Latest news with #Muirhead
The Advertiser
26-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Big boost for Brumbies ahead of Super crunch clash
Star playmaker Noah Lolesio is set to return to bolster the Brumbies in their crunch match against the Crusaders, with both teams chasing a crucial Super Rugby Pacific top-two spot. The ACT team haven't finished in the top two on the ladder since 2004, but have put themselves in prime position playing at home on Friday night. The Chiefs are on top of the ladder with 46 points, followed by the Crusaders with 45 and the Brumbies on 43, with four points on offer for a win. Winger Andy Muirhead said the team had spoken about what will be at stake when they line up against the Crusaders, who have veteran Wallabies playmaker James O'Connor in their ranks. "We were sort of pinpointing this a couple of weeks ago that a result this weekend puts us in a good position to finish top-two, and obviously it's coming down to Friday night," Muirhead said. "It doesn't change our mindset really, we want to be a team that plays good footy at home. "We know what the Crusaders bring and we've had some really good battles here at GIO (Stadium), so we're looking forward to it and hopefully getting a good result and keeping our record at home." He felt the team had been making steady progress and was ready to return to the glory days, having last won the title in 2004. "If you look at the last two years, we haven't been far off the pace, and we've made some really good steps in particular parts of our game,'' Muirhead said. "To get a good win at home this weekend is going to put us in good stead - it's going to put our hand up for a title." Appearing in extreme pain, Lolesio was stretchered off wearing a neck brace against the Western Force this month. Lolesio was later cleared of serious injury, and Muirhead said he was set to play. "I think he's tracking well ... he's been recovering well and I'm assuming he will be involved in some capacity,'' Muirhead said. "Being off the field has given him a bit more motivation to rip in." Muirhead's company, Yara Co, will be running a kick-for-cash challenge at halftime, giving schools the chance to win a share of $50,000. The company is an Indigenous civil construction business that also runs training programs through TAFE for Indigenous students. If Muirhead doesn't get a Wallabies start, he is set to be a leading figure in the First Nations and Pasifika Invitational XV, who will face the touring British and Irish Lions. Toutai Kefu was announced as coach last week, with his assistants revealed on Tuesday, including All Blacks legend Tana Umaga, former Wallabies prop Sekope Kepu, former Fiji Test coach Simon Raiwalui, and Wallabies great Glen Ella. Star playmaker Noah Lolesio is set to return to bolster the Brumbies in their crunch match against the Crusaders, with both teams chasing a crucial Super Rugby Pacific top-two spot. The ACT team haven't finished in the top two on the ladder since 2004, but have put themselves in prime position playing at home on Friday night. The Chiefs are on top of the ladder with 46 points, followed by the Crusaders with 45 and the Brumbies on 43, with four points on offer for a win. Winger Andy Muirhead said the team had spoken about what will be at stake when they line up against the Crusaders, who have veteran Wallabies playmaker James O'Connor in their ranks. "We were sort of pinpointing this a couple of weeks ago that a result this weekend puts us in a good position to finish top-two, and obviously it's coming down to Friday night," Muirhead said. "It doesn't change our mindset really, we want to be a team that plays good footy at home. "We know what the Crusaders bring and we've had some really good battles here at GIO (Stadium), so we're looking forward to it and hopefully getting a good result and keeping our record at home." He felt the team had been making steady progress and was ready to return to the glory days, having last won the title in 2004. "If you look at the last two years, we haven't been far off the pace, and we've made some really good steps in particular parts of our game,'' Muirhead said. "To get a good win at home this weekend is going to put us in good stead - it's going to put our hand up for a title." Appearing in extreme pain, Lolesio was stretchered off wearing a neck brace against the Western Force this month. Lolesio was later cleared of serious injury, and Muirhead said he was set to play. "I think he's tracking well ... he's been recovering well and I'm assuming he will be involved in some capacity,'' Muirhead said. "Being off the field has given him a bit more motivation to rip in." Muirhead's company, Yara Co, will be running a kick-for-cash challenge at halftime, giving schools the chance to win a share of $50,000. The company is an Indigenous civil construction business that also runs training programs through TAFE for Indigenous students. If Muirhead doesn't get a Wallabies start, he is set to be a leading figure in the First Nations and Pasifika Invitational XV, who will face the touring British and Irish Lions. Toutai Kefu was announced as coach last week, with his assistants revealed on Tuesday, including All Blacks legend Tana Umaga, former Wallabies prop Sekope Kepu, former Fiji Test coach Simon Raiwalui, and Wallabies