacrosse very quickly teaches a more cautious approach.
DIE— Glasgow
I Shawtield 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. 1] on a Tuesday and Thursday. 12 on a Saturday. All races begin at 7.45pm. except on a Saturday. when proceedings commence at 7.30pm.
Edinburgh
I Race Days Monday. Wednesday and Saturday, Powderhall Stadium, Edinburgh. Each meeting begins at 7.15pm. with 10 races on Mondays and 12 on Wednesdays and Saturdays. On Thursday 25th, there is a BAGS (Bookmakers‘ Afternoon Greyhound Service) meeting. beginning at 1.31pm. The race which was scheduled for mid November last year to raise funds for Eammon Bannon‘s testimonial. but was subsequently cancelled. has been rearranged for Wednesday 31 . from 7.15pm.
FOOTBALL Saturday 27
PREMIER LEAGUE
I Hearts V Dundee United Tynecastle Park . Gorgic Road. Edinburgh. 3pm. Just as Hearts’ matches with Motherwell seem destined to end up with two or three players sent off and a further halfdozen booked for tackles that would merit special mention in the Securitate Handbook: A 100 Ways to Prise Information out of an Unwilling Detainee (indeed. Motherwell currently are bottom of the 8&0 Fair Play League). matches between Hearts and Dundee United have recently acquired a tradition for being so uninteresting. fans are advised to take a sleeping bag. However. given that Edinburgh rivals. Hibernian. presently have the exclusive rights on boredom. and since both United and Hearts have players who are currently very much on form (Gallacher and Connolly for United. Crabbe and Roberston for Hearts). perhaps the mould will be broken.
I Celtic v Motherwell Celtic Park. Gallowgate. Glasgow. 3pm. Celtic's post-Aitken era got off to a flying start with a 2-0 defeat at the hands ofDundee
United. and there is no guarantee that Motherwell will be any less ruthless on a Celtic side whose modest forward line (Tommy Coyne being flattered by the description) are struggling to score many goals.
I Ounlermline v Rangers East End Park. Halbeth Road. Dunfermline. 3pm. Just when the Pars thought they were safe from relegation pressure. they bttckle to the likes of Motherwell. St Mirren and Aberdeen to the tune of nearly adozen goals. Against Rangers. they could stand to lose a few more. unless full-backs. Doug Rougvie and Jimmy Nicholl. lose between them about ten years and gain a few yards.
I St Mirren v Aberdeen Love Street. Paisley (5 mins Gilmour Street station). 3pm. With Icelandcr. Gudmundcr Torfason. ready to do battle with any unsuspecting centre-half. and probably win with ease. 'I‘ony Fitzpatrick‘s side are an altogether more accomplished outfit than they were even two months ago. when they were widely tipped to join Morton and Raith Rovers in the First Division.
FIRST DIVISION I Hamilton v Fortar Douglas Park. Hamilton (2 mins from Hamilton West station). 3pm.
I Morton V Falkirk Cappielow Park. Greenock (5 mins from (.‘artsdyke station). 3pm.
I Airdrie V Clydebank Broomfield. Airdrie (5 mins Airdrie station). 3pm.
I Clyde v Raith Rovers Firhill Park.
Maryhill. Glasgow (from Hope Street. buses nos 60. 61 and 66). 3pm.
I Meadowbank v Albion Rovers Meadowbank Stadium. London Road (from Princes Street. buses nos 26. 86. 85. 4. 44. 15).
SECOND DIVISION I East Stirling v Montrose Firs Park.
Falkirk (5 mins Grahamston station). 3pm.
I Queen's Park v Queen of the South Hampden Park. Glasgow (5 mins Mount Florida and King's Park stations). 3pm. Dougie Donnelly will no doubt relish the opportunity of saying something like. ‘We have two queens playing on Saturday in front ofa crowd of five hundred men anda dog'.
I Kilmarnock v Stranraer Rugby Park. Kilmarnock (5 mins Kilmarnock station).
WIN THREE ORATES
OF lAOER: SEE PAGE 75
The List 26 January- 8 February 199055
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