Latest news with #Gladiators'
The Herald Scotland
18-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Erin McGarrachan: The reality of retirement still hasn't sunk in
Her journey has taken her from her hometown of Cumbernauld across the Atlantic and back and despite encountering a few obstacles, McGarrachan is in little doubt that the highs far outnumber the lows in a career that has lasted considerably longer than she anticipated. McGarrachan struts into retirement off the back of not only one of her most successful seasons personally, but also a history-making season for the club with which she's spent the past three seasons, Caledonia Gladiators. In winning the women's side's first-ever silverware in the shape of the Trophy Finals title in January, McGarrachan and her teammates wrote themselves into the history books and this result, as well as a fourth place Championship finish and a run to the Playoffs semi-finals, ensure McGarrachan is departing on a high which has, she admits, made walking away marginally easier 'Being retired still feels surreal and it's not fully sunk in yet,' Gladiators' captain says. 'The reality hit me when we finished our final game of the season last Saturday - I don't usually get emotional but when the final whistle went, I really did tear up because the realisation hit me that my final game was over. 'I couldn't have asked for a better season to finish on, though, and I feel like I got everything out of this last season that I could ever have dreamed of. 'I have had moments of wondering if retiring was the right thing, like when I've had really good practices or when I was really enjoying the moment with my teammates, but I've been reminded on more than one occasion when my whole body's aching that it probably is time to step away.' As a teenager, McGarrachan was singled-out as a promising talent and a basketball scholarship at the University of Texas El Paso duly followed. It was here, though, that she encountered the first significant challenge of her career. 'When I went to college in the States, I thought it was going to be great but at the end of my first year, the coach sat me down and told me I was a great person and a great student, but I wasn't going to be a basketball player in her programme,' McGarrachan recalls. 'I was young and had all these hopes and dreams so to have someone telling you you're never going to make it was really tough. 'But I had a lot of good people around me who told me that even though she didn't think I was going to make it, that didn't mean I couldn't go elsewhere and be successful.' Go somewhere else was exactly what McGarrachan did, transferring to Houston Baptist University where she forged a stellar collegiate career, with a particular highlight being her side's run to the Conference Final. By this point, McGarrachan had caught the eye of the GB selectors and, despite a year on the sidelines due to a serious foot injury, she was well on her way to forging a successful professional career. Stints with English side, Leicester Riders, and BK Duchess in Austria followed but, as the Covid pandemic took over the globe in 2020, McGarrachan effectively retired, choosing to pursue a career in accountancy. Until, that is, a call came from offices of the newly formed Scottish professional team, Caledonia Gladiators. (Image: Caledonia Gladiators) McGarrachan's decision to return to top-level basketball wasn't immediate, but it ultimately became what she calls a 'no-brainer'. 'It was Lisa Palombo (Gladiators' Head of WBBL) who said to me about this professional club being started up, and asked, was I going to let that opportunity pass me by?,' McGarrachan says. 'Coming back to basketball wasn't an easy decision, though, because I was already old to be starting my accountancy career so it wasn't as simple as just walking away from a regular job to go back and play basketball, which has a shelf life. 'But, ultimately, I realised what an opportunity it was to join Gladiators and I'm so glad I did go back to basketball.' McGarrachan is too modest to shout about the influence she's had on basketball, especially the women's game, but her impact is undeniable. Caledonia Gladiators as a club, and the women's team specifically, has become a significant force within British basketball, with McGarrachan a major player in the transformation of the sport over the past decade. And she admits reflecting on the journey the sport has taken, and her part in it, is quite breath-taking. 'When I played in England, the difference between how the men's and the women's teams were treated was very prevalent whereas when I look at what we've got here in Scotland, there's absolutely no difference between how the men and women are treated, and that's amazing,' she says. 'In the past three years at Gladiators, the women's fan base has grown tenfold, and the greatest thing is there's a lot of young kids coming to see our games. 'I never set out to be a role model, I just really enjoyed playing basketball, but to have turned into one is incredible. 'It gives you such a massive boost knowing that you're not just running up and down a court after a ball, there is a wider, more meaningful purpose.' With basketball having been both a constant and a dominant presence in McGarrachan's life for so many years, she has little doubt as to the hole retirement will leave. And having been surrounded by teammates all her career, she admits the prospect of being without them is somewhat daunting. 'There's no question I'm going to miss the sport massively,' she says. 'I think I'll always be an active person, but you just don't get that same high from anything else that you get in competition. 'And there's the interaction with your teammates and with the fans. You just can't replace that. 'You have a special connection to your teammates because you have to work with them to make the magic happen. They always have your back, you go through the highs and lows together, and you're always there for each other, so I'll miss having that.' Having already joined the accountancy department at the business of the club's owners, the Timoneys, McGarrachan's future remains at Caledonia Gladiators and although she's ruling out a move into the coaching sphere for now, she's more than aware that she'd be a fool to predict too far into the future. 'I have the best of all worlds by being able to stay involved in basketball and also continue my accountancy career,' she says. 'Coaching has never really appealed to me, although who knows how I'll feel in the future. 'Basketball will always be in my life, whether that's as a fan, a coach, a mentor or anything else, but it does have a way of pulling me back in.'
