Queens begin their Scottish Cup campaign for this season when they travel to play first division rivals Airdrie United, in a game in which Queens will start as firm favourites. Although this is a game that Queens should win,the fact that New Broomfield isn’t exactly a ground where they do well at will give the hosts a belief that they can produce a surprise result.

It is only 2 years and 4 days since Queens began their now famous Scottish cup run that eventually led to a first ever Final,but in the ever changing face of football these days only two players who started that game at Peterhead-Paul Burns and Bob Harris-are likely to feature in the game tomorrow. Boss Gordon Chisholm has injury worries over Craig Reid and Bob Harris,but other than the long term absentees ,Barr, Tosh and Roy the manager has no fresh injury worries. On loan Dennis Wyness will be absent as he does not have permission to play from his parent club.

Last season’s Scottish cup run started and finished on  a January day in Falkirk so everyone at Queens will be hoping to go further this time around. This may be a game that will be closer than the current table shows, but Queens should have enough to progress into the next round of the cup.

By Michael MacLeod

A FOOTBALL steward has been banned from every ground in Britain for a year after throwing a flare onto a pitch.

The court order means Michael Smith, 21, will lose his pitch-side security job with SPL side Falkirk.

He was arrested at a high-tempered derby match between rivals Linlithgow Rose and Bo’ness United when cops spotted the smoke bomb being hurled onto the pitch.

It wasn’t hard for officers to trace the arc smoke back to Smith, who was fined £1,000 and branded “mindless” by a Sheriff today (Thurs).

A Falkirk insider said last night: “This is exactly the kind of thing we employ stewards to stop other people doing, never mind doing it themselves.

“It’s completely stupid, but stewards are never the brightest anyway.

“We’ll be speaking to police, but it will be an instant dismissal.”

Smith’s antics forced last month’s game at Prestonfield Park to be delayed while police cleared the 15-inch long flare from the field.

Fiscal Depute Alastair Learmonth told Livingston Sheriff Court that Smith had been seen in the ground’s away end among the Bo’ness supporters.

Culpable and reckless

He said: “The ground was mainly made up of adults with young children.

“The flair appeared to come from over a wall and landed on the pitch.

“The game was delayed while a police officer went on to the pitch to retrieve the flare.

“Mr Smith was traced and made a full admission to throwing the flare.”

Smith, of Stewart Avenue in Bo’ness, Falkirk, pled guilty to culpable and reckless conduct and breach of the peace by throwing a flare into Prestonfield Park on October 10 in court yesterday.

He got the flare from a paintball centre, according to defence agent Darryl Lovie.

Mr Lovie said: “If anyone should know better, it is Mr Smith as he is, somewhat ironically, employed at Falkirk football stadium on Saturdays as a steward.

“Whether or not this conviction will affect his ability to do so remains to be seen.

“As I understand it, this device can only give off a plume of smoke; there was no fire, and if this item were to strike someone, it wouldn’t cause injury.

“It is normally used for paintballing, and while paintballing is a controlled environment, this is not a dangerous device or explosive.

“That’s not to take away from the fact that clearly this occurred in a largely populated football match.”

“Mindless behaviour”

He also said Smith had just left a full-time job with Scottish Widows, with the aim of going to college to become an engineer.

Now jobless, Smith claims he wants to start a racing car business when he finishes studying.

Sheriff Douglas Kinloch told him: “What you did was reckless and caused disruption.

“This is the kind of mindless behaviour that spoils the enjoyment of people who like to spend an afternoon being entertained at the football.

“It is very sad that this was carried out by someone who works as a football steward and should therefore have known better.

“There will be a substantial fine, but I also consider it an appropriate and just punishment to impose a football banning order.

“You will be banned from attending any football matches for one year.”

A Falkirk FC spokesman said: “I can confirm that Mr Smith is employed by the club as a security guard.

“Once we get confirmation from the police, we will be dealing with this internally.”

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

Councillors in Falkirk vote to scrap financial support for the Big In Falkirk festival amid concern about the 400,000 costs involved…. From BBC News. Full story

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I went to Perth today. Perth Scotland.

I was going to learn about Capital Gains Tax at the feet of Professor Alex McDougall – an excellent speaker who just gives it to you straight. There’s no other way to take tax – unlike whisky, it is not mollified by a drop of water. As I headed into the world of the tax collectors, I switched from Radio 4 to Radio 3, increasing audience numbers  by 50% I guess. I didn’t really want to listen to last night’s episode of The Archers (again, I hasten to add) and the afternoon play didn’t sound sufficiently intriguing to make that my material for the remainder of my journey.

Within minutes I was transported back to 1803, recognising almost instantly Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto, which I had heard at the SCO not two weeks ago.

It seemed right for the landscape. Looking beyond the cone universe called the A80 – how many thousands are there? who makes them and how much are the shares? – I could see the gently rolling end of the Campsie Fells as the Mavis Valley came to an end and headed towards Falkirk. Beethoven was right for the moment.

And there they were tall, ungainly tax collectors standing like two eyed triffids, camouflaged in bright yellow so as to blend with the scenery, so that they might not be seen. A job they do better at night I must say when you just can’t see them at all.

They represent all that is good about Britain, stealth tax in action. They are watching you all the time so that you must watch your speedometer instead of focussing on the road: at the cone hazards, the constantly changing lane layouts like the staircases at Hogwarts; the huge trucks waiting to pounce from their works exits into the main carriageway at 2 miles an hour.

Having left the hive of activity that will keep many people employed for years to come, I headed into beautiful Perthshire. And it was today. The sun brightened the russet leaves and in between the clouds there was a wisp of a rainbow – typical, forgot my camera again –  as I passed places and road-ends with mystical sounding names like Findo Gask, Dunning and Bardrill.

The seminar was excellent and my Capital Gains Tax knowledge is now replenished and I am ready to take on the world.

Provided it is cone free…

JohnF

I am not, and never have been, a fan of George Burley.  The performance by Scotland against Wales on Saturday defied description in the first half.  At 3-0 down we gave away a stone wall penalty that wasn’t given and Marshall, the goalie, should have been sent off.  So that would have been 4-0 with ten men.  We’d no doubt have shut up shop at that point and sloped off with a four goal defeat.  As it was we lost to a bunch of schoolboys by three.

