Glasgow 1-0 Manchester

Harry Tattersall Smith

The much-heralded magic of the cup was not evident at Garscube, yet the drama was very much intensified by Glasgow’s inability to finish off the visitors. At times it seemed like Glasgow were contriving to lose; or at least eager to send the home crowd into cardiac arrest. Chance after chance went begging, and whilst they dominated a beleaguered Manchester the scoreline always seemed precarious.

Glasgow dictated the opening exchanges, playing at a furious pace which their dazed opposition struggled to handle. Manchester seemed almost punchdrunk — perhaps nerves caused by the grandeur of the occasion — and they were unable to generate any sort of rhythm. Glasgow were playing with the vibrancy of a team brimming with confidence. Neat interchanges and incisive through balls consistently split the Manchester defence on a day when only their finishing was culpable. Chris O’Day was guilty of squandering a good opening as he tamely lashed wide after bursting through from midfield, and Jamie Kerr fired over from an acute angle after being audaciously played in by strike partner Andrew Knight.

Jamie Kerr was a constant source of irritation to the Manchester defence. He incessantly hassled and harangued the centre backs — largely the dog’s work of the unsung hero, but he was unlucky not to see it pay off. The opposition centre half looked to be harmlessly shepherding the ball out of play and Kerr nipped in behind him, but his square ball was criminally smashed over by Micheal Mckay.

Chris O’Day, the Glasgow captain, was immense at the heart of midfield. He seemed to be everywhere, and his intuition was such that at times it felt as if he had scripted the whole affair. Manchester struggled to contain his vision and pace of thought, as they showed too much respect and allowed him to orchestrate the proceedings.

As is so often the way of football, the first clear-cut chance of the game came against the run of play. A misunderstanding at the heart of the Glasgow defence allowed Kurt Ayton to race through. He seemed suprised at the space left to him, and with just keeper Ashley Brown to beat, his scuffed effort rattled harmlessly off the post.

It was the wake-up call that the Mancunian outfit needed. Lackadaisical sloppiness was eradicated and replaced with ruthless efficiency. It made for a fine counterbalance; the flare and flamboyance of Glasgow versus the gritty determination of Manchester — football versus anti-football.

Manchester surged forward again, and seemed to be developing an ominous stranglehold on the game. Ayton was given too much space to turn and Brown did well to beat away the looping attempt that seemed to be creeping into the bottom corner. The resulting corner saw Brown produce an outstanding reaction save. The Glasgow defence temporarily switched off leaving Danny Brennan, who had crept up from the back, unmarked inside the six-yard box. He looked for the world like he was set to open the scoring but his bullet header was remarkably kept out by a spread-eagled Brown.

Brown has developed a reputation as somewhat of a Jekyll and Hyde goalkeeper. His shot-stopping was again sublime, yet questions will constantly be raised about his ability in the air. On several occasions he left hearts in mouths by flapping erratically at crosses.

The woodwork was again to be Glasgow’s salvation when a hopeful cross was launched into the box but took a wicked deflection off Paul Ruddy and arced agonisingly towards the Glasgow goal. Brown was utterly wrong-footed, but again the ball cannoned off the foot of the post, and a relieved Brown was on hand to smother gratefully.

They say lightning doesn’t strike twice, but Glasgow were again on the receiving end of divine intervention. Brown was the sole reason the homeside were on parity but he could only watch and admire as Kurt Ayton’s shot sailed past him, but ricocheted
off the post and was eventually scrambled away by a panicking Glasgow defence.

If ever a goal was to change a match then this was it. A well-worked corner saw Andrew Knight soar above the Manchester defence and power home a header past the despairing keeper. It gave the team confidence to push on, and as they grew in stature the Mancunians seemed to shy away from the fight. Chris O’Day swiftly reasserted control.

The general at the heart of midfield marshalled his players with a series of pinpoint passes. At his most brilliant, a chipped through ball found Jamie Kerr and his acrobatic effort was smartly gathered in by the goalkeeper.

Glasgow by this stage were rampant, with a lack of further goals being the only detriment in a performance that was almost complete. Jamie Kerr burst through and saw his effort smartly parried to Mikey Mckay whose follow-up snap shot was incredibly saved by a combination of goalkeeper and defender and, with the goal at his mercy, Andrew Knight squandered the chance to double his tally by smashing over.

