Latest news with #Sportsound
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Can cup win renew stadium focus?
Aberdeen chief executive Alan Burrows says the club's Scottish Cup triumph may jump start talks over a new stadium. Plans to move away from Pittodrie have slowed recently after a decade of talk around a move away from the club's spiritual home. Advertisement A proposed shift to a site near the club's training ground moved on to a regeneration of a beach front site, however Burrows says "plans have slowed down". "It's been decades in the making," he told Sportsound. "What can I tell you on the back of all those scenes in Aberdeen over the last four or fives days is a renewed reminder of the power of football but the city of Aberdeen. "There's certainly been communication with the local authority and myself and others at the club. There's a willingness to get back around the table."
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Can cup win renew stadium focus?
Aberdeen chief executive Alan Burrows says the club's Scottish Cup triumph may jump start talks over a new to move away from Pittodrie have slowed recently after a decade of talk around a move away from the club's spiritual home.A proposed shift to a site near the club's training ground moved on to a regeneration of a beach front site, however Burrows says "plans have slowed down"."It's been decades in the making," he told Sportsound."What can I tell you on the back of all those scenes in Aberdeen over the last four or fives days is a renewed reminder of the power of football but the city of Aberdeen."There's certainly been communication with the local authority and myself and others at the club. There's a willingness to get back around the table."
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
When the Scots were revolting: Do we need another Braveheart?
The latest in the Archive on 4 series, the programme dipped into the BBC's vintage recordings to follow the impact of the film on Scottish cinema, Scottish cultural and political life and, perhaps most importantly, on the tourist trade. Stirling is still seeing the benefits three decades later. Morrison went up the Wallace Monument at the Abbey Craig to discover that, yes, all the international visitors had indeed seen the movie. 'Who needs historical accuracy when you've got a gift shop?' she asked. The programme invariably touched on how the film was exploited by politicians at the time (notably by former SNP leader Alex Salmond, although the Tories also sought to tap into the film's popularity) and how it unleashed a wave of anti-English sentiment in cinemas. 'People were standing up and cheering English people getting killed,' historian Fiona Wallace pointed out to Morrison. Read more There's another question to be asked about Braveheart, perhaps. Is it any good? Not really. That's never stopped Scots embracing it though. You could say the same about Restless Natives, a sub-par Bill Forsyth simulacrum that's now been transformed into a musical, or The Wicker Man, a not-that-great horror movie that's been reclaimed as some kind of masterpiece (Morrison isn't a fan of the latter, we learn in passing). Maybe Scots in the past were just starved of films and TV about themselves that they'll embrace anything. The stereotypical Scotland on screen that existed prior to Braveheart, film lecturer Johnny Murray told Morrison, is a country that's an unspoiled wilderness, that's authentic, untameable and inhabited by noble savages. It's a recipe, he pointed out, that can either be served sweet - as in Whisky Galore! or Local Hero - or savoury, as in Braveheart. 'These are all very masculine, these stereotypes,' Morrison suggested. Indeed. At another point we are reminded that in Braveheart it takes 20 minutes before any of its female characters gets to say a line. Which suggests what? That we need less Mel Gibson, more Morven Callar maybe. Earlier in the day Radio Scotland's Sportsound had the excitement of a penalty shootout to bring us. When Aberdeen won it, a Sportsound reporter - I was in the car so I can't be sure, but I think it was Tyrone Smith - went pitchside to catch the jubilant victors. A couple of them, carried away in the moment swore, a little, prompting an apology from the presenter. Aberdeen players celebrate winning the penalty shoot-out during the Scottish Gas Men's Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park (Image: Andrew Milligan) You do wonder if interviewing players in a heightened state of emotion is a good idea if you are bothered by the odd swear word. Then again, was it the Scottish players who couldn't mind their language? Noble savages indeed. On Monday 5 Live had spent the day reporting from the joyous chaos of the Liverpool FC victory parade through the city. My sister lives in the city and had sent me photos of the players on the bus passing her home in the south of the city earlier in the day. At teatime 5 Live Drive presenter Chris Warburton was clearly enjoying the atmosphere in the city centre. And then everything changed when a car hit some of those in the parade. The sudden shift from joy to shock and horror could be heard in Warburton's voice. 'The mood since I last spoke to you has really changed now,' he said, trying to find the words when he still wasn't totally clear what had happened. Nicky Campbell spent his 5 Live phone-in show on Tuesday morning talking about the incident. The conversation was largely sensible. But now and then Campbell would read out comments from listeners speculating on the why. Campbell then added, 'We can't speculate on any motivation but I am just conveying to you what some people are saying. We don't yet know.' Hmm, why read them out then? Kenneth Cranham (Image: free) Listen Out For: The Essay: An Actor's Life, Radio 3, Monday to Friday, 9.45pm It's easy to forget that actor Kenneth Cranham - star of Shine on Harvey Moon and Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit and known for playing London gangsters on a regular basis - grew up in Dunfermline. In this series he talks to fellow actor Neil Dudgeon about working with Joe Orton and Harold Pinter
