The Journal - Glasgow issue 1

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GLASGOW'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

ISSUE I

WEDNESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2011

RUK FEES: GREED OR PRAGMATISM? In a special report, The Journal explores the continuing debate over 6/7 Rest-of-UK tuition fees

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IAIN GREEN

IN NEWS >> 4

Eyewitness interview: Norway terrorist attacks The Journal speaks to an Edinburgh student who survived the attack that claimed 69 lives

IN NEWS >> 9

Fears over college cuts Upcoming spending and governance reviews raise the spectre of more mergers

IN ARTS >> 23

IN DEPTH: REPRIEVE FOR THE HETHERINGTON AS OCCUPATION ENDS

»12/13

Unions unite in calls for a 'socially responsible' Glasgow University

Sabbatical officer says institution can cash in on other universities profiteering efforts Alan Robertson Managing editor STUDENT and academic leaders have issued a joint call to University of Glasgow senior staff to showcase the higher education institution as “socially responsible” and effectively undercut rivals in the setting of tuition fees for rest of UK (RUK) students.

The president of Glasgow University Students’ Representative Council (SRC) said a real opportunity existed to Scotland’s third largest caterer of

English, Welsh and Northern Irish students to distance itself from the likes of Edinburgh and St Andrews who have opted to charge the maximum of £36,000 from next year.

A sub-committee of the university’s ruling Court is to meet to deliver a final verdict on how much RUK fee-paying students are to be charged with indicative levels announced prior to the end of September.

Glasgow can be expected to join Aberdeen, Heriot-Watt and the Glasgow School of Art in capping the cost of a four-year degree at around

£27,000 if middle ground between neighbour Caledonian University and its more prestigious anicent colleagues is sought.

Edinburgh University along with St Andrews are to become the most expensive places to study across the whole of the UK with £9,000 fees across the full four-years.

And in an exclusive interview with The Journal, SRC head Stuart Ritchie insisted the city’s largest higher education institution was ideally placed to promote a favourable image with incoming students in the wake of

decisions by Scottish competitors.

He said: “I think we can safely say that there is an opportunity for Glasgow to come out as the socially responsible university at the top of its game.

“As a university that has just moved up 20 places in the world rankings, is third in the Russell Group for National Student Survey results outperforming Edinburgh in terms of student satisfaction and overall happiness with the university, outperforming Edinburgh Continued on page 7

Johnny Thomson

IN SPORT>> 31

Glasgow City Ladies The Journal meets the last Scottish club playing in the Champion's League this year - the Glasgow City Ladies

2 News

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Recession fallout still being felt by recent graduates

THIS WEEK INSIDE

More than one in four of 2007 graduates not in full-time employment, survey finds LYDIA SHINING BRIGHTLY

» 15

Sleep-walking to independence Wretch 32

» 21

After securing his first UK number 1, the 26 year old rapper talks to The Journal University and Colleges Union officials called the trend "worrying"

David Brown

A RECENT SURVEY has revealed nearly 28 per cent of university graduates who completed their course in 2007 are yet to find full-time employment.

The figures, compiled by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and based on a sample of 49,065 graduates who left higher education in 2007, is likely to raise concerns among current and potential students regarding their future prospects.

The survey suggested 21 per cent of 2007 graduates were either working part-time or were back in education, whilst 3.6 per cent said they were unemployed and a further 3.5 per cent responded as ‘other’.

Sally Hunt, General Secretary for the University and College Union (UCU) said: “It is worrying that the number of graduates assumed to be unemployed

Ken Loach » 21 Glasgow Film Theatre plays host to tribute to celebrated director

Braehead Clan

» 29

After a successful run last season, Glasgow's ice hockey stars gear up to do battle once again

has risen.”

Ms Hunt also highlighted the difficulties of finding a job in the current market particularly for those who have recently graduated and said that students “deserve better prospects”.

The results of the survey have come at a time of large-scale cuts to university funding as well as rising tuition fees.

However, Ms Hunt did reassure prospective students entering higher education would ultimately be beneficial, as countries that place emphasis on graduates will “prosper in the long run”.

For graduates already in full-time employment the numbers looked more positive: 85.4 per cent of those questioned who had entered long-term employment since graduating said their qualification had been helpful or necessary in getting them into their current position. In addition, 76.5 per cent said that university had prepared them well for their career.

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ACADEMIC NEWS

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Academics raise fears of compulsory redundancies at Strathclyde Lecturers' union in warning ahead of crucial Court meeting later this month ALAN ROBERTSON

News 3

University 'forced' into £70k spend on contract cleaners

Alan Robertson Managing editor

Strathclyde students demonstrate earlier this year over plans to axe subjects.

Alan Robertson Managing editor FEARS A LEADING Glasgow university could be on the verge of pushing through a raft of compulsory redundancies have been raised by academics.

The Strathclyde University branch of the University and College Union (UCU), which represents staff at the institution, told The Journal it remains “sceptical” savings earmarked by senior management could be achieved via voluntary means.

The concerns come ahead of a meeting of the University’s ruling Court in the next few weeks to formally review the costs and recurrent savings of a voluntary scheme launched in an effort to shed up to 100 staff posts less than a year on from 350 employees leaving the institution.

The Voluntary Early Release Scheme (VERS) opened in May this year as part of plans to reduce annual salary costs by £4 million, albeit against a backdrop of claims terms are not attractive enough to entice staff.

A sub-group of Strathclyde’s ruling body, the Redundancy Committee of

Court, is now to present a report before senior University staff in the next week outlining the success of the scheme, renewing fears forced redundancies could potentially be pushed back on the table.

The institution refused to speculate on the outcome of the VERS scheme as papers had yet to be lodged with the institution's governing body.

But UCU Vice-President Bill Johnston said: “University officials will have to report to University Court on September 27 what the status of the university’s finances are. And part of that is going to have to be a report on whether or not the current commitment to achieving staff savings by voluntary means has worked.

“If it works, that is well and good.

But if it hasn’t, the Court will have to decide what it does next and one obvious implication is that they could move from voluntary means of reducing staffing to compulsory means. Hopefully that won’t happen but it’s clearly got to be a worry in many people’s minds.

“The VERS scheme they are promoting at the moment, I think many of us in the trade unions are not convinced it is going to be attractive enough to make

the kind of savings that it is designed to achieve.

“Again, I don’t think people are confident that compulsory means can be avoided. We all obviously hope that they can but at the moment you would have to be sceptical about it.”

The warning over compulsory reductions in staffing follows a decision by the institution in June to rubberstamp the scrapping of a raft of subjects.

University Court elected to axe courses in applied music, community education, geography and sociology in June this year as part of cost-cutting measures designed to save up to three-quarters-of-a-million.

University of Strathclyde Students' Association (USSA) President, Charandeep Singh, warned the prospect of staff being forced out could herald a detrimental effect on teaching at the Glasgow-based institution.

He added: "The changes from the last academic year has brought with it instability for both staff and students.

"It would be highly inappropriate for senior management to contemplate compulsory redundancies when they should be managing staff and student morale across the board and as a

publicly funded institution we should be protecting frontline jobs."

A university spokesman said: “The University has been taking a twin-track approach to dealing with the financial challenges affecting the higher education sector as a whole.

"Firstly, it is focusing on income generation. Strathclyde has an impressive track record in working with business and industry, and the University’s strategy on knowledge exchange is designed to maximise impact from these sources.

“Secondly, the University is looking at how best to reduce costs, without impacting negatively on the student experience or our research and knowledge exchange capability. This has included a Voluntary Early Release programme. Court will review the latest activity and information from this scheme when it is available at its next meeting.

“The University is continuing to invest on those areas which will enhance the University’s international research profile, contribute significantly to knowledge exchange and help it deliver a first-class student experience.”

A LEADING GLASGOW university paid out £70,000 on contract cleaners in the last two years – despite signing off on an annual spend of more than £2.5 million on employee equivalents.

Gross pay on Glasgow University cleaners has risen almost £100,000 from £2,423,241 in July 2009 to £2,519,989 two years later.

However, in the last two financial years the ancient institution has devoted an extra £69,192 over and above the wages of employees to cover the costs of contract cleaning companies. No private providers were turned to prior to 2009.

A university spokesman explained the expense was incurred as a result of outside help being sought only in "extraordinary circumstances".

The costs are contained in figures obtained by The Journal under Freedom of Information and relating to maintenance costs incurred by the city's chief higher education institutions.

Spend on cleaning materials to cover the Glasgow University campus, meanwhile, has risen by more than £150,000 in the space of four years from £249,722 in 2007-08 to £391,565 in the last financial year.

A spokesman for the institution said: “The University of Glasgow only uses contract cleaners in extraordinary circumstances, usually solely in the ‘changeover’ period when halls of residence are vacated by students at the end of term and need to be made ready for visitors in a very short space of time.

“As our usual staff complement is unable to effectively undertake the work in addition to their daily duties, outside contractors are brought in to ensure the rooms are cleaned to the expected standards.”

Meanwhile, Glasgow Caledonian University has seen grounds maintenance costs more than triple since 2007.

Seasonal gardening, roads and surfaces set the institution back £26,526 between August 2007 and July the following year, a figure that reached £80,691 in the most recent financial year.

A university spokesperson said the gap – which jumped by more than £35,000 between 2009-10 and 2010-11 – was the result of a bad winter that necessitated snow clearing equipment hire, additional salt and grit as well as hard surface repairs.

4 News

INTERVIEW

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Exclusive

'I remember his face just like it was yesterday' In July, an Edinburgh student found himself caught up in the chaos and horror of the Norway terror attacks. He spoke with the gunman, while his brother was later arrested as a suspected accomplice. Speaking exclusively with The Journal, he tells his story FABIO DUMA

77 people died during the 22 July terrorist attacks on Oslo and Utøya. The perpetrator, Anders Behring Breivik, is currently standing trial in Norway.

Olivia Pires Comment & Features Editor

I

N AN EDINBURGH cafe, as police outside corral the opposing masses of Scottish Defence League protesters and Unite Against Fascism campaigners who have gathered on the eve of the tenth anniversary of 9/11, John tells me about a cold July day on a Norwegian island called Utøya, when he found himself caught up in one of the greatest human tragedies of recent times.

On 22 July 2011, a far-right extremist named Anders Behring Breivik murdered 69 people, mostly teenagers, in cold blood on Utøya, hours after carrying out the bombing of a government building in Oslo which claimed eight more lives.

John - not his real name - is a 22-year-old student at Edinburgh Napier University. He met Breivik that day: they exchanged pleasantries, and John unwittingly helped unload cases of ammunition from the boat that ferries visitors to and from the island.

John’s 17-year-old brother Anzor was also on Utøya island that day. In the chaotic aftermath of

the attack, and amid reports that Breivik had not acted alone, Anzor was arrested by police and held in a cell adjacent to Breivik’s for 17 hours on suspicion of being an accomplice in the attack.

“I wasn’t supposed to be on the island,” he tells me matter-of-factly.

“I went there because my brother was there, and his friend asked me if I would come and help with organising some stuff, so I thought to myself: why not? I’ve got nothing to do. Why not?”

Utøya sits just 500 metres of the mainland, and is owned by the

"I saw him...

I talked to him... He was quite polite.

He wasn't smiling or laughing - he was serious."

youth wing of Norway’s governing Labour Party. Each summer, the Workers’ Youth League organise a summer camp there. On 22 July, a social event was to take place at the main campsite, to thank the young volunteers for their hard work and effort.

“I saw him - Anders Breivik,” the student tells me. “I talked to him, because I was there when he arrived with the boat. He was a normal guy. But he had two massive cases - black suitcases - and he asked us if we could help him lift them from the boat onto the island, because they were so heavy.”

The gunman was dressed as a policeman - highly trusted and respected individuals in Norway - and with the gathering that afternoon it seemed normal for there to be extra security, especially after the Oslo bombings only hours before.

He didn’t think twice about helping Breivik, he says. “Someone in the street asks you [for help], especially a policeman, you say ‘yes, of course, why not?’ They were so heavy. I thought it wasn’t normal for a suitcase this size to be so heavy.

“I never asked him what was in the case, but we all assumed it was equipment for the party - maybe

some speakers? I don’t know. It could have been anything.”

“I wouldn’t say he was friendly, but if you asked he answered. He was quite polite. He wasn’t smiling or laughing - he was serious, but he seemed alright. He was a normal guy.”

John explains how he helped carry the cases onto the island, and into a small car to be taken from the pier to the main campsite to be met by organisers, who had previously received a call saying that police were coming to the island as an added security precaution.

As Breivik drove off, the student remained at the water’s edge, talking to his friends.

A few minutes later, they heard the first gunshots - two single shots fired close together, he says, then a few seconds’ pause before a seemingly incessant burst of gunfire.

The student and his friends were sitting on the shore drinking beer when crowds of people came running through the woods, screaming and crying.

“I saw something I’ve never seen before,” he says. “They were running as a group, and when people get panicked they don’t know what they’re doing, so they just run. So he came after them. He was saying ‘Come here, I’ll help you. Why are

"It was chaos, because people were running all around... people were screaming, because somebody lost their friend, brother, sister." you running from me? Come to me, I’ll help you.’” The fact that Breivik was dressed as a police officer only added to the confusion.

John describes a scene of horror as the gunman fired into the fleeing crowd, and perhaps 25 people fell

The Journal Wednesday 14 September

to the ground. “Blood everywhere.

I don’t know how to describe it. I don’t want to. It was a horrible picture,” he says, lowering his gaze.

They fled along the right-hand side of the island, knowing that there they would find patches of woodland and caves in which they could seek refuge. They thought about trying to overpower the shooter, but his height and muscular physique would have made it almost impossible.

“When I was running with my friends, it was chaos, because people were running all around.

You could see dead bodies - people were screaming, because somebody lost their friend, brother, sister.”

Shock set in. To survive, many hid under the bodies of their friends and family members. Two Norwegian boys, no older than eight or nine, stood motionless in the panic, until the Edinburgh student picked them up and carried

Two Chechen youths saved 23 others, leading them to the safety of a cave and throwing stones at the gunman to distract him from killing them to safety. They were so frozen with fear, he says, that they didn’t even cry.

The gunman wore a bulletproof vest, and according to witnesses carried so many firearms that there was no need to reload: he would just empty one gun, drop it, and start firing with a fresh weapon.

“I’ve never seen so many people dying at the same time... so many young people, and there’s just one guy walking around shooting everybody,” he says, shaking his head, unable to understand.

Elsewhere on the island, 17-yearold Anzor was also fleeing for his life. He urged groups of people to spread out, but in the chaos they didn’t hear and were murdered before his eyes. One of his friends, a 17-year-old Somalian boy, was shot in the neck and died as Anzor tried to carry him to safety.

Anzor and a Norwegian boy escaped onto the rocks, hanging just below the lip of a cliff with nothing but the root of a tree to hold on to. At one point, they saw the gunman’s feet linger near the edge of the cliff. He did not look down. After 40 minutes hanging there, Anzor’s companion was unable to hold on any longer. He fell to his death on the rocks eleven metres below. He was just 18 years old.

In the immediate aftermath of the massacre, confusion set in.

People crept out from their hiding places, many screaming and crying in shock. Breivik had killed nine children in the last moments of his rampage, while police waited for

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boats to take them across to the island, unable to act. By the time he surrendered, 69 people were dead on Utøya.

Anzor had clung onto that treeroot for two hours before it seemed safe to emerge. He quickly found two of his closest friends: Movsar Dzhamayev, 17 and Rustam Daudov, 16. They are the Chechen youths who managed to save 23 others by leading them to the relative safety of a cave, and who threw stones at the attacker to distract him from killing.

Anzor thought the ordeal was finally over, until he was arrested by police on suspicion of working with Breivik. The arresting officers, Anzor said later, didn’t believe that he was the same person shown on his identification documents, and that they likened his shaved head to the style favoured by neo-Nazis.

He spent 17 hours in the cell next to Breivik, the man who had killed so many of his friends. He was not able to make a telephone call, and his family feared that he was among the dead. They spent hours driving around hospitals and morgues, desperately searching for him.

“We - me and my parents - we thought he was dead,” says John.

“We were looking for his body so we could make a proper funeral, but we couldn’t find him and the police wouldn’t allow him to give us a call. I was helping with the dead bodies, and I was looking for him.

I wanted to find his body, at least.