The arrival of Aaron Scouller gave Glasgow an added dimension. The energetic winger constantly terrorised the Manchester defence by running at them and a clever ball to Kerr allowed the striker to dance through a couple of tackles before a heavy touch let him down at the crucial moment.

It was a day in which one thought for the world Glasgow would come to rue the catalogue of missed chances. A last minute corner saw a reverential hush descend on Garscube as the 300-strong contingent of Glasgow fans fell silent.

The deep corner caused chaos at the centre of the Glasgow defence, resulting in a mad scramble and from the ensuing pinball the ball ricocheted to the feet of Danny Brennan, but he agonisingly fired over from five yards.

The final whistle sparked raucous celebrations from a jubilant home support, but ultimately it was a game in which fingernails were unnecessarily gnawed to the quick in an excruiating finale. There will surely be mixed emotions for the Glasgow players — who will undoubtedly be frustrated at their failure to kill off a game, yet relieved at getting the job done, and thankful for the apparent twelfth man that is the goalpost.

GUBC 85-72 Rocks

Joe Mclean

Glasgow University’s men’s basketball team had to chip away at Glasgow Rocks to overcome them in this semi-final, played on their home turf at the Stevenson Building.

From the tip-off Glasgow’s foundations were shaken by the power and pace of the Rocks. Within a matter of minutes they found themselves five points behind and they seemed shocked by this. Glasgow genuinely thought this game would be easier than it was — they started with an air of self-assurance and self-confidence that was soon knocked out of them.

Glasgow clawed some points back in the first quarter thanks to some great play from team captain Astromskas, who instigated the fight back and set up Mraz and Janutenas for a much needed four points.

Astromskas was instrumental in Glasgow’s build-up play throughout the quarter and they have him to thank for keeping them in the game. It was a quarter of missed chances for Glasgow — they created enough but were just not converting them, as they missed hoop after hoop — an example being when Kalnietis failed to score any points from the two free throws he received after a foul.

The Rocks punished any slack play from Glasgow and continued to pose a threat. But to Glasgow’s credit they kept fighting and the quarter ended Glasgow 16 – 11 Rocks.

The second quarter saw Glasgow sail into a comfortable lead; they now seemed to have the opposition figured out. After a shaky start Glasgow were playing well and Mraz pitched in with a quick two-pointer. They again have Astromskas to thank, along with Keliauskas, who both scored hoops, including two fantastic three-pointers to help Glasgow go 27-11 in front.

Keliauskas and Mraz linked up well in a play that saw Mraz launch a pass the full length of the court, where Keliasuskas collected and coolly converted for two points.

The Rocks managed to regain some points; it seemed Glasgow would get so far ahead and then allow the opposition back into the game. It was end-to-end in this quarter and played at a blistering pace. Glasgow were managing to make more of their chances but were punished by a few three-pointers from a determined Rocks team. At half-time the score was Glasgow 37- 30 Rocks.

The third quarter saw Glasgow pick up where they left off. Mraz scored a few hoops and helped his team to widen the gap over the Rocks. This quarter was frantic and aggressive with a few rough challenges and a spate of fouls taking place. The Rocks again scored a few three-pointers and they did their best to keep themselves in the game. The quarter ended with Glasgow leading 64 – 51.

The final quarter was a nervy affair, with Glasgow retaining their lead but with the Rocks continuing to peg them back. Tensions were high as Glasgow managed to stay ahead, and the pressure was starting to show with the Rocks team arguing amongst themselves and giving away fouls.

Glasgow did well to rise above this, and thrived on the pressure, but they were once again let down by their shooting. If they had managed to score more of the chances they created they would have been in a much more comfortable position.

The Rocks didn’t have the fight to take Glasgow to the wire, but they certainly gave them a tough game. Glasgow showed great character and determination to overcome and quell any idea of a comeback from the opposition as they honed in on a place in the final.

The game ended Glasgow 85 – 72 Rocks. Overall they showed tremendous team spirit with every one doing their bit, including the fans that turned up to inspire the team to victory. But the MVP award should surely be given to captain Astromskas, who was inspirational and has done more than most to get his team through the tie and set up a date with Edinburgh Spartans in the final on March 26.

Glasgow 7-2 Abertay

Markus Morrison

A sun-drenched Garscube saw the Glasgow University Hockey Club (GUHC) win against the University of Abertay to secure their place in the final of the men’s Scottish Conference Cup.