He had to go.  And go he has.

Our game is a mess.  I mean, let’s face it, Hibs are within a win of topping the league despite a makeshift team in parts and having sold 11 internationalists in five years.  How is that possible?  I’lll tell you how.  Because everyone else is shit.  And if you want proof of that look at Rangers’ and Celtic’s positions in their European groups.  Both bottom, neither with a pot washed.

Investment in Scottish football’s youth (outside of Easter Road) is lamentable and that’s why that old saying “There’s no easy games in international football” is true once again.  Scotland is an easy game.  Fuck sake, Falkirk went out of Europe to a team from Leichtenstien.

Lichstentsien!

In the past, had a Scottish team drawn a team from Lichstentsien we’d have needed a fucking calculator to work out the aggregate score.

So back to Burley.  Cheerio and good riddance I say.  We’ve had two clowns in charge both utter pish (Burley and Vogts) a sort of shit sandwich in reverse.  It seems remarkable that the rose between those two thorns was dour old Walter Smith who got the team playing again, reaching unheard of heights.

He leaves?  Splash, right back in the poo.
Smith is sitting in the Ibrox ejector seat so I suspect the SFA (pricks that they are) will make the predictable decision to send him a parachute.  Indeed this may all be part of a “plan”.

As for Burley?  He can get back to looking really, really creepy and doing dodgy stuff that no-one can write about, out of the glare of the public eye.

See ya.  Wouldnae wanna be ya.man tommorow.  You’ll like it.

By the way.  Check out 60 Watt’s topical Scotsman.com ad in  The Scots

BY KYLE MCCAIG

Willie Angus - the first ever territorial soldier to win the Victoria cross and a former Celtic player

Celtic football club and “a very small minority or its supporters” were at the centre of a remembrance day row after the weekends match against Falkirk was overshadowed by protests.

In a weekend of little if any opposition to the remembrance day tributes paid at football grounds across the country, a minutes silence respected almost impeccably by those inside the Falkirk stadium, was ruined by chants and songs of Irish republican protest seemingly from Celtic fans outside the stadium.

After Sky sports, the broadcasters of the match, dubbed out the singing many were shocked to hear of the protests after fans video’s of the offending actions were posted on YOUTUBE.

A Celtic Fc spokesman said this about the furor ”As expected the minutes silence was impeccably observed by supporters inside the stadium” they also said they “understand that outside the stadium a very small minority were singing and, whether intentionally or not, disrupted the silence” In further contact with the club, they refused to be drawn further on the incidents and instead consider the matter closed.

Neil Griffiths of the British Legion was incensed about the protests citing a lack of knowledge from the offending fans ”like everybody we were horrified by what happened . . . If they knew more about the history of the club and their links to the armed forces they would perhaps have a different view”

Griffiths also referred to former Celtic player Willie Angus ,who was a awarded the Victoria cross and was the first ever Scottish territorial soldier to win the award, as an example of the clubs history to which the fans should be aware.

Bottom club Falkirk stun league leaders Celtic in an enthralling 3-3 draw…. From BBC News. Full story

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Bottom club Falkirk host top club Celtic in Sunday’s Scottish Premier League match…. From BBC News. Full story

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I’m privileged to be laying wreaths at remembrance day ceremonies in my constituency tomorrow – in Falkirk and Denny.  All politicians of all parties will be doing the same thing. It’s the only profound thing we do.  I’m looking at the wreaths now and just thinking about how this week serves as a reminder of how decent people are.   As the ‘big’ wars of Harry Patch, then my Dad (he was in the Black Watch, then became a Para), Les, and my lovely step-Dad, Arthur (also Black Watch), recede, folk seem to be more and more aware of the sacrifice ordinary people have made, and make daily, to give us the stuff we’ve got today.  I’m a pretty fair target of people who hate the Iraq thing and I’ve come to understand the hard way (as ever) how people separate, quite perfectly, their worries about any one conflict and their far deeper sense of thanks for those who risk everything for us every day. This week seems like the time folk express their decency and humanity in the loveliest and most authentic way.

I’m no more qualified than anyone else to say any more than that. And it’s a side issue, really, but what increasingly seems like a reducto absurdum of the daily politics of hate seems gossamer thin, transient.  Who f****** cares?, as I would have said as a Black Watch jock.  Yet today, in the grander scheme, the reality is that everyone does.  Tomorrow, and on 11/11, I will, as always, ’manfully’ fight back tears at thoughts of the dead; the living wounded.  And so will everyone else.

I love this place.

I’m a member of the UK board of Globe International. We’re essentially an international group of legislators who seek to ensure that our governments aim as high as possible on the green agenda.  Most recently, we met in Copenhagen in the run-up to COP15 where Prime Minister Rassmussen of Denmark stressed his determination to keep pressing ahead despite the scale of the challenge as reported elsewhere in the media.  Right wing blogs are often quoted as saying that global warming is nothing to do with us.

When I look around my constituency, Falkirk there are plenty of green shoots. There are lots of businesses and other organisations who see the business sense of helping improve the environment, and Im meeting more and more of them these days.  Here are three great small projects which aim to make a difference locally. I was privileged to open  Johnsons Cleaners GreenEarth Branch in Tesco Grahamestone Retail Park this week.  They have a new process which eschews the old chemicals and is proving really popular with customers.  Softexpand Miniframe computer has one of three new contracts given out in Scotland so far. Ross Mcphaden of Arm-it.co.uk local ICT support business is  hoping to put Falkirk  ahead in Scotland for responsible ecofriendly approach to office  and educational computing and is offering training to young people in the field too.  Then, as ever, there’s Falkirk’s branch of Friends of the Earth and the 10:10 campaign. I’ve signed up to this,  with the aim of cutting my carbon footprint by (at least) 10% during 2010.

I’m looking forward to supporting these practical green ideas and many more in my constituency now and in 2010.  If there’s anything you want to draw my attention to, I’d be only too pleased to help.

Falkirk Council will have £7.29m less to spend as a result of budget changes by the Scottish Government.

An analysis of the official budget tables published by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, shows that the share of the total Scottish Government budget provided to local government is falling, from 34.7 per cent in 2006-07 to 33.9 per cent in 2010-11.