I wanted to see that he was dead, because there were so many people who tried to swim to shore and Breivik shot them, and their bodies were underwater.”

Anzor was eventually released from custody, and later received a personal apology from Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg.

As Norway comes to terms with the horror of the attacks, questions have been raised about why the police were unable to intervene sooner, and about Anzor’s treatment while he was in custody.

Police officials have apologised for the fact that Anzor, a minor under Norwegian law, was not able to contact his family while he was being held. But now, John says, he and his brother just want to get on with their lives.

At this point in our interview, the weather takes a turn. It’s late in the day. My interviewee has remained calm throughout our conversation, rage bubbling up quickly suppressed. The enormity of the tragedy on Utøya is incomprehensible, and Breivik’s motives - if he had any - may never be understood, but as we part he gives his final judgment of the murderer; one that echoes the senselessness of his actions.

“I remember his face just like it was yesterday. You could see that he was not thinking of the children he was shooting. He was not thinking about what he was doing. You could see the calm on his face,” he says. “He was not a psycho, he knew what he was doing.

“I don’t know how a person can be so cold and cruel. I don’t know.

I can’t understand this guy. I don’t think I’ll ever get over it, but if you ask me if I feel more or less safe now... yes, I do.”

Editor's note: The Journal agreed to grant anonymity to the subject of this interview on the grounds that he is currently living and studying in Scotland.

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The Journal Wednesday 14 September

Special report: Rest-of-UK tuition fees

Human rights challenge to RUK fee rise

Caledonian heap pressure on city colleagues with RUK fees undercut ALAN ROBERTSON

Phil Shiner to sue Scottish Government over 'discrimination'

Leighton Craig

THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT is facing legal action from English students who claim that its decision to charge the maximum of £9,000 a year in University fees breaches their human rights.

The decision has been made as the University of Edinburgh, University of Aberdeen and Heriot-Watt University all chose to charge the maximum fee for a degree course for non-Scottish students from the UK. Heriot-Watt and Aberdeen Universities will be charging £9,000 a year, but will not charge for student's fourth year, making the total cost for a 4 year degree £27,000. Edinburgh will charge the full £36,000.

Public Interest Lawyers, the Birmingham-based law firm who are representing the students, argues that the system violates the European Convention on Human Rights and potentially Britain’s Equality Act. Phil Shiner, of Public Interest Lawyers, has said that he will be instigating legal proceedings as soon as possible.

Mr Shiner is said to be representing seven English students who feel that the fees are “discriminatory”.

The Scottish Government have been accused of acting unjustly by providing a free university education to Scottish students but charging students from other UK residencies the maximum fee.

The decision is deemed even more controversial given that EU nationals from outwith the UK can receive free university education in Scotland, as EU laws dictate that students from other EU countries must be treated the same way as their Scottish counterparts.

However, the Scottish Government has defended the fees, insisting that they are legitimate and that they are not based on students' “ordinary domicile” but rather their nationality.

Phil Shiner

Glasgow Caledonian University is just one of six institutions thus far not to favour maximum £9,000 fees for RUK students.

Alan Robertson Managing editor PRESSURE IS MOUNTING on higher education institutions in Glasgow to resist charging maximum fees to students from the rest of the UK (RUK) after Glasgow Caledonian University moved to became the first university in Scotland to declare levels lower than £9,000 a year.

Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland arriving at the institution from 2012-13 onwards are to face an annual expense of £7,000, with the total cost capped at £21,000.

The decision leaves Caledonian in thus far unoccupied territory in the wake of Edinburgh, St Andrews, the University of Aberdeen, Heriot-Watt and the Glasgow School of Art all opting to introduce fees of £9,000 a year for RUK students, albeit with the latter three vowing to only charge for the first three years of degrees.

Student leaders welcomed the restraint demonstrated by the Glasgowbased institution against a backdrop of calls for neighbours Glasgow and Strathclyde to take a similar route.

A decision is likely to be reached at Glasgow in the next fortnight, while at Strathclyde it is understood a meeting of the University Court Business Group – comprised, among others, by the institution's executive team – took place in the days leading up to the The Journal going to print.

A meeting of the University highest academic body, Senate, was set to take place soon after with a paper "taking into consideration" discussions had on the subject of RUK fees due to be sent out within the week.

The Journal understands initial discussions intimated fee levels of £9,000 could be on the cards for certain subjects but no overarching consensus has since been reached ahead of a meeting of University Court on September 27.

"A lot has changed as the last month has progressed," one source close to the negotiations told The Journal. "If the question is can Strathclyde actually charge £9k fees, then they could be thinking why not when other universities have got away with it," the individual added.

Initial discussions of a two-tiered approach – setting higher fees for engineering and technology subjects compared to arts and social sciences – are no longer relevant and are "pretty much not going to happen" in the wake of competitors decisions to charge identical levels across the board.

The recent wave of announcements across the country comes after education secretary Michael Russell unveiled plans allowing Scottish universities to set their own levels at up to £9,000 per year. The fees, which will not apply to Scottish students, were introduced to ensure institutions north of the Border remain competitive with rivals throughout the rest of the UK. Robin Parker, President of National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland, said: “We fully reject any increase in fees, but we’re calling on Strathclyde and other universities yet to set their fees to take a different path from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Heriot Watt or from English universities by minimising fee levels and by providing a robust bursary package for the poorest students.

“The decisions taken by the Westminster Government to raise fees down south and by the Scottish Government to allow a maximum of £9,000 a year

for students from the rest of the UK has already set off a dangerous race to the top which could see all but the most affluent students from England, Northern Ireland and Wales priced out of education.

“Setting tuition fees at this rate will go way beyond the level that is needed to protect places for Scottish students at Strathclyde University and will only serve to damage its reputation for students from the rest of the UK.” The University and College Union (UCU) Scotland echoed calls for a “sensible” approach to the setting of levels.

Scottish Official, Mary Senior, said: “The cranking up of fee levels started by Aberdeen University is a cause of real concern as other universities now consider their own charges.

“Universities who need to set lower fees to attract more students will now be pressurised to follow this trend or risk be seen as a lower quality university; a dangerous precedent that will leave universities charging high fees to a diminishing body of other UK students.

“Glasgow Caledonian have at least been sensible in setting a fee that will be attractive to other UK students and not following the worrying trend of maximum fees. We hope that other Glasgow universities follow their lead rather than the staggering fees announced by Edinburgh.”

Glasgow Caledonian Principal Professor Pamela Gillies said lower levels together with bursaries for students from low-income backgrounds would ensure the city’s newest university remained accessible to all.

Gillies said: “At Caledonian University, we are committed to providing an educational opportunity for talented students whatever their circumstances.

» THE FEES SO FAR

£36k University of Edinburgh £36k University of St Andrews

£27k Heriot-Watt University

£27k Glasgow School of Art

£27k University of Aberdeen

£21k Glasgow Caledonian

“For this reason, we have set a fee level that reflects the high value of our degree programmes, but through an appropriate scholarship and bursary scheme will also ensure that our degrees are within reach of all who may benefit.”

Matte Andrews, President of Glasgow Caledonian University Students’ Association, said: “While we are opposed to any fee rise in principle, we are glad that GCU has not set fees at the ridiculous levels we have seen elsewhere.”

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STUDENT NEWS

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'Where my Dad stays less than 6 months each year means I need to reconsider my dream of teaching'

COMMENT Michael Russell

17-year-old Craig Millar tells The Journal about his prospects in higher education in the wake of rest of UK fee levels being set I GO TO Queen Victoria School in Dunblane. It is a boarding school for children whose parents serve in the armed forces. When he isn't deployed abroad my Dad lives in the east of England.

This means I am classed as an English student even though my parents are Scottish and my school is in Scotland.

I am just going into sixth year and I am really excited about some of the subjects I'm doing this year. I am re-sitting Higher English and Maths which I am not too excited about but I am going to do Advanced Higher Geography after getting an A in my Higher and doing Higher P.E. I have a keen interest in Geography and sports and I would like to be a geography teacher. I want to go to the University of Glasgow because it is supposed to have a really good Geography programme. Their geography department is one of the largest in the UK and they are high up on the league tables.

Going to Glasgow University would also give me some excellent opportunities in sport. I am a very keen rugby player and there are many rugby teams and academies around. I would also get to live and study in a city I know well because it isn't all that far from Dunblane.

Many of my Scottish classmates will

be choosing universities in Scotland but I'm going to need to look elsewhere.

The introduction of fees for rest of UK students will put me at a disadvantage because my family can't afford to help me pay my way through university.

None of the other geography courses look as good but I am going to have to look at courses at other universities. I am considering Queens University Belfast because Ireland is now the cheapest place to study. I know that Queens isn't the best choice for me but with fees as high as a possible £9k a year I am going to have to go somewhere I can afford. I don't want to leave university with £36,000 of debt hanging over me while I struggle to find a job.

If the fees were lower I would definitely be picking a university in Scotland, preferably the University of Glasgow but now I'm thinking 'do I work and do an Open University course or do I rethink becoming a geography teacher altogether?'

Despite living in Scotland for the last six years and having Scottish parents, I can't afford to stay here to study the course I want to at the university that's best for it. It's down to the geography of where my Dad stays for less than 6 months of most years that I need to reconsider my dream of becoming a geography teacher.

ANDREW GASS

Craig Millar, 17, wants to be a geography teacher

Unions unite in call for 'socially responsible' Glasgow University' Sabbatical officer says institution can cash in on other universities profiteering efforts

Continued from p1 in terms of our jump up the league table… and with a smaller market share of RUK students, I think there is a real opportunity for the university to be innovative and say Glasgow will be socially responsible.

“There is a real opportunity and that is what we are pushing for. There is another meeting of the working group in the next couple of weeks. I can categorically say a decision has not been made and can’t be made until that group meets again.

“I think we’re clear about the direction we’re going but what level we’re at yet, how it would be divided that’s really what the questions are about.

How it will be split up and how it will be supported – those questions have still to be answered.”

Ritchie, who sits on the working

group tasked with drawing up conclusions to be presented before University Court on October 12, also fired a veiled parting shot at other student associations’ such as Strathclyde who have adopted an offensive campaign strategy ahead of senior staff delivering a final decision.

Ritchie added: “People will say we’ve been quiet on the fees front. And that has been deliberate because it is a decision where I do feel the university’s hand has been forced and we’re trying to work constructively with the university.

“I personally saw very little benefit in having a big splashy campaign which could potentially backfire as it did in Edinburgh.”

Dave Anderson, President of the Glasgow University branch of the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU), warned of a “very real risk” institutions across the country could be seen

as attempting to cash in on lucrative RUK students.

He said: “Universities have been trying to maximise income for years, but to use RUK fees as a cash cow not only disadvantages academically able RUK students from less well off backgrounds, it could also put at risk the quality of education available to home students.

“Edinburgh's rush to have the most expensive degrees in the UK is indefensible. Glasgow have yet to set an RUK fee, and the feeling amongst staff is that the level should be set as cost neutral to ensure we maintain RUK student numbers and avoid the accusation of profiteering.”

A spokesman for the institution said a final decision had yet to be made.

He said: “The University of Glasgow is in the process of deciding what level of fees to apply and will announce this in due course."

News 7

» FEES UPDATE GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART has announced plans to charge RUK students £27,000 for degree courses.

The institution has set an annual fee level of £6,750 for four-year art and design degree courses from next year.

However, those enrolled to study architecture over four years together with students opting to start art and design in second year are to pay £9,000 per year – establishing the institute as the fifth Scottish university to set fees at the maximum level.

Director Professor Seona Reid said: "The GSA has set its proposed RUK fees after very careful consideration."

NUS Scotland President Robin Parker said: “The race to the top in terms of setting fees for students from the rest of the UK, started last December by the Westminster Government, is showing no sign of slowing, as Glasgow School of Art demonstrates that it's the price tag, not the quality of the education, by which it should be judged by."

Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning AS A GOVERNMENT we fundamentally believe in the principle of free education, and that is why we have made it clear that we will never introduce tuition fees for Scottish undergraduate students.

In an ideal world, no student attending a Scottish university would pay fees. However, with the UK government introducing tuition fees south of the border of up to £9,000 per annum we must take action to ensure that we protect opportunities for students who live in Scotland to study at Scottish institutions, and we make no apologies for that.

We must take action to ensure that we protect opportunities for students who live in Scotland to study at Scottish institutions, and we make no apologies for that.

If we were to take no action, Scotland would become the cheapest destination for higher education in the UK. Students who usually live in England could, for example, continue to pay fees of £1,820 per year to attend a Scottish university as opposed to up to five times that – £9,000 – in their home nation.

This would create an unparalleled level of competition for places at Scottish universities, squeezing out suitably qualified Scottish domiciled students.

However, by taking decisive action to introduce legislation to allow our universities to charge higher fees we are protecting places for Scottish students and the competitiveness and quality of our universities.

Universities have already made clear that they intend to offer a range of bursaries and scholarships to make sure Scottish higher education remains accessible to learners from diverse backgrounds across the UK. Our decisive action will ensure young Scots are able to reap the rewards of our excellent universities and they won’t end up saddled with years of debt by doing so. This can only benefit our young people and in turn Scotland’s economy.

The Journal Wednesday 14 September

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ACADEMIC NEWS

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Cash cut to Scottish colleges set to pose 'survivability' headache Warnings further education sector could be in the firing line ahead of Spending Reciew Stef Millar

A FURTHER CASH cut to colleges in the forthcoming Scottish Government Spending Review could force members of the further education sector to merge, student leaders have warned.

An outline on the future of funding for colleges and universities as well as student support is to be delivered

by Finance Secretary John Swinney on September 21.

However, a memo written by National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland leader Robin Parker and leaked to The Journal ahead of the announcement raises serious fears the further education sector could face a further financial hit.

The most recent review, published last year, saw the college budget cut by 10.4 per cent, leading to concerns over course closures, job losses and the risks of bursaries and discretionary funding being scaled back.

The prospect of a repeat performance has culminated in claims colleges could have to contend with an issue of "survivability".

Glasgow-based Stow College was one institution to suffer severely last time round, losing just under £1m of their budget - equivalent to around 10.2%. Two years ago Stow withdrew from plans for a £300 million super-college in the heart of the city amid fears the speed attributed to any merger would lead to inevitable jobs losses.

Stuart Roney, acting President of Stow Students' Association, told The Journal: “Stow would feel the cuts right across the board. We managed to save our courses after the last spending review but they wouldn’t survive another cut.

"It would become a survivability issue for the college and leave us in the position of having to merge with City of Glasgow.”

While members of the college currently worry over the future of courses and the institution itself, the wider implications of the spending review has also prompted concern within Scotland's education sector as a whole.

Student union NUS Scotland, in their consultation prior to this month's announcement, called on government to deliver £36m extra in higher education support and the rollout of an entitlement for further education students.

However, in a memo seen by The Journal Mr Parker conceded: “If I had to make a bet just now on what was to happen it would be something along the lines of about 15-20m extra in HE student support, an FE entitlement and a further cash cut to colleges.

"Obviously some bits of this would be great and some a big problem. So whether that is a correct guess or not we'll have to do some quick thinking and planning once the Govt's plans become more definitive.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said details of plans would not be unveiled until later this month when SNP Minister Swinney sets out his spending review.

ALAN ROBERTSON

Launched last year, Glasgow City College boasts 40,000 students.

» COLLEGE GOVERNANCE REVIEW As thousands of students throughout Scotland start a new academic year, the future of the further education sector remains clouded in uncertainty ahead of a Scottish Governmentbacked review into governance procedures across the sector.

Education Minister Mike Russell has repeatedly expressed a desire to reduce the number of colleges nationwide from an existing 41. The University of Edinburgh's merger with Edinburgh College of Art has formally taken effect – two years earlier than originally proposed – while across the country City of Glasgow College has recently celebrated its first birthday.

Formed from three institutions – the Metropolitan College, Glasgow

Central College and the Glasgow College of Nautical Science – City of Glasgow now offer learning to 40,000 students. As a condition of the merger, the college agreed to avoid compulsory redundancies until 2013.

However, staff have still expressed fears over job security. Jim Snell, of Unison's City of Glasgow branch, which represents several support staff, said: "The fear is still there and it is justified to a point because there will be reduced staff through voluntary severance. There will be job losses – but not compulsory redundancies.

"There are still jobs being lost from the establishment: support staff, nonteaching staff, and the people who process bursaries – frontline staff."