Strong recent showings and the lower league opposing side made Glasgow heavy favourites for the game but, as the old football adage goes, anything can happen in a cup game.

Abertay seized the early initiative and found themselves camped out in the GUHC half, maintaining strong possession but never really capitalising on the home team’s slow start. The Glasgow defence looked resolute and stifled any real attacking attempts made by the Dundonian squad.

Slowly the Glasgow midfield engine rumbled into life and incisive play from the defence was matched by runners piercing and
besieging the Abertay defence, critically fracturing the fragile northern side’s early attacking confidence.

One such attack resulted in Ryan Bell darting in from left wing and breaking the deadlock with a smash from the edge of the area, swiftly followed by another close-range finish from Bell pouncing through the disorientated Abertay back four and squeezing the ball through the confusion and past the helpless goalkeeper.

Abertay were over a barrel as Glasgow finally asserted some superiority. The wingers began to stretch their legs as the holding men worked the ball deep in the midfield just out of stick’s reach of the northeners, then suddenly sparked into life with pinpoint passes and driving runs into dangerous areas. More goals seemed inevitable — it was just a case of how many.

A lull in Glaswegian aggression marked the midpoint in the first half — a couple of missed goal opportunities at either end would fool a spectator into believing that the home side were happy to sit on their two-goal margin for the rest of the match.

Such illusions were shattered as some authoritative play by GUHC captain Finlay Horn led to a penalty corner, with the man himself scoring the goal from a simply worked play. The celebrations had barely reached the bored Glasgow keeper as another basic play baffled the desperately disorganised defence and Mark Campbell was on hand to sweep the ball home for to take Glasgow’s lead up to four.

The frustration of the losing side became apparent as a stick was thrown in anger in Abertay’s end of the field; a result of intense passion that turned rapidly to embarrassment as the Abertay player was forced to make the lonely walk past the heckling spectators to collect the offending article. His shame compounded as the next wave of attack skipped past him and Rory McCann slammed home another goal to complete the first half rout and fuel speculation that the defender really should have just left his stick where it landed.

Play slowed to a crawl as GUHC somewhat relinquished their stranglehold on the game, allowing Abertay a chance to reclaim some pride. Stealing two goals from a tiring Glasgow side went some way towards softening the blow before the halftime whistle rang out.

The second half saw a home side clearly playing with a cup final and promotion-deciding double-header on its mind, coupled with an air of confidence. Play was very much dominated by an Abertay side on the ascendency, showing some flare in attack and winning balls but ultimately failing to hit the back board, as they lacked the cutting edge of the Glasgow frontline.

Deeper into the second half and Glasgow shook off the lethargy that had cost them two goals in the first half, and in a burst of energy struck back in equal form — two quick fire goals to re-establish their five goal buffer. As Glasgow settled back, the game again became more balanced, but only to the extent that both sides recognised the game was over, with the Glasgow keeper’s goal-stopping acrobatics being the only highlight as the match drifted to a close — perhaps a message to others competing for the position that he will definitely be the first name on the team sheet for the duration.

As the Glasgow team celebrated their deserved victory the mood after the game was summed up by captain and goal scorer Finlay Horn: “We’ve played some great hockey leading up to this semi-final stage and we carried that on today. Who knows — maybe we should have won by even more. But I know one thing: when we play like this I wouldn’t bet against us.”

With the glint of silverware firmly in sight and confidence running high in the Glasgow camp all eyes are on the upcoming final against city rivals Glasgow Caledonian University. Horn, in a strong statement of intent from a side that can do no wrong at the moment, said: “If we play the way that I know we can, then it has to be silverware for the GUHC. It will be a massive game especially because they are such big rivals, but we want to win regardless of who we are playing.”

History shows cup finals to be treacherous things — often strong favourites are brought down by lesser opposition. Glasgow may have a better record against their upcoming opponents, but weaknesses at the opening and close of each half against Abertay must give the team something to think about before the final against Caledonian’s squad.

In order to reach the next level they need to stamp out that level of indiscipline and work on maintaining their concentration — even when games look all but over. With expectations of a closely fought match, vocal support from a good University of Glasgow turnout on the day should inspire the boys in black and gold to bring a little silver back home.

Glasgow University Riding Club is having a successful, rosette-filled season, with wins in competitions for all of their teams.