The Herald Scotland
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Aberdeen Celtic shock a throwback to golden days for a battered city
By the 1990s the trophies, like the oil, had slowed to a trickle. Planners approved giant shopping arcades either side of Union Street and, like most main streets, all the old thoroughfare has to offer these days is vape shops, fast food joints and vacant signs. For Aberdeen, then, the Scottish Cup is more than a rare bloody nose for Celtic. It's an injection of civic pride to a city battered by a decline in oil and gas production, job losses, pay cuts, plunging house prices and a football team which spent years failing to win a goldfish in a fair. When the supporters' buses hit Union Street on Saturday night, it felt like old times. No one gave them an earthly of rolling back the years at Hampden. No one, that is, but the legendary captain who acquired his god-like status by lifting all those trophies with one hand. The Nostradamus of the North East, Miller caused some guffawing amongst Celtic supporters heading for the national stadium when he took to the Sportsound airwaves and predicted a penalty shoot out and some Dimitar Mitov heroics. They're not laughing now. It's not hard to imagine what the reaction might have been if Jimmy Thelin's men had gone down meekly to Celtic yet again. Three times this season his team had shipped five goals or more to the champions. Another walloping and the knives would have been out. It doesn't take much these days. Since 2019, when chairman Dave Cormack took charge, Aberdeen have gone through five managers. That sounds like a guillotine until you consider that Hearts, Hibs, Dundee and Kilmarnock will all be on their seventh boss in six years come the start of next season. Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin (centre) holding the trophy on the team bus with players as they are greeted by fans on Union Street (Image: Jane Barlow) The average lifespan of a manager in the Scottish Premiership these days is now 12.75 months. It's a precarious way to make a living. Thelin's Dons had won four of their last 13 games. After an outstanding start they contrived to finish fifth in the league. Defensively they leaked like a sieve. If they'd turned up and shipped another five goals on Saturday, you can bet your life there would have been fans calling for the Swede to go the same way as Jim Goodwin, Barry Robson and Stephen Glass and Neil Warnock. It's been a good week for managerial pragmatism. Ange Postecoglou found a way to win a dreadful Europa League final by replacing Angeball with Angewall. Ditching his usual 4-2-3-1, Thelin nicked Stephen Robinson's tactics and went with five at the back. Read more: Aberdeen have a platform to build on now Parkhead victory stage has been dismantled Jack MacKenzie seat attack shows SPFL fans should look inward as ticket prices rise Aberdeen's first-half display was woeful, failing to improve until Thelin threw caution to the wind with brave substitutions. Low on quality, big on courage, the Pittodrie men were losing the cup until Kasper Schmeichel's howler dragged them back in. Maybe the fans in the Celtic end of Hampden should have clocked the warning signs when their team opened the scoring with a stroke of luck before half-time. When Alfie Dorrington turned the ball past Mitov there was no jubilation, barely any celebration at all. Celtic looked like a team so accustomed, so desensitised, to winning they'd forgotten how to enjoy it. They reeked of complacency. Every team needs to feel the pain etched on Callum McGregor's face at full time. In recent times Celtic have played like a team wrapped in a comfort blanket, insulated from football's harsh realities. They'd lifted trophies they'd barely deserved to win and at some point they were bound to come unstuck. Now that they have, questions abound. Brendan Rodgers has yet to commit to a contract extension and, before he does, he'll look for evidence of an ambition to up the ante in the transfer market. They did it last summer and that's half the problem. Handed a king's ransom by SPFL standards, the Parkhead boss spent £11 million on Arne Engels, a player hooked after an hour at Hampden. Adam Idah cost £9m and made no impact. Auston Trusty? Despite lavishing £6m on him they're still fielding Liam Scales at the heart of defence. For the Celtic board this stuff poses a fiscal dilemma. The choice seems to be to trust Rodgers with tens of millions of pounds for more of the same, or reverting to type by targeting project players in the £2.5m-£3m range. The middle ground never seems to get a look in. A club