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BBC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Famous faces return to Sportscene to celebrate iconic football show's 50th anniversary
BBC Scotland will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sportscene with a special edition featuring famous presenters and commentators from down the decades. Dougie Donnelly will be back in the Sportscene presenter's chair on Saturday 9 August while Archie Macpherson, Rob Maclean and Jock Brown will be on commentary duties around the grounds. Veteran commentator and presenter Archie Macpherson - who appeared on the inaugural Sportscene in 1975 - will be providing commentary at the v Motherwell match and Jock Brown, who was a commentator on the show in the 1990s, will be behind the microphone for the Livingston v Falkirk match. Rob Maclean, who has had two spells with the programme as commentator and presenter covering a total of more than 25 years, will be commentating on the Rangers v Dundee game. Dougie, who's a Sportscene veteran of 32 years, will be joined in the studio by current presenter Steven Thompson who'll be providing analysis of the day's action along with Gordon Smith, another well-known face from the programme's past and returns as a pundit for this special edition. The programme will also feature archive footage stretching back to the black and white television era and recollections of Sportscene highlights from the seasoned broadcasters. The Sportscene veterans reflected on their highlights and the programme's significance as they looked forward to the anniversary show. Dougie said: 'It was a great time for Scottish football and the Saturday night sports programme was absolutely required viewing. 'I did 33 consecutive Scottish Cup Finals – what a privilege to have been in the hot seat for so many of the big occasions, including all the World Cups and everything else. I was hugely lucky and very much appreciate that. 'I'm looking forward to going back on the show. Fortunately, I'm still working in broadcasting, so it's not going to be as intimidating as it might have been. It's live TV, what I've done my whole career, and it'll be fantastic to go back again and talk about Scottish football. 'I look forward to seeing the reaction from the Scottish footballing public.' Rob Maclean had his first spell as presenter and commentator from 1990 to 2004, returned in 2009 and still works for Sportscene as a freelance. He said: 'It's an iconic football show that has long been part of the vocabulary of our national game. It's something I would have never contemplated as a youngster being involved in, having watched it. I feel privileged and honoured to be part of the Sportscene story. 'It's difficult to pick out a highlight because there have been so many, but one of the most memorable moments was being the tv commentator for Scotland against Brazil on the opening day of the 1998 World Cup in France. 'It was a 'pinch me' moment to be part of that occasion – while trying not to think about how massive the audience was. And of course, for a spell Scotland were level with Brazil – we dreamed at that point that we might beat the World Champions.' Jock Brown, who was with Sportscene for seven years from 1990, said: 'I was absolutely delighted to have been on the show. I go back a long time – having started on BBC Radio Scotland in 1977 – and I was in and around the Sportscene studio back then. I knew that was the place to be. 'During my time on Sportscene I did live commentary for the Cup Finals, internationals, and European club matches. Sadly, I didn't do a World Cup tournament for the Beeb because we didn't qualify in 1994. 'The big stand out game for me was the first Cup Final, because it was probably one of the best Cup Finals there had ever been. Motherwell 4 Dundee United 3 after extra time and the teams were managed by the McLean brothers – both of whom I knew very well! The game was an absolute cracker. 'I've done a lot of broadcasting since leaving Sportscene and I'm really looking forward to going back on the show. It'll be good fun. It's an iconic programme that has a big place in the story of sports broadcasting in Scotland.' Prior to his 15 years with Sportscene, Archie Macpherson had spent 13 years on another BBC Scotland show which had paved the way – Sportsreel. He said: 'I started in 1962 with Sportsreel – on Black Saturday, the weekend of the Cuban missile crisis. My first report was Hamilton against Stenhousemuir at a time when the world was worried about nuclear warfare. 'Programmes rely on the events they cover – and I was lucky enough to cover a succession of World Cups for Sportscene. They gave the programme a great status in the public eye. 'The World Cup provided one of my career highlights – Archie Gemmill's goal in Mendoza. It was a stand–out for me, and of course it went on to be featured in Trainspotting – although I had to record another commentary for the film because the sound quality of the original wasn't strong enough. 'I'm very grateful for this opportunity to go back on the show. It's quite a gesture after all this time away from commentating on Sportscene.' Tom Connor, Executive Editor, Sport, BBC Scotland, said: 'We're delighted that these Sportscene legends have agreed to come back and celebrate this milestone with the programme team and our audience. 'Sportscene has been a cornerstone of broadcasting in Scotland since it kicked off fifty years ago, keeping its place as a fans' favourite during a period of remarkable change in the game. 'I'm sure our audience will enjoy the return of Dougie, Archie, Jock and Rob to the Saturday Sportscene team for this anniversary special.' Watch Sportscene on BBC Scotland and BBC iplayer from 8.15pm on Saturday 9 August JG2 Follow for more
BBC News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Football stadium alcohol ban to be lifted in Ayr United pilot