The National
18-05-2025
- Sport
- The National
Erin McGarrachan: The reality of retirement still hasn't sunk in
Over the past decade-and-a-half, McGarrachan has dedicated her life to basketball, becoming Scotland's most successful-ever female basketball player and playing a significant role in transforming women's basketball in this country. At the age of 33, however, McGarrachan has decided now's the time to call it a day at the highest level. Her journey has taken her from her hometown of Cumbernauld across the Atlantic and back and despite encountering a few obstacles, McGarrachan is in little doubt that the highs far outnumber the lows in a career that has lasted considerably longer than she anticipated. McGarrachan struts into retirement off the back of not only one of her most successful seasons personally, but also a history-making season for the club with which she's spent the past three seasons, Caledonia Gladiators. In winning the women's side's first-ever silverware in the shape of the Trophy Finals title in January, McGarrachan and her teammates wrote themselves into the history books and this result, as well as a fourth place Championship finish and a run to the Playoffs semi-finals, ensure McGarrachan is departing on a high which has, she admits, made walking away marginally easier 'Being retired still feels surreal and it's not fully sunk in yet,' Gladiators' captain says. 'The reality hit me when we finished our final game of the season last Saturday - I don't usually get emotional but when the final whistle went, I really did tear up because the realisation hit me that my final game was over. 'I couldn't have asked for a better season to finish on, though, and I feel like I got everything out of this last season that I could ever have dreamed of. 'I have had moments of wondering if retiring was the right thing, like when I've had really good practices or when I was really enjoying the moment with my teammates, but I've been reminded on more than one occasion when my whole body's aching that it probably is time to step away.' As a teenager, McGarrachan was singled-out as a promising talent and a basketball scholarship at the University of Texas El Paso duly followed. It was here, though, that she encountered the first significant challenge of her career. 'When I went to college in the States, I thought it was going to be great but at the end of my first year, the coach sat me down and told me I was a great person and a great student, but I wasn't going to be a basketball player in her programme,' McGarrachan recalls. 'I was young and had all these hopes and dreams so to have someone telling you you're never going to make it was really tough. 'But I had a lot of good people around me who told me that even though she didn't think I was going to make it, that didn't mean I couldn't go elsewhere and be successful.' Go somewhere else was exactly what McGarrachan did, transferring to Houston Baptist University where she forged a stellar collegiate career, with a particular highlight being her side's run to the Conference Final. By this point, McGarrachan had caught the eye of the GB selectors and, despite a year on the sidelines due to a serious foot injury, she was well on her way to forging a successful professional career. Stints with English side, Leicester Riders, and BK Duchess in Austria followed but, as the Covid pandemic took over the globe in 2020, McGarrachan effectively retired, choosing to pursue a career in accountancy. Until, that is, a call came from offices of the newly formed Scottish professional team, Caledonia Gladiators. (Image: Caledonia Gladiators) McGarrachan's decision to return to top-level basketball wasn't immediate, but it ultimately became what she calls a 'no-brainer'. 'It was Lisa Palombo (Gladiators' Head of WBBL) who said to me about this professional club being started up, and asked, was I going to let that opportunity pass me by?,' McGarrachan says. 'Coming back to basketball wasn't an easy decision, though, because I was already old to be starting my accountancy career so it wasn't as simple as just walking away from a regular job to go back and play basketball, which has a shelf life. 'But, ultimately, I realised what an opportunity it was to join Gladiators and I'm so glad I did go back to basketball.' McGarrachan is too modest to shout about the influence she's had on basketball, especially the women's game, but her impact is undeniable. Caledonia Gladiators as a club, and the women's team specifically, has become a significant force within British basketball, with McGarrachan a major player in the transformation of the sport over the past decade. And she admits reflecting on the journey the sport has taken, and her part in it, is quite breath-taking. 