Despite fears attached to the prospect of mergers, the institution has seen the process supported by the input of government funds. The average student has not seen class sizes increase nor has there been problems with duplicated courses.

Graeme Kirkpatrick, Depute President of NUS Scotland, said: "There is a fine balance to be struck between economic and social drivers for mergers, and the interests of students must be the primary driver of any merger, not saving money or centralising control."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The colleges review won’t be published until the end of the year.

Ministers await its findings with interest."

Colleges face high dropouts

SAAS to crack down on dodgers

Innaccurate picture, says College principal

New recording system introduced

Tom McCallum Staff Writer MORE THAN ONE in four college students across Scotland are dropping out of full-time further education before completing their courses, a new report has revealed.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) found 28 per cent of college students drop out early, while a further 12 per cent of students finish their courses but fail to achieve the full qualification aimed for.

However, a sharp rise in the number of people enrolling and the higher proportion of full-time courses on offer may account for the high drop-out rate,

the SFC said.

Sue Pinder, Principal of James Watt College, claimed the findings failed to present an accurate picture.

She said: “There are a number of reasons why students leave James Watt College and some of these factors are not reflected by the statistics.

"One reason is that many of our students find work in their career of choice before completing their studies. In our opinion these are success stories.“ SFC chief executive, Mark Batho, said: “To an extent, the statistics reflect the challenges faced by colleges reaching out into communities and trying hard to get people involved in learning."

John Sheppard Staff Writer STUDENTS who consistently fail to attend classes could stand to lose individual funding support under a new recording system introduced by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).

The Attendance Data Record Project, which is this year being implemented by the funding body for the first time, is aimed at reducing wasteful spend by ensuring students failing to turn up to classes see their awards withheld.

Existing arrangements see around 30 per cent of students slip through the attendance process, with individual

colleges and universities now tasked with submitting accurate attendance on a regular basis that SAAS can then monitor.

Measures are in place to ensure students do not lose necessary support as a result of legitimate absences.

Only where the student is expected but fails to attend on a consistent basis will a loss of funding occur, leaving those with genuine reasons such as illness and with pre-authorisation unaffected.

Asked to comment on the changes, John Spencer, Convener of Scotland's Colleges' Principals' Convention, said, "Scotland's Colleges will carefully consider any changes that are made by SAAS and the possible effects this may have on student funding and course attendance."

News 9

NEWS

SHORTS

AC/DC exhibition arrives in Glasgow AN EXHIBITION showcasing the works of world-renowned rock band AC/DC is to be unveiled in Glasgow this month.

The exhibition – the only one ever to be approved by the band – invites visitors to see up to 450 items linked to the outfit’s 37-year career that, until now, have never been on public display.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in the west-end of Glasgow is to be the only European stop of the exhibition, which will reveal materials on loan from fans, record company archives as well as the band members themselves.

Highlights are set to include one of Angus Young’s custom-made guitars as well as handwritten lyrics to classic song Highway to Hell.

The exhibition has been on tour through Australia over the last years and according to curator Tim Fisher, the showing was welcomed with a fantastic reaction from fans.

He said: “Judging by ‘bums on seats’, where we have had a combined attendance of around 415,000 visitors during the displays in Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin and Perth the fans have very much enjoyed it.”

The exhibition will open on September 17 and will run until the end of January next year.

Strathclyde in THE Awards shortlisting THE UNIVERSITY OF Strathclyde has emerged as the only Glasgowbased institution to be shortlisted in a nationwide set of awards aimed at acknowledging excellence in higher education.

Strathclyde is one of six Scottish universities to feature within the 18 categories of this year’s Times Higher Education Awards.

A lighting system that has the capacity to kill hospital superbugs – including MRSA and E.coli – has seen the institution nominated for Research Project of the Year alongside the likes of Reading and Leicester.

Meanwhile, a shortlisting for Outstanding Support for Early Career Researchers follows the recent launch of initiatives designed to bridge the gap between work and personal and career development.

Fundraising for Celtic Legend A CAMPAIGN to raise £1.2m toward a laboratory in memory of Celtic legend Tommy Burns has been launched.

The Tommy Burns Lab will support cancer research at the new £10m Beatson Translational Research Centre under construction at Glasgow University’s Garscube Campus.

The campaign comes three years after the former Parkhead player and manager died of skin cancer.

The Journal Wednesday 14 September

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STUDENT NEWS

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News 11

Strathclyde's roll-out of free language classes welcomed by Scottish business community Union president poised to follow through on pre-election pledge in bid to boost internationalisation agenda Alan Robertson Managing editor FREE TUITION IN a host of foreign languages is to be rolled out within weeks at the city’s second-largest university, The Journal can reveal.

Strathclyde Students’ Association (USSA) together with the Language Learning Centre at Strathclyde will deliver the online language classes in a move that has received full financial backing from the university.

The programme, which will enable an almost 30,000-strong student population learn all European languages as well as Chinese, follows a pre-student election pledge by current president

Charandeep Singh to improve the University’s internationalisation agenda.

Union head Singh insisted that Strathclyde was doing a “disservice” to its students under current arrangements which fail to broaden learners’ horizons.

Business leaders welcomed the initiative as a “positive” move that could leave graduates better prepared to meet the needs of Scotland’s future economy.

Under the plans, up to six support staff within the university’s modern languages department will be on hand to guide students through the likes of French, German, Spanish, Italian and Polish. The offering could be expanded later in the year to include Mandarin and Arabic.

The announcement comes a month after the Scottish Government unveiled plans to establish a working group to consider the role of employers, universities and parents in promoting language provision.

Twenty-one-year-old student head Singh, who last year occupied the post of vice president of Equality and Diversity, told The Journal: “It’s not a class in the traditional sense but through an online platform with support from various partners in the university to help students through it. That will be rolled out between week one and week four of semester one.

“It is almost like a Rosetta Stonetype learning programme. It is pretty much a ‘do it yourself’ but because

we’re in a university we have the added advantage of being able to use university staff as well that are experienced in the language and the culture.

“This is one of those things that should have happened a long, long, long time ago in every university. My year as VP was proof that students do want to participate in these kind of activities – they just need the tools.”

David Lonsdale, assistant director of CBI Scotland, said: “If we are to rebalance our economy towards one based on business investment and trade rather than debt fuelled consumer and government spending, then having the right skills to win business abroad and service overseas customers will be increasingly important in future.

“This is a positive move by the student association, recognising the economic and cultural importance of appreciating other cultures and languages, and will help raise the status of these subjects which are increasingly in demand from industry.”

Dr George Mann, Head of the Language Learning Centre at Strathclyde, said: “The TellMeMore language learning system will enhance learning opportunities for all students, who will have the chance to train in a broad spectrum of languages at levels ranging from absolute beginner to advanced.

“Its introduction is in keeping with Strathclyde’s identity as an international university and we look forward to it becoming a valuable resource.”

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The Journal Wednesday 14 September

Special report: The Free Hetherington occupation COMMENT

Why the Glasgow occupation matters

Officers' 'no legal authority' to force removal of student protesters, inquiry reports

IAIN GREEN

Not just an occupation, but a movement Sarah Jones

AFTER 7 MONTHS of continuous occupation, students at Glasgow University have won a victory against cuts to our education. We occupied the former Hetherington Research Club on 1 February in protest at the cuts to courses and jobs at our university. Now the longest running student occupation in the UK has ended in a significant victory for the anti-cuts movement on our campus.

The occupation, dubbed “The Free Hetherington”, became a base for activity on campus - placards and banners were made, leaflets were handed out and demonstrations were organised, with free evening meals cooked to fuel this hive of activity. Alongside this many film showings, workshops and lectures were held, from physics to politics, and many celebrities such as Liz Lochhead and Billy Bragg came to show their support. A social and organising space at the heart of our campus, I feel we helped build the sense of community that university management intended to crassly and illogically tear away from our university with their cuts, made whilst the University of Glasgow was and still is operating in a financial surplus.

The occupation’s negotiations with university management resulted with a deal that meant that no further course cuts or compulsory redundancies would be made in the near future. This was after a mass campaign against course cuts, of which the Occupation was a part, united students across departments with lecturers and other staff, along with graduates and members of the community. We successfully prevented management from passing through proposals to cut Modern Languages, Nursing, Department of Adult and Continuing Education, Classical Studies, Anthropology, Archaeology and Social Work. Though these courses were saved, cuts to Liberal Arts at Crichton Campus and Slavonic studies are still

currently going ahead.

Another concession won by the occupation is a mass meeting with the principal of Glasgow University, Anton Muscatelli, to be held in October. Here, students and staff will be able to hold Muscatelli to account for the poor decisions of management – by asking why £16million has been spent on the ineffective MyCampus computer system whilst cuts to some courses are still going ahead, demanding that Liberal Arts and Slavonic Studies are not axed, and making sure that the occupation’s agreed wins including that of a new postgraduate social space are kept to. It is by such collective action that we will ensure management are held to account. When on March 22nd we were evicted from the Free Hetherington, hundreds of students took part in a spontaneous occupation of the Senate rooms of the university, resulting in a negotiated return to the Hetherington.

This demonstrates what collective action is able to achieve.

Edinburgh University has recently announced a £36,000 price tag on a degree. Free education is a necessity for a civilised society. We must ensure that the same massive debt is not forced upon English students at our own University as well as continuing our campaign against cuts to courses.

We do this, however, with the hope that we have in some way constructed a narrative of possibility - the possibility that we are capable of stopping cuts to our education and we and others around the country can do so again.

Last winter saw a wave of protests and occupation across Scotland and the rest of the UK. It looks likely that we will see this happen again. Into the new semester we continue the fight, stronger and inspired that our movement can gain more, and defend our university as a great place to study, work and live.

Sarah Jones is a second-year University of Glasgow student and a former Hetherington occupier

IAIN GREEN

Occupation of Hetherington Building extended to 212 days in all.

Staff start clear out following end of student occupation at University of Glasgow Building.

Alan Robertson Managing editor POLICE AND UNIVERSITY bosses have come under fire over efforts to end a student occupation that culminated in “considerable public disorder and disturbance”.

An internal inquiry into the attempted eviction of protestors inside the Hetherington Building at Glasgow University found Strathclyde Police had “no legal authority” for the move earlier this year.

Senior officials at the institution also came under attack by the inquiry, led by Charles Kennedy, former leader of the Liberal Democrats and the university’s rector, for the “opportunistic” attempt to bring the occupation to a close “without due consideration of the possible outcomes”.

And the part played by protestors fell under the spotlight amid claims their actions coupled with damage caused to university property rendered the occupation “beyond legitimate protest”.

The sit-in came to a close in the last few weeks after protestors spent a total of 212 days inside the former postgraduate research club over plans to close the building as well as wider cuts to the higher education sector as a whole.

However, a botched eviction seven weeks into the protest saw more than three dozen police officers, a dog-handling unit and a helicopter deployed to the scene in University Gardens.

The inquiry concluded the university's management of the occupation prior to March 22 was "professional, considered and appropriate". The lowkey approach adopted was a "sensible one" in the circumstances and "may well have been successful in bringing the occupation to an end", it added.

But Mr Kennedy warned: "By contrast, the decision on March 22 to adopt the 'opportunistic approach' to bring the occupation to an end was

taken without due consideration of the possible outcomes.

"The inquiry is satisfied that it was not an attempt to 'evict' the occupiers but instead an attempt to secure the premises and prevent further access.

The inquiry is of the view that the decision taken was one which ought to have been recognised as likely to give rise to significant problems."

An absence of effective consultation and leadership saw the option to proceed with the planned eviction left to a single member of staff, Secretary of Court, David Newall – a move that did little to ease tensions, the inquiry added.

"Events moved very quickly indeed following the attempt to secure the building,” the report said. “In the inquiry's opinion there was an early opportunity for the university to defuse the situation by abandoning the attempt to control access to the building.

"This opportunity was not recognised, arguably because there was no effective command and control of the operation in place."

Police confirmed to the panel – which also included George Muir QC, Professor Sheila Rowan, and former Vice-President of Glasgow University Students’ Representative Council (SRC), Fraser Sutherland – officers who attended and removed protestors “should not have done so as they had no legal authority for this action”.

However, the inquiry cautioned: “It is clear that the Police had not been informed in advance of the proposed attempt to end the occupation. This was an error of judgement.

“The Inquiry is satisfied that had the Police been consulted they would have advised against and recommended that the University obtain a court order requiring the occupiers to leave the building.”

Superintendent Nelson Telfer, of Strathclyde Police, said: "We welcome the fact that the report is an acknowledgement of the strength of our relationship with the university and the

fact that our officers behaved professionally and courteously during what was a difficult situation.

"We do accept, however, that for a short period at the start of the incident, our officers did assist in the eviction of some of the students. This is something that should not have happened.”

University principal Professor Anton Muscatelli said: "The university welcomes this report, and is grateful to the panel for their work, and to our rector Charles Kennedy for chairing the inquiry.

"We find the report fair, and its recommendations appropriate."

Students involved in the sit-in “beyond doubt” behaved illegitimately, the panel concluded, albeit “disappointment” was expressed no members of the Hetherington occupation reportedly submitted evidence to help the inquiry draw up recommendations.

In response to the findings, the Free Hetherington group demanded a formal apology from both university management and Strathclyde Police amid criticism the inquiry failed to deliver independent findings.

A spokeswoman said: "What should have been solely an inquiry into the forceful and illegal eviction of a peaceful protest has decided to comment on the legitimacy of the protest itself.

“Free political protest is a basic tenet of democracy and regardless of disagreement with the occupation the panel members have no right to decide if it was ‘legitimate’ or not.

"We welcome the admission by the police that the eviction was illegal. We expect a formal apology to follow from both Strathclyde Police and University management."

A statement issued by SRC said: “Whilst it is regrettable that no evidence was received from students identifying themselves as members of the occupation, we believe that the report provides a balanced account of the events of 22nd March 2011 and with the occupation now drawn to a close, that the issue has been concluded.”

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STUDENT POLITICS

News 13

'We’re very lucky and I couldn’t face the idea of that changing' Occupiers from inside the recently-emptied Hetherington Research Club speak to The Journal about how the seven months unfolded, life after the botched eviction and their insistence that more is yet to come IAIN GREEN

Alan Robertson Managing editor "THIS IS NOT the end – it’s just the end of the beginning," insists 23-year-old Bean Reoch who stands smiling, her back turned to the building that has become a second home in the last seven months.

Chants still echo along University Avenue as almost three dozen demonstrators pour out into the afternoon air, the door now permanently pinned shut for the first time since February.

“I have a daughter so I couldn’t stay overnight most nights. But she is in nursery during the day so I would come down and do what I can," said the University of Glasgow Politics student outside a recentlyemptied Hetherington, now awash with a pack of press photographers.

“She is one-and-a-half years old and too young to understand but one of my main reasons for getting involved was that when she reaches university age, if she chooses to go, I want it to be what it has been for me and my contemporaries.

"We’re very lucky and I couldn’t face the idea of that changing."

Neither could her fellow occupiers, a minimum of three opting to stay behind each night to ensure entry remained open the following morning amid fears a second strike to oust the Free Hetherington Group could be in the pipeline.

Despite a clear division of opinion within the fourth oldest university in the UK on the movement and its means, many watched in awe as police poured in on the morning of March 22 ready to retain the former research club.

Failure to do so, it would appear, did little but inspire others.

“The dynamic definitely did change as time went on," added Cairsti Russell, 24, who is preparing for a return to Glasgow after leaving Strathclyde with a Masters.

"With the eviction, that brought in a lot of new people. The first week after it was almost like the very first week all over again with new people coming in. They brought a new energy to the place which it needed."

By August, protestors were celebrating a series of "significant concessions" including the opening of a new postgraduate club at the university.

However, as the final person to leave the building admits, a negotiated end could not have come sooner.

Third-year Politics student, Stuart Rodger, 22, concludes: “From May onwards I think there was a sluggish atmosphere in the air… and I think people were acknowledging that it was not politically useful any more.

"Activists wield political power by making a public impact and getting headlines in newspapers.

Past Strathclyde student faces Crown Court trial Graduate Bryan Simpson admitted affray at the Westminster Magistrates Court for his participation in last year's London protests

Darren Collins Staff writer A GRADUATE FROM Glasgow has admitted participating in scenes of disorder at the Conservative Party’s headquarters in London.

Former Strathclyde University student Bryan Simpson had been ordered to appear in court in the wake of last year’s London demonstration against a rise in tuition fees.