great Glen Ella. Star playmaker Noah Lolesio is set to return to bolster the Brumbies in their crunch match against the Crusaders, with both teams chasing a crucial Super Rugby Pacific top-two spot. The ACT team haven't finished in the top two on the ladder since 2004, but have put themselves in prime position playing at home on Friday night. The Chiefs are on top of the ladder with 46 points, followed by the Crusaders with 45 and the Brumbies on 43, with four points on offer for a win. Winger Andy Muirhead said the team had spoken about what will be at stake when they line up against the Crusaders, who have veteran Wallabies playmaker James O'Connor in their ranks. "We were sort of pinpointing this a couple of weeks ago that a result this weekend puts us in a good position to finish top-two, and obviously it's coming down to Friday night," Muirhead said. "It doesn't change our mindset really, we want to be a team that plays good footy at home. "We know what the Crusaders bring and we've had some really good battles here at GIO (Stadium), so we're looking forward to it and hopefully getting a good result and keeping our record at home." He felt the team had been making steady progress and was ready to return to the glory days, having last won the title in 2004. "If you look at the last two years, we haven't been far off the pace, and we've made some really good steps in particular parts of our game,'' Muirhead said. "To get a good win at home this weekend is going to put us in good stead - it's going to put our hand up for a title." Appearing in extreme pain, Lolesio was stretchered off wearing a neck brace against the Western Force this month. Lolesio was later cleared of serious injury, and Muirhead said he was set to play. "I think he's tracking well ... he's been recovering well and I'm assuming he will be involved in some capacity,'' Muirhead said. "Being off the field has given him a bit more motivation to rip in." Muirhead's company, Yara Co, will be running a kick-for-cash challenge at halftime, giving schools the chance to win a share of $50,000. The company is an Indigenous civil construction business that also runs training programs through TAFE for Indigenous students. If Muirhead doesn't get a Wallabies start, he is set to be a leading figure in the First Nations and Pasifika Invitational XV, who will face the touring British and Irish Lions. Toutai Kefu was announced as coach last week, with his assistants revealed on Tuesday, including All Blacks legend Tana Umaga, former Wallabies prop Sekope Kepu, former Fiji Test coach Simon Raiwalui, and Wallabies great Glen Ella.
Perth Now
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Big boost for Brumbies ahead of Super crunch clash
Star playmaker Noah Lolesio is set to return to bolster the Brumbies in their crunch match against the Crusaders, with both teams chasing a crucial Super Rugby Pacific top-two spot. The ACT team haven't finished in the top two on the ladder since 2004, but have put themselves in prime position playing at home on Friday night. The Chiefs are on top of the ladder with 46 points, followed by the Crusaders with 45 and the Brumbies on 43, with four points on offer for a win. Winger Andy Muirhead said the team had spoken about what will be at stake when they line up against the Crusaders, who have veteran Wallabies playmaker James O'Connor in their ranks. "We were sort of pinpointing this a couple of weeks ago that a result this weekend puts us in a good position to finish top-two, and obviously it's coming down to Friday night," Muirhead said. "It doesn't change our mindset really, we want to be a team that plays good footy at home. "We know what the Crusaders bring and we've had some really good battles here at GIO (Stadium), so we're looking forward to it and hopefully getting a good result and keeping our record at home." He felt the team had been making steady progress and was ready to return to the glory days, having last won the title in 2004. "If you look at the last two years, we haven't been far off the pace, and we've made some really good steps in particular parts of our game,'' Muirhead said. "To get a good win at home this weekend is going to put us in good stead - it's going to put our hand up for a title." Appearing in extreme pain, Lolesio was stretchered off wearing a neck brace against the Western Force this month. Lolesio was later cleared of serious injury, and Muirhead said he was set to play. "I think he's tracking well ... he's been recovering well and I'm assuming he will be involved in some capacity,'' Muirhead said. "Being off the field has given him a bit more motivation to rip in." Muirhead's company, Yara Co, will be running a kick-for-cash challenge at halftime, giving schools the chance to win a share of $50,000. The company is an Indigenous civil construction business that also runs training programs through TAFE for Indigenous students. If Muirhead doesn't get a Wallabies start, he is set to be a leading figure in the First Nations and Pasifika Invitational XV, who will face the touring British and Irish Lions. Toutai Kefu was announced as coach last week, with his assistants revealed on Tuesday, including All Blacks legend Tana Umaga, former Wallabies prop Sekope Kepu, former Fiji Test coach Simon Raiwalui, and Wallabies great Glen Ella.