'When I played in England, the difference between how the men's and the women's teams were treated was very prevalent whereas when I look at what we've got here in Scotland, there's absolutely no difference between how the men and women are treated, and that's amazing,' she says. 'In the past three years at Gladiators, the women's fan base has grown tenfold, and the greatest thing is there's a lot of young kids coming to see our games. 'I never set out to be a role model, I just really enjoyed playing basketball, but to have turned into one is incredible. 'It gives you such a massive boost knowing that you're not just running up and down a court after a ball, there is a wider, more meaningful purpose.' With basketball having been both a constant and a dominant presence in McGarrachan's life for so many years, she has little doubt as to the hole retirement will leave. And having been surrounded by teammates all her career, she admits the prospect of being without them is somewhat daunting. 'There's no question I'm going to miss the sport massively,' she says. 'I think I'll always be an active person, but you just don't get that same high from anything else that you get in competition. 'And there's the interaction with your teammates and with the fans. You just can't replace that. 'You have a special connection to your teammates because you have to work with them to make the magic happen. They always have your back, you go through the highs and lows together, and you're always there for each other, so I'll miss having that.' Having already joined the accountancy department at the business of the club's owners, the Timoneys, McGarrachan's future remains at Caledonia Gladiators and although she's ruling out a move into the coaching sphere for now, she's more than aware that she'd be a fool to predict too far into the future. 'I have the best of all worlds by being able to stay involved in basketball and also continue my accountancy career,' she says. 'Coaching has never really appealed to me, although who knows how I'll feel in the future. 'Basketball will always be in my life, whether that's as a fan, a coach, a mentor or anything else, but it does have a way of pulling me back in.'
Scottish Sun
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Gladiator Steel shares heartbreaking images from baby son's funeral after his devastating death at just 13 days old
GLADIATORS star Steel has held a funeral service for his baby son, Leo, after his tragic death at just 13 days old. Zack George, who plays Gladiators' Steel, recently revealed that his newborn son - whom he welcomed in March - had passed away. 8 Gladiators star Steel has held a funeral service for his baby son, Leo, after his tragic death at just 13 days old Credit: Instagram 8 There were some beautiful blue and white blooms for their late son Credit: Instagram/zackgeorge 8 Steel has shared a selection of photos from the service for their late son Leo Credit: Instagram/zackgeorge 8 Zack shared photos of the flowers, and messages from family Credit: Instagram/zackgeorge The 34-year-old, from Leicester and his wife Samantha welcomed their baby boy named Leo George on March 26. Leo was born at just 23 weeks and passed away 13 days later. Now, Steel has shared a selection of photos from the service for their late son Leo. On social media, he posted a photo of some flowers with a blue teddy on and Leo's name. He also shared a photo of some of the messages left from family members. The Gladiators star shared an emotional message to accompany the post, writing: 'The hardest speech Iv ever had to read 🥺. 'You came into this world early, tiny and brave, with a heart that beat like thunder. Thirteen days. That's all we had. But in that time, you taught us more about love, and courage, than most ever will. 'Your body was small, but your spirit was big, fierce and unafraid. We called you Leo, our lion, not for how loud you roared, but for how hard you fought to stay. 'You knew our voices, you knew our touch, the warmth of our hearts pressed against yours. You were held, you were known and you were loved. 'And though the world only had a brief chance to meet you, you changed it and You changed us. Now that you rest, we still carry you— in every quiet moment, in the breath between tears, in the space you filled just by being here. our son, our lion— you will always matter. You will always be ours.' Gladiators star Steel's heartbreaking message to his late son saying 'wish I could have done more' after baby passes away He ended his poignant post by writing: 'Rest easy our little boy 🦁.' 8 The Gladiators star shared an emotional message to accompany the post Credit: Instagram / @zackgeorge 8 Zack is known for being Steel in Gladiators Credit: BBC 8 Zack kept fans updated with their son's journey after he was born Credit: Instagram / @zackgeorge