Falkirk East MSP Cathy Peattie said:

“Across Scotland, this is a drop in funding of £270 million, and with Falkirk Council getting 2.7% of the Scottish local authority budget, that’s a cut of £7.29m locally. Add to that the Council Tax freeze and funding responsibilities that have been transferred from central to local government, and it’s clear that the pressure on local authority budgets is increasing enormously.

“This is happening despite the Scottish Government having £600 million more to spend than last year and greater resources than any previous administration.”

The Leader of Falkirk Council, Linda Gow, said:

“These cuts will impact on the services we are able to provide for the citizens of Falkirk Council area. We have one of the lowest Council Tax rates in Scotland and having frozen it for the past two years, the proposed freeze this year again means that the Government is making it more difficult for us to deliver services. It is ironic that a Government who declines to use its own tax raising powers seeks to prevent Local Government from using theirs to the benefit of those it serves”.

Shadow Local Government Secretary Michael McMahon said:

“The SNP Government is ripping off local councils by £270 million. Their decision to spend less than Labour on locally delivered services, like education and social work, is already having a real impact on the front line. Even councils run by the SNP, like Dundee and Edinburgh, are complaining that they are being forced by John Swinney to choose between cutting vital services and putting up Council Tax. He has introduced Tory capping by the back door.”

Note: If the Scottish Government had maintained local government’s share of the overall Scottish budget of £35,029.9m at 34.7 per cent, as it was under Labour, councils would have received £12,155.4m in 2010-11. This is £270.1m more than the £11,885.3m they have been allocated by the SNP in the draft budget. The percentage of the total received by Falkirk Council is based on the allocation received in 2009-10. For data, see http://snipurl.com/tajod

Google Maps show Dunfermline Crematorium as being in Kirkcaldy

By Cara Sulieman

INTERNET giants Google have found themselves at a dead loss in Fife after mixing up a crematorium in Dunfermline with one located miles away in Kirkcaldy.

Grief stricken mourners heading there to say their last goodbyes to their loved ones could be left 11 miles off target by relying on directions from the popular online service.

Searches show the crematorium listed as Dunfermline – but located at the actual home of Kirkcaldy Crematorium which also finds itself listed as its online doppelganger.

Now funeral bosses warn the blunder could cause grief wracked families yet more distress in their darkest hour.

“Distress”

Liz Murphy, manager of Kirkcaldy Crematorium, said: “If people are relying on that to bring them to the crematorium for a service then it could cause a lot of distress.”

She added: “We had something similar a while ago where people were directed out to East Wemyss because our postcode was wrong on the Fifedirect website, but I’m not aware of anything being wrong with Google Maps.”

The confusion doesn’t end there after Google Maps also listed Larbert High School as being in the Lang Toun.

The real Larbert High School is actually 30 miles away in Stenhousemuir near Falkirk.

Typing Larbert High School into the search bar of the search engine’s map section pinpoints an address in the Fife town which is actually the site of Kirkcaldy High School.

“Bizarre”

But staff at the high school in Kirkcaldy say they haven’t had any problems with lost visitors yet.

Judith Kerr, depute head of Kirkcaldy High School, said: “You would have thought that they would at least know what town the school is in.

“We haven’t had people turn up at our school looking for the other one though.”

But Anne Buchan, acting rector of Larbert High School, said: “We’ve not had to type it into Google because we know where it is.

“It’s bizarre. We have our school maps but many more people use Google. I use it myself all the time.

“Obviously that could cause confusion.”

“Quality”

But Google refuse to take blame for the error, saying that the information is provided by a third party and insist they welcome help from the public to point out any mistakes.

A spokesman said: “The listing information contained in Google Maps comes from third party data providers.

“We work very hard to make Google Maps as accurate and helpful as possible for our users, whether searching for business listings or exploring their local area.

“We’re constantly working to improve the quality and accuracy of the information available and appreciate our users’ feedback in helping us to do so.”

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

From the brilliant superlambanana to the Magic Roundabout, Britain’s cities are stuffed with weird and wonderful creations. Click here to take a peak as I have a look at some of the most iconic sculptures in the UK.

What do you reckon of the superlambanana? Is the Angel of the North a cultural wonder, or just a great towering piece of rubbish? I love it. But what’s your take? Read on and let me know.

The piece was originally intended for Substance magazine. Substance is a current affairs title for young people that I helped produce.  But we couldn’t fit any more copy in the issue.

So readers of this blog get to see it first in another blog exclusive.

Jupiler Pro League

El Brujas y el Anderlcht siguen ganando y se mantienen firmes como primero y segundo, con 6 y 5 puntos de diferencia ante el tercero el Mechelen y el Standard, cuarto.

El Brujas ganó 2-3 al Roeselare, colista con goles de Perisic y Vargas en el 39′ y 41′, descontó en el 53′ Vidarsson de penalti, y aunque fue expulsado el visitante Klukowski, los visitantes aumentaron la cuenta por medio de Kouemaha en el 68′. Finalmente, recortó Dissa en el 85′. El Anderlcht ganó por 0-2 en campo del Mechelen con goles un gol en el inicio de cada parte. Lukaku en el 12′ y Boussoufa en el 57′ marcaron. El Standard igualó a 1 con el Zulte-Waregem, -quinto- Cyriac en el 8′ avanzo a los locales pero en el 43′ igualó Roelandts para la visita.

Por abajo, esta la ya comentada derrota del Roeselare, que se hunde como colista. El Mouscron y el Lokeren, los dos equipos que le preceden también han perdido. El primero por 3-2 en campo del Germinal Beerschot que comenzó ganando con un gol de Clement en el 8′ y repitió en el 70′, aunque entre medio había igualado transitoriamente la visita con gol de Lestienne en el 43′, y volvió a igualar en el 89′ con gol de Guillaume, aunque en el 91′ Goor hizo el 3-2 definitivo.

El Lokeren perdió en casa por 0-2 contra el Genk con un par de goles en dos minutos, el primero de Joneleit en el 57′ y el segundo en el 59′ de Camus. El Charleroi por su parte pudo igualar con el Westerlo tras ir perdiendo por 0-1 con gol de Yakovenko en el 71′, en el 83′ Delen fue expulsado para la visita y prácticamente al instante igualó Oulmers 84′.

