Latest news with #Doran
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
ABC sounds alarm over Gaza famine, saying its Palestinian freelancers now too weak to work
The Palestinian journalists and videographers working with Australia's national broadcaster to bring us the stories from inside Gaza are hungry and weak, the ABC's Middle East correspondent Matthew Doran said this week. One colleague 'does not have the strength to hold a camera any more', has lost 34kg and can hardly talk on the phone, Doran wrote. 'And it could seriously impact how we can tell the broader story of the Gaza war.' The scenes of aid seekers scrambling for food, babies lying silently in hospital beds and Palestinians protesting against Hamas for prolonging the war would be impossible without these Palestinian freelancers, Doran warned. The ABC correspondent was among some of the world's biggest news outlets, including BBC News, Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Associated Press and Reuters who said they were 'desperately concerned' about the journalists in Gaza after widespread warnings of mass starvation. With Israel denying international reporters access to Gaza, most of the world's news outlets rely on Palestinian freelancers to inform the world, but hunger and lack of clean water is making them ill and exhausted, with some telling agencies they are too weak to work. 'One of the biggest and most important stories in the world … will soon be more difficult to tell, as our colleagues struggle to help us tell it,' Doran said. Doran's online analysis was accompanied by several broadcast reports on starvation on the 7pm bulletin across the week. 'The ABC has worked with a variety of independent journalists in Gaza over the past two years, but in recent weeks that has become increasingly difficult as displacement and starvation make it harder for journalists in Gaza,' a spokesperson for ABC News told Weekly Beast. Sign up to get Guardian Australia's weekly media diary as a free newsletter Meanwhile, the Murdoch campaign to denigrate if not privatise the ABC – 'a massive government-funded monstrosity' – continues apace. According to Daily Telegraph columnist and blogger Tim Blair, an Australia without the ABC is 'beautiful' and we should follow the US administration's lead and defund public media. In May, Trump issued an executive order blocking NPR and PBS from receiving taxpayer funds through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). This week, federal lawmakers voted in support of the plan to claw back $1.1bn from the CPB, the umbrella organisation that helps fund both NPR and the non-commercial TV network PBS. 'Donald Trump's modern and visionary US government is now preparing to slash some $1.7bn from public media funding,' Blair wrote. 'That's an ABC-and-a-half delightfully subtracted from taxpayer outlay. 'Think of all the money we'd save, and all the economic, cultural and emotional energy we could direct instead towards the positive and productive. 'Also, think of all the ABC presenters who'd suddenly be able to reach much larger audiences just by shouting on public transport.' Blair's view is not shared by the majority of Australians, who consistently rate the ABC's impartial coverage of local, national and global affairs as the country's most trusted news source. The ABC news website is number one on the monthly Ipsos news rankings, with an audience of 13 million. The Daily Telegraph meanwhile comes in at 17, with 3 million. (Guardian Australia is sixth with 7.3 million.) And this week, the ABC was celebrating 15 years of the ABC News channel, which is Australia's most watched news channel. Another ABC critic, Gerard Henderson, is using his new platform on Murdoch's Sky News Australia to continue his decades-long criticism of Aunty. His campaign began in his tedious Media Watch Dog column in 1988 as a newsletter mailed out by the Sydney Institute. The rightwing thinktank run by Henderson publishes his lengthy screed each week online, and for more than a decade it was republished by The Australian each Friday. The Australian stopped carrying Henderson's Media Watch Dog column late last year, but Hendo found refuge on the website of Sky News. His new home also gave him access to Sky's media program where he appears to variously 'slam' ABC Insiders, 'question' why the ABC didn't cover Pete Hegseth's Pentagon press conference or 'torch' the ABC 'for continually promoting the Teals even after the election'. These videos are then published by The Australian. The Oz continues to carry his opinion column, which the paper picked up after the Sydney Morning Herald dropped it. Victoria's deputy premier, Ben Carroll, was highly critical of the Daily Mail for publishing a claim on Tuesday that a child at a centre where alleged childcare paedophile Joshua Dale Brown worked had tested positive for an STD. At a press conference Carroll said the story was not true and the Department of Health had asked the publication to take it down. 'It is highly insensitive to families, and it is completely untrue,' Carroll said. 