Monday, June 26, 2006
Sporting Chances….
Welcome to my first blog!
I shall be using this forum to communicate with residents of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross and I will post something topical at least once a week. Being a youngster myself (just!) I would particularly like young people to get involved in local politics and let me know their views. Let’s get the ball rolling….
So England limped their way to another, more or less, deserved victory this weekend. Unlike Jack McConnell I was supporting them, but next time around I will be rooting for their opponents. I like the Portuguese side (and Portugal) so will be switching sides. I think that is the great thing about the world cup and as Scots, sadly, we have to get used to finding other teams to support. It would be sad to always support the team playing England, but likewise, I see no reason to always support them.
It is only a sport, and sport comes from the old French word desport, meaning pleasure, so why do people get so worked up about who supports who and why do some people even become violent over the issue? I suspect alcohol has a lot to do with it, but I can feel growing concern about the state of Anglo-Scottish relations on and off the pitch. Attacking people for wearing an England shirt is both incomprehensible and thuggish. But politics too, is becoming fairly dangerous: the West Lothian question is mentioned in the media almost as often as Wayne Rooney’s foot. Those of us concerned about Scottish influence in the wider UK should begin to be worried, as any reduction in number of MPs or removal of voting rights would be deeply harmful for Scotland within the union. Devolution has brought many blessings to Scotland, but the suggestion that because of this success a Scottish Labour MP cannot be prime minister is laughable. We must work very hard against such a move. After all, despite the fact he never mentions it, Tony Blair, himself is Scottish. We might be divided over supporting England on the pitch, but only 20 % of Scots in a recent poll thought being an MP for a Scottish constituency could preclude that person from being prime minister.
And what of sport in Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross? With such great outdoor spaces, coastline, mountains and moors sport must surely be a key part of far north life. But why is it that Caithness is the only part of the Highlands not to have a sport centre and why does Sutherland not have a single all weather surface? For budding young Denis Laws in the far north this is a sad state of affairs. The new all-weather pitch at Wick is clearly a good example which should be repeated and I hope this can be achieved around the constituency to bring sports closer to people everywhere. In the south, Tain is well catered for with the new facilities at the Royal Academy, but there is a need for more and in different areas. It is great to see sporting events for young people being organised around the far north, and to see that it can be done as successfully as the O’Neil surfing championship recently held in Thurso. I am sure the Skate Jam in Tain this August will also be an event worth taking part in.
What other facilities do people feel are needed? Drop me a line and let me know.
Welcome to my first blog!
I shall be using this forum to communicate with residents of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross and I will post something topical at least once a week. Being a youngster myself (just!) I would particularly like young people to get involved in local politics and let me know their views. Let’s get the ball rolling….
So England limped their way to another, more or less, deserved victory this weekend. Unlike Jack McConnell I was supporting them, but next time around I will be rooting for their opponents. I like the Portuguese side (and Portugal) so will be switching sides. I think that is the great thing about the world cup and as Scots, sadly, we have to get used to finding other teams to support. It would be sad to always support the team playing England, but likewise, I see no reason to always support them.
It is only a sport, and sport comes from the old French word desport, meaning pleasure, so why do people get so worked up about who supports who and why do some people even become violent over the issue? I suspect alcohol has a lot to do with it, but I can feel growing concern about the state of Anglo-Scottish relations on and off the pitch. Attacking people for wearing an England shirt is both incomprehensible and thuggish. But politics too, is becoming fairly dangerous: the West Lothian question is mentioned in the media almost as often as Wayne Rooney’s foot. Those of us concerned about Scottish influence in the wider UK should begin to be worried, as any reduction in number of MPs or removal of voting rights would be deeply harmful for Scotland within the union. Devolution has brought many blessings to Scotland, but the suggestion that because of this success a Scottish Labour MP cannot be prime minister is laughable. We must work very hard against such a move. After all, despite the fact he never mentions it, Tony Blair, himself is Scottish. We might be divided over supporting England on the pitch, but only 20 % of Scots in a recent poll thought being an MP for a Scottish constituency could preclude that person from being prime minister.
And what of sport in Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross? With such great outdoor spaces, coastline, mountains and moors sport must surely be a key part of far north life. But why is it that Caithness is the only part of the Highlands not to have a sport centre and why does Sutherland not have a single all weather surface? For budding young Denis Laws in the far north this is a sad state of affairs. The new all-weather pitch at Wick is clearly a good example which should be repeated and I hope this can be achieved around the constituency to bring sports closer to people everywhere. In the south, Tain is well catered for with the new facilities at the Royal Academy, but there is a need for more and in different areas. It is great to see sporting events for young people being organised around the far north, and to see that it can be done as successfully as the O’Neil surfing championship recently held in Thurso. I am sure the Skate Jam in Tain this August will also be an event worth taking part in.
What other facilities do people feel are needed? Drop me a line and let me know.
Monday, June 12, 2006
