Latest news with #Aberdeen
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Aberdeen medic with family history of cardiac issues aims to equip city with defibrillators
Lee Findlay's Aberdeen Defibrillator Project aims to provide defibrillators to public spaces around the city. An Aberdeen medic with a family history of cardiac issues has made it his mission to equip the city with defibrillators. Lee Findlay has 24 years of experience working in healthcare and currently works as a senior auxiliary nurse in acute medicine at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. The 40-year-old launched the Aberdeen Defibrillator Project in October 2024 - a cause that looks to provide automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to public spaces around the city. He explained to Aberdeen Live that his passion for the project stems from his experience providing chest compressions during his job. He said: "I hurt my back doing CPR duing an incident I responded to and had to stop for a time. When there were AEDs available, I was still in a position to contribute to emergency incidents. "Defibrillators are the very top of any emergency equipment you can have. With the current strain on services, I want to put more AEDs out there so they're readily available to the public." As a result of Lee's tireless fundraising, he has been able to provide the defibrillators to areas where they are most needed, including outside bars and pubs. However, he is now looking to fund child-suitable AEDs to go outside areas where they would be most useful, including parks, the beach and the nearby Codona's amusement park. He said: "I distributed the money I raised for the bars, clubs, and other areas they'd be needed. "Codona's has chipped in for the heated box outside. With the amount of children on the beach, and the coming summer months, and the amount of people at parks, an AED with paediatric settings would be most beneficial. "Other defibrillators have been placed in areas that ambulances struggle to get to quickly because of roadworks or heavy traffic, like on Market Street." Explaining the physical challenges of doing manual labour, Lee said: " Recently, I was called to a cardiac arrest and I had to go into compressions, which are extremely taxing to do. After that, so much needed to be done. "And since starting in November, I have heard story after story after story of people who had lost loved ones, but if there had been AED, they would have survived." But the fundraiser is also personal for Lee, whose father suffered a cardiac arrest in 2015 and whose granny also received coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Recently, he was also diagnosed with a cardiac condition. He said: "Father had massive heart attack and I was recently diagnosed with a condition because of my family's cardiac history. It's something that is close to my heart." To donate to the Aberdeen Defibrillator Project, visit the GoFundMe page here - Current defibrillator locations include; The Snuggery, The Old King's Way, Paramount, Molly Malones, Siberia Bar, Old School House, Foundry, O'Donoghues, The Grey's Inn and Codona's. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Scotsman
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Ex-Celtic and Scotland boss Strachan will always be a Hibee at heart
Former Man United, Leeds and Aberdeen great on bus journeys and schoolboy sing-alongs Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... For a man who never wore the jersey, save for a couple of guest appearances in testimonials to honour time-served veterans, Gordon Strachan's Hibernian heart remains an important element of his character. The things he's done in football and in life can, according to the man himself, be traced back to schoolboy days riding on the upper deck of the No.16 bus, belting out Hibs songs with his pals as they made the journey from Muirhouse to Easter Road. First taken to one of Scottish football's most iconic old grounds by dad Jim, the son was able to repay the favour more than once over next few decades. Including, in a tale familiar to anyone who understands the game's ability to unite generations, a final visit just four weeks before his father's death. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad How deep is his affection for the club? Well, even when following his dream as an aspiring professional, Strachan made time to visit Tynecastle for one very special derby win back in 1973. And he still considers David Gray's Scottish Cup-winning goal at Hampden in 2016 as one of his most enjoyable moments in football. When you consider the domestic and European glories he enjoyed in a playing career that took him from Dundee to Aberdeen, Manchester United and Leeds, not to mention the triumphs he masterminded as Celtic manager, that's quite the distinction. 'I owe a lot of who I am to the people of Leith,' said the former Scotland boss, adding without hesitation: 'When I was getting brought up, whether I be younger, whether I be older, I owe where I am right now to these people. 'My first memories of Easter Road? Going with my dad. I went to see Aberdeen, Hibs against Aberdeen. I think it was a tournament, it wasn't actually a league, it was a kind of, I don't know what it was. I remember Charlie Cooke playing for Aberdeen, I think. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'So that was it. My gran used to live just round the corner from Easter Road. But I used to go there, when I was younger. 'On a Saturday, I'd make it for the end of the second half really, or just the end of the second half, where the gates would open. I used to be at Leith Links a couple of times. 'I'd play there and just run up with me and my mates and get in, because the gates would open and you'd get in for nothing. Or you'd get a lift over with some fella. 'In those days, you'd get a lift over and that was it, you'd go in for nothing. So that was my introduction.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Easter Road 'Cow Shed' antics and Tynecastle derby glory Recalling his afternoons in a covered area of the north terracing familiar to fans of a certain generation, Strachan – speaking in partnership with Esports Insider - added: 'So when I used to go there, we went to a bit called the Cow Shed. I was in the middle of it at first, opposite the main stand there. I kind of upgraded myself to the Cow Shed, doing a bit of singing. 