Clasificación

Fuente: http://es.uefa.com/

Axpo Super League

El Young Boys perdió contra el Grasshoppers que se avanzó por medio de Calla en el 13′, igualó transitoriamente en el 70′ Degen y en el 76′ y de penalti Smiljanic hizo el definitvo 2-1. El Neuchatel, perdió en casa del Sion con gol de Sarni en el 45′ y en el 90′ la visita perdió a Besle por doble amarilla. El Basilea, es tercero igualado con el Neuchatel, tras ganar en el campo del Lucerne por 4-5 en un partido bastante movido. Huggel a los 2′ marcaba para los visitantes, en el 4′ igualaba Chiumientio y en el 8′ Frei ponía el 1-2, aunque Renggli en el 22′ hacía de penalti el empate. Tras el descanso Streller aportó su granito con un doblete en los minutos 73 y 91, aunque antes Hakan Yakin en el 73′ y Ianu en el 87′ habían puesto el 4-3, entre tanto Frei en el 89′ había puesto el 4-4. El Zurich ganó por 1-3 en el campo del Saint Gallen tras remontar el 1-0 parcial de Abegglen en el 33′, Djuric en el 50′ igualó y luego Margairaz y Vonlanthen en los minutos 69′ y 79′ redondearon la remontada. En el duelo de abajo entre Aarau y Bellinzona se lo llevaron estos últimos, tras remontar el gol inicial de Stojkov en el 16′. Lustrinelli en los minutos 80′ y 82′ dejó a los locales con 7 puntos de desventaja sobre los visitantes.

Clasificación

Fuente: http://es.uefa.com/

Scottish Premier League

El Celtic es nuevo líder tras ganar en campo del Hamilton por 1-2 con goles de Maloney en el 15′ y Mc Donald en el 29′. En el 83′ Antione-Curier recortó distancias. El Rangers igualó contra el Hibernian a 1 y pierde el liderato, los visitantes son terceros. Byd en el 8′ adelantó a los locales y en el 63′ Stokes empató. El Dundeee Untd, es cuarto tras ganar por 0-2 con goles de Casalinuovo en el 31′ y Gomis en el 36′. El Saint Mirren y el Motherwell protagonizaron un bonito espectáculo por la 5ª plaza con un 3-3 que deja al Motherwell en ella. Murray para los locales (Saint Mirren) logró un doblete en los minutos 42′ y 72′, aunque Jutkiewicz para los visitantes no fue menos he hizo otro par en los minutos 74′ y 81′, entre medio Forbes en el 49′ de penalti para los visitantes había igualado a 1 parcialmente y Dorman para los locales había hecho el 2-1. El Kilmanrock venció 2-1 al Saint Johnstone con un doblete de Kyle en los minutos 51′ y 64′ y en el 90′ Wright en propia puerta. Hearts y Falkirk igualaron a 0.

Fuente: http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Home

Clasificación

Fuente: http://es.uefa.com/

Greece Super League

Olympiacos y Panathinaikos siguen líderes tras ganar a Ergotelis y PAOK. Olympiacos ganó por 2-1 a Ergotelis remontando el gol visitante obra de Shashiashvili en el 22′ con goles de Mitroglou en el 36′ y Dudu Cearense en el 87′. Panathinaikos venció por idéntico resultado con un doblete de Katsouranis en los minutos 23′ y 70′ dejando estéril el gol Vieirinha en el 39′. El Aris tercero, igualó a 1 con el AEK, se avanzaron los locales con gol de Abreu a los 5′ pero Sccocco en el 48′ igualó.

El Panthrakikos sigue como colista tras perder por 1-3 con el Larisa que se avanzó con goles de Melissis en el 30′, Abuhatzira en el 35′ y Simic en el 42′. Robert en el 84′ de penalti acortó distancias. Levadiakos superó al Iraklis por 1-0 con gol de Moulopoulos en el 6′ y le aventajó en la clasificación siendo ahora antepenúltimo.

Clasificación

Fuente: http://es.uefa.com/

Turkey Super League

El Galatasaray aumentó la distancia con sus perseguidores,- Bursaspor 2º y Galatasaray 3º-, a cinco puntos ambos, tras ganar por 3-1 al tercero, con un doblete de Alex en los minutos 12′ y 53′ de penalti este último, en el 57′ Balta recortó distancias y en el 91′ Guiza hizo el tercero. El Bursaspor ganó 6-0 al Istanbul Buyuksehir que acabó con 8 tras las expulsiones de Sylla y Hakin por doble amarilla en el 56′ y 62′ y de Okan en el 91′ por roja directa. Erdogan e Ipek abrieron en el marcador en el 12′ y 16′, Batalla en el 43′ dejaba un 3-0 parcial al descanso y después Sen en el 66′, Bahadir en el 74′ y Tandogan en el 81′ redondearon el marcador. El Besiktas ganó por 0-1 al Eskisehirspor con gol de Dag en el 83′ y ahora es 5º.

Denilzospor es el colista tras perder con el Kasimpasa por 3-1, tras avanzarse los visitantes con gol de Bangoura en el 16′, Isler en el 29′ igualó y en el 50′ avanzó a los suyos redondeando Möritz en el 54′ el marcador. El Sivasspor ganó por 3-0 al Gaziantepspor con goles de Aydin en el 48′ y de Yilmaz en el 51′ y 91′, siendo ahora penúltimos.

Clasificación

Fuente: http://es.uefa.com/

Russian Premier League

El Rubin ganó por 1-2 en campo del Rostov con goles de Alejandro en el 16′ y de Ansaldi en el 45′, en el 47′ Ahmetovic acortó distancias. El Spartak goleó por 0-3 al Khimki con un doblete de Welliton en el 9′ y en el 89′ y otro de Parshivlyuk en el 43′ y sigue segundo a 1 punto. El Zenit tercero igualó a 2 contra el Spartak Nalchik y se alejó a 6 puntos del líder. Birstov en el 7′ y Tekke en el 29′ marcaron para los locales y Siradze en el 10′ y Leandro en el 65′ para la visita. El CSKA perdió por 1-3 contra el FC Moscú y dice adiós al título y a Juande Ramos que ha sido despedido. Tarasov en el 10′, Rebko de penalti en el 20′ y Epureanu en el 39′ dejaron visto para sentencia el partido que solo Necid en el 83′, mejoró algo para los locales.