They have a team going to the prestigious Scottish Universities Sport (SUS) Championships, where they will be represented by their captain, Mhairi Rawluk, along with Claire Herbison and Rachel Malloch, to be held on March 21 at Kingsbarn Stables in Fife.

The competition will involve eight teams, consisting of various tests for horse and rider. The contestants will first face a tough dressage, which will involve every rider competing at the same time, calling for synchronisation, teamwork and skilled riding. They will also compete in showjumping up to a maximum height of 110cm.

Glasgow has held its own in competitions throughout this season and at every level. The C-team has competed three times recently, against Heriot-Watt and Edinburgh University, in dressage and showjumping, winning two of these competitions and placing second in the other. The C-team has also excelled individually with tremendous rides from Gemma Lord who won individually at Heriot-Watt and at Glasgow’s home competition, which took place at Tannoch stables. Glasgow put their home GURC continue to whip away the rest advantage to good use, allowing the C-team to flourish. This competition also saw another fine display from Hannah Smith, who placed second individually at all three competitions.

Overall, the C-team have had a fantastic season and hope to continue this at the regionals, where they will compete against the top two teams in Scotland for the chance to be crowned outright champions.

The B-team has also been very successful, having recently taken part in three competitions, coming first in two of them and third in the other. The B-team drew on points with Edinburgh University and were unfortunate to be beaten due to penalties. Glasgow riders again topped the individual spots at all of these competitions, and in doing so, demonstrated great skill and competitiveness from all the riders who took part.

Finally, the A-team have been utterly dominant this year, having won each of its three competitions this year, in doing so beating rivals Strathclyde and Caledonian in their league. The A-team also saw a fine individual display from Eilish Busby, when she took first place at two competitions and second at the other. Glasgow are now placed as one of the top three teams in Scotland and will next compete at the Regionals, to be held on March 31 at Oatridge College in Edinburgh.

Glasgow 4-0 Stirling

Glasgow University Women’s Football Club’s first team had to bide their time to maintain their unbeaten run this season. The game at Garscube was delayed for thirty minutes, due to the lack of a referee. When the game eventually did kick off, Glasgow flew out of the traps.

With fewer than five minutes on the clock, they got their first chance of the game. A through ball from midfield split Stirling’s defence wide open. Katy Emslie pounced on the pass and left the defenders for dead as she burst into the box. She hit a low shot which Stirling’s keeper should have dealt with comfortably, but somehow she managed to allow it to squirm under her body as she went down to block it. Emslie wasn’t complaining though as she saw it trundle over the line and Glasgow go up 1-0.

Glasgow took confidence from this early goal. They dominated Stirling in midfield, thanks in part to an inspirational performance from Muriel Kaney. Kaney is a strong combative midfielder, yet composed on the ball and her passing is exquisite. Much of Glasgow’s play started and went through the excellent Kaney, with her picking the ball up in midfield and linking up well with the strikers and with Jackie Baird on the right-wing.

Kaney was instrumental in Glasgow’s second goal. She won the ball in her own half, before surging forward and sending a pin point cross into the back post, where it was met by Baird, who had run into the box. Baird kept a cool head, as the keeper came out to close her down and lifted the ball back across the goal and into the far corner of the net. Glasgow were now 2-0 up in just thirty minutes of play.

The only real chance Stirling had in the first half came from a free kick, but the ball was curled past the top left-hand corner of Megan Llyod’s goal. Glasgow continued to push forward and Kaney could have scored a much-deserved goal, when she played a fabulous one-two with Kirsteen Martin on the edge of the box, but she dragged her shot wide of the goal.

Martin was also involved in Glasgow’s next chance, when she played a fantastic defence splitting pass to Emslie, who found herself once again one on one with the keeper. She should have made it a third goal for Glasgow, but again hit it straight to the keeper, who was much more assured this time and saved it easily.
Glasgow played out the last five minutes of the half with only ten players, as Katherine Jaycock went off injured. Coach Niall Marshall decided to see out the half a player down, hoping Jaycock would recover. During this time Glasgow continued to push forward looking for a third goal. But they were almost caught napping when Stirling hit them on the break, playing a long ball up to their striker. But this was intercepted by a well-timed sliding tackle from Kate Hawkins, when it looked like Stirling would have been straight through on goal. The half ended Glasgow 2-0 Stirling.