The National
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The National
Misha Botting on being inside the minds of Scotland's best
34 years on from leaving his country of birth and on the verge of closing one of the most significant chapters in his life, Botting is reflecting on a journey that is as fascinating as it is unique, and is contemplating how he rose to become one of this country's preeminent sports psychologists. Having grown up in Moscow, Botting's talents lay in ballet, becoming a dancer with the renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy. On relocating to Scotland, Botting joined Scottish Ballet, with which he danced for five years before his days as a dancer came to an end. At this point in his life, Botting knew he wanted to remain in sport, although not necessarily as a coach and so and an undergraduate and then postgraduate degree course led him into the world of sports psychology. Botting grew up in Russia (Image: Colin Mearns) Botting would ultimately spend nearly two decades inside the minds of some of Scotland's very best athletes, with the highs as high as they come in the sporting world in the shape of Olympic gold medals for his charges. And there's been the less glorious but no less significant moments of helping athletes through injuries, disappointments and crises of confidence, too. Now, Botting, who has risen to become the sportscotland Institute of Sport Psychology Manager, is just weeks away from leaving the role that was so much more to him than just a job. 'After university, I felt like sports psychology was my calling and I feel so lucky to have been paid for a job which has never felt like a job, it's something I love to do,' he says. 'To be a sports psychologist, you have to be so emotionally invested and so while I still love helping individuals find solutions, 18 years is a long time and it just feels right to try something different.' The list of sports and individual athletes with whom Botting has worked is too lengthy to mention here (and, for Botting's sins, includes myself). But his most notable partnership, in results terms anyway, is with curler Eve Muirhead and her rink, with whom Botting worked for many years. Their partnership was as successful as they come, with Team Muirhead becoming Olympic champions at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Botting is far too modest to claim any significant credit for Team Muirhead's Olympic triumph but in understanding their journey to Olympic gold, it becomes apparent that the psychological work Botting did with Muirhead and her teammates was vital in allowing them to fulfil their potential. 'Working with Eve (Muirhead) and her team for Beijing 2022 was such an interesting experience because a year before they won gold they were in a bad, bad place - they could barely win a game and they were not certain to even be at the Olympics,' Botting says. Team Muirhead with their Olympic gold medals (Image: Getty Images) 'The team hadn't forgotten how to curl, rather their bad form was to do with the psychological side. But they made the adjustments and the compromises that they needed to become Olympic champions.' There were, says Botting, countless highs during the past 18 years of working with Scotland's elite. From helping athletes perform after deaths of coaches to overcoming the mental trauma of serious injury to providing athletes with tools to perform under the most intense of pressure, Botting's successes are plentiful. And a personal highlight, he recalls, was returning to his birth country to take part in the Opening Ceremony as a member of Team GB at the 2018 Sochi Winter Olympics. (Image: Colin Mearns) There is, perhaps surprisingly, a complete absence of lows when Botting reflects on his stellar career. The sports psychology mantra is, after all, that it's all about the process rather than the result and Botting fully subscribes to this. 'I genuinely can't remember the low points because I was never disappointed in anyone's results,' he says. "I was always impressed with athletes' commitment to the process because that's what it's all about. If an athlete puts their heart and soul into the process then that's all you can ask of them.' Botting's secret in becoming such a successful, liked and respected sports psychologist with so many of this country's top athletes is two-fold. Firstly, his experience as an elite performer himself has, he believes, been extremely useful. As is his willingness to do things slightly differently. 'In high-level sport, staying present in the moment is vital but it's also very difficult. It's like an emotional yo-yo, which I understand and the fact the athletes know I went through something similar when I was on stage really helped,' he says. 'Some of my practices might not be typical sports psychology and you will not find them in a textbook but these things helped me put my creativity into practice and help athletes to see the world in a slightly broader sense. 'I was working with a runner and in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics, he was injured and it was very difficult for him to cope so we created haiku for each other and that helped him appreciate parts of his life beyond athletics and understand that it wasn't just about the next Olympic Games. 'And I worked with an athlete who was speaking about hitting the wall in the marathon and so I got my trainers and ran the Edinburgh Marathon so I could understand what it was like. ]'It's one thing reading books and understanding statistics and research, but it's another thing feeling the sport on your skin.' Botting may have just weeks remaining of his role as sports psychologist to the great and the good of Scottish sport but the impact his work has had will remain etched in the memories of every athlete he paired up with. And, for Botting himself, the past 18 years are unforgettable. 'You see the tears of frustration or hear the screams from injury or cries of joy and you know an athlete has put everything into it,' he says. 'I've really connected with those feelings and that's what I've loved about this job. 'I've been blessed to work with so many incredible athletes across so many amazing sports and I'll miss it immensely but you get to a point whereby you just have to move on. And I'm at that point now.'