Los tres de abajo siguen siendo el Khimki último, el Kuban Krasnodar penúltimo que igualó a 1 con el Dínamo con goles de Traoré en el 8′ para los primeros y de Kombarov en el 48′ para la visita. Y antepenúltimo es el Spartak Nalchik.

Clasificación

Fuente: http://es.uefa.com/

Ukraine Premier League

El Dínamo gano por 0-2 ante el Dnipro – tercero-, con goles de Ghioane en el 72′ y de Milevski en el 87′ de penalti. El Shaktar igualó en el campo del Zakarpattia a 1 con goles de Trisovic en el 50′ para los locales y de Gai en el 37′ para la visita. El Metalist Kharkiv ganó 1-0 al Porskla y es tercero, gracias al gol de Coelho en el 3′.

El Kryvbas Krivyi Rig sigue colista tras perder por 2-1 en el campo del Arsenal con goles de Vorobey en el 29′ y de Evseev en el 50′ para los locales y de Karakevych en el 82′. El Zakarpattia es antepenúltimo y el Metalurg Zaporizhya antepenúltimo tras igualar a 3 en el campo del Karpaty con goles de Tejku en el 4′ y Alozi en el 27′ y 40′ para la visita y de Kozhanvo en el 44′, Oshchypko en el 65′ y de Fedetskyy en el 75′.

Clasificación

Thanks to  all who’ve written over the last couple of years to suggest that I establish an office in the Western part of my Falkirk Constituency. While quite a few Scottish MPs have two offices (and one has three), I’ve always thought it would be too expensive to do this. My main office is in Falkirk town centre but, since Denny Town Centre is awaiting development and the rents are now much lower I’ve rented in a well known location, at Denny Cross.

Here is a picture of my new office at Denny Cross. It’s staffed daily and if you need me for any reason at all, don’t hesitate to  ring 01324823200.

Yesterday Neil and I went to the Pineapple house near Falkirk, my auntie uncle and cousin had hired it out for the October week. The dome was built in 17 something by the 6th Earl of Dunmore who was apparently the first person in Scotland to grow pineapples.  In the afternoon we went on a walk and saw an abandoned tower while strewn empty coffins inside. I didn’t like it. When we came back  I played a game called Hopla with my cousin. I’d never heard of it. At the time I felt inspired by the day but this morning I couldn’t remember specifically why.

Tras la disputa de los últimos partidos clasificatorios para el Mundial, las ligas vuelven a ser protagonistas.

Jupiler Pro League

En la jornada del sábado jugaron Anderlcht y Standard y ambos quedaron con un 2-0, pero uno a favor y el otro en contra. El Anderlcht ganó gracias a los tantos de Biglia y Lukaku en los minutos 24′ y 37′ derrotando al Charleroi. Mientras el Standard perdió 2-0 contra el Westerlo gracias a dos tantos de Dekelver en los minutos 24′ y 33′.

Fuente:http://www.rsca.be/photoshownew.php?subject=2009-2010&title=RSCA-Charleroi%202-0&subdir=rsca-charleroi&id=2095&author=Louis+Evrard

El domingo jugaron el Brugge ganando a domicilio 1-0 merced a un tanto en los instantes finales,-89′-, de Chavez contra el Gent que en el 91′ sufrió la expulsión de Maric por doble amonestación. El Mechelen ganó a domicilio remontando el gol del Genk obra de Tözser en el minuto 6 de penalti, antes del descanso pero Mununga empató (32′) y cuando se estaba acabando el encuentro, en el 88′ Dessel anotó el de la victoria.

Por la parte baja el Roeselare ha vuelto a perder y es colista con 6 puntos y una posición encima aunque con 10 unidades esta el Mouscron de Carboni y Juan Sanchéz que ganó por 2-1 al Sint-Truiden remontando el gol visitante obra de Odoi en el 19′. Los goleadores locales fueron Gijseghem en el 21′ y Okunwanne de penalti en el 63′.

Equipo                       J   Ptos
1Club Brugge KV    11 24
2RSC Anderlecht   11 23
3KV Mechelen         11 21
4R. Standard de Liège  11 20
5SV Zulte Waregem  11  18
6K. Sint-Truidense VV  11  17
7KAA Gent  11  15
8KFC Germinal Beerschot Antwerpen  11  15
9KVC Westerlo  11  13
10KV Kortrijk  11  13
11Cercle Brugge KSV  11  12
12R. Charleroi SC  11  12
13KSC Lokeren OV  11  11
14KRC Genk  11  11
15R. Excelsior Mouscron  11  10
16KSV Roeselare  11  6
Fuente: www.es.uefa.com

Scottish Premier League

El Rangers le ha arrebatado el primer lugar al Celtic tras remontarle al Saint Jonhstone un gol de Samuel en el 17′, con uno de Boyd en el 40′ y otro de Papac en el 83′. El Celtic empató a 0 en casa frente al Motherwell. El Hibernian se sitúa tercero al ganar por 1-0 al Kilmaanrock con un gol de Benjelloun en el 85′ de penalti.

En la parte baja el Falkirk encabeza la lista con tres puntos y una nueva derrota contra el Saint Mirren por 1-3, además le remontaron el gol inicial de Mc Donald en el 55′ con uno de Dargo en el 67′ y otro en el 71′ de Mehmet. En el 89′ Brighton redondeó el marcador.

Equipo            J    Ptos
1Rangers FC 8      18
2Celtic FC      8      17
3Hibernian FC 8  16
4Dundee United FC 8  13
5Motherwell FC  8  13
6Aberdeen FC  8  11
7Saint Mirren FC  8 11
8Heart of Midlothian FC  8  8
9Kilmarnock FC  8 6
10Saint Johnstone FC  8  6

11Hamilton Academical FC  8 5

12Falkirk FC  8  3
Fuente: www.es.uefa.com

Greece Super League

Olympiacos ha empatado al frente de la clasificación con el Panathinaikos tras el tropiezo de este último. Los rojiblancos ganaron cómodamente al Asteras Tripolis por 3-0 con tantos de Mellbergh en el 36′, Mitroglou en el 53′ y Zairi en el 67′.