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Gladiators star Jet is seen for the first time since admitting she attacked ex wife during their toxic marriage as she arrives at fan convention in Newcastle
Gladiators star Jet has been pictured looking in good spirits as she headed to a work meeting in Newcastle. It is the first sighting of the star, whose real name is Diane Youdale, since she admitted during a February interview with the MailOnline that she had attacked her ex wife Zoe Gilbert after feeling 'bullied' during their year-long marriage. Diane, 55, who starred as Jet on Gladiators' first four seasons from 1992-1995, smiled as she arrived at Nerd Fest at Gateshead Stadium, where she happily greeted friends and spent the day posing for photos with fans. Gladiators star Jet looks in good spirits as she is seen for the first time since admitting she attacked ex wife during their toxic marriage. In a nod to her lycra-clad Gladiator days the lifestyle and exercise coach wore leggings and a white jumper, carrying a green rucksack. In February Jet spoke out on her short-lived married to teacher Zoe, who she wed during an intimate ceremony in July 2023, after Diane proposed just four months into their relationship. Jet's relationship with Zoe was her first public romance with a woman and the star had previously gushed that she 'just knew' she was the one for her days after their meeting in a supermarket. But speaking exclusively to MailOnline in February, the nineties pin-up admitted she 'snapped' during an incident in 2023 after claiming she was 'pushed over the edge'. The former TV star says the pair's relationship reached a climatic point when Diane 'pressed on her chest three times' after Zoe had fallen over the back of a sofa during a vicious row. Police were called to the property they shared in the North East and Diane was spoken to, but not arrested, and it proved to be the final straw for the couple a matter of weeks after they tied the knot in an intimate ceremony. Diane also accuses teacher Zoe, 50, of turning her own family against her. She even now believes their chance meeting in supermarket Tesco, when they first became acquainted, was actually a premeditated move by Zoe. Super-fit Diane, who is now a counsellor and exercise coach, said she became 'suicidal' as her marriage crumbled, adding: 'She never loved me... I was hoodwinked.' She continued: 'I was bait, I feel baited, I feel like I was chased by a wolf. I was absolutely played and now she's trying to make herself famous because of it. 'I am sickened to the core by her allegations. She wants to bring me down and dance on my grave.' Describing how their relationship turned violent, Diane said: 'Eventually, I snapped. 'She fell over the back of the sofa. I pressed on her chest three times firmly and I said, "stop this now." I can't remember what happened then. The next thing I knew I was being led out by the police. 'The living room was an absolute mess, there was coffee up the walls, writing all over the walls. She is claiming that I did all that, but I didn't. I'm unsure what level of amnesia I must have had to block it out.' The incident, which took place in 2023, happened at Zoe's home where Diane lived until the couple ended their relationship. She claims the nature of their romance made her feel so low that she contemplated ending her life. MailOnline has contacted Zoe Gilbert for comment. Diane continued: 'I felt suicidal. She pushed me to the limit to suddenly make me the baddie, which is as clear as day now. She took pictures of her injuries, none of which I inflicted. 'She has claimed I picked her up at the top of the stairs and threw her down but if anything, I have a disc rupture. 'I would only lay hands on someone in rage if they were attacking a minor or an animal or in self-defence and I was never in self-defence around her. This was the final moment between us.' Diane has lived a super healthy existence her entire life, which helped carve out a successful career on Gladiators, which relaunched last year on BBC One, back in the nineties. Famous for her trademark hair flick and good looks, she became a hit with viewers - both male and female. But she admits picking up dangerous habits during her time with Zoe, including developing a reliance on alcohol. She claims the pair drank every night and rows would start around the same time, usually sparked by Zoe's concerns over her ex-partners and current work colleagues. Diane said she would beg Zoe to stop and was desperate to move on from the toxic cycle of behaviour. She explained: 'Zoe was mainly getting at me about any past relationships I had with women. 