Scottish football fans will see a ban on alcohol lifted at two upcoming games under a pilot scheme. Ayr United said a maximum of 66 supporters would be allowed to have up to five pints of beer each at Somerset Park. Alcohol has been banned in Scottish football stadiums since 1981 and the Scottish government previously said it had "no plans" to lift the ban. The South Ayrshire club has been granted an alcohol licence for two home Premier Sports Cup games - against Arbroath on 19 July, and Forfar on 22 July. A pop-up bar will be set up for a limited number of fans in the disability section of the Main Stand. For a ticket costing £35, they will be able to have up to four pints of beer before the match and a further pint during supporters will not be able to view the pitch while in the pop-up bar, which is also not open to under-18s. A spokesperson for Ayr United said: "We hope this initiative will add to the enjoyment of the matchday experience for supporters." The club added: "It is hoped that these events will provide the SPFL and local stakeholders with comfort in the club's ability to sell alcohol safely within the stadium."It was revealed in March that the Scottish government and Police Scotland would consider allowing pilot projects lifting the alcohol ban in stadiums. Some fans have long campaigned for a change in policy, arguing that the alcohol ban in football is unfair as rugby fans are allowed to drink alcohol at games at Murrayfield and Minister John Swinney previously said he was "not sympathetic" to lifting the ban, telling reporters: "We've got a set of arrangements in place just now that work."
Daily Mail
15-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Dual-ownership model is here to stay in Scotland, admits SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell has claimed it would make no sense for Scottish football to now discourage dual-ownership models. Previously reluctant to allow parties with stakes in teams playing in other countries to buy into clubs here, the governing body have recently approved a number of such deals. Last year, Bournemouth owner Bill Foley bought up 25 per cent of Hibs for £6million. In May, Hearts shareholders agreed for Brighton owner Tony Bloom to take 29 per cent of their club in return for £10m. Earlier this month, 49ers Enterprises, who own Leeds United, formed part of an American consortium which took control of Rangers. The deals were only able to happen after the SFA gave them a seal of approval, with the trend set to continue. While Maxwell says the SFA will reserve the right to judge each case on its merits in future, he believes the right owners in the right circumstances should now be welcomed with open arms. 'They've not been particularly complicated,' he said of the deals. 'To be honest, we've definitely been more open. Multi-club ownership is here. It's part of football. 'When you look across Europe, the number of clubs that are involved in some multi-club structure is growing by the day. We need to be part of that. Why would you limit that investment? 'It was actually interesting when you start to think through the process. We had dual-interest regulations which meant that, if you're involved in a club, you can't get involved in a Scottish club unless we say yes. 'But someone like a Tony Bloom, for example, that's getting involved in Hearts, he has a track record at Brighton, understands football, has Union Saint-Gilloise, knows other clubs. 'We actually make it harder for him to come into Scottish football than we do for someone who's just sold a company for £10m that's got no understanding of the Scottish game. 'When you actually get into it, you go: 'That probably doesn't make a lot of sense'.' While no Scottish club yet falls into the multi-club model seen at the likes of the City Group, allowing individuals with stakes in other sides to own percentages of clubs here does raise questions over dual ownership. However, with wealthy individuals now buying up shares in teams in different leagues throughout the world, Maxwell believes it's something that must be embraced. 'The good thing is, because the vast majority of clubs (and their shareholders) that have come into Scotland have got other multi-club ownership models, they're used to it,' he said. 'You speak to the guys involved in the Hearts deal and they're very aware of what UEFA need, what they want and how that structure needs to look to make sure we don't get ourselves those problems. 'So, I think it's here. We can't ignore it. Why would you want to step away from it? 'Why would you want to block investment coming into the game if it's going to be good for our clubs? 'The trick is the club need to then go and spend that money as wisely as possible. 'We don't get involved in that bit. But, from a broad perspective, there's definitely a willingness to look at anything that generates more investment into Scotland.' The issue of dual and multi-club ownership has been given greater prominence in the past week due to Crystal Palace's situation. The FA Cup winners are battling to satisfy UEFA that there's no impediment to them playing in the Europa League. The club are owner by businessman John Textor - who also has a stake in French side Lyon - and apparently didn't clear any potential European involvement before the March deadline. But Maxwell is adamant that any Scottish side's participation in European competition would have to be set in stone before a change of ownership is waved through. 'Our board, we're looking at it from two perspectives,' he said. 'Does it grow and develop the game? 'Will it generate financial investment into Scottish football? Does it give us an integrity issue? 'The integrity issue falls away because that would only happen if it was two Scottish teams playing under our jurisdiction, which it's not. 'The jurisdictional matter becomes a UEFA point and we've been clear in all the dual interests, all the multi-club investment models that we've done. 'If, similar to a Crystal Palace scenario at the moment, there's a question mark about which one's going to play in Europe, it can't be the Scottish club that's the unintended consequence or has to step aside from European competition.'