'From what we have advised, there is no child that has been tested positively for an STD. This must be horrifically traumatic for all families and parents involved in this, and we do hope that the author behind it makes contact with the Department of Health and gets their facts straight.' The editor of the Daily Mail, Felicity Hetherington, did not comply with the request and the story remains online. 'As the article states, it is based on information provided by sources close to the investigation,' she told Weekly Beast. 'The article will be also updated to include Mr Carroll's comments.' The lead paragraph of the story was amended to include the word 'reportedly' and the headline includes the deputy premier's denial. 'A child who attended a daycare centre where a worker was subsequently charged with more than 70 child sex offences has reportedly been infected with a sexually transmitted disease,' the new version says. Influencer and fitness model Tammy Hembrow, 31, is a staple in the Daily Mail, where her outfits, relationships and workout routines provide near-daily fodder. So when the Daily Mail reported this week that Hembrow's 'very revealing outfit' of 'a tiny silk crop top and matching skirt set by Arcina Ori' was worn to the Australian Financial Review magazine's 30th anniversary at the Sydney Opera House, we sat up and noticed. The first edition of AFR magazine, in 1995, carried a cover story about how Australian dynasties preserved wealth, and not much has changed. The anniversary edition features a gold-foiled cover with its gatefold partner Rolex. A celebration dinner at the Opera House's Bennelong restaurant, sponsored by Range Rover which ferried some guests to the venue, was attended by everyone from Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull and ABC chair Kim Williams to business leaders Robin Khuda of AirTrunk, Morgan Stanley chief executive Richard Stanley and the managing partner of Gilbert + Tobin, Danny Gilbert. It turns out we should not have been surprised Hembrow was a guest. She held her own among the finance crowd, many of whom were members of the Rich List, Young Rich List and the Power List from the AFR. In 2022, Hembrow's then $38m fortune saw her appear on the magazine's Young Rich List for the first time. She used social media to build businesses including fitness app Tammy Fit and clothing brand Saski Collection. The latest rich list has her fortune at $56m. Former ABC News Breakfast host Michael Rowland has paid tribute to his colleague Peter Ryan OAM, who died on Friday aged 64 from metastatic thyroid cancer. We told you in June that Ryan, the ABC's senior business correspondent and a 45-year veteran of journalism, was retiring. 'When I last saw him in hospital a few weeks ago, Peter was full of old stories and good cheer, despite his health challenges, Rowland said. 'An avowed Beatles tragic, he gave me no shortage of tips and fun facts as I was heading off on a visit to Liverpool. It was an afternoon I will always treasure.' Ryan leaves behind his wife, Mary Cotter, and daughter Charlotte. Your reaction to a viral video published by the Nine Entertainment youth outlet Pedestrian TV probably depends on your age. At a press junket for the movie The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Pedestrian reporter Rebekah Manibog casually asked one of the movie's stars, Vanessa Kirby, the following question: 'But jumping right into you, Vanessa, you've kind of become a social media icon for your forcefield, snatched, cunty fierceness face.' Shock and confusion crossed Kirby's face as she interrupted Manibog's question with: 'Oh, oh my god, I don't know if that's a good thing.' This article includes content provided by TikTok. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. Her co-star, Pedro Pascal, saved the interaction by jumping in to explain the slang, which is apparently so common in queer and internet culture, the reporter felt comfortable throwing it into an interview. 'Cunty-face just means fierce, fabulous, beautiful, strong, it's good, it's good, I promise,' Pascal said.
Daily Record
22-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Edinburgh GP develops supplement to help stressed insomniacs sleep
A study by Restorez revealed that 65% of people seldom wake up feeling refreshed and recharged, often seeking methods to improve their sleep quality. An Edinburgh GP has used her professional and personal experiences to develop a ground-breaking supplement aimed at helping people struggling to sleep due to stress. Dr Clara Doran has been a GP for more than two decades. Ten years ago, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and, after suffering from brain fog, fatigue and anxiety, she realised the significance of lifestyle and nutrition for brain health. Dr Doran studied sleep medicine at the University of Edinburgh and functional medicine with the Institute of Functional Medicine before founding Noggin The Brain People, focusing on supplements, motivation and education about brain health. The mum-of-one also wrote the book Heads Up - how to look after your brain so it will look after you, filled with practical advice on brain care, reports Surrey Live. Many people struggle with relaxing and de-stressing enough after a tough day to get a decent night's sleep. A survey by Restorez found that 65% of respondents rarely