Simpson admitted affray – a public order offence under English

law – during an appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court on 14 September.

The law and politics graduate, who the year before last ran for the post of President of the University of Strathclyde Students’ Association (USSA), was alleged to have thrown a megaphone towards police only to miss and hit a fellow protestor on the head. He is also said to have jabbed a police officer.

The graduate will have his bail continued pending sentence next month.

Judge Susan Tapping said: “I am

TIMELINE

February

Occupation begins over university plans in protest at cuts designed to save £20 million by 2014.

March

Unprecedented scenes ensue as 40 police officers deployed to deal with protestors.

Police and university accused of adopting heavy handed tactics.

August

Sit-in comes to an end as university and occupiers hammer out compromise.

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keeping an open mind about sentence until I have seen CCTV footage of the incident and a pre-sentence report. I am not pre-judging at all.”

Around 50,000 students marched through the streets of London last year in protest at plans to increase tuition fees throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The demonstration turned sour, however, after a number of protestors broke into the Conservative Party’s campaign HQ at Millbank Tower, triggering a four-hour standoff with police and numerous arrests.

14 Editorial

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The Journal Wednesday 14 September

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Crossword GLASGOW’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

ISSUE I

RUK fees

A race to the bottom TEN MONTHS AGO, the Browne Review and subsequent deregulation of tuition fees in England marked a tectonic shift in the landscape of British higher education funding. Now the tremors have reached Scotland. The decision by Scottish Government education secretary Michael Russell to relax restrictions on the tuition fees charged by Scottish universities to Rest-of-UK students - that is, those domiciled outside Scotland - has created an unsightly race to the bottom.

As The Journal went to press, two Scottish institutions - the Universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews - had announced that they would charge £9,000 per year for all four years of a normal undergraduate degree. Three more - Heriot-Watt, the University of Aberdeen and the Glasgow School of Art - said that they would offer a buy-three-get-one-free deal with a total degree cost of £27,000. Only one institution has so far resisted outright the urge to charge £9,000 per year in tuition fees, for three years or four:

Glasgow Caledonian University, where a degree will cost £21,000.

As Scottish universities scramble to charge their class of 2016 as much as legally possible, the once-treasured idea of the ‘democratic intellect’ seems to be slipping through the cracks. The commitment of the Scottish Government to protecting the ability of Scottish students to study for free is admirable. But this academic nationalism comes at a high cost for students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The tacit acceptance by almost everyone - politicians, principals and student presidents - that there is no alternative but to raise RUK fees is pragmatic. But to blithely accept a stratification of universties’ academic reputations on the basis of degree cost is philosophically and practically ludicrous. Scottish universities are now doing precisely what so many of their English counterparts have done in recent months: following the lead of Oxford and Cambridge in order to be

perceived as being in the same league as those ancient institutions.

If nothing else, the decision of Edinburgh and St Andrews to make themselves the most expensive universities in Britain demonstrates the need for a legislative intervention by the Scottish Government. Left to their own devices, many Scottish universities have chosen to increase the annual cost of a degree five-fold. This is unacceptable.

As Glasgow's two largest universities prepare their own announcements, The Journal must repeat one cautionary note: it is imperative that education be as accessible as possible to as many people as possible. If fees must be raised to resolve the current funding crisis, so be it. But if we allow ourselves to sleep-walk into a brutal academic free market where students are punished for their education by the burden of tens of thousands of pounds in debt, or if people are deterred outright from entering higher education, we leave to future generations a poor legacy indeed.

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we would hope cannot be ignored nor overlooked by any person who takes the time to read it.

From stories that stand on an international stage to those of local significance, such as the recent occupation of the Hetherington Research Club at the University of Glasgow, The Journal carries something for everyone. Whether it be our unique insight into the finest watering holes in and around Glasgow or an underthe-skin look at some of the city's most successful and under-reported sporting stars, this, our debut issue, is merely a taster of things to come.

So let us at The Journal introduce ourselves with a clear mission statement. All content featured here represents the output of hard-working volunteers from across a plethora of institutions, many of which cannot afford students the opportunity to reach thousands with their writing. And all content featured here

Get involved: www.journal-online.co.uk/recruitment

Join The Journal Editors We currently have a number of editorial positions open in each of our four main sections — News, Comment & Features, Arts & Entertainment and Sport. We are looking for talented student journalists to lead our coverage and ensure that we're ahead of the stories and issues that matter to students across Scotland.

A humble greeting IN YOUR HANDS today is the first Glasgow edition of The Journal, home to volunteer student journalists across the city determined to deliver content that arouses both debate and discussion within universities and colleges across the city.

Independent of educational institutions and their students' unions, we pride ourselves on providing insightful, reliable reporting that delves into the depths of what truly matters to this city's students.

In this light, we can now present a 32-page edition showcasing some of Glasgow's exceptional young writing talent with some exceptional stories to tell, no more so than an exclusive interview only in today's Journal with an Edinburgh-based student and survivor of the recent terror attacks in Norway.

The 22-year-old offers a deeply personal version of a story that has shocked millions worldwide and one

is recruiting

represents output considered crucial to the Glasgow student community as it is you, the students, who will decide the direction The Journal takes — and no-one else.

It is our hope, then, that each and every student who chooses to write for this new title will enjoy the benefit of seeing their work showcased to a city-wide audience, while each and every individual who chooses to cast an eye through these pages will find something that demands more than a minute of their time.

With that we welcome all new readers to the Glasgow Journal and look forward to hearing your thoughts on how this, our introductory issue is received. And hopefully, in time, it will become clear to all figures within the Glasgow student community that our intention is to inform — not to intrude.

We are one of the largest student newspapers in the UK, with editions in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, meaning that if you want to learn about journalism in a fast-paced production environment, The Journal is the place to do it.

Vacant positions: Deputy editor (News) Assistant editor (Local News) Assistant editor (Academic News) Assistant editor (Student News)

- Assistant editor (Comment) - Assistant editor (Features) - Assistant editor (Interview/Profile) - Deputy editor (Arts & Entertainment) - Assistant editor (Theatre) - Assistant editor (Comedy) Reporters, reviewers, sportswriters The Journal is always looking for students with an eye for a great story to write for one of our news desks. If you’re passionate about current affairs, particularly issues affecting students, we want to hear from you. We are also recruiting for people with a passion for the arts to write features and reviews, and talented sportswriters to keep us ahead of the game in both university and professional sport.

Experience is a plus, but what we’re really looking for is enthusiasm and a desire to learn about the craft of journalism.

PUBLISHER Devon Walshe MANAGING EDITOR Alan Robertson DESIGN Joni Langdale Ross Jardine Jamie Galbreath PICTURE EDITOR David Selby

STUDENT POLITICS Stef Millar DEPUTY EDITOR (COMMENT & FEATURES) Olivia Pires

DEPUTY EDITOR (SPORT) Gareth Llewellyn

MUSIC Ryan Drever ART Katharina Dziacko FOOD & DRINK Adam D'Arcy FASHION Nadine Walker

The Journal is currently recruiting: visit www.journal-online.co.uk/recruitment or email us to find out more.

Subeditors If you have an eye for detail and a flair for language, we need you to help us iron out the creases during our production period.

Subeditors work on copy, ensuring that spelling, punctuation and grammar are accurate and that our headlines grab the eye. \

Photographers

If you prefer to tell the story visually, there's a place for you on our picture desk. We need photographers to help make sure that our reporting is accompanied by the great artwork which gives The Journal its visual impact.

The Journal Wednesday 14 September

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Comment 15

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Comment Discussion&Debate

Scotland is sleep-walking towards independence In the national debate over independence, unionist leaders are apparently blind to the SNP's present strength Pierre Thistlejohn

W

HEN I HEARD that Nick Clegg had told Forth One radio during his visit to Scotland in August that he “would like to see Megrahi behind bars”, I did a double-take. Was the deputy prime minister suggesting that the UK government would try to overturn a decision made by the devolved administration in Edinburgh?

I needn’t have worried. The radio station had clipped his interview to the interesting bit, but left out the part where he said: “It is for the Scottish Government to reflect on how the circumstances have changed. I’m just expressing my own view.”

Naturally, the UK government shouldn’t ride roughshod over perfectly legal decisions by devolved administrations, and the rights and wrongs of the Megrahi case are a separate issue.

But if the leaders of the UK coalition feel that Megrahi’s release represents such an egregious travesty of justice, with such serious consequences for the country’s international reputation – isn’t that worth replacing hand-wringing with action?

The episode illustrates a failure to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation now facing unionists in Scotland and across the UK. Alex Salmond has a parliamentary majority, and stands unchallenged as the dominant personality in Scottish politics. Every other political party is in retreat, with the two largest unionist blocs engaged in self-regarding leadership contests, one lethargic and the other chaotic. There will be an independence referendum within the next five years, as much as Iain Gray taunts the First Minister at FMQs for not having called it yet.

Has David Cameron ever gone in front of a camera to say that he’d rather Scotland didn’t separate? Is it even conceivable that he would – even though that is his position? If an independence referendum is to be defeated, Cameron and the UK leaders of all the unionist parties will have to do much more than just that; they would have to mount a political offensive the likes of which the country hasn’t seen since the Corn Laws.

That’s how high the stakes would be, and yet the political will instead matches that seen around the AV referendum. That simply isn’t enough.

In Canada, a Quebec separatist

With a parliamentary majority behind him, Alex Salmond is now unquestionably the dominant personality in Scottish politics movement more militant than the SNP will ever be – it even had a paramilitary wing – has all but been extinguished. Yet when Francophone nationalists first came to power, their situation was as enviable as the SNP’s is now. The Parti Québécois enjoyed overwhelming public support and Rene Levesque, the party's founding leader, was the dominant personality in provincial politics much as Salmond now is in Scotland.

Yet today, Quebec separatism is a spent force, abandoned at the ballot box. It was overcome by aggressive campaigning by a succession of

federal prime ministers, who recognised that separation wasn’t an issue to be relegated to the provincial level.

Every party leader in London should now wake up to the same reality.

Of course, unionists aren’t helped by the fact that the United Kingdom is a constitutional four-car pileup, with a resultant inability to articulate an endgame for devolution or a place for Scottish national aspirations within the UK. If the SNP's case for independence is to be undermined, then the shutters of the ramshackle edifice that is the British state need to be thrown

open so some light can shine in. Is Britain to become a federal state?

What do we as a society want to be run at the local, regional and national levels? Where do we want most of our governing done – in the nations, or in London?

After 600 years of muddling by with the Magna Carta, Britain needs to sit down and do the paperwork that comes with being a nation. A national conversation needs to be had on the UK’s constitutional status, and everything should be on the table.

If the forces of unionism are to

have any hope of winning the argument over Scotland’s future, they need to realise that they are in the trenches – because right now the battle is being lost. Scotland is sleepwalking towards independence, and if those who want to see Scotland remain part of the United Kingdom cannot summon greater efforts, then they must prepare for an outcome they do not wish, but that is of their own making.

The author is a Scottish political journalist writing under a pseudonym

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The Journal Wednesday 14 September

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Comment 17 OLIVER NINNIS

Freshers' Week, by Oliver Ninnis TELCHE HANLEY

Rest-of-UK fees: Behind the headlines Universities Scotland argue the raising of RUK fees was a necessary response to a decision made elsewhere

Simon Jennings

Deputy Director, Universities Scotland

I

N INTRODUCING THIS policy the cabinet secretary Michael Russell said it gave him no pleasure and he would rather no student, whatever their domicile, had to pay fees to study in Scotland. Universities Scotland described the Scottish Government’s decision as a tough and difficult choice.

It’s fair to say there are no enthusiasts for the necessary increase to fees paid by students resident in the rest of the UK. As fees are published and newspapers rush to reduce detailed announcements to a single sensationalist headline of £9,000 a year, I’m concerned that much is being overlooked. Central to these concerns is the reason why these changes are necessary in the first place. This is a decision the Scottish Government had to make in response to the UK government’s decision to transfer the majority of the costs of university education to the individual. The Scottish Government, by contrast, chose to keep higher education free

TELCHE HANLEY

for those it represents. As with all devolved areas, it is the Scottish Government’s right to prioritise spending as it sees fit.

For the Scottish Government to continue to subsidise the university education of students who study in Scotland from across the rest of the UK, when the government with direct responsibility for these students does not, would be unaffordable.

Worse still, to do so would have brought untenable pressure on places for Scottish students at Scottish universities.

This is the second issue: had fees stayed at £1,800, Scotland’s highquality universities would have been overwhelmed by applicants looking to avoid high fees elsewhere in the UK. With university applicants from the rest of the UK outnumbering Scottish applicants by twelve to one, Scottish applicants would have been squeezed out of Scottish universities.

Principals, the Scottish Government and student bodies across Scotland could not have stood by and watched this happen.

In addition, much of the detail in the fee announcements we’ve seen so far has simply been ignored. Three universities have capped their fees in line with the standard (though far

from universal) three-year degree length in England. Universities have also highlighted opportunities for direct entry into year two for A-level candidates. In short, no student need be financially disadvantaged

by Scotland’s four-year degree.

Universities have also voluntarily set out significant new and additional bursary schemes based on household income and academic ability. Finally, at the time of writing, three-quarters of universities are still to announce their fees.

Talk of a rush to the top based on a handful of announcements is premature at best and, at worst, damaging. We can expect to see further variety in the announcements to come over the next few weeks.

Scotland’s universities are justifiably proud of the quality of education they offer and the cosmopolitan mix of their student body. It is for these reasons they are in demand from students across the UK and internationally.

They want to retain and enhance their reputation in both of these areas. Confronted with the consequences of decisions taken elsewhere, the policy the Scottish Government has brought forward offers universities the best chance of achieving that.

Michael Russell, the education secretary, raised RUK fee limits

The Journal Wednesday 14 September

twitter: @GlasgowJournal

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Arts & Entertainment 19

World War Z KATHARINA DZIACKO

Music

Alex Winston Tom Collins

'It was kind of insane just how precise they were... They monitored my stubble' One applicant lucky enough to appear in Glasgow's most recent film blockbuster speaks to The Journal about the experience of working on the renowned Merchant City set

Olivia Pires Comment & Features Editor GLASGOW’S Merchant City this summer went into lockdown as Hollywood actor Brad Pitt and his latest zombie thriller World War Z rolled into town with a plethora of US road signs, traffic lights, yellow cabs and typically banged-up American motors in tow.

Caught amid all the hype engulfing the epic – based on the novel

by Max Brooks that is said to have reinvented the zombie genre – which transformed the area into the US city of Philadelphia for a two-week period, were the 600 extras contracted from across the city.

Here, The Journal speaks to Charlie Williams [not his real name], 25, who applied to be an extra because of a passion for zombie blockbusters such as those of Bruce Campbell and starred on set for the majority of filming, working up to 14-hour days.

“You’d be getting up so early to be on set and you’d be so knackered.

Sometimes I’d be sitting around on set thinking: Oh my God, this is awful what am I doing here?

“Then I’d look around and realise I was on a film set with thousands and thousands of dollars worth of

trashed American cars, and I pulled myself out of it and appreciated the fact that this opportunity probably won’t happen to me again.”

Charlie explained the pattern of an average day, starting in wardrobe and make-up as all but the smallest detail went under the microscope. “It was kind of insane just how precise they were. They monitored my stubble! I was desperate for a shave by the end of it; I was just getting scruffier and scruffier,” he said Repeatedly hosing down the set to maintain a freshly rain appearance was one of several continuing concerns. One day of shooting, a three-and-a-half-hour wait ensued just to ensure the sun was perfectly placed. Meanwhile, crew were hired specifically to observe windows as the reflection of a flash from a bystander’s camera could ruin the required shot.

The set had two units constantly filming throughout their time in Glasgow – the first dedicated to dialogue and close up shots, the other geared toward larger action and stunt scenes. In the midst of one of the latter, Charlie had the privilege to grab a few seconds with the face of World War Z. “I was placed to run past Brad Pitt on probably about three or four different occasions. I did get to meet him and asked how he

was enjoying Glasgow.”

It is an uncommon practice to interact with actors on set as they strive to get into character. But thankfully he caught Pitt moments after a member of the crew yelled ‘Check the Gate’ – a term signalling the team is finished with the shot and ready to move on.