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Football clubs demand tougher bans for pyro fans
Scotland's football clubs want beefed up banning orders for fans who bring pyrotechnics into grounds. An expert working group has said court-issued supporter bans need modernised to tackle the growing problem of flares being set off at matches. Just five Football Banning Orders (FBOs) were issued in Scotland between August and February this season and a 2023 law banning possession of flares is used infrequently, new data shows. The Scottish government said it plans to consult on revising the current FBO legislation to improve its effectiveness in response to the misuse of pyro at football. There has been an increased use of pyrotechnics at all levels of Scottish football in recent and Celtic were hit with a cut in future ticket allocations as punishment for incidents involving their fans but football bosses admit "nobody has quite cracked" how to deal with the issue. Some supporters say pyros have improved the atmosphere at games, though one survey of fans suggest most are not in favour of them and their use has also led to serious injuries. One of the tools that can be used against those caught with flares is an FBO, which then prevents people attending any match in the UK. These banning orders of up to 10 years can be imposed by Scotland's courts. Police Scotland data shows that up to 17 February in the current football season, a total of five FBOs had been issued after is down from 37 in the 2023/24 season and 59 in 2022/23. The FBOs issued by the courts represent a fraction of the FBOs the force had example, in 2023/24 they asked for 226 FBOs to be issued if the person they arrested was found guilty by the courts.A total of 504 FBOs have been issued in the last decade across Scotland with Rangers and Hibernian supporters topping the table, though many of these relate to convictions for the pitch invasion after the 2016 Scottish Cup Final between the two clubs. Last year, Scottish ministers set up an expert group to consider tackling pyrotechnic misuse at included the SPFL, the body which represents the clubs, and the Football Safety Officers Association, the body representing the clubs' individual safety officers, as well as Police Scotland and the Crown of its meetings, released to BBC Scotland News under Freedom of Information laws, show the group was "strongly of the view" that FBOs "need broadening and modernised, with more flexibility".The minutes added: "It was agreed by all that the application of an FBO is a far stronger deterrent than club ban and increased use of FBOs is essential to combat criminal behaviour within Scottish football grounds."The group pointed to a 2022 change in England and Wales where the courts are now expected to automatically add an FBO for football-related convictions unless there is a good reason not to. Previously the courts had to be satisfied an FBO would help to prevent violence or disorder at games before it was issued. In 2023/24 - the first full year after this change was made - there was a 21% increase in FBOs issued across England and Wales to 825, though it is unclear how much of the rise is due to the change in guidelines or increased disorder. The Scottish government expert group also suggested that shorter FBO bans for first offenders "to provide proportionality for sheriffs" would be helpful. New legislation that made it a criminal offence to possess fireworks and flares at events like football matches came into force in June its usefulness has been questioned by the Scottish government working group on pyrotechnics. They note it is "being used infrequently at football matches", adding "there is a challenge in identifying and charging individuals who breach the legislation".The minutes note that group members feel the "FBO legislation does not tie in with pyrotechnics legislation".There have been a total of 26 FBOs dished out in relation to fireworks or pyrotechnics at football since June its latest programme for government, Scottish ministers said they would consult on revising the current legislation on FBOs to improve their effectiveness and make sure that they can be applied in response to the misuse of pyrotechnics at football. More self-policing It is mainly members of football teams' ultra groups - younger supporters who arrange colourful banner displays and chanting - who are responsible for bringing pyros to ultra groups have become a firm part of fan culture in Scotland, improving the atmosphere at games though they are not universally welcomed by the football authorities. One SPFL chairman, who asked not to be named, said clubs improving relationships with these groups is key to reducing the pyro said: "We have got to be careful with pyro as there are people with genuine health issues who can be seriously affected by the smoke but I think sometimes the problem is the youngsters don't see the risk, or understand the impact on other people."So we have to work with the ultras and create some reasonable boundaries and I think we can do that within football. "There used to be a lot more bad behaviour associated with the Tartan Army until they self-policed themselves, in a sense setting the boundaries for each other and that is where the solution really lies - each group of supporters having this informal code of conduct." 