'I had been married in another lifetime very happily, very settled, very calmly and amicably. 'It wasn't my first rodeo, and I am good at long-term, settled and normal relationships. 'That's my relationship style but Zoe has never had that opportunity without it being full of drama. She wanted to create drama at night. 'Usually between 9-9:30pm, the same record would come out, I would say, 'Zoe this is getting repetitive, please stop this.' 'She accused me of sleeping with all my clients, all my friends, can you imagine being accused of that? She never understood me and celebrated nothing about the triumphs or successes in my life.' Diane claimed Zoe turned her own family against her, going on to describe her heartache over her loved ones taking her partner's side during their fallout. She said: 'The pack of people around her and I could list the names. It's so harrowing what's been happening. 'My family has never once asked me about what happened or my side. I am astonished by them. I am let down by them. 'Zoe is a professional victim. She is quite a small person and plays on "I'm only little.'" Days after Diane spoke to MailOnline, teacher Zoe broke her silence to make a series of sensational claims about Diane - telling MailOnline how the marriage was a 'living nightmare' which soon turned violent with the gameshow pin-up repeatedly attacking her while drunk, pushing her downstairs and opening a door in her face and warning: 'I will rip you limb from limb.' The abuse, she says, was so vile she was routinely called names like 'fat little c*** of a dwarf'. Diane meanwhile has bitterly denied the claims against her - saying that she is teetotal, and has a back condition that makes her too frail to be violent. And she made the counter accusation that her ex-wife Zoe was herself frequently drunk and had invented her claims. In support of her version of events Zoe took photographs of injuries which she has shared with MailOnline. Zoe said: 'I suffered numerous assaults from Diane, she's still a strong and fit woman and I was terrified of her by the time our marriage came to an end.' She said that when she showed her photographs to her horrified family they feared that 4ft 9in Zoe might be at risk if she didn't end the relationship. The pair finally split in February 2024 and officially divorced in July of that year, just 12 months after their supermarket meeting.
Business Recorder
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Business Recorder
‘Selectors have told me to be ready for white-ball cricket': Khurram Shahzad
Quetta Gladiators' in-form pacer Khurram Shahzad has revealed that the Pakistan selection committee has asked him to prepare for white-ball formats, hinting at a possible national call-up in ODIs or T20Is. Speaking at the post-match press conference following Quetta's dominant 10-wicket victory over Multan Sultans, Shahzad said, 'The selectors have told me to start preparing for white-ball cricket.' The 25-year-old fast bowler was instrumental in the Gladiators' win last night, finishing with figures of 4 for 23 and dismantling the Sultans' top order. His consistent performances have made him one of the standout bowlers of the tournament so far, with 8 wickets in just three matches. Shahzad reflected on his performance and the bowling-friendly surface at the post-match presentation: 'I was fully prepared, and I'm glad the results showed today. In T20s, you usually get flat pitches, but there was something in it for the bowlers this time. My focus was on hitting the right lengths and attacking the stumps.' From emerging category to leading wicket-taker: Hasan Ali continues to shine in PSL X He also highlighted the importance of teamwork within the Gladiators' pace unit. 'As fast bowlers, we communicated really well. I always aim to take wickets in the powerplay with the new ball. When you bowl in partnerships, you often see the results, exactly what happened for us today.' Shahzad's recent form and growing maturity with the ball have sparked speculation about his potential debut in Pakistan's limited-overs squads. With a T20 World Cup around the corner, his inclusion could offer Pakistan a fresh pace option. The Gladiators, revitalised this season, remain unbeaten, with Khurram playing a key role in their resurgence.