wake up feeling rejuvenated and energised, leaving them often seeking ways to try and improve their sleep quality. While many of us have tried and tested strategies to sleep, if the various hacks, tips and tricks fail due to a build-up of anxiety, things can become even more daunting and stressful - causing a frustrating and exhausting cycle. Dr Doran's supplement, Pause from Noggin, is designed to calm the mind, encourage relaxation and aid a restful sleep. It is free from fillers, additives or unnecessary ingredients. Pause is a part of a range of supplements developed by Dr Doran in collaboration with female nutritionists Dr Charlotte Heald and Shona Wilkinson. It features a unique mix of botanicals, minerals and medicinal mushrooms, chosen specifically for their clinically proven brain-supportive and nootropic properties. All the ingredients have been researched and clinically tested, offering reassurance that the products will be effective. The Pause supplement includes key natural ingredients designed to boost brain health and alleviate stress and anxiety, such as the adaptogenic herb Ashwagandha. Originating from India, Ashwagandha is known for its ability to balance body and mind, reduce cortisol levels, enhance GABA receptors, regulate serotonin, and protect the brain from oxidative damage. The formula also contains lemon balm, l-theanine, hop extract, rhodiola rosea, and lion's mane mushroom. For best results, customers are recommended to take 1-2 capsules with food daily. However, those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or on medication should consult their healthcare provider before use, and the product is not meant to replace a varied diet and healthy lifestyle. Natural supplements have become increasingly popular as a way to tackle stress and encourage better sleep, with shoppers keen to avoid prescription medicatioon. Elsewhere, JSHealth's Calm + De-Stress 60 Tablets, available at Boots for £15.99, are designed to promote calmness and mental wellbeing with a mix of adaptogens, herbs, and vitamins. Meanwhile, Bach's RESCUE Peaceful Night 30 Capsules cost £18.25 from Holland & Barrett and are vegan-friendly capsules aimed at supporting a peaceful night's sleep. On Noggins' website, Pause has received high praise with an average 4.9 out of 5-star rating. One pleased customer commented: "I've been taking PAUSE for 3 weeks and already feel much calmer and my sleep is so much better." Another said: "I've been trying PAUSE for a few weeks and seen a difference. It has helped relax me when I feel anxious and quite stressed throughout the day which then affects my sleep at night. For the first time in years I had a full night's sleep and it's improved my overall mood." However, the product hasn't worked for everyone, with one reviewer noting: "It didn't seem to work for me." Still, another user experienced notable benefits, stating: "I've been going through a lot of stress at home and couldn't sleep as a result. I've been taking PAUSE for a week and it has made it easier to shut my worries off when I go to bed and actually get some sleep. I'm now less stressed and anxious when I wake up which is such a relief."
Los Angeles Times
22-07-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Watch: SoCal firefighters save the life of Eli, a colicky mule
Orange County firefighters came to the rescue when a 20-year-old mule named Eli appeared down for the count. The Orange County Fire Authority captured video of the Trabuco Canyon operation last week. Eli was experiencing life-threatening colic, the agency said on X. Station 18 stepped in when the mule's owners were unable to get him to stand. Footage showed the horizontal equine squirming and struggling as a firefighter and a veterinarian assisted him. A crew of firefighters then tied Eli up, flipped him, and hoisted him using a rescue device called a bipod. According to Sean Doran, a spokesperson for OCFA, that equipment was also used in World War I to roll over upside-down tanks. 'It's got this incredible capacity and strength,' he said told The Times. 'These horses obviously, or mules in this case, are no match for it.' The firefighters pulled Eli out of his stable before bringing him to his feet. After a bit, he clopped back into his stable, where he is doing much better, the authority's X post said. According to the University of Minnesota, horses and other equines are naturally prone to colic. Allowing the animal to walk around can help ease pain, the university said. Doran said that Eli, lying down, wasn't able to pass food and was at risk of his organs compressing. Had he not been hoisted upright, the colic could have been fatal, he said. Doran said he watched the rescue happen on Friday and visited Eli again on Sunday. He spoke with one of the owners, an animal lover who had owned Eli for almost all of the mule's life. Everything about the rescue was 'just goodness, pure goodness,' he said. He also said that OCFA firefighters had been trained to conduct large-animal rescues with live horses. In addition to routine rescue skills, they learn how to approach the horses and to interpret how they need to be treated depending on the situation. 'It's seamless teamwork in action,' he said.