The injured Jaycock was replaced by left-wing Maritza Logan for the second half. Glasgow quickly won a stone wall penalty when Emslie was pulled down in the box as she made a run on goal. Kirsteen Martin claimed the ball — after scoring in every game this season, she was looking to keep up her terrific record. She was unlucky and failed to convert the spot kick, placing the ball into the left corner of the goal, but Stirling’s keeper made a great low diving save to turn it round the post.

Glasgow freshened things up by making another substitute, with Robyn Lang coming on for Baird. Baird had a great game, her tenacious play down the right-wing avoiding Stirling’s left-back all game, with her whipping in dangerous crosses and incisive passes.

Not long after the change, Glasgow received their second penalty. This time centre half Meghan Ferriter
stepped up to take the shot. In contrast to Martin’s cushioned, placed penalty, Ferriter bulleted hers straight down the middle of the goal. The power and height left the keeper with no chance of stopping it as it thundered into the back of the net. Glasgow were now 3-0 up and cruising.

With ten minutes to go, Glasgow made their final substitution. Martin, the team’s top goal scorer, who gave a fine performance up front and was unlucky not to get on the score sheet, was replaced by Rachel Kemp. Within minutes of being on the pitch Kemp was involved in Glasgow’s next attack. She flicked a high ball to Emslie, but gain she hit her shot straight at Stirling’s keeper, with a little bit more composure, she could have had a hat-trick in this game.

Glasgow sealed their victory with a move started by player of the game Kaney — she again picked the ball up deep in her own half, with a burst forward leaving the Stirling midfield for dead. Kaney sprayed the ball into the left-hand side of the box where it was met by Logan who did well to square the ball into the middle of the box with the keeper advancing on her.

The ball broke to Kemp, who coolly slotted the ball into the empty net — she won’t score an easier goal all
season. Glasgow will feel they could have scored more in this game, but they will have been happy with this clinical performance. They kept a clean sheet, as they picked up another three points and stretched their winning streak to five games on the trot.

On the evidence of this display it looks like Glasgow are on their way to a very successful season. With four games left they are looking to overtake Robert Gordon University at the top of the league, and the Aberdonian outfit must be nervously looking over their shoulders after this impressive display. Glasgow have also reached the semi-finals of the Scottish Universities Cup which will be played against St Andrews March 10.

Glasgow 3-2 Cambridge

My previous impression of volleyball as a relaxed holiday sport was dissolving into thin air as I stood flinching on the sidelines during the warm-up for the quarter-final Men’s British University Volleyball Championship against Cambridge. Multiple balls were being launched, received and spectacularly slammed into every crevice of the Kelvin Hall Arena.

Both the Glasgow and Cambridge team members were taking turns to practise their jump attacks: the swift yet lethal move which involves leaping into the air and spiking the ball into the opposition’s court.

The game began with the confident Cambridge team securing the first points. Glasgow had a somewhat shaky start, with some uncertainty amongst the players. Cambridge went on to comfortably win the first set, leaving Glasgow very much searching for answers.

After encouraging words were passed on by Captain Iain Leslie during the time out, the energetic home team looked determined and rejuvenated. The attitude of the team was reflected from the outset with an impressive opening point secured by man of the match Luka Rejc, who smashed the ball into the opposition’s court after some intelligent Glasgow build up.

The defence, who were eagerly lined up at the front of the court also stepped up to the challenge, with the talismanic Jan Kapon soaring up to block some crafty shots made by the well-polished Cambridge outfit. Glasgow went on to win the second and third sets, meaning they needed to triumph in the fourth to win the game and earn a place in the semi-final.

However, Cambridge were by no means ready to accept defeat, leading to a anxiety-fuelled fourth set, with the exhausted players throwing themselves about the court.

An agonising battle ensued, with both teams alternately raking up points for their side. Luka Rejc and Martin Dvorak were key point scorers, producing some swift and powerful strikes.

The teams ended up neck and neck, with 24 points apiece, but neither managed to gain the two point advantage needed to secure the win. Cambridge eventually prevailed bringing the game to a deciding fifth set in which the first team to score fifteen points automatically claimed victory.

The ever-increasing crowd of Glasgow supporters kept the morale of the players high, shouting and cheering words of encouragement during the gripping finale. The team were focused and methodical, with a slick passing technique which usually resulted in the dynamic force Rejc receiving the ball and executing a string of spectacular winners.

The exhausted Cambridge team, who had brought no substitutes to the match, kept up their game, but Rejc gained the advantage and scored the fifteenth point for Glasgow, propelling them to victory in what was a high octane and fast-paced game.

