Caledonian Mercury

Weir’s Week: Serbian handball – followed by a Serbian masterclass >>

By Stewart Weir Saturday I can’t recall mentioning handball too often in the past. But for the handball fan out there you’ll have been viewing the sport’s 15 minutes of glory of an evening on British Eurosport with highlights of the 10th European Championship from Serbia. I’ve been taking it all in – although, to be honest, usually while wondering... Read more

Edinburgh show they can become a force in European rugby >>

Some of the top English rugby clubs have been complaining that they don’t have the cash to succeed in Europe any longer, that they are being outspent by the French. As excuses come, it is a pretty lame one, particularly when Edinburgh’s achievements this season are taken into account. Both of Scotland’s pro rugby teams have less money to spend... Read more

Weir’s Week: A Rangers oldie and some trouble with the hoops >>

By Stewart Weir Saturday Because of the way their season is structured, January in many ways belongs to the NFL. En route to deciding their biggest prize, currently we’re in the midst of the play-offs: sudden-death for those who fail, or upwards and onwards to an even bigger challenge – or bigger challengers – next week. Sport relies on timing,... Read more

Weir’s Week: Scholes, Shingler, Steve Davis … and a little Patience >>

By Stewart Weir Saturday It’s cup day, north and south of the border, and oh the romance of it. But as I tweeted, on the evidence of the Birmingham City–Wolves game in the FA Cup, with empty stands, little thrills and second-string teams, if I served that up as romance I’d be dragged off to relationship counselling. Still, by the end of the weekend,... Read more

Weir’s Week: Media monkeys and unsynchronised ticketing >>

By Stewart Weir Saturday This last day of 2011 is particularly enjoyable given the success of my sporting awards, or the Weirdos, as they are famously known. Well received they were, with plans to have a sponsor in place for next December, an awards dinner in 2013, and the event televised in 2014. Those are the plans, and I’m bringing Craig Whyte... Read more

The Weir’s Week Annual Awards 2011 – The Weirdos >>

By Stewart Weir So 2011 is nearly over and 2012 is nearly upon us. A chance to reflect, look ahead, mourn and laugh at what has gone before. And, of course, the opportunity to hand out some of the most wanted, valuable and cherished sports prizes around, The Caledonian Mercury “of the year” awards – or the Weirdos, as they are affectionately... Read more

Weir’s Week-and-a-half: SPotY thoughts and red card red mist >>

By Stewart Weir Saturday 17 December With holidays and the like, Weir’s Week is a week and a bit this time. So cast your mind back to Saturday week and I’m waiting, just waiting. Because it will only be a matter of time before someone utters the immortal line to become the recipient of the Captain Mainwaring Memorial Trophy. The famous leader of... Read more

Scottish rugby on a high – let’s hope it continues >>

There has never been a season like it: after eight games in the Heineken Cup, Scotland’s teams have won five, drawn one and lost only two. These are matches against Europe’s elite, clubs with several times the budgets that Edinburgh and Glasgow have to work with and greater resources on and off the pitch. As it stands, both sides can qualify for... Read more

Weir’s Week: No Khan do and the folly of fair-weather football >>

By Stewart Weir Saturday Nothing much wrong with your Saturday evening sport this week. If you didn’t fancy a bit of the “gas cooker” (work it out yourself) from the UK “Lite” Championship, then there was some boxing along later in the night. And more of that later. But those with a passing interest in football would have lapped... Read more

Weir’s Week: Diving, snooker-lite and another de Oliveira departs >>

By Stewart Weir Saturday The BBC’s A Question of Sport has been going a while. By chance, I came across it on BBC Northern Ireland on Saturday afternoon. It’s a show I’ve had an association with one way and another. It was what made me learn facts and figures around sport, I’ve booked guests for the show, helped Ally McCoist prepare for the... Read more

Weir’s Week: Gale farce, SPOTY herberts and, tragically, farewell Gary Speed >>

By Stewart Weir Saturday I have seen football played in torrential rain, snow blizzards and pea-soup fog. And I’ve also seen games cancelled and abandoned because of those climatic conditions. But, I’ve never been to a game postponed or halted for wind, other than for structural or safety reasons. Yet, many a game has been turned into a farce because... Read more

Weir’s Week: Goodbye from Gudgin and up all night with Sachin >>

By Stewart Weir Saturday The first day of the weekend, traditionally our biggest sporting day, often provides a bit of a mixed bag. South Africa these days is a unified nation, which on a sporting stage has hosted cricket, rugby and football world cups. With memories of those events, it’s difficult to think that South Africa were, rightly, sporting... Read more

Brilliant Edinburgh celebrate the most extraordinary of comebacks >>

“Quite simply, the best game I have ever been to,” said one. “How did they do it?” asked another. “Never, ever have I seen anything like that,” said a third as the fans stumbled dazed out of Murrayfield last night. Edinburgh’s 48–47 win over Racing Métro 92 was not just the most remarkable result in the pro-team’s history, it was... Read more

Weir’s Week: Phase 40, a blind summit and gaffemeister Blatter >>

By Stewart Weir Saturday Whether it’s because there wasn’t any meaningful football on (and I include England vs Spain in that category), but rugby union dominated many of the sporting headlines, both on and off the field. We’ll consider onfield matters first. And there is little doubt that much in the same way as the Champions League has captured... Read more

Weir’s Week: Genuine Scots, poppy politics and goodbye Smokin’ Joe >>

By Stewart Weir Saturday Scotland’s Ricky Burns beats Michael Katsidis on points to win the WBO interim lightweight title, his first contest at that weight. It was a disciplined performance from the Lanarkshire fighter – featured in Weir’s Week previously, not so much for his pugilistic skills but for his artistry. Body art this is, tattoos in... Read more

Blow for Scottish rugby as its brightest young star heads for England >>

Richie Gray, by some distance the most impressive young star to come out of Scottish rugby for years, is to quit Glasgow Warriors for a lucrative move to English Premiership club Sale Sharks. In what is a significant blow, not just for his Glasgow club but for the development of Scottish professional team rugby as a whole, Gray confirmed today that... Read more

Weir’s Week: Boo boys, handbrake birth and cricket crooks >>

By Stewart Weir Saturday I’ve probably watched more football than most, so I’ve seen and heard most things that fans, friend or foe, can verbally hurl at players. Occasionally comic genius, at times barbed and cutting, but for the majority of the time just a drone, part of football’s noisy soundtrack. Have a few thousand signing or shouting the... Read more

Weir’s Week: Hurricane Alex, haka vs can-can, and an Aldershot slip >>

By Stewart Weir Saturday Alex Higgins had plenty written about him during his career. It appears there could be just as much written about him in death. The notorious and troubled genius, who died last year, is the subject of a new book by Tony Francis, Who Was Hurricane Higgins? For those who don’t know, Francis regularly presented ITV’s coverage... Read more

Weir’s Week: a red card, biased BBC coverage and a terrible crash >>

By Stewart Weir Saturday All we ever hear about in football is technology and the desire to use it to make refereeing decisions right. Proof today that all the technology in the world doesn’t necessarily mean the right decision will be arrived at. Referee Alain Rolland stunned everyone by producing a red card to dismiss Wales captain Sam Warburton... Read more

Weir’s Week: Panoramic views, ferry frolics and a Spanish stroll >>

By Stewart Weir Saturday The Rugby World Cup reaches the sudden-death stage. Lose and you go home. This Saturday morning feels like an old Five Nations day from bygone years, with an all-Celtic clash between Ireland and Wales, while England and France meet in the other game, with Scotland tucked up in front of the telly. Of course, years ago these matches... Read more