The Herald Scotland
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Aaron Doran indebted to Scottish game for pulling him back from abyss
Should Doran not really be preparing to help Scott Kellacher's side launch an assault on the League One title in the 2025/26 campaign? Does he not still have something to offer Caley Thistle as they attempt to climb back up the divisions? Could he not give his old side a vital cutting edge in the final third? This is the man whose cheeky pass to Marley Watkins before the opening goal in the Scottish Cup final against Falkirk at Hampden back in 2015 is seared into the subconscious of every one of the Highland club's supporters forever. The Irishman himself, though, is more than content with his lot just now. He is grateful that he is able to bring home a regular wage, pay his mortgage and put food on the table for his young family. This time last year the father-of-three was in a dark place both professionally and personally. He had no idea what the future held for him either on the park or off it. Read more: The winger had been shamefully, after over 13 years of outstanding service and more than 400 games, released while he was awaiting an operation for the anterior cruciate ligament injury which he had suffered in a Championship match against Raith Rovers at the Caledonian Stadium just two months earlier. The surgery he was scheduled to receive was cancelled twice without any reason being given. Nobody from the club hierarchy bothered to call him, never mind speak to him face-to-face, to let him know that he wasn't going to be offered an extension. He received his P45 via email. 'I was definitely angry,' said Doran as he looked back on the appalling episode. 'But I was worried as well at the time. I was constantly trying to get in contact with the club, to speak to the people who were in charge. At times they would get back to me and say, 'Yeah, sure, we'll help you, we'll do this, we'll do that'. But eventually they just gave me the cold shoulder, just blanked me entirely. It was a really stressful period. 'I was 32 when I got injured. My contract was due to run out. So I understood the people upstairs at the club were probably thinking, 'We could do without giving him another deal. Then we won't have to pay for his operation. This is a chance for us to save ourselves some money'. 'To be honest, I would have been fine if they had just spoken to me and said, 'We're in financial difficulties, we haven't got the funds to pay for the surgery, we need to let you go'. But to go about it the way they did was wrong. 'I came out and spoke about it in the media. I just felt so strongly about what the club had done, not just to me but to a good few players. I had been at the club for a long time, for over 13 years. I had gone in nearly every day for over a decade and given my all. If they had been honest with me it really wouldn't have been a problem. To be treated like that in the end wasn't great. It was hard.' (Image: SNS Group Jeff Holmes) His friend and former Caledonian Thistle team mate Shane Sutherland had been through exactly the same harrowing experience the year before. The Brora Rangers striker was so incensed when he learned that history was repeating itself that he set up a Go Fund Me page online in an attempt to raise enough money to pay for the career-saving surgery. The contributions soon started to flood in. 'Shane hadn't been happy about getting released while he was injured,' said Doran. 'He didn't like the comments which were made to him at the time either. There was uproar about what happened to him as well. There was definitely a bit of anger there with Shane about how the club treated him. 'He set up the crowdfunding page for me. He didn't ask me if he could do it, he just set it up off his own back. But he spoke to me afterwards and said, 'Even if you only make £500, it's money towards the operation'. Nobody really expected it to get to where it got to. But it made the £10,000 I needed in two days. 'I was really touched. As well as Caley Thistle fans, a few of my former managers and team mates as well as old opponents of mine donated. It was definitely emotional looking at the page and seeing all the names. 'My old bosses John Hughes, John Robertson and Billy Dodds put money in. But so did Kris Boyd and the Souttar brothers, John and Harry. Lewis Vaughn at Raith Rovers sent money too. He has had four ACL injuries himself in his career. I had played against them, but I didn't know them personally. I honestly couldn't believe it when I saw what they had done. 'I just kept looking at the page and thinking, 'Wow! Wow! Wow!' I really appreciated what everybody did for me. Together, they got me the surgery that I needed. It is only because of those players, those managers and those fans that I am back training and playing again now.' Read more: His problems, though, were far from over after he went under the knife. He quickly realised the hopelessness of his predicament as he started his rehabilitation. He was incapacitated, he had no prospect of getting back playing any time soon and he had no money coming in. 'My leg was still in a brace, I couldn't walk, I was on crutches,' said Doran. 'On top of that, I had no job and I knew that I wasn't going to be able to play football for between nine months and 12 months. I didn't think any team would want me anywhere near them. It was a bit of a bleak position to be in.' Salvation came at Strathspey Thistle. Ryan Esson, another Scottish Cup winner who had not been shown the respect which he deserved when he was unceremoniously shown the exit door at Caley Thistle, had just taken over as manager at the ambitious Highland League outfit. He asked his old mucker if he would like to become player-coach. Doran jumped, metaphorically not literally, at the opportunity. He has not had cause to regret his decision on any level. 'It was perfect,' he said. 'I don't think any other club would have done that for me. I was still going to be out for a long time. So it was a good opportunity for me. It has helped me so much over the last year. 'Becky Musset, who was the physio when I was at Inverness, became the Strathspey physio around that time as well. She's been rehabbing me for the last year. So it has worked out pretty well for me. 