Press and Journal
16-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Aberdeen nan loses legal fight to avoid repaying employers after £1.5m swindle
A greedy granny who pocketed £1.5 million from her Aberdeen employers has been ordered to pay them back less than half of her ill-gotten gains. Coleen Muirhead, a £33,000-a-year admin worker at Panda Rosa Metals, admitted to the crime and was jailed for three years and three months in September 2023. Prosecutors launched Proceeds of Crime court action against the 57-year-old, who had bought new cars, two static caravans and high-end auction items. During a confiscation hearing today at the High Court in Glasgow, Lord Matthews ordered Muirhead to repay £668,726 to her former employers. She had challenged the court action and claimed she was now in debt and living on benefits at her estranged husband's home, stating none of her friends and family, whom she had given money to, could pay her back. It was concluded that Muirhead's 'benefit from her criminal conduct' amounted to £1,952,771. She created false accounts to steal the cash between June 2015 and October 2021, splashing out on expensive family holidays. Muirhead was freed from prison earlier this year and told a judge all the money was gone, having gambled it away, bought holidays, given large sums to family and paid off a colleague she accused of blackmailing her. Sineidin Corrins, Depute Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said Muirhead had 'committed an egregious betrayal of trust'. She warned: 'Confiscation orders have ongoing financial consequences, meaning we can seek to recover further assets from this individual in the future to ensure she pays back the full amount.' At a hearing last week, Muirhead's lawyer, Simon Collins, asked Muirhead to detail to whom she had given some of her ill-gotten gains. One was a then colleague, who she claimed was given £6,760 between 2019 and 2020. 'This was a lad that I worked with,' Muirhead explained. 'He knew what I had done and was asking for money to keep quiet.' The mum's four adult sons were also given sizeable amounts of the loot. Muirhead told the court: 'I was giving it away as quickly as it came in. If anyone asked for help, I was giving it to them.' She said she had been struggling to deal with personal matters at the time, leading to issues with drinking and gambling. One son received just over £164,000, another around £140,000, a third £75,000 and the final one £33,000. A daughter-in-law, who helped Muirhead clean two static caravans she owned in Lossiemouth, was handed £64,500. Another, whom Muirhead stated 'used to take me shopping,' received around £21,000. The then partner of one of her other sons was handed more than £60,000 over the years. However, Muirhead admitted: 'I think she played me a bit.' Muirhead told the court she has since spoken to most of the people who were given cash, but none of them are able to pay it back. In cross-examination, prosecutor Bryan Heaney said the money noted as being handed to others totalled around £600,000, leaving £900,000 of the stolen amount. Questioning her about that, Mr Heaney asked Muirhead about her gambling problem. She told him: 'I went into the bingo hall where the [gaming] machines were and sat on them all day.' She claimed to have never won and does not know exactly how much she lost gambling. Muirhead admitted to splashing out for the 'whole family' to go on holidays abroad. She said this included trips to Turkey, Cyprus and Tenerife. Asked how much these cost over the years, Muirhead stated: 'Probably a couple of hundred thousand.' Mr Heaney quizzed Muirhead whether people wondered how she could afford this. 'No one was interested,' she replied, adding: 'Not one person asked.' The advocate depute responded: 'You are telling the court you do not think you can get any of the money back?' Muirhead answered back: 'No one has got anything. They do not have the finances.' In his closing submission to judge Lord Matthews, Mr Heaney said Muirhead seemed to be suggesting £900,000 of the £1.5m went on sunshine breaks, drink and gambling machines. But, he said, there was 'not so much as a holiday snap on the beach' as evidence of trips away. Mr Collins argued that a confiscation order against Muirhead would be 'disproportionate'. He said she did not have the means to repay any money, she had asked the others without success. Muirhead's scheme unravelled after she boasted about her lavish lifestyle to a colleague who paid the company wages and believed she was living outside her means. Separately, company finances were reviewed when a drop in funds sparked concerns. The review uncovered fake invoices from a bogus customer named 'G Anderson' who had been paid by Muirhead. She had deposited the funds into her own bank account. Five company accounts containing her bank details were found. 