“He was really nice, really approachable. I’ve heard a lot of people say that. With famous people, they have a certain air about them; that they walk in the room and it’s like ‘Holy Shit!’ But I didn’t get that at all from him – he didn’t make much of an impression. He’s a lot smaller in stature and he kind of walked a bit funny."

However, Pitt did find himself somewhat overshadowed by the main attraction – the zombies. Most images made available to the public were of dummies placed into cars, made up to look like recently infected humans beginning to turn. But these are not what the actual zombies will look like in the finished film. “We did a couple of scenes with the zombies during the last few days of shooting and they are absolutely terrifying. All their veins were blackened, and their eyes looked like they had cataracts... they were amazing.”

According to Charlie, approximately fifty actors were transformed

into the terrifying undead, with the rest created using computer generated imagery (CGI). The production team also plans to implement large American style skyscrapers into the Glasgow skyline. And as a nod to the city, the movie will retain the pub The Piper, dressed as a Scottish Pub, on the corner of George Square.

Although professionals performed certain scenes on set, Charlie recalled one stuntman lurching up off the ground in a scene and smashing his head through a car window. A few extras were also ushered away to receive full digital body scans to allow virtual manipulation in particular scenes. “It will be bizarre for them to eventually watch the film and see themselves getting thrown through that window, or getting their arms torn off,” he remarked in awe.

Despite filming of the zombie epic coming to a close last month, the people of Glasgow may be afforded another opportunity before long to rub shoulders with Hollywood glitterati once again. As World War Z’s time in the UK ended, scouts were on set searching for extras to participate in Tom Hank’s Cloud Atlas, which is set to see the city take off in a new direction and double as San Francisco.

Indeed, it looks as though this is anything but an apocalyptic end for Glasgow’s silver screen debut.

HAILING from Detroit and currently splitting her time between New York and London, Alex Winston is one of the most exciting new songwriters performing today. You may have heard her single, Choice Notes, which has been featured on adverts for Hyundai and TK Maxx. Here in the UK she has been signed to Island Records and her debut album is set for release later in the year. Alex spoke to The Journal’s Tom Collins about her new album, a first visit to Scotland and being an adopted Brit.

You signed with Island Records in February shortly after the release of your EP, Sister Wife. Since then you have been working on releasing your debut album - when can we get our hands on it?

Yes, it’s been a crazy few months.

I’ve been recording in New York and London. I actually just finished it yesterday, so we just need to do a bit of tidying up and then it should be ready for release within a couple of months.

Will any of the songs from your EP be featured on this album or is it a completely fresh start?

There are a couple of songs from the EP but mostly it’s new material.

My British band have been helping me record it and there is also a collaboration with Björn Yttling from Peter, Bjorn & John.

Your music has been described as ‘mystical’ and ‘enchanting’ both of which, I think are pretty apt, but how would you describe your own music?

Well, I try to be as whimsical as possible. It’s very layered. To be honest I just try to enjoy my music as much as possible and put as much into it as I possibly can.

As an American how have you found the reception from British fans?

Last year I didn’t have a single British person in my life. Now everyone seems to be British. My boyfriend is British, most of my band and my producer too. So, yeah, I think that makes me like an adopted Brit or something?

Yeah?

We’re happy to have you. You are just about to begin your UK & Ireland tour which includes London, Dublin and Glasgow. It will be your first time in Scotland, so what are you expecting when you come to Glasgow?

I really don’t know what to expect.

Like you said I’ve never been so I am really looking forward to travelling.

The venue for you gig is King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, where bands such as The Killers, Oasis and The White Stripes have all cut their teeth. Are you looking forward to playing in such a prestigious venue?

Yeah! I’ve heard of King Tuts, I think most musicians have to be honest.

Should I be worried?

Finally, Alex, what are you looking forward to most for the rest of the year?

Getting my album out will be great.

I can’t wait. And doing some more live shows too, because that’s what I love doing the most – performing.

The Journal Wednesday 14 September

twitter: @GlasgowJournal

www.journal-online.co.uk

Arts & Entertainment 21

Film

Music

Glasgow Film Theatre host to Loach testimony

Wretch 32

City theatre only venue selected north of the Border to screen four of renowned film director's most famous films

Recent chart-topping sensation speaks to The Journal regarding his recent success

Tom Collins

British director Ken Loach earned plaudits for 45 years of masterclass.

Olivia Pires Comment & Features Editor GLASGOW’S Merchant City this summer went into lockdown as Hollywood actor Brad Pitt and his latest zombie thriller World War Z rolled into town with a plethora of US road signs, traffic lights, yellow cabs and typically banged-up American motors in tow.

Caught amid all the hype engulfing the epic – based on the novel by Max Brooks that is said to have reinvented the zombie genre – which transformed the area into the US city of Philadelphia for a two-week period, were the 600 extras contracted from across the city.

Here, The Journal speaks to Charlie Williams [not his real name], 25, who applied to be an extra because of a passion for zombie blockbusters such as those of Bruce Campbell and starred on set for the majority of filming, working up to 14-hour days.

“You’d be getting up so early to be on set and you’d be so knackered. Sometimes I’d be sitting around on set thinking: Oh my God, this is awful what am I doing here?

“Then I’d look around and realise I was on a film set with thousands and thousands of dollars worth of trashed American cars, and I pulled myself out of it and appreciated the fact that this opportunity probably won’t happen to me again.”

Charlie explained the pattern of an average day, starting in wardrobe and make-up as all but the smallest detail went under the microscope. “It was kind of insane

just how precise they were. They monitored my stubble! I was desperate for a shave by the end of it; I was just getting scruffier and scruffier,” he said Repeatedly hosing down the set to maintain a freshly rain appearance was one of several continuing concerns. One day of shooting, a three-and-a-halfhour wait ensued just to ensure the sun was perfectly placed. Meanwhile, crew were hired specifically to observe windows as the reflection of a flash from a bystander’s camera could ruin the required shot.

The set had two units constantly filming throughout their time in Glasgow – the first dedicated to dialogue and close up shots, the other geared toward larger action and stunt scenes. In the midst of one of the latter, Charlie had the privilege to grab a few seconds with the face of World War Z. “I was placed to run past Brad Pitt on probably about three or four different occasions. I did get to meet him and asked how he was enjoying Glasgow.”

It is an uncommon practice to interact with actors on set as they strive to get into character. But thankfully he caught Pitt moments after a member of the crew yelled ‘Check the Gate’ – a term signalling the team is finished with the shot and ready to move on.

“He was really nice, really approachable. I’ve heard a lot of people say that. With famous people, they have a certain air about them; that they walk in the room and it’s like ‘Holy Shit!’ But I didn’t get that at all from him – he didn’t make much of an impression.

He’s a lot smaller in stature and he kind of walked a bit funny."

However, Pitt did find himself somewhat overshadowed by the main attraction – the zombies. Most images made available to the public were of dummies placed into cars, made up to look like

recently infected humans beginning to turn. But these are not what the actual zombies will look like in the finished film. “We did a couple of scenes with the zombies during the last few days of shooting and they are absolutely terrifying. All their veins were blackened, and their eyes looked like they had cataracts... they were amazing.”

According to Charlie, approximately fifty actors were transformed into the terrifying undead, with the rest created using computer generated imagery (CGI). The production team also plans to implement large American style skyscrapers into the Glasgow skyline. And as a nod to the city, the movie will retain the pub The Piper, dressed as a Scottish Pub, on the corner of George Square.

Although professionals performed certain scenes on set, Charlie recalled one stuntman lurching up off the ground in a scene and smashing his head through a car window. A few extras were also ushered away to receive full digital body scans to allow virtual manipulation in particular scenes. “It will be bizarre for them to eventually watch the film and see themselves getting thrown through that window, or getting their arms torn off,” he remarked in awe.

Despite filming of the zombie epic coming to a close last month, the people of Glasgow may be afforded another opportunity before long to rub shoulders with Hollywood glitterati once again. As World War Z’s time in the UK ended, scouts were on set searching for extras to participate in Tom Hank’s Cloud Atlas, which is set to see the city take off in a new direction and double as San Francisco.

Indeed, it looks as though this is anything but an apocalyptic end for Glasgow’s silver screen debut.

TOTTENHAM-BORN JERMAINE SCOTT, better known as Wretch 32, has had an explosive 2011. Branded as ‘the new don of UK hip-hop’ by fellow rapper and friend, Devlin, the 26-year-old certainly has the world at his feet after recently achieving his first number 1 with ‘Don’t Go’ and gleaning nominations for four MOBO awards, including Best Newcomer.

Wretch recently took time out to speak to The Journal’s Tom Collins about his upcoming tour, acting and the truth behind his name.

First of all, congratulations on your first UK No.1. How did it feel to achieve the top spot?

You know, I think it’s one of those things that I’ll never actually believe is true. It’s an incredible feeling to know that you have sold the most records out of every artist in the UK that week.

I just felt an incredible sense of love from my fans. It made me believe that anything is possible.

How did you celebrate after hearing the news?

We had a quiet little drink and some food with some friends. We didn’t do the infamous ‘Number 1 party’ thing. I feel like I’ve partied too much this year already.

Now, moving onto the name. I associate the word ‘wretch’ with an unfortunate or an unhappy person but judging by your recent success I find it hard to believe that you are unfortunate or indeed, unhappy. So where does it originate from?

Well my mum is Jamaican and in Jamaica ‘wretch’ means ‘slim’ or ‘skinny’ and when I was growing up that’s what she used to call me cause I was so skinny. The name just sort of stuck, though. Everyone calls me Wretch. And 32 is my lucky number so I thought it would be interesting to have my surname as a number. It’s kinda

different.

Before pursuing a music career, you tried your hand at stage production and acting. Is this something you might go back to in the future?

Possibly. It’s not really my love right now cause of all the stuff going on with my music. But maybe in the future, given the position I am in, there is definitely a possibility of moving into acting.

So you could be the next Ludacris, starring in a Hollywood blockbuster?

Haha, yeah man. But I don’t know sometimes doing things like that can have a negative affect on your music.

I mean, Ludacris is a great rapper and he’s great in his films, but sometimes people should just stick to music.

In October you’ll be in Glasgow. Have you ever been before?

Yeah man, a few times. I’ve done In Demand and I also performed at Barrowlands on Example’s tour. But yeah, really looking forward to coming back to Glasgow, you guys always give me so much love. You love a party man.

Finally, 2011 has been a huge year for you so far but what else can we expect from you in the coming months?

Well, we’d like to win some of the MOBOs we’ve been nominated for. Also, the tour starts in October so I’m really looking forward to that. And I really want to push this album. I want to make it as big as it can get really. And obviously myself too. I want to be considered as a top rapper. I don’t want there to be any argument about it.

So we can expect to see the Wretch 32 name everywhere?

Hopefully man, hopefully.

Wretch 32’s album, Black & White is out now and he'll be performing at The Garage, Glasgow on October 16.

The Journal Wednesday 14 September

twitter: @GlasgowJournal

Music

Scots band Xcert an endless energy Rising Scottish group to cover old ground with re-release of single on limited edition Flexi-disc, discovers The Journal's Andrew Ferguson

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Arts & Entertainment 23

Theatre

Beautiful game on stage Unfortunate tale of Celtic star told

Angela Haggerty

Andrew Ferguson

WITH HIGH PROFILE support slots and a single on the way, big things are predicted for hardworking Scots act, The Xcerts.

It has been another-action packed year for rising Scottish group, The Xcerts, with seemingly no end in sight.

Formed by Aberdonian schoolmates Murray MacLeod and Jordan Smith in 2001, the duo was joined by Tom Heron five years later. Since then, the group’s mix of distorted pop and a driving work ethic have seen them make great strides in the UK music scene.

The Xcerts have released two critically-acclaimed albums to date and recently completed a tour with emogiants Taking Back Sunday, capping off a hectic summer with storming festival performances at T in the Park, Hevy and Belladrum.

To top it off, the boys have recently announced that they will be hitting the road with anthemic rockers Young Guns and fast-rising US outfit Manchester Orchestra in the coming months.

Asked how they were able to secure their weighty slot with Manchester Orchestra, vocalist/guitarist, Murray McCleod, answers simply: “God, I think.

“No, I’m kidding. We’re really thrilled to be playing alongside a band that we all admire greatly and I think a lot of people coming to these gigs are excited too because both of us are on the same bill. We’ll have people on our side from the get go, which is always nice when you’re touring as a support band.”

In addition to these shows, the group will re-release single, Slackerpop, on October 31 through Xtra Mile Recordings.

As well as being available digitally, the single will also be released on limited edition Flexi-Disc – very literally, a ‘floppy disc’, a format that peaked in popularity during the 70s and 80s as a medium for magazines to distribute music to their readers.

“We didn’t just want to put it up on iTunes”, McCleod explains. “We also

didn’t want to cheat our fans, so once we heard that Flexi-Disc was being made again we decided that we wanted to do a limited run of 500 copies in that format.

“We felt that Slackerpop never really got the recognition it deserved first time round, and it gives the fans something a bit different.”

Each disc also contains a unique code allowing the listener to download a specially recorded fivetrack E.P. including stripped back versions of songs from the band’s debut album, In the Cold Wind We Smile, as McCleod explains: “On our recent tour with Charlie Simpson (Fightstar) we rearranged some of our songs to suit his acoustic setup by only using reverberated guitar, bass, kick drum and vocals.

“We felt it would be a good time to show them to people who didn’t make the shows. It’s quieter and highlights the song-writing aspect of songs that tend to get lost in the noisier parts of the record.

“We wanted to give the listener the best of both worlds, having the single and something [else] to go along with it.”

In an age where word-of-mouth is essential in generating a fan base, the band’s success is a testament to their perseverance. It could be all too easy for others in a similar position to get carried away right now but The Xcerts remain focused.

“We’ve just got to keep doing the rounds and work extremely hard in the hope that people start to take note”, says McCleod. “It’s our dream to fill big venues, but everything feels pretty positive at the minute.” Among other things, one look at their increasingly busy calendar is enough to tell you that there’s plenty for the band to be positive about.

Catch The Xcerts supporting Manchester Orchestra at Glasgow’s O2 ABC on Monday 3rd October. Over 14’s, tickets priced £11.

YOU DO NOT have to be a football fan to appreciate the Johnny Thomson story. His was a tale of the struggle of a real working class boy gifted with immense skill and the courage to use it in the days football was a gritty and brutal game.

It was a tale of great promise, incredible success and love. It had all the elements of a Hollywood movie, and as James Mackenzie (bottom right), who plays Thomson in the story of his life at the King's Theatre, said: "It was a fairytale, until tragedy struck."

The Celtic legend died aged 22 in a freak accident during a match against rivals Rangers. As Thomson dived for the ball at the feet of Rangers' Sam English, the two collided, resulting in the injuries that would end the astonishing young goalkeeper's life. Thousands of Old Firm fans united to attend his funeral, no one more distraught than English who never fully recovered from the memory of September 5, 1931.

Thomson's story is often remembered for its untimely end – and that does him no justice. He achieved much in his short life, and The Prince: The Johnny Thomson Story – marking the 80th anniversary of his death – sets out to celebrate just that.

Actor Mackenzie gifted the legend status with the generations he preceded. Perhaps it was his lack of football knowledge before being cast that granted him the freedom to play the role so well; he escaped the pressure that may have fallen on the shoulders of a young man who grew up knowing the story and its impact.

What he delivered was an image of a funny young lad with a great love of football and plans for a family he could provide a decent future for – something today's footballing stars can be guaranteed as soon as they put pen to paper.

The parts of Tim and Billy – Ewan Donald and Stevie Hannan – kept the mood light and celebratory.

Plenty of Scottish football jokes kept the crowd delighted and, contributing in multiple roles, the duo were the glue that held the play together.

Ryan Fletcher played a great supporting role alongside Mackenzie, taking on the character of friend and team-mate, Jimmy McGrory, and the vital part of English, whose story of course required attention as well.

And then there was Margaret.

When Thomson died he was engaged to Margaret Finlay and the tender rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone to mark the 22-year-old's death was performed beautifully by Amiera Darwish, leaving not a single dry eye in the house. Throw in some short videos projected on stage of

Parkhead greats past and present and music all the audience could sing along to and the result was a fitting tribute to an outstanding young man.

"He was one of the most accomplished players of his generation. He was a legend while he was alive and he deserved that status," said Mackenzie.