'I had been thinking about coaching for a while and I had started my B Licence during the Covid season. I think I can see things on a football pitch, I think I can help players. I have learned a little off every manager I have played under since I worked with Sam Allardyce and Terry Butcher.' (Image: SNS Group Ross Parker) Doran is not, though, ready to retire from playing quite yet. He made his return from injury after 14 tumultuous months out in Strathspey's first pre-season friendly against, in a strange quirk of fate, an Inverness Caledonian Thistle Under-19 side at Seafield Park last month. True to form, he scored after coming off the bench. 'It was definitely strange playing against a team in that top,' he said. 'But it was good to get back out there again and great to get a goal. I think I have a few years left in me as a player. I was actually itching to get out onto the pitch last season. If I can get strong again, I think I have a good few years in the Highland League.' Doran will don an Inverness strip at the Caledonian Stadium once again this afternoon before taking to the field with his daughters Keeva, Ayla and Georgie by his side for his long overdue testimonial match against County. New owner Alan Savage gave the game the go-ahead shortly after he had completed his protracted £800,000 takeover last month and so ensured that one of the club's all-time greats will receive a fitting send-off. It is a gesture which suggests that far better times lie ahead. 'Alan agreed to it straight away,' said the player. 'In the past, my testimonial committee proposed games which never suited the people in charge. We could never seem to get it over the line. 'But Alan and Charlie [chief executive Christie] okayed it in about 10 minutes. I think it shows what type of people they are. They want to look after people. Alan has said that players will get the treatment they need going forward. It is good to hear.' It is certainly a far cry from the club which he left in such unfortunate circumstances last year. The financial implosion which occurred in October came as little surprise to those who had witnessed events behind the scenes at close quarters. Read more: 'Towards the end of my time, we noticed there were things getting spoken about that didn't have a lot to do with football, battery farms, concerts, things like that,' said Doran. 'There were a lot of things happening which didn't make a lot of sense. 'We used to get paid on time all the time and then all of sudden we weren't. So we knew there was something going on. As footballers, you just train and play. But there was a big difference from when I had first joined the club. It wasn't being run as well. I could see the change.' He continued, 'The club was in such a negative place when I left. They were talking about the move to Kelty, then the financial problems arose and after that there was administration. It is really good to see how positive it all is now. 'I think they're going to do really well this season, I think they will get promotion. It will be good to see them get back into the Championship and then see where they can go from there.' Doran, who originally hails from Inchicore in Dublin and who represented the Republic of Ireland Under-21 side as a young man, has come an awfully long way, both geographically and professionally, since leaving school and joining Blackburn Rovers back in 2008. (Image: SNS Group Rob Casey) 'I came over when I was just 16,' he said. 'Irish players actually can't do that any longer due to Brexit and FIFA regulations. But one of my team mates in the side I played for in Dublin signed at the same time so that made the move a little bit easier. We lived in a big lodge on the training ground and a family looked after us. 'The first season I was there they were a UEFA Cup team so there were high standards. Mark Hughes was the manager when I first went in and then Paul Ince took over and Sam Allardyce came in after that. But I progressed pretty quickly from the academy to the reserves to the first team. 'It all happened really quickly for me. I made my debut when I was 17. The guys I have played with over the years are probably sick of hearing me talk about it, but I played for Blackburn at the Etihad Stadium, at Stamford Bridge and at Anfield in the Premier League. It was a really proud time for me. 'I made my debut against Liverpool in a game at Anfield that was live on Sky Sports. I came on after half-time. My family were watching on television back home and it was a really emotional moment for them. I thought I would stay involved at the highest level, but, unfortunately for me, it was not to be.' Maybe that should be fortunately. His association with Caley Thistle has been a long and profitable one for both parties. 'One day in January I was called into a room and told I was going to Inverness on loan,' he said. 'Jonny Hayes had scored for Caley Thistle in a 1-1 draw with Rangers the month before and I remembered it. So I knew a little bit about them. 'I Googled them and saw they were in third place in the Premiership. But I didn't know how far they were until I actually drove up. It was a bit of a shock. But they were in a great place at that time. 'Straight away, I loved it. I was young, I got into the starting XI and I played every week. There was a good young squad and I got along with all the other players. After my six months were up it was a pretty easy decision to sign for them. I had a few other options, but I thought it would be best to play as much as I can at my age. 'I have always been proud to be part of the team. We finished in the top six of the Premiership three years in a row, got to the League Cup final, won the Scottish Cup, played in Europe. We went toe to toe with the biggest clubs. We beat Celtic, we beat Rangers. To do all that with a club like Inverness was a great achievement.' Read more: The Scottish Cup win over Falkirk 10 years ago was unquestionably his greatest accomplishment. But the man who set up Watkins for the opener when he dinked the ball between advancing Falkirk defenders Kieran Duffie and David McCracken was almost left on the bench. 