'Only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured' The impact that can be made by fans with pyrotechnics was demonstrated during an SPFL Premiership clash between Dundee and Rangers in 2023. A glowing red wall of flares quickly engulfed Dens Park in smoke, triggering fire alarms and forcing the players off the park for nearly 20 minutes. But the confusion in the stands was also mirrored behind the scenes, according to a review by the local stadium safety advisory group obtained by BBC Scotland review reveals that, just before the game started, a number of masked supporters in the Rangers end of the ground spread out throughout the away were observed being in possession of pyrotechnics but "no direction was given to the stewards to deal with this".When the match started, the flares were set off and the "impact was severe". The report says there was a "perceived delay" in getting the game stopped, with it also being unclear to both police and safety officers if fire marshals had been deployed. The report by the safety group - which includes the police, fire service and Dundee City Council - said the club had a number of matters to address, including how so many flares got into the ground and why those holding them were not challenged. It also states there was a "perceived confusion and lack of control/authority by safety officer" and that a police superintendent took control at that were no arrests at the game and Police Scotland's Supt Iain Wales later said: "Luckily there were no reports of any injuries, however the consequences could have been much worse. It's only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured."
The Guardian
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Make It to Munich review – uplifting story of a young footballer cycling to recovery
This is an uplifting film about a miracle of ordinary life: the lightning-fast recovery of the teenage Scottish footballer Ethan Walker after being hit by a car, and the 745 mile (1,200km) bike ride he undertook from Hampden Park, Glasgow, to Munich just nine months after the accident to deliver the match pennant for the opening game of Euro 2024. Walker – on a football scholarship in New York when he was struck at 60mph – suffered cataclysmic injuries, including two brain haemorrhages, multiple fractures, the dislocation of his right knee and a lacerated lung. So you understand the concern of Walker's companions when he chooses to ride hands-free, arms outstretched, double thumbs-up. But that's just the style of this carrot-topped trouper: resolutely cheerful and un-self-pitying, despite facing the end of his football career before it began, and aftershocks of the accident such as a lingering speech impediment. Director Martyn Robertson intercuts Walker's progress through Scotland, England, the Netherlands and Germany with flashbacks to his recovery. His boon companion on both legs is orthopaedic surgeon Gordon Mackay, himself a former Rangers footballer, who rebuilt the youngster's knee using pioneering ligament repair techniques. The film is possibly a little too low-incident for its own good – the Rhine bursting its banks over their route is the worst of it – but is testament to the stout spirit with which Walker leads the enterprise. Robertson, who previously directed the similar sporting-adversity story Ride the Wave (2022), borrows the quiet wisdom of his subject and lets it colour the story. Amid the punctures and pitstops there are discreet road-movie epiphanies: Walker accepting, when his surgeon levels with him, that he must now focus on coaching, not playing, and his wry smile as he finally acknowledges that his resilience is, after all, exceptional. With the boy's parents checking in by phone as he rediscovers his autonomy, the quasi-paternal bond between Walker and Mackay is touching. The internal journey is as significant as the trans-European one, a feeling Robertson buffs with quick lyrical bursts, such as a drone shot over a poppy field, or a spaced-out Walker singing the Spider-Man theme tune to a spider dangling from a car-park ceiling. Even Scotland getting hammered 5-1 at the end can't dampen the spirit of this unassuming and heartening pilgrimage. Make It to Munich is in UK cinemas from 15 May.