The team were overjoyed with their well-deserved win against a very strong team. Captain Iain Leslie said: “I’m really proud of the team. We knew Cambridge would be tough competition as they are one of the top sides in the UK. However I have a lot of faith in Glasgow and knew we could deliver if we stayed focused and on top of the game.”

He also expressed his excitement for the upcoming semi-finals to be held in Sheffield. If the team can maintain this level of intensity then they can be sure that silverware beckons.

Glasgow University recently played host to the Scottish Universities Annual Canoe Polo Championship. On February 5, 25 teams from all over Scotland descended on Glasgow to compete for the coveted Open Shield and Ladies’ Cup in the only inter-university competition in the Polo calendar.

For the uninitiated, canoe polo is essentially water polo in, well, canoes, with five members on a team competing to score by throwing, dribbling or paddling the ball up the swimming pool, before thrusting it into the opponents’ goal. Perhaps surprisingly, the rules permit the pushing of players in possession of the ball into the water.

It can all get rather frantic, however, buoyancy aids are worn by all competitors and anyone contemplating a career in the sport will be pleased, or rather relieved, to note that no serious injuries occurred during this year’s event.

Glasgow University have a strong record in this competition, and this year did not disappoint. Their dominance in the sport over the last few years has been unfailing, and in a squad littered with internationalists they retained the cups that have come to be regarded as regular fixtures in the Glasgow University trophy cabinet. Their A team, made up of John MacArthur, Chris Bell, Ben Marshall, Teng Wei Keong and Paul Walker, won the Open Shield for a third year running; narrowly beating Strathclyde University for the second time in two years, by two goals to one. The team had cantered to the final, and even the most resilient of performances by Strathclyde in the highly anticipated Glasgow derby could not stop the hosts.

Glasgow Ladies also maintained their three-year-long winning streak in the Cup. Glasgow’s first team cruised through their group stages and into the finals, with such an appearance of ease that they looked destined to retain the most highly regarded trophy in the world of Scottish university canoe polo.
The team, led by Lorna Denny alongside Cath Johnstone, Ali MacLeod, Catriona Dykes, Amy Cowell, Rachel Burgess and Caity Aitken, captured the trophy when they hammered (and there really is no other word for it) Aberdeen Ladies 11-0.

The plate was contested by Glasgow University B team who narrowly missed out on a place in the final, and the chance to ensure a Glasgow whitewash, after an agonising loss to the Aberdeen B team, finally being edged out 2-1 in extra time. Aberdeen went on to win the plate, and restore some Northern pride after their humilation in the ladies, when they triumphed over Heriot-Watt.

For a club that recently had to deal with the theft of crucial equipment worth around £20,000, this competition provided light relief for members of the Glasgow University Canoe Club, who opened their doors to accommodate over 100 visiting competitors from cities all over Scotland.

The strong performances displayed by all three Glasgow University teams bode well for the upcoming British Universities Championship in May. Given their blistering form in this competition, they will certainly be one of the favourites to win the competition.

Organised by Susie Benson, Ben Marshall and Louise Cullum, this year’s event was declared an all-round success, and the club is keen to encourage others to try out the unusual sport.

As explained by Cullum, canoe polo must be seen to be truly believed. So for anyone who is interested in checking it out, and tempted to get involved, training takes place on a Thursday night from 6.30pm to 9.00pm in the Stevenson Building pool, and beginners are, of course, welcome to go along.

Ominous weather forecasts had threatened to put a dampener on GUSA’s annual inter-faculty sports extravaganza, yet the glorious occasion was matched only by the gloriously unseasonal sunshine that flirted with Glasgow for the weekend before returning to its more characteristic grey. Speaking at the opening of the football tournament GUSA president Steven Flavahan claimed that the weekend looked to have seen over 450 competitors taking part in an event that has historically seen the Medical faculties fiercly battle it out with the Engineers for Glasgow University sporting sovereignty; and it was to be the the Vets and the Engineers who were to eventually be forced to share the spoils after a gruelling weekend of sport in perhaps the most unpredictable inter-faculty competition to date.