'Not got a clue what I was singing about, no understanding what I was singing about. And you look back and go: 'What were you thinking about?' But I didn't know at the time. 'I used to get number 8 or the 16 bus to the game. That was the bus from Muirhouse. 'Did what boys did. Got on the top deck, sat at the front, started singing songs again. And made your way to the game.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad David Gray's 'emotional' Scottish Cup winner a special favourite Signed by Dundee as a schoolboy, Strachan moved from supporter to player. With the rare exception of the lucky few who get to sign for 'their' team, this usually means a severing of allegiances. Up to a point. 'When I started professional football, I kept the link,' he insisted. 'But it was more a link with Leith. I probably speak more about Leith much more than I speak about Hibs. 'But f you ask me about the history of any of the Hibs players between 1965 and 1972, I've got a great knowledge of it. But after that, when I was playing professional football, I still went to the 7-0 win at Tynecastle with my mates! 'When I got into the first team at Dundee, that was it. I took it professionally. I always hoped the Hibs did well, but the club I was working for at the time, that was the main thing. So that was it really. I kind of downed tools as Hibs fan. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But I still look back at 2016 and one of the best occasions I've ever been involved in. When they won the Cup, I was there as a pundit and it was emotional, to say the least. 'My father had passed away recently, and I thought: 'What a time to go dad, you could have seen a cup win at last!' So it was quite emotional. 'I took my father to his last game four weeks before he died, a Hibs and Hearts game just before he died. So he took me to my first game, and I took him to his last game. It was quite ironic that. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I think of myself as from Leith. I'm proud of Edinburgh, but I think of myself from Leith. So anything that's happened in Leith, I still go to the community centre there with my cousin, Pauline, who runs the Leith community centre. 'I still go there. Me and my wife kind of help out now and then. My mum still helps out with stuff. 'I still go to Silverknowes Golf Club, I was there last week talking to the old guys and having a chat. So it's still a big part of my life, really.'
Daily Record
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
The Rangers are coming but there shouldn't be sniggers and it might just be best thing for Celtic
The Rangers are coming – again. This time Celtic fans shouldn't be sniggering at the suggestion. And what is going on over at Ibrox cannot be ignored by those in charge at Parkhead. It would be foolish to put the head in the sand when it comes to the challenge coming from across the city. But it doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing for Celtic. In fact, Rangers finally getting their act together might be the best thing that can happen to them. Just like last week's Scottish Cup Final. I'm sure there are plenty of Celtic fans who were and still are distraught at losing to Aberdeen and seeing the Treble going up in smoke. But I can't help but think the defeat was a GOOD thing for the club in the long run. I mean that. If Kasper Schmeichel hadn't made that uncharacteristic mistake, or if Daizen Maeda had stuck away that last chance, the entire story would have been different. Celtic would have completed the clean sweep, everything would have been sen as hunky dory. But it would have papered over some of the recent cracks. Listen, it's still a phenomenal achievement winning the Double. Regardless of what anyone thinks, it's tough to win two out of three never mind the job lot. Celtic have made it look easy in recent years and they could well have done it again this time but for some big moments at Hampden last week. That doesn't get away from the fact this is a team that is in real need of refreshing. They should be proud of their achievements this term. But the defeat to Aberdeen has made them feel a little uncomfortable and maybe now some have cottoned on to the fact there is work to be done. The big news from Rangers yesterday only underlines it. Celtic simply cannot afford to sit on their hands because their rivals won't be worse next season than they were this time around – they can't be. Celtic certainly can't assume they will be. And they can't get away with just doing the bare minimum to stay out in front. The new Rangers owners are already talking about a £20m immediate investment in the team. That's a decent chunk of money for Scottish football – but not to Celtic. They spent about double that in the last two windows, so that shows you the challenge Rangers face. You would expect Celtic to go and spend at least the same again this summer. They'll have to. The events of the last week should allow Brendan Rodgers to go tot he club's hierarchy and explain the team does need strengthened and rejuvenated. They need more to qualify and then compete in the Champions League – and now to also stay ahead of the game in Scotland. Don't get me wrong, I don't think there is any need to panic. But Celtic do need to recognise the threat – as well as the opportunity. My old manager Martin O'Neill has often stated he believes a strong Rangers helps make a strong Celtic. I would go along with that. In my time at the club, Rangers were strong – and we had to be to knock them off their perch. If there is a proper challenge coming from across the city, then Celtic will have to raise their levels and respond. That's no bad thing. And even though the league was won by 17 points, I don't think the gap is as big as it would seem. It doesn't take much to tip the scales in Glasgow, as we discovered when we turned a 21-point league loss into big win in O'Neill's first term in charge. It was similar when Ange Postecoglou arrived at Parkhead in 2021, when everyone expected Rangers to dominate on the back of their title victory. Things can flip quickly. There's the stuff about Rangers coming, but in reality they are still a long way