El trueno verde rascó un empate en campo del Kavala y remontando un 2-0 obra de Onwuachi en los minutos 21′ y 43′, en el 56′ Katsouranis acortó distancias y Cissé en el 91′ empató. El AEK, el otro gran deambula por la mitad de la tabla,- es octavo-, tras ganar con sufrimiento al Panthrakikos Komotini por 3-2 remontando el 0-1 inicial de Buval en el 26′, con goles de Majstorovic en el 28′, Djokic en propia puerta en el 39′ y Sccocco en el 59′. en el 67′ Robert acortó distancias. Los visitantes son colistas.

Pro abajo a parte del Panthrakikos el Levadiakos y el Atromitos le acompañan con 4 y 5 puntos. Precisamente se han enfrentado entre sí y el Atromitos ha goleado por 3-0 con goles de Anastasakos en el 50 y 67 y de Popovic en el 88′.

Equipo   J   Ptos
1Olympiacos FC  7  19
2Panathinaikos FC  7  19
3Aris Thessaloniki FC  7  12
4Ergotelis FC  7  12
5PAOK FC  7  12
6Asteras Tripolis FC  7  11
7FC Kavala  7  11
8AEK Athens FC  7  10
9PAS Giannina FC  7  9
10Panionios GSS  7  8
11Skoda Xanthi FC  7  7
12Iraklis FC  7  7
13Larissa FC  7  6
14Atromitos FC  7  5
15Levadiakos FC  7  4
16Panthrakikos FC  7  1
Fuente: www.es.uefa.com

Axpo Super League

En Suiza no ha habido jorada de Liga pero sí de copa dónde ha habido cuatro sorpresas.
El Basilea ganó fácilmente en campo del Le Mont LS por 1-3 con tantos de Aratore en el 13′, Streller en el 19′ y Almerares en el 39′. Ebe en el 61′ hizo el de los locales. El Zurich le hizo 7 al Locarno, abrió la cuenta Alphonse en el 47′ y 64′, Vonlanthen en el 52′, Schönbächler en el 59′, Margairaz de penalti en el 67′, Nicki en el 74′ también de penalti y Abdi en el 90′. El Young Boys ganó por 1-3 en campo del Yverdon que empezó ganando merced a un tanto de Eze en el 13′, Merdassi en el 23′ hizo el empate. Tras la reanudación, llegó la sentencia a través de Schneuwly en el 60′ y Hochstrasser en el 86′.

El Bellinzona perdió por 5-4 ante el Kriens con goles de Piu en el 31′, Thüring en el 34′, Fanger en el 52′, Karanovic en el 71′ y Ribeiro en el 87′ de penalti por parte local. Los visitantes marcaron mediante Gashi en el 14′, Sermeter en el 38 de penalti y un doblete de Russotto en los minutos 77 y 82.
El Aarau perdió por 3-2 contra el Biel-Bienne con goles de Morello en el 3′, Dussin en el 52′ y Chatton en el 99′ por lo locales y de Burki y de Mustafi en los minutos 44′ y 78′ para los visitantes. El Lugano ganó al Grasshoppers en el 72′ con gol de Silvio. El Thun eliminó al Sion por 2-1 con goles de Faye en el 32′ y en el 102′ y el Sion marcó a través de Adeshina en el 63′.

Otros marcadores que hubo fueron :

Rapperswil – Wohlen 4 – 1
Neuchatel Xamax – Serrieres 2 – 1
Tuggen – Winterthur 1 – 3
Etoile Carouge – Servette 0 – 3
Linth – Lucerne 1 – 4
Harkingen – Solothurn 1 – 3
Saint Gallen – Wil 2 – 1
Stade Nyonnais – Lausanne Sports 1 – 2

Turkey Super League

Acabó el invicto del Fenerbahce de Daum que igualmente sigue líder con 2 puntos sobre el Galatasaray. Los canarios perdieron por 2-1 contra el Gaziantepspor que remontó un gol de Senturk en el 24′ con goles de Souza en el 84′ y 90′. El “Gala” por su parte ganó 4-3 al Trabzonspor con goles de Kewell y Cetin en los minutos 23′ y 37′ y Turan y Baros en el 69′ y 71′. Los visitantes descontaron con Cora en el 44′ y Colman en los minutos 55′ y 86′. El Besiktas, el campeón es séptimo a 9 puntos, tras vencer al Kasimpasa por 2-1 con goles de Nihat en el 9 y Bobo en el 38′, los visitantes descontaron por mediación de Moritz en el 89′ de penalti. Los locales acabaron con 9 jugadores tras las expulsiones de Ernst y Ferrari.

Por abajo el Sivasspor y el Kasimpasa son los últimos con 4 puntos. Los primeros perdieron contra el Genclerbirligi por 2-0 con goles de Pektemek en el 58′ y Carlos en el 65′.

Equipo    J  Ptos
1Fenerbahçe SK  9  24
2Galatasaray AŞ  9  22
3Bursaspor  9  19
4Kayserispor  9  18
5Gençlerbirliği SK  9  16
6Eskisehirspor  9  16
7Beşiktaş JK  9  15
8Istanbul BB SK  9  15
9Trabzonspor  9  12
10Antalyaspor  9  12
11Gaziantepspor  9  12
12Manisaspor  9  10
13MKE Ankaragücü  9  9
14Diyarbakirspor  9  9
15Denizlispor  9  6
16Kasimpasa SK  9 4
17Sivasspor  9  4
Fuente: www.es.uefa.com

Russian Premier League

El Rubin Kazan sigue líder con un punto de ventaja sobre el Spartak tras ganar 2-1 al Khimki con goles de Karadeniz en el 31′ y Kasaev en el 55′. Antipenko acortó en el 88′. El Spartak le endosó un 3-0 al Lokomotiv en uno de los derbis de Moscú dónde marcaron Ananidze en el 40′, Welliton en el 62′ y Owusu-Abeyie en el 84′. El Zenit es tercero a cuatro unidades tras ganar en el campo del Kuban Krasnodar con goles de Rosina en el 26′ y de Bistrov en el 49′. El CSKA se dejó dos puntos, y quizás, la posibilidad de luchar por la Liga tras empatar con el Spartak Nalchik, ahora esta a 7 puntos de el líder. Los goleadores fueron Amisulashvili en el 26′ para los locales y Krasic en el 2′ para la visita.