'Yogi [Hughes] had a bit of a headache about who to play that day,' said Doran. 'He worried about me getting back down the park sometimes and it was in his mind to play more of a defensive winger. But I got the nod and I was happy to contribute to the opening goal with a nice assist. 'I want to score, to provide an assist, to try and impress, to make things happen, every time I go out on the park. I think I did that on a few occasions. I did that day and was pleased. But I did the defensive work as well. 'We stopped off in a pub in Auchterarder on the way home afterwards and Yogi came up to me, gave me a kiss on the cheek and said, 'I knew you'd pull it out of the bag for me'. I had what I was going to do when I got the ball in my head. I thought their centre-half was going to come out and leave half a yard of space. It worked out perfectly. 'On the training pitch, Yogi's definitely the best coach I've worked under. He wanted to play the football that I like to play. I think everybody learned a lot off him and became a better player. He was a joy to work with. Off the training ground, though, he was a bit of a headcase, a mad man. If you ever found yourself in his office with him you were always trying to get out as quickly as you could.' (Image: Paul Byars - SNS Group) Doran was never in any rush to get away from Inverness. Injuries unquestionably prevented him from achieving his enormous potential as a player. However, he turned down the opportunity to move on to larger clubs in both Scotland and England for more money on more than one occasion. The laidback way of life, the warmth of the people and the stunning scenery have suited this free spirit. 'I love the area,' he said. 'It's a beautiful part of the world to be. I prefer to be somewhere like Aviemore, where I live now, than Dublin or Manchester. I like the freedom that you have up here. Maybe that has a part to play in my longevity at Caley Thistle.' Doran confessed that leaving the relatively cossetted world of professional football and getting a real job for the first time in his adult life had been something of a shock to his system. 'The CEO of Strathspey is also the CEO of The MacKellar Group,' he said. 'He has really looked after me. But, yeah, it has definitely taken a bit of adjusting. I am out in the workshop now. I am learning every day. Everything I do is completely new to me.' Facing Ross County will hold no fears for Doran. He always raised his game for the Highland derby matches and found the target against the Dingwall men on a fair few occasions. It is one of many reasons why the cult hero is so loved in Inverness and will be given a warm send-off by Caledonian Thistle fans this afternoon in his final El Kessocko. 'I have scored more goals against County than any other team,' he said. 'I have scored a few nice ones too. I always enjoyed playing against them. They were the best opponents I could get for my testimonial. I am looking forward to it.'
The National
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The National
Aaron Doran indebted to Scottish game for pulling him back from abyss
Learning that this supremely gifted footballer, an individual who scaled some giddy heights during his time in Scottish football and who only turned 34 back in May, is now a member of the ordinary nine-to-five workforce was surprising. It felt wrong in fact. Should Doran not really be preparing to help Scott Kellacher's side launch an assault on the League One title in the 2025/26 campaign? Does he not still have something to offer Caley Thistle as they attempt to climb back up the divisions? Could he not give his old side a vital cutting edge in the final third? This is the man whose cheeky pass to Marley Watkins before the opening goal in the Scottish Cup final against Falkirk at Hampden back in 2015 is seared into the subconscious of every one of the Highland club's supporters forever. The Irishman himself, though, is more than content with his lot just now. He is grateful that he is able to bring home a regular wage, pay his mortgage and put food on the table for his young family. This time last year the father-of-three was in a dark place both professionally and personally. He had no idea what the future held for him either on the park or off it. Read more: The winger had been shamefully, after over 13 years of outstanding service and more than 400 games, released while he was awaiting an operation for the anterior cruciate ligament injury which he had suffered in a Championship match against Raith Rovers at the Caledonian Stadium just two months earlier. The surgery he was scheduled to receive was cancelled twice without any reason being given. Nobody from the club hierarchy bothered to call him, never mind speak to him face-to-face, to let him know that he wasn't going to be offered an extension. He received his P45 via email. 'I was definitely angry,' said Doran as he looked back on the appalling episode. 'But I was worried as well at the time. I was constantly trying to get in contact with the club, to speak to the people who were in charge. At times they would get back to me and say, 'Yeah, sure, we'll help you, we'll do this, we'll do that'. But eventually they just gave me the cold shoulder, just blanked me entirely. It was a really stressful period. 'I was 32 when I got injured. My contract was due to run out. So I understood the people upstairs at the club were probably thinking, 'We could do without giving him another deal. Then we won't have to pay for his operation. This is a chance for us to save ourselves some money'. 'To be honest, I would have been fine if they had just spoken to me and said, 'We're in financial difficulties, we haven't got the funds to pay for the surgery, we need to let you go'. But to go about it the way they did was wrong. 