back. The long wait for the takeover to go through and the delay over a manager hasn't helped them. They are playing catch up and that's where Celtic need to hammer home their advantage, on and off the pitch. Rodgers will know the importance of a fast start. He needs players in place for the Champions League qualifier but also to apply the early pressure in the league, when a new-look Rangers side will still be finding their feet. This is no time to be mucking about. Rangers fans will be galvanised and there will be a feel good factor on the back of the owners coming in. In contrast, it's all a bit flat at Celtic right now. The best way to lift that mood is to get busy in the transfer market. Because there are questions right now. There is a pressing need for a striker after the decision to sell Kyogo – and not replace him – came back to bite them on the backside. There are doubts whether Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate will be sold, people will wonder if the Nicholas Kuhn of the first half of the season will turn up, or the pale imitation we saw in the second. There are questions about Adam Idah, the centre of defence, the wide areas. All of a sudden from a position of supreme strength, it now looks like there's a growing list of jobs to do. I've got no doubt Rodgers knows it too. He's hinted about it often enough. He's also heard plenty of times that Rangers are coming. They may or may not be this time, but, regardless, Celtic cannot afford to sit still.
Daily Record
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
McInnes knowing what Hearts need was music to my ears and it should be to Shankland too
Lawrence Shakland has much to consider when it comes to his future. At least there's one thing he can be sure of. If he signs on again at Tynecastle, he's going to get a team and manager who will give him every chance to recapture his best. Derek McInnes won't have needed to tell Shankland what to expect from the Hearts team next season if he's part of it. The striker will have seen it for himself. The new boss gets it. He knows what Hearts requires and it was music to my ears hearing him identify pace in the wide areas. It should have been music to Lawrence's lugs too. Just look at the way McInnes has set up teams in the past. It's tailor-made for a Shankland. Look at the way he used Adam Rooney during the first part of his spell at Aberdeen and the way he created a set-up to utilise him to the maximum. I played against that team and it was murder when the likes of Jonny Hayes and Niall McGinn got into full flow. Those boys were a nightmare to face. They held their width and they got service into Rooney. If McInnes thought Hayes and McGinn had the beating of their full-back, they would just keep pummelling them down the flanks. But, if he thought they weren't able to get away, he had no hesitation switching their sides and then they'd come inside and make mayhem, create and score their own goals. The other thing about them is they worked their backsides off and weren't scared to stick a foot in if it was needed as well. McInnes' Aberdeen team evolved, yet the principles stayed the same. Fast and aggressive in the wide areas and, when Rooney left, not many would have given Sam Cosgrove much hope of filling the void, yet he did it brilliantly in the end. That was down to service. The likes of Gary Mackay-Steven and Scott Wright were wide guys who kept that ethos and Kilmarnock was the same. Marley Watkins and Kyle Vassell both had brilliant seasons when they qualified for Europe and got fourth place in the Premiership. And much of that was down to the incredible service provided by Matty Kennedy and Danny Armstrong. Two boys who held their width. McInnes' plan was to get the ball to those two boys as swiftly as possible and let them deliver service. Kennedy was with him at Aberdeen as well, Mackay-Steven ended up going to Rugby Park. Listen, I get accused all the time of being old-school, of talking about playing direct football but I keep saying it. It's not just booting the ball up the park, it's getting it to your attacking players quickly and letting them do damage with pace and quality. Football has disappeared up it's own a**e. I hear folk rattling on about breaking lines and all of this jargon. Players have been breaking lines since the game was invented. It's called running off the ball or committing a player by taking him on. Some coaches these days could sell cars if they didn't have jobs in the game. I'm not suggesting McInnes isn't up to speed with modern tactics because he is but he's also clearly aware there are basic traits you need. Hearts are about being fast and aggressive. Being in people's faces, running that extra yard and making that extra tackle to then let your ability speak. That's the ethos and the DNA of the club. Hard work and quality. McInnes knows this. Various areas of the pitch are going to need work and alteration but those wide positions are absolutely key. It has been sadly lacking at Hearts in recent times and Lawrence should have been the first one to complain about it. This is a guy who guarantees you goals when you deliver into the box for him, yet it felt like teams were being set up almost to deny him that. Dropping him deep and asking him to link the game. That's great – but why take away your key weapon? McInnes wants boys to hug touchlines and make the chances and this is where the Jamestown Analytics can help the gaffer identify some options. Lawrence had a 12 months to forget but I have no doubt that if he stays at Hearts, he will start scoring goals again within a McInnes team. He's going to have options, as I said. But there's a World Cup coming next summer and Scotland might be in it. It might be worth considering where you are going to get the best out of yourself for the next few months. He knows McInnes rates him. He was the one who signed him for Aberdeen and he had to watch from the bench as the likes of Rooney ran riot. The evidence is there for Lawrence that he has now got a boss who is finally going to play to his strengths again. McInnes and Shankland together can be the figureheads for Hearts really pushing on now.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ross County relegated: How will it affect people and business in Dingwall?