with £80m in the bank shouldn't be finishing a cup final against Aberdeen with Jonny Kenny up front, Greg Taylor in midfield, the infuriatingly inconsistent Yang shanking cross after cross off the pitch and Schmeichel chucking in goals. Take the injured duo of Jota and Reo Hatate out and the squad lacks depth and quality; a situation exacerbated by the sale of the unhappy Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes in January. Rodgers can't escape scrutiny for what happened at Hampden. It didn't feel right to go with the same starting eleven as trophy day against St Mirren when some players seemed more intent on playing their way out of Hampden team than playing their way in. Nicholas Kuhn started the season like a man on fire and finished it playing like a man with one eye on the exit. With Idah up front, meanwhile, Celtic racked up 82 per cent possession, won 15 corners and still fail to test the opposition keeper until Daizen Maeda squandered a golden chance for glory at the death. Rodgers has plenty of credit in the bank. Since his first spell Celtic have won 21 of the 27 trophies up for grabs. They've claimed eight out of nine titles, seven League Cups and six of the nine Scottish Cup. They've wrapped themselves so tightly around Scottish football you can hardly blame fans of the other clubs for laughing up their sleeve at their weekend demise. Even Celtic have to acknowledge that a different name on the trophy is good for the game. When push came to shove, the Scottish Cup went to the team which wanted it more. And blowing a final they shouldn't have lost to Aberdeen might be the reset Celtic need. The wake-up call which reminds them how painful defeat can be. And how joyous it should feel to win.
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Should McInnes be in charge of Kilmarnock against Hearts?
It is not a situation many - if any - football managers will have ever been Sunday, Derek McInnes will manage Kilmarnock for, seemingly, the final time ahead of his protracted move to Heart of team he will be managing against? Hearts. His current employers against his future 53-year-old is currently negotiating personal terms with the Tynecastle club and, all going smoothly, will take over once the season Certainly. Unprofessional? Up for debate. McInnes nowhere to be seen post-match Although McInnes met the media before Wednesday's 3-0 loss to Motherwell, it was assistant manager Paul Sheerin who faced the music post-match."The manager made his point in the press in the lead up, so we know his stance on the situation," Sheerin said. "That's the only reason I'm stood here."There's walks of life where you work your notice and nothing is really said about it. It's part and parcel of people's contracts."I understand their frustrations and there is an awkwardness about it. We can't get away from that, but I'm sure the manager will do his best for the club."It was a united front from the Kilmarnock coaching staff - and, given Sheerin could be in line to join McInnes in Gorgie, that is perhaps as expected - but it did not impress everyone."That's feeble," BBC Scotland chief sports writer Tom English said on Sportsound. "Front up. He's excusing himself of his managerial duties, of which post-match media is one."His team were poor tonight. Derek McInnes is the manager of Kilmarnock until the end of the season and he's put Paul Sheerin in that position to explain that."He was happy to talk pre-match and eulogise his team's recent record, a lot of wins. Now he's had a sore defeat and he's nowhere to be found."Why not front up? What's he afraid of?" Where's Derek? In the dugout? In the stand? At home? The most obvious answer is McInnes might not have decided what he wants to do on in the dugout or in the stand? Or nowhere at all? Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. It's an unenviable position."You've got to come out and do the interview after the game, especially after a disappointing performance," former Kilmarnock goalkeeper Cammy Bell agreed."He needs to come out and have that conversation. I'd be very surprised to see him in the dugout on Sunday. I think he'll be in the stand."Supporters are equally unimpressed. When canvassed for their opinion pre-match, plenty of credit was given to the work McInnes has done at Rugby Park, but concerns about Sunday's game were mentioned."I'm quite disappointed with the way it's been handled," said one disgruntled fan. "He has taken Killie to Europe and we've stayed safe this year. I just wish both clubs had waited until Monday and shown the fans more respect."Some said Chris Burke, the under-18 manager, should take charge for the next games, or have someone sitting there until we have a new manager in place."Former Kilmarnock assistant Gerry McCabe disagreed. "Derek has done very well at Kilmarnock, he can leave with his head held high," he said."He's still Kilmarnock manager. Football will throw up things like that and people might say the timing is wrong, but Derek says he's focused on getting Killie safe and that's what he's done."Fans will be disappointed he's leaving, but I think Derek can handle that." What do you think? Now the dust has settled post Motherwell match, what do you think Kilmarnock fans?Is there an option other than dugout or stand? Is it possible for McInnes to do a professional job in this position?Let us know your thoughts here.