Por abajo el Khimki es colista con 10 unidades y muy alejado del penúltimo el Kuban Krasnodar y del Spartak Nalchik que tienen 23 y 25 puntos.

Equipo  J  Ptos
1FC Rubin Kazan  25  50
2FC Spartak Moskva  25  49
3FC Zenit St. Petersburg  25  46
4PFC CSKA Moskva  25  43
5FC Moskva  25  41
6FC Lokomotiv Moskva  25  41
7FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast  25  35
8FC Dinamo Moskva  25  34
9FC Terek Grozny  25  33
10FC Tom Tomsk  25  31
11FC Rostov  25  31
12PFC Krylya Sovetov Samara  25  30
13FC Amkar Perm  25  27
14PFC Spartak Nalchik  25  25
15FC Kuban Krasnodar  25  23
16FC Khimki  25  10
Fuente: www.es.uefa.com

Ukraine Premier League

El Dínamo remontó ante el Obolon para llevarse uno de los derbis de Kiev por 2-1, en el 72′ los visitantes marcaron mediante Yavorskiy y en el 73′ empató Milevsky y en el 79′ Shevchenko completó la remontada.

Fuente: http://fcdynamo.kiev.ua/en/photo/current/championship/633.html

El Shaktar sigue a cuatro puntos tras golear fácilmente por 5-1 al Karpaty con goles de Fernandinho de penalti en el 6′ y en el 38′ de Jadson en el 14′ de penalti y toro doblete de Luiz Adriano marcando el primero de ellos desde los once metros en el 77′ y el segundo en el 87′. El gol visitante fue de Golodyuk en el 68′.

El Dnipro es el tercero de la Liga a siete puntos tras ganar al Metalurg Zaporizhya por 1-3 con goles de Rotan en el 5′, Selezniov en el 26′ y de Gomenyuk en el 28′, Los locales acortaron distancias mediante Polevoy en el 49′.

Por abajo el Kryvbas Krivyi Rig ganó el primer partido a costa del Zorya por 4-0 con goles de Maksimov en el 13′ y en el 40′ y de Bartulovic en el 68′ de penalti y en el 77′. Oprya en el 76′ acabó expulsado por los locales. El Zakarpattia es penúltimo al perder con el Chernomorets por 2-0 con goles de Robenok en el 25′ y de Melnik en el 28′. El Metalurg Zaporizhya es el antepenúltimo. El Zorya es cuarto por abajo.

Equipo  J     Ptos
1FC Dynamo Kyiv  10  28
2FC Shakhtar Donetsk  10  24
3FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk  10  21
4FC Metalist Kharkiv  10  20
5FC Metalurh Donetsk  10  18
6SC Tavriya Simferopol  10  17
7FC Karpaty Lviv  10  15
8FC Illychivets Mariupil  10  14
9FC Obolon Kyiv  10  12
10FC Arsenal Kyiv  10  10
11FC Vorskla Poltava  10  9
12FC Chornomorets Odesa  10  8
13FC Zorya Luhansk  10  8
14FC Metalurh Zaporizhya  10  7
15FC Zakarpattya Uzhhorod  10  6
16FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih  10  4
Fuente: www.es.uefa.com

Here in Falkirk, there are new (but floundering) alcohol laws which forbid filling stations from selling alcohol and make it unlawful for supermarkets to display helpful wine suggestions at the fish counter.

Soon to come, apparently, we have minimum alhohol unit pricing. Across the UK, we deny smokers the right to have a fag with their pint, even when no non-smokers need be present. I appreciate the strong evidence which links excessive drinking, and any smoking, to bad health. There seems to me to be a pretty strong social correlation too. But, at the end of the day, are we not in danger of pushing freewill too far to the margins? And of allowing a kind of Victorian paternalism to creep in by the back door? I think we might be.

It’s tempting for politicians to ‘fill in the blanks’ – legislate too much because it gets easy headlines. And while I couldn’t have more respect for the doctors who tell us what are basic truths, I’m struck by the ‘moral’ dimension of what sometimes comes from the BMA. It seems to me that doctors are like car mechanics – they’re well qualified to tell us the consequences of our choices, our bodies or our cars, but no better suited than anyone else to draw the line between “what’s good for us” and freewill. I’m mindful of the dire consequences of excessive anything, yet I think it’s probably time we stopped filling in the blanks for its own sake and respected people’s personal choices a lot more.

TC is currently on holiday with a return to his roots, to Falkirk and The Landlady!

Fill in the form (see link above) if you want to host a visit from TC in the future.

I’ve found Panasonic’s LX3 to be very good in low light situations, something that was all but impossible with my Canon G9 and G7 before it. My dSLR Canon 40D would have done it beautifully, but it’s a lot of bulk and weight to carry to a social affair.

Late last week I used the LX3 at an early evening art show opening at San Rafael’s Falkirk Cultural Center — “Realm of Dreams” a collaboration between Barbara Andano-Stevenson and Phyllis Thelen, Terry Garthwaite singing.

I was quite pleased with the LX3 results. The photo to the left is straight from the camera, no post-processing whatsoever.

Some photos taken at 1600 ISO had more digital noise than I would have liked, but on the whole they do the job.

And it did beautifully with the Falkirk building at twilight.

By Cara Sulieman

OLD FIRM fans are the worst behaved on the rail network according to new figures from the British transport police.

And Rangers fans are detected for twice the number of football-related crimes than their arch rivals Celtic.

But the Chief Superintendant for the British Transport Police in Scotland Martyn Ripley said it was the nature of the crimes that were worrying rather than the number.

As well as the usual urinating in public and alcohol charges, there were a number of fans arrested for sectarianism.

“Mob violence”

And last season there were a total of 62 football-related arrests across the rail network, up from 61 in 2007/08.

The Old Firm accounted for a whopping 58 per cent of those crimes last season.

Chief Superintendant Martyn Ripley said: “Some of these incidents have been for breach of the peace, or disorderly behaviour, but we are seeing an increase in sectarian breaches and the resurgence of mob violence.

“For example, we recently had to deal with a large fight that broke out amongst a number of fans in Stonehaven, in Aberdeenshire.

“The level of offence we are recording is now increasing. They are far more serious than a few years ago, to the point where we are starting to see more assaults and violence.”