The weekend’s opening event was the highly anticipated netball which saw the hugely fancied Medics, a team spoilt for choice in regards to international talent, take a comfortable victory as they stormed to the title at somewhat of a canter. However anyone expecting something of a medical whitewash was to soon see any gland slam aspirations perish as they struggled in the volleyball. The volleyball and basketball saw intense levels of competition but were eventually won by the LBSS in a turn of events that seemed to highlight the topsy-turvy nature of the weekend as a whole.

In the hockey it was the Engineers who eventually prevailed, overcoming a resilient Dentists’ team in a heated final. The hockey at one stage had looked the most likely to succumb to the early morning frost but thankfully intense efforts from the Garscube ground staff saw the pitch deemed to be in a playable condition.

It was a final that was given added significance as news gradually trickled into the players that should the Engineers secure victory then they would joint champions for the tournament as a whole.

Tom Harley, GUSA property and Alumni Convenor, who helped manage the weekend and who played for the engineers claimed “when we heard that news it definitely made us push harder, but they didn’t make it easier for us.” Harley went on to speak about the weekend as a whole claiming: “It’s been a brilliant turn out, everyone has had a great time and had a good laugh and hopefully this will see more and more people getting involved in sport in Glasgow”.

These sentiments were echoed by Glasgow 2nd year Medic Iain Marshall. “I’ve played in both the hockey and the volleyball, and although we’ve not won either it’s been a great fun, and with weather like this you can’t ask for much more.”

On a weekend targeted heavily by GUSA to see all faculties competing there was one for the statisticians: the first ever Arts faculty side entered into the competition. On hearing this news the Arts football captain, Philip Hunter, claimed he was “shocked, surprised but ultimately proud. We are a really big faculty, perhaps too big, but hopefully this can really spur the arts community to galvanise itself and who knows, maybe lead to future cup glory!”

It was the football competition that saw the greatest turn out, with almost twenty teams and well over 100 players vying for soccer supremacy. For the footballing romantics the group stages saw the ominous power of the Vets take on the Arts minnows yet anyone hoping for a Hollywood ending were to be disappointed as the underdogs were clinically dismantled by a Vets side looking on course to capture the coveted crown. It was in this imperious form that the Vets eventually triumphed, through a talented squad that has obviously reaped the benefits of training together week-in, week-out.

Overall the weekend highlighted the student body of Glasgow’s enthusiasm for sport, which were sentiments re-iterated by organiser Stuart Rankin, “the weekend has been a great success, it’s been really hotly contested but it has also been played with great spirit.”

So then, Superbowl XLIV? Did you watch it? If so, did you know exactly what was going on, or did you just look in to see what the fuss was about? I was a mixture of both; I had a fair grasp of the rules of American Football, courtesy of owning NFL Madden 2000 on the Playstation, but my main concern was the sleepless night ahead of me.

The Superbowl is like the finale of a television show which you have never seen before. You know that it is big in the US, and that from all reports is kind of a big deal. You watch it so that you have a vague idea of what happens, thus ensuring that you aren’t floundering in ignorance in conversations with your friends the next day — in this regard it’s a bit like Glee. However, as with a TV show, it takes a while to warm to the main characters. For instance, it is hard to feel any strong emotions towards Patton Manning, until you realise he is the latest in a family famous for quarterbacks and is in search of his fourth Superbowl winner’s ring.

The Superbowl is brash, loud, super-sized and commercialised (a thirty second advert during the game is estimated to cost $2.6 million). The half-time show alone is worth staying awake for. This year, The Who played during the interval. Imagine if the Champions League final had a brief interlude with a set from The Rolling Stones? The mind wanders to the Twenty20 cup final which had a half-time show performed by the Sugababes. It was just a bit bizarre when you realise they are a mere warm-up act for the Surrey Brown Caps chasing 130 on a flat track.

To joke about the blatant advertising in the Superbowl (which is brought to you by Bridgestone, by the way) seems to be a touch hypocritical when British sports appear to be just as bad; e.g the Heineken Cup or the Coca Cola Championship. It is interesting that the kits worn by both teams and all National Football League (NFL) franchises have no sponsorships, unlike football shirts which are now effectively mobile billboards.

Of course, the sport does itself no favours having franchises as opposed to teams. Those who simply do not like NFL can criticise the fact that teams can simply uproot to different cities. Apparently, this means a franchise is devoid of history; of links to a city the way a football club has. But really, who needs history?  If the Premiership could be as flexible as the NFL it would be. The desire for a 39th round of matches abroad was inspired by the NFL’s annual international game in London, but was shot down by Fifa.