Highland club Ross County's battle for survival in the Scottish Premiership fizzled out with a 4-2 defeat to Livingston on Monday night. Relegation has left the Staggies - and its home town of Dingwall - facing a potentially challenging season in the Championship, both on and off the pitch. Hotels and pubs have enjoyed a boost to takings from hosting large crowds of visiting fans from teams like Celtic, Rangers and Aberdeen. Will a move into the lower leagues have an impact beyond football? Raffael Santos owns The Mallard - a pub on Dingwall Station's platform and a few minutes walk from the stadium. It is regularly packed out on home match days, with about 35-40% of business coming from visiting fans. But like many Ross County fans, he is hopeful their spell in the Championship is short-lived. "A lot of the town's businesses survive from big games like Rangers, Celtic and Aberdeen," Mr Santos said. "We'll need to work hard to make the business keep going, but hopefully next year they are back into the Scottish premier league." Big games were also profitable for The Legion Club. Its chairman Mike Murray said: "We got coaches of supporters booked in - like Hearts, Aberdeen and Hibs. They'd tend to phone two-three weeks before a game. "We could have 150 to 200 supporters through in the function room, and a good Saturday was a boost to the club." Leia Stephen, co-owner of the National Hotel, is experiencing the effects of relegation for the first time. County was last relegated in 2018. Ms Stephen said home games have been helpful to the business during quieter winter tourist seasons. "Football fans usually just stay one night but sometimes make a weekend out of it," she added. "Our bar and restaurant host away and home supporters." The Championship is a highly competitive league, but experts say it will not match the financial benefits of playing in the big league brought to a small club. Kieran Maguire, a University of Liverpool football finance lecturer, said County will miss the revenue near-capacity attendances that visits by bigger clubs brought. He said the Staggies could lose at least £500,000 because of lower gate receipts, having fewer televised games and less prize money. And with an already tight wage bill, he warned there is "not a lot of fat to cut" to help make savings. But councillor Graham MacKenzie said one of County's strengths was that it was deeply rooted in the community. When he worked as a teacher he was impressed by how many young people chose the Staggies over a bigger club. "It's come as a bit of a blow to everyone," Mr MacKenzie said of relegation. "It's not so many months ago we had high high hopes we could finish in the top six." But he believes both town - home to about 5,500 people - and club have the resilience to cope with the coming season. Bruce Ritchie, one of many Staggies fans in Dingwall pondering the future outside the Premiership, said football was important to the town. "I'm really proud of the fact that we've been in the top division for so many years. "It's going to be a big miss." Other Staggies fans might be hurting, but they are far from sore losers. "I just felt Ross County weren't good enough, I'm afraid," conceded fan Panja Bethune. "It's a shame that they've been relegated. "Livingston were the better team on the day." George Meiklejohn agreed his club were beaten by a good, strong team. He added: "But they've bounced back once before and I'm sure they will again." Another fan, County Kebab takeaway manager Alex Toward, says regardless of where the club is in the leagues it should be proud. "This area is not big and not very well-known - yes, everyone knows of Scotland and the Highlands - but not many think of Dingwall specifically," he says. "I think the fact they (Ross County) are trying so hard to make a name for themselves and have come so far, they should be impressed and proud of their achievements." 'Red flags' as County face 'very tough' financial future County 'fell short' and will suffer 'financial hit' Martindale's belief rewarded as Livingston roar back to Premiership in play-off Ross County fans: We can't afford to lose the dream Ross County