“Interchange point”

And he pointed out that the offences don’t just happen in the city that the game is being held in, with some fans travelling through other stations on their way to the match and causing problems there too.

Chief Superintendant Ripley said: “The biggest problem in Edinburgh for example isn’t with the Hibs and Hearts fans; it’s the fans that come to Edinburgh via Waverley Station.

“It’s an interchange point for fans heading down from the north of Scotland, fans coming up from south of the Border, and fans heading west into Glasgow.”

Crimes committed by team the offender supports 2008-09 season: Rangers: 22; Celtic: 14; Hibs: 5; Hearts: 2; Aberdeen: 2; Dundee United: 2; Motherwell: 2; Dundee: 1; Falkirk: 1; St Johnstone: 1; Scotland: 7

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

Eric Joyce has chosen the 70th Anniversary of the declaration of War on Hitler’s Germany to resign as the parliamentary private secretary to Defence Minister Bob Ainsworth. In his

he tells the Prime Minster to get a grip. Not actually in those words but he concludes saying:

“I believe the next election is ours to win, thanks greatly to your personal great economic success. But we cannot win unless we grip defence. Above all, Labour must remember that service folk and their families are our people. We say that we honour them for their risk, bravery and sacrifice and we must at literally all costs continue to show by our actions that we mean it.”

His letter is a strong rebuke on the war senior members of his own party are attacking senior military personnel while keeping those very experienced voices silent.

“Behind the hand attacks by any Labour figure on senior service personnel are now, to the public, indistinguishable from attacks on the services themselves. Conversely, in my view we should allow our service personnel greater latitude to voice their views on matters which make distinctions between defence and politics pointless.”

No doubt the man who resigned his commission as a Major just 10 years ago has like that other former soldier 70 years ago kept his ear to the ground with his former colleagues. Like Churchill he is saying that something needs to be done, something that he feels cannot be done despite his experience from inside the MoD at the moment.

He also says that he does not think that “the public will accept for much longer that our losses can be justified by simply referring to the risk of greater terrorism on our streets.” Going on to talk about the uncertainty about British forces continued deployment in Afghanistan.

However, he does note that a British withdrawal leaving the USA to fight on alone “would mean the end of NATO as a meaningful proposition” all the while acknowledging the proud tradition of British forces punching well above their weight.

It is an interesting time to go, although he said that the decision was made some weeks ago. The choice of today seventy years on from when Neville Chamberlain announced to the nation, “I have to tell you now that no such undertaking (withdrawal from Poland) has been received and consequently this country is now at war with Germany,” can surely not have been overlooked by a military man.

Consequence? I think not. I mean the man is a mature* Sandhurst Graduate and was commissioned into the Royal Army Educational Corps.

Update: Subrosa has asked me to point on a couple of occasions in the comments to point out that Eric started as a private in the Black Watch at 18 before leaving to get a degree at 21, entering Sandhurst and becoming a mature ‘cadet’ at 27. As this does point out that he know live in the ranks, officers’ mess and the difficulties being a mature officer cadet can bring, I have decided to add the detail, as it shows the mans possibly unique grasp of Army matters even further from the current green benches.

Hat tip to Channel 4 News

Gordon Brown MP
10 Downing Street
LONDON

3 September 2009

Gordon

As you may know, I told Bob Ainsworth some weeks ago that I intended to step down as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Defence Secretary before the start of the new parliamentary term. This seems to me the least disruptive time to do that. I have been privileged to work as PPS to four senior Labour ministers in four government departments and now feel that I can make my best contribution to the Labour effort in parliament by concentrating on helping, as a regular back-bencher, to show that Labour remains sound on matters of Defence.

Labour was returned to power in 1997 on the back of your great success in turning the Economy from a weakness into a strength for Labour. Our continuing success in helping people from all parts of society become more prosperous, while helping the least well-off most, is built upon that. More quietly, during the 90’s, Labour’s then shadow defence team showed how Labour had become, after the disaster of the early 1980s, ’sound’ on Defence. It seems to me that your personal success on the economy won the deal in 1997, while colleagues at Defence sealed it.

We are now, I think, once again at a critical time for Labour and Defence. The Conservatives, of course opportunistically, think they can convince the public that we have lost our empathy with the Defence community. We must not allow this to happen. I know that you have great commitment to our armed forces and this was clear when you visited Afghanistan this week, yet there seem to me to be some problems which need fixing with the greatest urgency.

As you know, two Black Watch soldiers gave their lives during your visit. I do not think the public will accept for much longer that our losses can be justified by simply referring to the risk of greater terrorism on our streets. Nor do I think we can continue with the present level of uncertainty about the future of our deployment in Afghanistan.

I think we must be much more direct about the reality that we do punch a long way above our weight, that many of our allies do far too little, and that leaving the field to the United States would mean the end of NATO as a meaningful proposition. The British people have a proud history of facing such realities. They understand the importance of the allied effort in Afghanistan/Pakistan and I think they would appreciate more direct approach by politicians. We also need to make it clear that our commitment in Afghanistan is high but time limited. It should be possible now to say that we will move off our present war-footing and reduce our forces there substantially during our next term in government.

We also need a greater geopolitical return from the United States for our efforts. For many, Britain fights; Germany pays, France calculates; Italy avoids. If the United States values each of these approaches equally, they will end up shouldering the burden by themselves. The first place to start is an acceptance this week by them, and by the Afghanistan electoral authorities, that there must be a second round in the elections there. I do not think the British people will support the physical risk to our servicemen and women unless they can be given confidence that Afghanistan’s government has been properly elected and has a clear intent to deal with the corruption there which has continued unabated in recent years.

Most important of all, we must make it clear to every serviceman and woman, their families and the British public that we give their well-being the highest political priority. Behind the hand attacks by any Labour figure on senior service personnel are now, to the public, indistinguishable from attacks on the services themselves. Conversely, in my view we should allow our service personnel greater latitude to voice their views on matters which make distinctions between defence and politics pointless.

I believe the next election is ours to win, thanks greatly to your personal great economic success. But we cannot win unless we grip defence. Above all, Labour must remember that service folk and their families are our people. We say that we honour them for their risk, bravery and sacrifice and we must at literally all costs continue to show by our actions that we mean it.

I intend to do what modest amount I can to help from the back-benches.

Yours sincerely

Eric Joyce MP