Gerard McDade, who co-wrote the play with Brian McGeachan, hopes there may be scope to take the performance further than the King's Glasgow. "I don't know if there are any plans to tour. I like to think that there would be but it depends on a number of factors. The cast is excellent and the production has been fantastic. It's been a real thrill to be involved."

And what does James, who knew little of the Thomson story when he took on the role, make of the experience? "The response has been absolutely fantastic,” he said.

“The audience has been incredibly supportive and appreciative, it's bowled us over. We knew of his status at Celtic but the reaction from the fans has been a real eye opener."

24 A&E

FOOD & DRINK

twitter: @GlasgowJournal

The Journal Wednesday 14 September

www.journal-online.co.uk

The Freshers' Bar Bible SEPTEMBER IS UPON us once again, and students from across Scotland, the UK and Europe will be flooding Glasgow’s colleges and universities – many of them for the first time. But in a city renowned worldwide for its nightlife and bar culture, the choice of venues can be staggering for Freshers looking for a quality night out on a budget, or even just a cheeky one (or seven) between lectures.

Worry no more. Whether you’re after a pint in Partick, a cider in the City or a wine in the West End, let The Journal be your authority on Glasgow’s top watering holes. We’ve done all the legwork for you – all genuine first-hand reviews and all prices are correct at the time of print.

WEST END COMMON ROOMS 77 Byres Road, G11 5HN The Common Rooms makes no bold statements of greatness with its blackboards on Byres Road, promising ‘average service’. However, The Journal never found any cause for concern with this student favourite. Situated at the south end of Byres Road, Common Rooms is instantly recognisable for its ski-chalet style log cabin exterior – a stark contrast to the delicate art nouveau signage of its neighbour, The Uni Café.

The rough-and-ready interior, reasonably priced menu and live music make Common Rooms the Glasgow University student’s mainstay.

TENNENT’S BAR 191 Byres Road, G12 8TN The dimly-lit, comfortable surroundings of Glasgow’s historic boozers are, sad to say, becoming a thing of the past, as chic bistros and gastropubs continue to pop up on Byres Road. Curlers has been reborn as The Curler’s Rest; Whistler’s Mother is now a cool, monochrome cocktail bar; and Cresswell Lane’s Bar Buda is now a sterile, overpriced Italian. Meanwhile, Tennent’s refuses to cave and change its ways. Property developers lust after the bar’s prime corner spot, but this popular and friendly pub, with its hidden snugs and quiet corners, continues to offer a wide range of cask ales and lagers at its vast horseshoe-shaped bar as it has done since the 1800s. The great value Beer and Burger menu comes in at £4.95.

ASHTON LANE Behind Hillhead Subway Station Sadly, these days you’re more likely to see tribes of baldy, 46-year-old men clad in Diesel jeans and Lyle and Scott polo shirts down the Lane than bohemian artisans and poets. But the cobbled street and whitewashed buildings retain an undeniable charm. Jinty McGuinty’s pulls a mixed crowd seven nights a week - but arrive on Valentine’s Day if you want to get near the bar on St. Paddy’s. Brel offers top quality European beers on draft for those with deep pockets. For a real student friendly atmosphere, try the lively Nude and Radio at the south end of the street.

HILLHEAD BOOK CLUB 17 Vinicombe Street, G12 8SJ Tucked in behind Fopp on Byres Road, the high ceiling and quirky décor of this former cinema has obviously been carefully thought-out. As the name suggests, the entire bar’s theme is based around the bookish and eccentric – the menu informs diners that they are welcome to bring their own Bovril. Beef-based hot beverages aside, the menu is excellent value – the Book Club boasts that no main meal will ever be more than £10. They also serve a varied vegetarian and value lunch menu at around £4.

ÒRAN MÓR Byres Road, G12 8QX There is very little The Journal can say that has not already been said about Òran Mór. Gaelic for the Big Song, this restaurant/bar/theatre/club/venue has picked up Scotland’s Pub of the Year for 2011, as voted for by Sunday Mail readers.

With an epic ceiling mural painted by Glasgow polymath Alasdair Gray, the labyrinthine interior is richly and tastefully decorated – traditionally Scottish yet modern, without being twee or tacky. The range of single malt Scotch whisky is unrivalled in the city and the selection of bottled and draft beers are also excellent.

NAKED SOUP

PARTICK AND KELVINGROVE

6 Kersland Street, G12 8BL Organic produce and a wide range of soups and sandwiches make Naked Soup a perfect lunchtime retreat. With freshly-made coffees and a range of vegetarian options, this alcohol-free café more than merits a place on our list as an exceptional example of the independent, family run options Glasgow has to offer. Ditch Costa, Caffè Nero and the ubiquitous Starbucks and relax under Naked Soup’s canopy just off Great Western Road.

THE WISE MONKEY 508 Great Western Road, G12 8EL NEXT door to student favourite Viper, the Wise Monkey is developing a reputation for quality live music most nights of the week. Still bearing the scars of its previous incarnation, the spit-and-sawdust Hubbard’s Bar, this pub offers studentfriendly pub grub as well as some cheap and cheerful pricing – cans of Jamaica’s ‘finest’ Red Stripe lager at £2.20.

BREWDOG

GALLUS

1397-1403 Argyle St, G3 8AN

80 Dumbarton Road, G11 6NX

BrewDog had already gained notoriety for producing the world’s strongest commercially available beer - the 32 per cent ABV Tactical Nuclear Penguin - before their bar facing the Art Galleries was even thought of. However, there is so much more to these Fraserburghbased microbrewers than headlines.

They sell no large-scale production beers on the premises and only specially selected wines and spirits – no Smirnoff or Bacardi in sight. Their flagship lager, 77, comes in a £3.20 a pint – but the difficulty in getting in the door is a testament to this pub’s quality offerings.

The Gallus has all the hallmarks of a traditional Glasgow boozer – puggies, a snooker table, Premiership football on the TV, Tennent’s on tap and a border collie tied up outside. However, this bar has a young feel, great personality and reasonable prices. Regular live music nights and quizzes keep this popular spot bustling. And it should flourish now that the new student flats behind Boho are open.

FIREBIRD

THE LITTLE CAFÉ

1321 Argyle St, G3 8AB

28 Hastie Street G3 8AE

Even if you’ve just popped in for a drink, the unmistakable smell of the stone pizza oven will have your mouth watering at Firebird. Quirky and contemporary, this modern bar and grill specialises in gluten-free meals, including pizza and pasta dishes suitable for coeliacs. Grab a German-style stein of Glasgow’s own WEST St. Mungo lager, or venture for the fresh and frothy Samuel Smiths.

Not a bar per se but this cute coffee shop merits a mention. The big boys of Glasgow coffee, Beanscene, are right across the road, though theirs is a brand that has grown stale and expensive in recent years. The Little Café is a light, airy and well-run alternative to their ever-popular neighbours. Service comes with a smile as standard here, and the paninis are freshly made to order, and always delicious.

THE LISMORE 206 Dumbarton Road, G11 6UN Considered by some to be the ‘baby sister’ of Byres Road’s Òran Mór bar, the Lismore is a fantastic pub in its own right. Home to nearly 200 single malt scotch whiskies – together with just as many characters - there are no TVs or live sports. Prepare yourself then for bizarre conversations with strangers beneath the beautiful stained glass windows. The staff will be happy to recommend a single malt, or stick with the Malt of the Month at £1.85. The Hauf an’ Hauf deal is incredible value at £2.25.

Scheduled live music is also on offer here.

The Journal Wednesday 14 September

twitter: @GlasgowJournal

FOOD & DRINK

www.journal-online.co.uk

A&E 25

CITY CENTRE SAUCHIEHALL STREET Bars, clubs and restaurants come and go like the seasons on Glasgow’s main nightlife thoroughfare. Hen nights spill from Wetherspoons, rugby lads get tanked up on cheap cider in Yates’s, boozed up yobs throw kebabs and punches, while droves of students queue for hours only to be knocked back from the Garage – again. As bleak and disturbing as Sauchiehall Street can often seem, there are a few diamonds in the rough along Glasgow’s favourite weekend destination. The Variety Bar and The Griffin are shelters in the storm, well loved and well staffed bars for a quiet pint or the launch pad for a wild night out. For late night live music, The Box and Nice’n’Sleazy are good neighbours, and artistic types can seek out cultured discussion or heated debate at the CCA’s Terrace Bar. If all else fails, Nico’s Bar can’t be beaten for low-price libations.

THE FLYING DUCK 142 Renfield Street, G2 3AU The Duck offers a range of unique events in a unique setting – imagine your daft Auntie Mary’s council flat, complete with washing hanging up, hot buttered toast and MFI kitchen units, only filled with indie kids sipping draft beers and ciders. The furniture looks like it has been salvaged from a skip, and some of the wall art was last seen in 1976 but don’t let that put you off – the Flying Duck offers some great quizzes every Monday, and vodka or gin mixers are only £1.50 through the week.

MAX’S BAR 71 Queen Street, G1 3BZ A rock bar since time immemorial, the latest incarnation of The Rock Garden is Max’s, a cool and comfortable bar with some classic features, snug booth seats and big screen televisions. A decent selection of beers and spirits, Max’s offers the excellent William’s Brothers Scottish Joker IPA and Brooklyn Lager on tap. Other ales include Cairngorm Brewery’s guest offerings, such as the rich and delicious Black Gold and the worryingly titled Sheepshaggers Gold. Pints of Fosters start at £3.

THE HORSESHOE BAR 17 Drury Street, G2 5AE The Horseshoe Bar is a Glasgow institution, world renowned for its high-standard karaoke lounge upstairs. It is also the only bar in this list to feature in the Guinness Book of World Records – the Horseshoe boasts the longest single bar in the world. Ever popular, the bar is always well staffed and well stocked and pints of Carlsberg start at a bargain basement £2.15.

THE 78

FINNIESTON IVY 1102 Argyle Street, G3 7RX Finnieston is fast becoming a hub for Glasgow’s coolest new bars and IVY is right in the centre of it. Specialising in rums from across the Caribbean, the bar’s selection is stunning and the staff are quick to recommend classic cocktails for your rum of choice.

THE BEN NEVIS

BAR BLOC

1147 Argyle Street, G3 8TB

117 Bath Street, G2 2SV

Interior designer Ranald McColl the enigmatic artist behind the GI Bride statue in Partick Station - has certainly put his stamp on this tiny whisky bar.

The décor is rich and comfortable with natural wood and stone floors, and over 180 whisky bottles tastefully warmed by the soft under-lighting. No food is served but the lager and Guinness are near perfect in this highland hideaway – great for relaxing with the papers at lunchtime… and even dogs are welcome too.

A bar inspired by the imagery of the former Soviet Union, Bar Bloc offers live music seven nights a week and promises no football shirts, no winching and no bams – which is fine by us. Specialising in laid back acoustic and lo-fi tunes, you can enjoy a great value munch while you listen in. The student staple of two-for-one pizzas start at £8.95 – around a pound cheaper than similar deals around town – and a late lunch can be sorted with two meals for £10 between 2 and 5pm.

10-14 Kelvinhaugh Street, G3 Candlelight, open fires and jazz are the order of the day at this cosy, cottage-style bar and restaurant. The 78 is widely regarded as one of the city’s finest vegan and vegetarian venues and it has a wide range of beers and guest ales on tap to suit every palate. Serious building work was underway next door when The Journal visited – noisy, though don’t let this put you off.

THE UNIVERSAL 57-59 Sauchiehall Lane, G2 4JD When this reviewer told a close friend that an extensive bar guide was being written for Freshers Week, he suggested — neigh, insisted — that the Universal be included. Confession time: until yesterday, I had never even heard of this well hidden bar and kitchen. We immediately headed over for a pint and The Journal was thoroughly impressed. Crouching down a cobbled lane behind the Watt Bros department store, the Universal is a large and airy bar with bare pillars and stripped-back wood flooring. A full menu is on offer, although not particularly vegetarian friendly, and the pub also has a large upstairs space for events. Pints start at £2.65 and vodka, gin, Sailor Jerry or Jim Beam mixers come in at a reasonable £2.95.

THE ARK 42 -46 North Fredrick Street, G1 2BG

DENNISTOUN TAPA

CAFÉ TIBO

21 Whitehill Street, G31 2LH

443 Duke Street, G31 1RY

Searching for a good Freshers Week pick-me-up? Why not go down the organic route and have a strong Guatemalan coffee with some homemade Irish soda bread? This coffee and bakehouse in Dennistoun prides itself on only using organic ingredients, making all of its breads, tarts and cakes by hand and offering eight different blends of coffee.

Tibo is not the sort of place you would expect to find at the heart of the city’s east end - and this independently owned café bar is well worth a visit for that very reason. Its eclectic interior and bohemian feel make it seem like it would be more at home in New York than in Glasgow, and three years ago it was nominated for a Britain’s best café gong at the Theme and Restaurant

While we are not necessarily the biggest fans of chain pubs, The Ark along with its sister pub The Hall will always have a special place in the hearts of Glasgow’s student population. Cheap beer and grub are the order of the day in this purposebuilt, two levelled venue that is always kept busy due to its central location, a stones throw from George Square, City of Glasgow College and Strathclyde University.

awards. It’s a little bit pricier than some of its east end neighbours, but the food is delicious and the service is friendly.

Compiled by Adam D'Arcy & Stuart Findlay Design by Ross Jardine & Jamie Galbreath

Property

Anniesland Great Western Road, £950, 3, 3D G CG O, 0844 635 9692 Great Western Road, £575, 3, 3D G CG, 0844 635 6350 Craigend Circus, £750, 2, 2D G P, 0844 635 1986 Netherton Gate, £650, 2, 2D G CG P, 0844 635 3342 Strathcona Drive, £625, 2, 2D E CG P, 0844 635 9470 Sutcliffe Court, £575, 2, 1S 1D G CG P, 0844 635 9378 Sutcliffe Road, £550, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 9350 Crow Road, £525, 2, 2D G P, 0844 635 9376 Crow Road, £525, 2, 2D G P, 0844 635 3714 Greywood Street, £495, 2, 2D G PG O, 0844 635 3380 Netherton Avenue, £575, 1, G O, 0844 635 0012 Crow Road, £550, 1, G CG O, 0844 635 3714 Strathblane Gardens, £525, 1, 2D G CG P, 0844 635 9350 Ochiltree Avenue, £500, 1, 1D G CG O, 0844 635 1986 Whittingehame Drive, £450, 1, 1D G, 0844 635 1986 Linden Street, £395, 1, 0844 635 9346

P R O P E R T Y L I S T I N G S P R O V I D E D BY W W W. C I T YL E T S . CO. U K

Battlefield Gryffe Street, £595, 3, 3D G CG O, 0844 635 0072 Dundrennan Road, £650, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 3504 Brisbane Street, £550, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 2312 Cartvale Road, £525, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 9380 Cathkinview Road, £520, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 9380 Ledard Road, £425, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 9380 Battlefield Gardens, £495, 1, G O, 0844 635 3714 Cartside Street, £450, 1, 1D G CG O, 0844 635 0072 Cartside Street, £450, 1, 1D G O, 0844 635 9420 Sinclair Drive, £450, 1, 1D G O, 0844 635 8716 Battlefield Avenue, £375, 1, 1D G O, 0844 635 9380

Bearsden Ravelston Road, £1500, 4, 4D G PG P, 0844 635 9372 Manse Road, £1900, 3, -1S 2D -1B -1T G P, 0844 635 9596 Canniesburn Quadrant, £795, 2, G P, 0844 635 9376 Cairnhill View, £710, 2, G P, 0844 635 9396 Lennox Court, £475, 1, 0844 635 9346

Cardonald Redpath Drive, £520, 3, 3D G PG O, 0844 635 9400 Kinnell Path, £450, 2, 2D G O, 0844 635 8716