'I came out and spoke about it in the media. I just felt so strongly about what the club had done, not just to me but to a good few players. I had been at the club for a long time, for over 13 years. I had gone in nearly every day for over a decade and given my all. If they had been honest with me it really wouldn't have been a problem. To be treated like that in the end wasn't great. It was hard.' (Image: SNS Group Jeff Holmes) His friend and former Caledonian Thistle team mate Shane Sutherland had been through exactly the same harrowing experience the year before. The Brora Rangers striker was so incensed when he learned that history was repeating itself that he set up a Go Fund Me page online in an attempt to raise enough money to pay for the career-saving surgery. The contributions soon started to flood in. 'Shane hadn't been happy about getting released while he was injured,' said Doran. 'He didn't like the comments which were made to him at the time either. There was uproar about what happened to him as well. There was definitely a bit of anger there with Shane about how the club treated him. 'He set up the crowdfunding page for me. He didn't ask me if he could do it, he just set it up off his own back. But he spoke to me afterwards and said, 'Even if you only make £500, it's money towards the operation'. Nobody really expected it to get to where it got to. But it made the £10,000 I needed in two days. 'I was really touched. As well as Caley Thistle fans, a few of my former managers and team mates as well as old opponents of mine donated. It was definitely emotional looking at the page and seeing all the names. 'My old bosses John Hughes, John Robertson and Billy Dodds put money in. But so did Kris Boyd and the Souttar brothers, John and Harry. Lewis Vaughn at Raith Rovers sent money too. He has had four ACL injuries himself in his career. I had played against them, but I didn't know them personally. I honestly couldn't believe it when I saw what they had done. 'I just kept looking at the page and thinking, 'Wow! Wow! Wow!' I really appreciated what everybody did for me. Together, they got me the surgery that I needed. It is only because of those players, those managers and those fans that I am back training and playing again now.' Read more: His problems, though, were far from over after he went under the knife. He quickly realised the hopelessness of his predicament as he started his rehabilitation. He was incapacitated, he had no prospect of getting back playing any time soon and he had no money coming in. 'My leg was still in a brace, I couldn't walk, I was on crutches,' said Doran. 'On top of that, I had no job and I knew that I wasn't going to be able to play football for between nine months and 12 months. I didn't think any team would want me anywhere near them. It was a bit of a bleak position to be in.' Salvation came at Strathspey Thistle. Ryan Esson, another Scottish Cup winner who had not been shown the respect which he deserved when he was unceremoniously shown the exit door at Caley Thistle, had just taken over as manager at the ambitious Highland League outfit. He asked his old mucker if he would like to become player-coach. Doran jumped, metaphorically not literally, at the opportunity. He has not had cause to regret his decision on any level. 'It was perfect,' he said. 'I don't think any other club would have done that for me. I was still going to be out for a long time. So it was a good opportunity for me. It has helped me so much over the last year. 'Becky Musset, who was the physio when I was at Inverness, became the Strathspey physio around that time as well. She's been rehabbing me for the last year. So it has worked out pretty well for me. 'I had been thinking about coaching for a while and I had started my B Licence during the Covid season. I think I can see things on a football pitch, I think I can help players. I have learned a little off every manager I have played under since I worked with Sam Allardyce and Terry Butcher.' (Image: SNS Group Ross Parker) Doran is not, though, ready to retire from playing quite yet. He made his return from injury after 14 tumultuous months out in Strathspey's first pre-season friendly against, in a strange quirk of fate, an Inverness Caledonian Thistle Under-19 side at Seafield Park last month. True to form, he scored after coming off the bench. 'It was definitely strange playing against a team in that top,' he said. 'But it was good to get back out there again and great to get a goal. I think I have a few years left in me as a player. I was actually itching to get out onto the pitch last season. If I can get strong again, I think I have a good few years in the Highland League.' Doran will don an Inverness strip at the Caledonian Stadium once again this afternoon before taking to the field with his daughters Keeva, Ayla and Georgie by his side for his long overdue testimonial match against County. New owner Alan Savage gave the game the go-ahead shortly after he had completed his protracted £800,000 takeover last month and so ensured that one of the club's all-time greats will receive a fitting send-off. It is a gesture which suggests that far better times lie ahead. 'Alan agreed to it straight away,' said the player. 'In the past, my testimonial committee proposed games which never suited the people in charge. We could never seem to get it over the line. 'But Alan and Charlie [chief executive Christie] okayed it in about 10 minutes. I think it shows what type of people they are. They want to look after people. Alan has said that players will get the treatment they need going forward. It is good to hear.' It is certainly a far cry from the club which he left in such unfortunate circumstances last year. The financial implosion which occurred in October came as little surprise to those who had witnessed events behind the scenes at close quarters. Read more: 'Towards the end of my time, we noticed there were things getting spoken about that didn't have a lot to do with football, battery farms, concerts, things like that,' said Doran. 'There were a lot of things happening which didn't make a lot of sense. 'We used to get paid on time all the time and then all of sudden we weren't. So we knew there was something going on. As footballers, you just train and play. But there was a big difference from when I had first joined the club. It wasn't being run as well. I could see the change.' He continued, 'The club was in such a negative place when I left. They were talking about the move to Kelty, then the financial problems arose and after that there was administration. It is really good to see how positive it all is now. 