'G Anderson appeared to be a significant customer, but was not known to senior company officials. The financial details of 'G Anderson' were checked against Muirhead's bank details. Company officials saw the sort codes and account numbers matched and the police were called. Officers searched Muirhead's home on October 9 2021, discovering documents that linked her to lavish spending. On the same day, she sent a WhatsApp message to a colleague in which she stated: 'I have done Panda Rosa out of a lot of money. I was G Anderson. Police have just raided! Please don't think the worst of me.'
Daily Record
16-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Crooked granny who stole £1.5m from scrap metal firm ordered to pay back £670k
Coleen Muirhead was jailed for three years and four months in September 2023 after she admitted a charge of embezzlement. A crooked granny who stole more than £1.5 million from her employers has been ordered to repay almost £670,000 under Proceeds of Crime Laws. Coleen Muirhead was jailed for three years and four months in September 2023 after she admitted a charge of embezzlement. The 57-year-old used the money stolen from Panda Rosa Metals to fund a lavish lifestyle that included pricey family holidays, two new cars, two static caravans and high end auction items. Muirhead, from Aberdeen, also splashed out for full tables at charity events as well as buying alcohol for all those who attended. Today at the High Court in Glasgow a confiscation order was made in the sum of £668,726.71 and recorded the benefit from her criminal conduct was £1,952,771.31. The court also made a compensation order in favour of Panda Rosa Metals, ordering the entire sum of £668,726.71 recoverable as part of the confiscation proceedings is paid to her former employers The confiscation order can be revisited if further assets are identified in the future to be paid towards the full amount that was determined as the benefit of the crime. Sineidin Corrins, Depute Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: 'Coleen Muirhead committed an egregious betrayal of trust by taking advantage of her position to embezzle money from her employers. 'Embezzlement is not a victimless crime. We take such criminality very seriously. 'This confiscation order underscores the fact that prosecutorial action against those involved in financial crime does not stop at criminal conviction and sentence. 'Even after that conviction was secured, the Crown pursued Proceeds of Crime action to ensure funds she obtained illegally were confiscated. 'Confiscation orders have ongoing financial consequences, meaning we can seek to recover further assets from this individual in the future to ensure she pays back the full amount.' 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'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Muirhead's illicit scheme was uncovered when she boasted of her style of living to a work colleague who was responsible for paying out company wages. The colleague became suspicious Muirhead, who had worked for the family company since 2014, was living beyond her means. Meanwhile, a separate review of company finances was carried out amid concerns over a drop in funds. During that review, it was discovered Muirhead had been paying invoices to a bogus customer known as G. Anderson and depositing the money into her own bank account. The review also uncovered five company accounts which contained her bank details. Prosecutors told the court how Muirhead was responsible for dealing with invoices for allotted clients. The review of company books, historical files revealed 'G Anderson' as a significant customer, but senior company officials were unaware of his existence. They then checked the financial details of 'G Anderson' against the accused's bank details and found the sort code and account numbers matched and subsequently informed the police. Officers carried out a search of Muirhead's home on October 9, 2021, and found documents that linked her to lavish spending. On the same day, she sent a WhatsApp message to a colleague in which she said: 'I have done Panda Rosa out of a lot of money. I was G Anderson. Police have just raided! Please don't think the worst of me.'