Cathcart Castlebrae Gardens, £600, 2, 2D G CG P, 0844 635 9380 Old Castle Gardens, £595, 2, 2D G CG P, 0844 635 4495 Old Castle Gardens, £595, 2, 2D G CG P, 0844 635 0072 Old Castle Gardens, £545, 2, G CG P, 0844 635 4495 Old Castle Gardens, £525, 2, 2D, 0844 635 4495 Cathcart Road, £510, 2, 2D G O, 0844 635 9584 Garry Street, £495, 2, G CG O, 0844 635 3502 Cartbank Grove, £495, 2, 2D G CG P, 0844 635 9350 Cathcart Road, £475, 2, 1S 2D G CG O, 0844 635 9380 Holmhead Place, £450, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 9350 Holmhead Place, £450, 2, 2D G, 0844 635 9566 Holmlea Road, £450, 2, 1S 1D G O, 0844 635 9566 Cathcart Road, £400, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 3762 Old Castle Road, £485, 1, 0844 635 9346 Holmlea Road, £450, 1, 1D G CG P, 0844 635 9398 Brunton Street, £400, 1, 1D G CG O, 0844 635 9398 Garry Street, £400, 1, 0844 635 9346 Rannoch Street, £400, 1, 1D G CG O, 0844 635 9692 Kirkwell Road, £395, 1, 1D G O, 0844 635 9354 Holmlea Road, £375, 1, 1D G CG O, 0844 635 9398 Holmhead Crescent, £375, 1, 1D CG O, 0844 635 9354 Holmlea Road, £375, 1, 1D E CG P, 0844 635 9350 Cathcart Road, £350, 1, 1D G O, 0844 635 1318 Newlands Road, £350, 1, 0844 635 9346 Newlands Road, £330, 1, 1D CG O, 0844 635 9440

Charing Cross Bath Street, £1600, 5, 5D, 0844 635 3357 Berkeley Street, £475, 2, 2D E CG O, 0844 635 9420 Cleveland Street, £525, 1, 0844 635 9346 Kent Road, £495, 1, 0844 635 9346 Elderslie Street, £475, 1, 1D E CG P, 0844 635 9350 Charing X Hostel, £230, 1, 0844 635 9346

City Centre Sauchiehall Street, £1775, 5, 5D G, 0844 635 9378 York Street, £1450, 3, 0844 635 9346 Gpo Building, £1300, 3, 3D G, 0844 635 9364 Bothwell Street, £975, 3, 1S 2D E PG P, 0844 635 3762 Gpo Building, £1400, 2, 2D G CG P, 0844 635 9364 Renfrew Street, £975, 2, 2D G P, 0844 635 9364 Lancefield Quay, £900, 2, 2D G CG P, 0844 635 6350 Bothwell Street, £875, 2, 0844 635 9346 Dunlop Street, £865, 2, 2D, 0844 635 9364 Dunlop Street, £850, 2, 0844 635 9346 Renfield Street, £850, 2, 1D, 0844 635 9364 Rose Street, £850, 2, 2D G P, 0844 635 9364 Mitchell Street, £825, 2, 2D E, 0844 635 1986 St. Vincent Street, £825, 2, 2D G CG, 0844 635 9470 Oswald Street, £800, 2, 0844 635 9346 Lancefield Quay, £795, 2, 0844 635 9346 Lancefield Quay, £795, 2, 0844 635 9346 Oswald Street, £795, 2, 2D E P, 0844 635 9370 The Bridge, £795, 2, 0844 635 9346 Hill Street, £750, 2, CG Z, 0844 635 9308 Fox Street, £750, 2, 2D G CG P, 0844 635 9420 Renfield Street, £725, 2, 2D W, 0844 635 9364 Morrison Street, £700, 2, 2D E P, 0844 635 9230 Great Dovehill Street, £695, 2, 0844 635 9346 Lancefield Quay, £675, 2, 2D E P, 0844 635 9380 Argyle Street, £650, 2, -1S 1D -1B -1T W, 0844 635 9596 Bell Street, £650, 2, 0844 635 9346 North Frederick Path, £650, 2, 2D E P, 0844 635 6350 Argyle Street, £625, 2, 2D W CG, 0844 635 9454 Riverview Place, £625, 2, 2D E CG P, 0844 635 9350 Renfrew Street, £600, 2, 0844 635 9346 Bridge Street, £510, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 9584 Port Dundas Place, £765, 1, 1D E, 0844 635 3894 Bothwell Street, £750, 1, E P, 0844 635 1986 Queen Street, £650, 1, 1D G, 0844 635 9368 Port Dundas Place, £640, 1, 1D E, 0844 635 3894

Cowcaddens Dunblane Street, £1200, 2, 0844 635 9346 New City Road, £425, 1, 1D E O, 0844 635 9380 New City Road, £425, 1, 1D E CG P, 0844 635 3762

Crosshill Easterhouse

Easterhouse Road, £550, 2, G CG O, 0844 635 2316 Balcurvie Road, £425, 2, 0844 635 9346 Lochdochart Road, £400, 2, 2D G O, 0844 635 6350 Balcurvie Road, £395, 2, 0844 635 4471 Dunphail Drive, £350, 2, 2D G, 0844 635 1318

Garnethill West Graham Street, £650, 2, 2D E CG O, 0844 635 3504 Buccleuch Street, £580, 2, 2D W P, 0844 635 2012 West Graham Street, £550, 2, 2D E P, 0844 635 9440 Buccleuch Street, £595, 1, 0844 635 9346

Gasgow Green Templeton Street, £695, 2, 0844 635 9346 Greenhead Street, £675, 2, 2D G P, 0844 635 9354 Mcphail Street, £550, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 9420 Silvergrove Street, £530, 2, G P, 0844 635 9396

Arcadia Place, £520, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 9454 Arcadia Street, £495, 2, 2D G CG P, 0844 635 0072 Silvergrove Street, £485, 2, G P, 0844 635 9396 Laird Place, £400, 2, 2D E O, 0844 635 9224 London Road, £450, 1, 0844 635 9346 Mcphail Street, £450, 1, G P, 0844 635 9396 London Road, £435, 1, G P, 0844 635 9396 Monteith Place, £395, 1, 0844 635 9346 Monteith Row, £395, 1, 1D E, 0844 635 4467

HOW TO USE THE LISTINGS Meadows

Hillhead Hamilton Park Avenue, £1200, 4, 0844 635 9346 Cresswell Street, £1500, 3, 3D G CG O, 0844 635 9376 Alfred Terrace, £1100, 3, -1S 3D -1B -1T G, 0844 635 9596 Byres Road, £925, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 9376

Agent phone number

Buccleuch Street, 750, 2, 2D W CG Z, 0870 062 9434

Bedrooms

Govanhill Victoria Road, £625, 3, 3D G CG O, 0844 635 9380 Halbert Street, £595, 3, 1S 2D G CG O, 0844 635 9692 Inglefield Street, £525, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 2012 Allison Street, £500, 2, 2D G O, 0844 635 9584 Dixon Avenue, £500, 2, G CG O, 0844 635 2012 Langside Road, £500, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 9472 Nithsdale Street, £495, 2, G O, 0844 635 9396 Garturk Street, £495, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 9380 Westmoreland Street, £495, 2, 2D G O, 0844 635 9584 Calder Street, £490, 2, 2D G O, 0844 635 9584 Allison Street, £475, 2, 2D G O, 0844 635 9584 Dixon Avenue, £475, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 0072 Garturk Street, £475, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 9380 Robson Grove, £475, 2, 2D E CG O, 0844 635 9398 Ascog Street, £475, 2, 2D G O, 0844 635 9380 Dixon Avenue, £475, 2, 2D G O, 0844 635 9380 Calder Street, £470, 2, 1S 1D, 0844 635 2012 Robson Grove, £470, 2, 2D E O, 0844 635 9380 Langside Road, £460, 2, G O, 0844 635 9396 Belleisle Street, £430, 2, 2D G O, 0844 635 8716 Torrisdale Street, £435, 1, 1D G, 0844 635 9350 Victoria Road, £425, 1, 1D G O, 0844 635 8716 Allison Street, £410, 1, 1D G CG O, 0844 635 9398 Allison Street, £400, 1, 1D G O, 0844 635 9380 Bankhall Street, £400, 1, 1D G CG O, 0844 635 9380 Cathcart Road, £400, 1, 0844 635 9346 Niddrie Road, £400, 1, 1D G O, 0844 635 4826 Cuthbertson Street, £395, 1, 1D G CG O, 0844 635 0072 Langside Road, £395, 1, 1D G O, 0844 635 9584 Torrisdale Street, £395, 1, E O, 0844 635 8716 Torrisdale Street, £395, 1, 1D O, 0844 635 8716 Allison Street, £380, 1, 1D G CG O, 0844 635 9380 Daisy Street, £380, 1, 1D G CG O, 0844 635 7774 Craigie Street, £375, 1, G CG O, 0844 635 9380 Govanhill Street, £375, 1, 1D G CG Z, 0844 635 9692 Allison Street, £365, 1, 1D G CG O, 0844 635 9380 Annette Street, £360, 1, 1D G CG O, 0844 635 9584 Calder Street, £350, 1, 1D E CG O, 0844 635 3504 Daisy Street, £350, 1, 1D E CG O, 0844 635 9380 Daisy Street, £350, 1, 1D W CG O, 0844 635 9398 Langside Road, £350, 1, 1D G CG O, 0844 635 9472 Daisy Street, £350, 1, 1D G O, 0844 635 9584 Allison Street, £325, 1, 1D CG O, 0844 635 9398 Garturk Street, £325, 1, 1D G O, 0844 635 9584 Govanhill Street, £325, 1, 1D E CG O, 0844 635 3504 Annette Street, £300, 1, 1D CG O, 0844 635 9420 Craigie Street, £300, 1, 1D E CG O, 0844 635 9440 Allison Street, £280, 1, 1D CG O, 0844 635 9440 Allison Street, £310, 0, E O, 0844 635 9396

Area

Monthly Rent Location

Oakfield Avenue, £725, 2, 2D O, 0844 635 9364 Kirklee Terrace, £675, 1, 1D G CG O, 0844 635 3506 Havelock Street, £525, 1, G PG Z, 0844 635 3506

Hyndland Hyndland Road, £1800, 6, 6D, 0844 635 3700 Hyndland Road, £1800, 6, 6D G O, 0844 635 1986 Crown Road North, £1400, 4, 4D G CG O, 0844 635 9354 Kirklee Gardens, £1695, 3, PG, 0844 635 2422 Partickhill Road, £1350, 2, 2D E CG P, 0844 635 9364 Lauderdale Gardens, £875, 2, 2D, 0844 635 2422 Hyndland Avenue, £695, 2, 2D, 0844 635 2422 Novar Drive, £675, 2, 2D G O, 0844 635 9496 Dudley Drive, £675, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 6639 Airlie Street, £650, 2, 1S 1D G CG O, 0844 635 1986 Hughenden Road, £600, 2, 2D W CG P, 0844 635 3714 Hyndland Road, £550, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 9440 Airlie Street, £600, 1, 1D G CG O, 0844 635 9440

Ibrox Copland Road, £485, 2, 0844 635 9346 Summertown Road, £450, 2, 2D G O, 0844 635 8716 Middleton Street, £445, 2, 2D G CG O, 0844 635 9692 Paisley Road West, £400, 1, 0844 635 9346

Kelvinbridge Belmont Street, £700, 2, 2D W CG P, 0844 635 9354 Henderson Street, £575, 2, 2D G CG P, 0844 635 9364 Dick Street, £500, 2, 2D E CG P, 0844 635 6350

Kelvingrove Argyle Street, £550, 1, 1D E O, 0844 635 9350

Kelvinside Clouston Street, £995, 5, 5D G CG O, 0844 635 3502 South Woodside Road, £475, 1, 1D W O, 0844 635 0274

Kings Park Thorncroft Drive, £475, 3, 2D 1B G PG P, 0844 635 9440 Carmunnock Road, £495, 1, 1D E CG P, 0844 635 9372 Carmunnock Road, £425, 1, 1D G CG O, 0844 635 3506

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S Single D Double T Twin B Box G Gas Central W White Meter E Electric PG Private CG Communal Z Zone O On-Street P Private UF Unfurnished

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New Student Sport Body to Establish Universities and Colleges on Level Par Gareth Llewellyn Sport Editor A NEW umbrella body for student sport across Scotland has been launched in an effort to place universities and colleges throughout the country on a level playfield field.

Individual bodies for higher and further education sport, Scottish Universities Sport (SUS) and Scottish Colleges Sport (SCS), have been rebranded as new entity, Scottish Student Sport (SSS), in the wake of a lengthy consultation period.

Student sport leaders welcomed the merger – a move that is set to see talented FE students across the country compete on a higher stage with their university counterparts.

Under the arrangements, a whole new set of events involving colleges across Glasgow and further afield are to be developed.

Stewart Fowlie, CEO of SSS, conceded sport within the further education sector failed to exist properly until around two years ago when finances were secured from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

However, the fact funding remains non-recurrent left SCS susceptible to change year-on-year. Fowlie said:

“Bringing university and college sport under the same umbrella allows SSS to do two things: to further develop a new set of events as well as opening up the 100 or so events to college students and making events more regional to reduce travelling time.

"We are lobbying colleges to sign up and to commit to sport. Bringing college sport in line with universities is difficult to solve but we hope they can make time in their timetables.

“Sports-related colleges have been good on the uptake, with a handful having signed up. It’s a challenge as a lot of college staff are academic but we’ve had good dialogue so far.”

While there is no obligation for colleges in Glasgow – and indeed across Scotland, to join – SSS are optimistic that in time they will recognise the benefits of signing up to compete against already established university teams. A new constitution has been laid out and consultation on a range of new rebranding logos closed in recent weeks.

Head of Sport at City of Glasgow College, George McVerry, said: “Colleges have in the past had a very successful competitive sports focus at a more strategic level but have never really had a coordinated approach to the timing of competition and events.

“Rather ad-hoc locally devised

Sport 27

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arrangements were the norm with only a few colleges coordinating times and days, often ‘after hours’, to compete.

“I believe that during 2011/12 City of Glasgow College and other colleges will endeavour to field more teams and individuals in competitive sports events under the SSS banner.”

An effort to secure timetable arrangements for a Wednesday afternoon, however, came too late and McVerry warned this could also be the case for other colleges.

He added: “We plan to have both our basketball and football clubs up and running next week with trials in each of the following two weeks - it's very likely that the same will be happening in other colleges.

“It’s important for our students to realise that they will be competing often at a very high level at SSS events.

If other colleges are like City of Glasgow College, many of their students will be unaware of SSS and its aims.

“There will need to be huge effort applied to marketing the new organisation and the college staff who have taken an interest in promoting competition will need to try to encourage students to take a leading role and more responsibility in making their teams competition ready.”

BUCS football stars pipped in world games Macaulay: 'We're proud of what we've done' BUCS

Glasgow University rowing duo left disappointed at champs Universities up and down the country praised for contribution to European-wide sport Stirling University student Kyle Macaulay with his silver medal.

Gareth Llewellyn Sport Editor GLASGOW UNIVERSITY STUDENTS Michael McNaul and Daniel Graham failed to come out on top despite an encouraging display at the seventh European University Rowing Championships in Russia earlier this month.

McNaul and Graham were selected following a positive result as Scotland’s senior men’s double scull at this year's home international regatta.

However, the pair found themselves in one of the toughest races of the tournament alongside a gold-winning University of East London side.

Great Britain sealed an overall third-placed finish for the championships and James Lee, manager of the

European University Sports Association (EUSA) team, said: “The result of the Glasgow double proved how tough the competition is but was a fantastic result for the guys. I am sure that they have learnt a huge amount from the experience and had a great taste of racing at international level.

“There are always Scottish university crews qualifying to attend the EUSA Regatta and I wouldn’t expect this to change. There are consistently good results coming out of the Scottish universities and I know that is down to the hard work of their coaches – many of whom are volunteers."

A team of 64 rowers and nine coaches, some of them paying their own way, travelled to the Krylatskoe Canoeing and Rowing Course in Moscow, taking two golds, five silvers, and four

bronze medals on the same lake used during the 1980 Olympic Games.

GB’s haul was down on last year, albeit remained a worthy achievement for university rowing given several institutions pulled out prior to the event getting underway. “It was quite a challenge and there was a point not long before the regatta where the whole event looked uncertain," Lee added.

"At this stage, we lost some of our big universities who all decided it wasn't worth committing more money in case the event didn't happen.

“It is a huge effort and expense to get people and boats there. The way the overall title works is based on points for participation, so when we lost over 10 crews – all of whom were medal contenders – we already knew it would be a tough ask to win."

Gareth Llewellyn

BRITISH UNIVERSITIES AND Colleges Sport (BUCS) Great British male football side suffered an agonising 2-0 defeat at the hands of Japan in the final of this year’s World University Games.

Stirling University student Kyle Macaulay, one of five Scottish students to feature in the GB squad last month, was unable to get on the scoresheet after netting in a semi-final penalty shoot-out win over Brazil.