American Football, of course, is not restricted to America: as well as NFL Europe — a league which was graced by the presence of the Scottish Claymores until a few years ago — the international game at Wembley is a huge event. For the 2009 game between the Saints and the Chargers the first 45,000 tickets sold out in an amazing ninety minutes.

The game itself was actually very interesting, despite my increasing tiredness creeping in. It is a game of strategy, tactics and planning, just like football, or rugby, or cricket. I did not know the technical terms (I will probably never know what “unnecessary roughness” is) but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment.

So, at the end of a long night, it was the New Orleans Saints who triumphed, 31-17. What the night proved for me though is that this game is far more entertaining than I thought it would be. It made me wonder, should we in Britain be taking this game more seriously?

Harry Tattersall Smith

When Rhona Martin cast the immortal stone that gifted Britain an Olympic gold medal, not only did it signify our first Winter Games victory since 1984, it rejuvenated a society disgruntled by the omnipresent image of the Adonis Athlete. The triumphant curling team of 2002 resembled more a gaggle of jovial housewives than world-beaters, who would have looked more at place down the bingo than atop the Olympic podium. Not since Eddy the Eagle’s glorious failure inspired the nation have we had such relatable role models. Being Olympic champion — albeit in an obscure sport — was again a realistic ambition for all those who had once given up hope.

Overnight, curling was transformed from the slightly surreal sport of the absurd to the sexiest pastime time since Gary Kasparov beat a computer at chess. Perhaps regrettably for those in the curling world, the surrounding furore has somewhat subsided and the frustrations seem to be continuing. This year’s big freeze almost saw a once-in-a-generation event take place: the bonspiel, which sees 20,000 people descend onto a frozen loch in the highlands to compete. Unfortunately it fell victim to a last minute logistical cancellation, but curling has certainly been one of the few sports to avoid this year’s frost bite, which has cost Scottish sport as a whole countless millions.

It is with the Glasgow Curling Team I find myself as I continue my pursuit of uncovering the sport in which my world championship aspirations can be fulfilled. My attitude to housework may occasionally be negligible but I’m pretty confident in my ability to use a broom, and that’s all curling is, right? Madly sweeping ice with brushes — which to the extent of my knowledge have the consistency and certainly the appearance of regulation household ones — to alter the speed of stones directed at bright coloured circles painted on frozen ponds. Surely that’s it? The perfect sport to which I can be hone my aspirations of world glory after a couple of intensive sessions? Wrong.

Curling, if anything, is like chess on ice. It is tactical to the point of having plays antagonised over in heated team discussions, whilst such is the required level of technique required to even throw the stone in the general direction, let alone with sufficient force to send it the correct distance, that I’m left inelegantly sprawled on the ice on several occasions.

The concept behind casting the stone lies in pushing yourself off against a mount set in the ice in a bizarre, yet graceful, lunging motion before launching it towards the mass of colour at the opposing end. Although that perhaps does it a great disservice, launching suggests that it is hurled whereas, if anything, to curl properly it is caressed; a finesse that is in stark contrast to the manic brush shovelling that it precedes.

I always thought our success at curling tied in with our national psyche. Ultimately, we are good at anything that doesn’t involve any degree of danger. However, it is only in playing that I realise how people can become so addicted. It may not be exhilarating to watch but it manages to simultaneously balance skill and strategy whilst being energetic and, ultimately, fun.

For coaching I’m left in capable hands. Ian Copeland is fresh from representing Great Britain in the World Junior games in Beijing, and is being coveted as a potential Olympian for the 2014 Winter Olympics to be held in Sochi, Russia. Curling as a sport doesn’t appear that accessible, or at least if it is, the knowledge really isn’t out there. I grew up five minutes’ from Scotland’s largest ice rink blissfully unaware that it was co-habiting with Scotland’s premier curling facilities.

Copeland agrees: “It is definitely a sport that is family-orientated — my family all do it and I guess it was always something I was going to do. Who knows if I would have got into it if it wasn’t for them. Probably not though.” Copeland’s utter dedication to the sport is admirable — “I’m away most weekends” — but when asked if he views it as a potential career, he scoffs. “No, there is no money in it. Hopefully it’ll allow me to do some more travelling, but not a living. However, that being said, a team have just come back from Canada and won $70,000, so who knows?”

For information, contact: captain-curling@gusa.gla.ac.uk