'I think they're going to do really well this season, I think they will get promotion. It will be good to see them get back into the Championship and then see where they can go from there.' Doran, who originally hails from Inchicore in Dublin and who represented the Republic of Ireland Under-21 side as a young man, has come an awfully long way, both geographically and professionally, since leaving school and joining Blackburn Rovers back in 2008. (Image: SNS Group Rob Casey) 'I came over when I was just 16,' he said. 'Irish players actually can't do that any longer due to Brexit and FIFA regulations. But one of my team mates in the side I played for in Dublin signed at the same time so that made the move a little bit easier. We lived in a big lodge on the training ground and a family looked after us. 'The first season I was there they were a UEFA Cup team so there were high standards. Mark Hughes was the manager when I first went in and then Paul Ince took over and Sam Allardyce came in after that. But I progressed pretty quickly from the academy to the reserves to the first team. 'It all happened really quickly for me. I made my debut when I was 17. The guys I have played with over the years are probably sick of hearing me talk about it, but I played for Blackburn at the Etihad Stadium, at Stamford Bridge and at Anfield in the Premier League. It was a really proud time for me. 'I made my debut against Liverpool in a game at Anfield that was live on Sky Sports. I came on after half-time. My family were watching on television back home and it was a really emotional moment for them. I thought I would stay involved at the highest level, but, unfortunately for me, it was not to be.' Maybe that should be fortunately. His association with Caley Thistle has been a long and profitable one for both parties. 'One day in January I was called into a room and told I was going to Inverness on loan,' he said. 'Jonny Hayes had scored for Caley Thistle in a 1-1 draw with Rangers the month before and I remembered it. So I knew a little bit about them. 'I Googled them and saw they were in third place in the Premiership. But I didn't know how far they were until I actually drove up. It was a bit of a shock. But they were in a great place at that time. 'Straight away, I loved it. I was young, I got into the starting XI and I played every week. There was a good young squad and I got along with all the other players. After my six months were up it was a pretty easy decision to sign for them. I had a few other options, but I thought it would be best to play as much as I can at my age. 'I have always been proud to be part of the team. We finished in the top six of the Premiership three years in a row, got to the League Cup final, won the Scottish Cup, played in Europe. We went toe to toe with the biggest clubs. We beat Celtic, we beat Rangers. To do all that with a club like Inverness was a great achievement.' Read more: The Scottish Cup win over Falkirk 10 years ago was unquestionably his greatest accomplishment. But the man who set up Watkins for the opener when he dinked the ball between advancing Falkirk defenders Kieran Duffie and David McCracken was almost left on the bench. 'Yogi [Hughes] had a bit of a headache about who to play that day,' said Doran. 'He worried about me getting back down the park sometimes and it was in his mind to play more of a defensive winger. But I got the nod and I was happy to contribute to the opening goal with a nice assist. 'I want to score, to provide an assist, to try and impress, to make things happen, every time I go out on the park. I think I did that on a few occasions. I did that day and was pleased. But I did the defensive work as well. 'We stopped off in a pub in Auchterarder on the way home afterwards and Yogi came up to me, gave me a kiss on the cheek and said, 'I knew you'd pull it out of the bag for me'. I had what I was going to do when I got the ball in my head. I thought their centre-half was going to come out and leave half a yard of space. It worked out perfectly. 'On the training pitch, Yogi's definitely the best coach I've worked under. He wanted to play the football that I like to play. I think everybody learned a lot off him and became a better player. He was a joy to work with. Off the training ground, though, he was a bit of a headcase, a mad man. If you ever found yourself in his office with him you were always trying to get out as quickly as you could.' (Image: Paul Byars - SNS Group) Doran was never in any rush to get away from Inverness. Injuries unquestionably prevented him from achieving his enormous potential as a player. However, he turned down the opportunity to move on to larger clubs in both Scotland and England for more money on more than one occasion. The laidback way of life, the warmth of the people and the stunning scenery have suited this free spirit. 'I love the area,' he said. 'It's a beautiful part of the world to be. I prefer to be somewhere like Aviemore, where I live now, than Dublin or Manchester. I like the freedom that you have up here. Maybe that has a part to play in my longevity at Caley Thistle.' Doran confessed that leaving the relatively cossetted world of professional football and getting a real job for the first time in his adult life had been something of a shock to his system. 'The CEO of Strathspey is also the CEO of The MacKellar Group,' he said. 'He has really looked after me. But, yeah, it has definitely taken a bit of adjusting. I am out in the workshop now. I am learning every day. Everything I do is completely new to me.' Facing Ross County will hold no fears for Doran. He always raised his game for the Highland derby matches and found the target against the Dingwall men on a fair few occasions. It is one of many reasons why the cult hero is so loved in Inverness and will be given a warm send-off by Caledonian Thistle fans this afternoon in his final El Kessocko. 'I have scored more goals against County than any other team,' he said. 'I have scored a few nice ones too. I always enjoyed playing against them. They were the best opponents I could get for my testimonial. I am looking forward to it.'