Macaulay said: “Our target was to get a medal and we’ve achieved that.

We’re proud of what we’ve done. I’m glad to have been here.

“It was quite a night in front of a big crowd, something as a

semi-professional or university football player you don’t get that kind of opportunity a lot. It’s a huge spectacle.”

Team GB overcame Ghana, Canada, South Korea and Brazil en route to the final, where they were unable to halt the overpowering Far East outfit from clinching gold in front of 30,000 fans in Shenzhen.

Andrew Cook (Edinburgh University), Gavin Malin (Heriot-Watt), James Craigen (Edinburgh) and Macaulay all starred, while Spartans skipper Stewart Fowlie was manager of both the men and women’s teams.

Meanwhile, in women’s football, a trio of players from the Stirling University-based Scottish FA National Women’s Football Academy were part of the BUCS British team which finished ninth overall.

The Journal Wednesday 14 September

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Glasgow's ice hockey stars ready for battle The Journal's Richard Flynn provides the inside track as Braehead Clan take to the ice once again AL GOOLD

Richard Flynn

THE ARRIVAL OF Autumn can only mean one thing for ice hockey fans up and down the country – a new season is finally upon us.

Fans of fast-paced, bone-juddering action need look no further than the Elite League, where the best teams British hockey has to offer take to the ice for another gruelling campaign.

And for Glasgow’s Braehead Clan, the first puck of the season will drop at Braehead Arena in the next fortnight as they host Dundee Stars.

Last year saw Clan debut in the top tier and the team wasted no time in establishing themselves as a fan favourite across the UK as player/coach Bruce Richardson led his Purple Army to victory in the Aladdin 20-20 Cup and an impressive fifth-placed league finish.

The Glasgow outfit may be without Richardson for its sophomore season but the team has secured a worthy replacement in Drew Bannister who comes to Braehead with a wealth of

» FIXTURES

Dundee Stars Sept 24 Cardiff Devils Oct 1 Nott Panthers Oct 9 Cov Blaze Oct 15

experience on the ice.

Having spent eight seasons in the NHL including stints with Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Rangers, Drew spent a stretch in various European leagues before briefly returning to America. He landed in the UK last season as player/assistant coach for Hull Stingrays.

And the new man in charge wasted no time in making an impact. Soon after accepting the job, Bannister turned several heads by securing the signing of Elite League’s top player of the last three seasons, Nottingham Panthers’ Jade Galbraith.

Considered by many to be the best offensive player in the league, Galbraith has been a vital component for the Panthers in the past and his appearance in the purple and silver colours marks a welcome emphasis on finding the back of the net.

The new season also sees Fife Flyers enter the Elite League for the very first time – taking the total number of Scottish teams in direct competition to four and paving the way for fierce interScotland rivalry.

As far as the 2011/12 champions go, last year’s play-off winners Nottingham have to be considered strong contenders – despite losing Galbraith and several other key players over the summer break.

Belfast Giants and Sheffield Steelers will be the two other teams to beat but, as has been proven many times before, one of the best things about the sport of ice hockey is the unpredictability of the game. Anything can happen, after all.

Student tickets range from £12 - £18.

Tickets are available on Ticketmaster and from the Braehead Arena box office.

The Purple Army are confident new Clan coach Drew Bannister can overcome all obstacles.

Baker and co prepare to shine in front of local Glasgow audience Great Britain's tennis stars strongly tipped ahead of crunch Davis Cup clash against Hungary KATE CARINE

Stuart Findlay

SCOTTISH TENNIS ACE Jamie Baker could have the chance to be a hometown hero this weekend as the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas rolls into Glasgow for the second time this year.

Great Britain will meet Hungary in the Europe/Africa zone Group II third round play-off on September 16-18 at Braehead Arena and team captain Leon Smith has included Glaswegian Baker in his five-man squad.

Baker, 25, is one of three Scots involved - alongside world number four Andy Murray and doubles specialist Colin Fleming – with a British victory required to guarantee a return to the Europe/Africa zone Group I for the 2012 season.

Great Britain defeated Luxembourg 4-1 in front of a capacity crowd at Braehead Arena in July. And the support given to the players throughout

the last tie prompted the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to reward Glasgow with a second consecutive chance to play host.

The British team, which also includes James Ward and Fleming’s regular doubles partner Ross Hutchins, are firm favourites - but the difficulty of the tie could well hinge on Murray’s availability and fitness.

Hungary defeated Cyprus and Belarus in rounds one and two to set up the promotion decider. The Hungarians’ top singles player, Ádám Kellner, is ranked 218th in the world and will be joined by Attila Balázs, almost 30 places further back.

Neither player has ever reached the first round proper of a grand slam while Britain’s prized possession Murray is into his fifth year inside the world’s top 10 and after another two victories to add to his 12-match unbeaten run in Davis Cup singles competitions.

Linlithgow’s Colin Fleming and

Hutchins are expected to line up in the doubles rubber and will hope to repeat some of the scintillating form that helped them reach the quarter-finals of Wimbledon and the US Open this year.

Team-mate Ward, who has risen to a career high 140th in the world rankings, is the likely choice for two of the singles rubbers and he will head into the tie feeling confident after a solid summer season that included a memorable run to the semi's at Queen’s Club.

However, Smith could still yet turn to Baker after the Scot showcased excellent form on the challenger circuit this summer combined with a move more than 100 places up the ATP Rankings to 261st in the last three months.

Follow The Journal online for all the news, results and interviews straight from the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas this weekend as reporter Stuart Findlay travels to Brahead to cover the Scots in action.

Scot Andy Murray will be crucial to GB success.

The Journal Wednesday 14 September

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Sport 31

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City takes beautiful game by storm Glasgow University law graduate Laura Montgomery explains to The Journal the backstory behind the beginnings of Glasgow City Ladies outfit Gareth Llewellyn Sport Editor IN LITTLE OVER 10 years, an amateur outfit known as Glasgow City Ladies has risen from a newly-formed club in the regional West Division to mixing it with professional clubs with huge budgets... and some of the world’s best players.

Laura Montgomery, a law graduate from Glasgow University, and Maryhill Eagles team-mate Carol Anne Stewart formed the club in 1998 by after growing disillusioned with their current club.

“I had only been involved with the senior women’s game for one year and had just injured my anterior cruciate ligament,” Montgomery said. “In the time I was sidelined I began to sit back and look at my own team and the other teams around us and felt that we could do things better, with more professionalism and a greater level of commercial and media support.

“Carol Anne, who was nearing the end of her own playing career with the same club as myself was in agreement with me and basically off we went making plans for our new team. We were fortunate back in 1998 as the League set up had only a First Division, and all of the lower divisions were regionalised, but at the same level.

“This meant if you won your Regional League you got promoted to the top division in one quick season. In the current climate, it would be impossible to form a Premier League team entering at the bottom as it would take too many seasons to get to the top and you would never keep your top players that long in the lower flight, nor would their patience allow them to play at an inferior level for up to three years.

“We formed Glasgow City and won

the West Division undefeated in season 1998/99 and were promoted to the then First Division, soon to be rebranded the Premier League.

“The game has changed massively since then, with almost all top teams having a second string senior team (Reserves) and a full youth set up now.

In the old days, it was very much single teams. Most importantly the professionalism to the game has increased tenfold.”

While City have enjoyed success in recent years and become a club on which to be modelled, the girls don’t enjoy the trappings that such success would bring in the men’s game. Many of them are enrolled in courses at Stirling University, home to the Scottish FA Women’s National Football Academy, a partnership between the university, the SFA, and Winning Students which provides national scholarships for student athletes.

Some also have full-time jobs alongside club training sessions, and Scotland camps, dedicating their life to their studies or work and football during the spring and summer months.

“When I started, my team trained twice a week and Glasgow City trains five times per week as a club. Our players themselves will train up to ten times a week. There are huge sacrifices now, in terms of the girls’ preparation,” Montgomery added.

“To be a top footballer, you cannot have an extensive social life. You have to eat right, avoid alcohol, and prepare as best you can for every training session and match. Back when we started, most teams still had a very social and amateur approach to the game.”

Notching up more than 250 appearances in City’s defence in addition to working before retiring last season, Montgomery remains as integral to

ANDREW GASS

Continued from page 32

The Glasgow City Ladies football team the running of the club as ever, albeit doesn’t miss playing.

“Surprisingly, I don’t miss playing as much as I perhaps thought I would.

I think this is down to deciding at the very start of last year that it would be my last season,” she said. “So mentally I was fully prepared. I therefore knew when I was playing my last Champions League match, my last Scottish Cup match and my last Premier League match etc. I think it is different if you retire suddenly perhaps through injury and you have not had time to get your head around it.

“I am also so busy running the club that to be honest this influenced my decision to retire in the first place.

Glasgow City has grown massively since we started and it is a more than a full time job to run it. It was becoming

impossible to play and do what I do off the park. To be honest, even now with not playing, I still do not have time to do everything I need to.”

For any girls considering a career in football, you could do worse than beginning at university, something Montgomery can attest to.

“I was discovered so to speak playing for Glasgow University and that is when I joined the senior women’s game. University football gave me the opportunity to play football in an organised fashion for the first time in my life, as there were no youth teams when I was growing up.

"I also met invaluable friends, one of whom remains my best friend today and indeed is a director of one of our club’s main sponsors – Maritime Craft (Clyde) Ltd.”

GCL stars on past, present and future Gareth Llewellyn of The Journal sits down with a few of the Glasgow City stars to discuss their recent wave of success...

Gareth Llewellyn Sport Editor JANE ROSS (GLASGOW City and Scotland forward) Thoughts on reaching the last 32 of the Women’s Champions League?

“It's great to have achieved it. As a player you always want to be playing at the highest level possible and it's going to be a great challenge playing against one of the top 16 teams in Europe.”

Aside from football, what are you up to?

“I am about to start studying towards a Masters of Philosophy at the University of Stirling. There is always an element of difficulty with balancing university work with football commitments especially with the amount of

time that I require off each semester.

However, with proper organisation and planning of my time I have so far in my academic career managed to successfully balance them both.”

Greatest achievements?

“My greatest achievements to date would have to be qualifying for the last 16 of the UEFA Women’s Cup (the tournament which was then changed into the Women’s Champions League) with Glasgow City in 2007. Also playing in the European Championship finals in 2007 with the Scotland Women’s Under 19 squad was a great achievement.”

Eilish McSorley (Glasgow City defender and Scotland U19 captain) Thoughts on reaching the last 32 of the Women’s Champions League?

“Reaching the last 32 of the WCL means so much to not just me but the

Glasgow City Ladies success

whole club and everyone involved.

It shows how much the team as progressed over the years and all the hard work that is put in by players and staff is finally being shown on a greater stage.

“The only pressure we have is the pressure we put on ourselves, the team strive to do better and better every time we are at training or playing a match. The Draw will certainly not be a walk over and we will be doing our very best to prepare for these fixtures in order to qualify to the last 16.”

Aside from football, what are you up to?

“I am actually just about to enter my first year at university to study 'sports studies'. The past two years I have been at college studying sports coaching and the development of sport. Trying to balance studies and football is

hard but all the girls have to deal with it weather its work or uni.

“Being at the Scotland National Women’s Football Academy helps a lot. We are given the chance to combine our studies and football with a lot of support from the club and the SFA. Trying to juggle training 10 times a week and going to uni is never going to be easy but it’s the lifestyle that I have chosen and there are many people who are whiling to help.”

Greatest achievements?

“I have two great achievements. One would be qualifying to the last 32 of the WCL and the second would be qualifying to the European Women U19s Finals 2010.

"My ultimate ambitions in football would be to play professionally and to also become an A squad player for the national team.”

domestic game then the rewards will also show through nationally, of course we can still improve, but Scotland can be proud of the efforts the clubs are making and the national coach has to take a lot of credit for how far the game has advanced in the country.

“The women are far more open to new ideas and are not inhibited by years of tradition. In my experience, the university is an educational institution that embraces equality and if anyone is interested in playing then I would urge them to give it a go. The rewards can be great from fitness to teamwork to social interaction to confidence.”

Domestically, City are again top of the Scottish Women’s Premier League, unbeaten and six points clear of Hibernian with a game in hand after 15 games and an incredible 106 goals scored with just three conceded, at the time of writing. And while some players might be tempted to think ahead to the Champions League encounter, Black insists his players are focused on their next game with preparations for Valur halted until afterwards.

You can see Glasgow City in Women’s Champions League action against Valur at Petershill Park, Springburn on Thursday 29th September. 19:45 kick-off. Tickets, priced at £5 adults, £2 concessions, are available from Hampden Park’s SWF Office, Petershill Park, or the Tickets Scotland website www. tickets-scotland.com.

32 Sport

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The Journal Wednesday 14 September

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Football

Glasgow Ladies in European Adventure City ready to take on the continent's best after three years of heartbreak

Hacker: Trail

Author & Author Sean Gibson Packers back with a bang to beat Saints in season opener Last year’s Super Bowl winners, Green Bay Packers, saw off the resilient New Orleans Saints in the NFL ‘kick-off’ game last Thursday night, winning 42-34. The fans at Lambeau Field witnessed Packers’ second-round draft pick Randall Cobb equal the all-time NFL record for the longest kick-off return of 108 yards. Despite the rookie’s showstealing move, Saints had a chance to tie with the final play of the game from the 1-yard line, but the Packers’ defence stood firm. A start full of positives for the champions.

Dominant Brits secure Triathlon world titles

Gareth Llewellyn Sport Editor WITH THE OLD Firm dominating the back pages of almost every newspaper in Scotland, it is unlikely you would have read much about the Scottish Women’s Premier League. But, unlike their well-supported mega-rich male counterparts, champions Glasgow City Ladies are the only Scottish club still playing in the Champions League this season.

Following three years of failing to reach the knockout stages of the UEFA Women’s Champions League after losing to German opposition, City were installed as top seeds for their qualifying group in Serbia, and after a week in searing heat, left Subotica with three wins from all three games.

Not only did Eddie Wolecki Black’s side win, but their penchant for keeping the ball crossed with attractive attacking play saw a pernicious return of 17 goals without conceding as only their final opponents, and hosts, Spartak Jaffa, managed to register a shot on goal.

Black told The Journal: “It’s true we were installed as first seeds and with that comes an expectation to qualify. As for the last 32 our expectations are the

same as always when we play, and that is to remain true to our style of play no matter the opponent.” Unseeded for the last 32 draw, City could have faced one of Europe’s powerhouses – two-time finalists Turbine Potsdam, Frankfurt, Duisburg, defending champions Lyon or even English champions Arsenal Ladies - but instead were drawn with Icelandic outfit Valur Reykjavik, who earlier this month failed to win their home Úrvalsdeild Kvenna for the first time since 2005, albeit against a backdrop of having competed in the last 32 for the past four years. Reward for City, if they advance, is a potential tie against defending German champions Turbine Potsdam should they defeat another Icelandic side in Þór/KA. Not dwelling on what some would consider a missed opportunity to bring Europe’s best to Glasgow at the first opportunity, Black said: “Having been knocked out by German clubs for the past three years, I think it’s fair to say we are happy to avoid the so-called glamour ties. This year is more about progress than saying we went out to the semi-finalists or runners-up.

“Our opponents’ games are on the internet and some games are streamed live, therefore we took advantage of the opportunities to get their games watched and analysed. We have an

awareness of their formation, style of play and strengths.”

Not content with qualifying for the knockout stages, City also set a few landmarks along the way: the 350th goal by a British club in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and its predecessor the UEFA Women’s Cup; an 8-0 win over Maltese champions Mosta moved them into second place above Everton Ladies in the all-time goal-scoring chart for British clubs in Europe; and they also netted the 100th goal by a Scottish team in European competition.

Despite City’s success both at home and in Europe, coverage in the mainstream media is hard to come by. BBC Alba commissioned MNE TV to follow the club throughout the season, so while there will be cameras at the first ever Women’s Champions League game in Scotland, the national broadcasters BBC Scotland and STV are still unlikely to give it much coverage.

Co-founder and general manager, Laura Montgomery, said: “I have approached the BBC to film it or at least show highlights. I have not as yet heard back. I will also approach STV. We do have the Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, Shona Robison requesting to attend our match, so we will have some influential people there.”

Women’s football across Britain is very

much an underappreciated sport. But those involved take it as serious as can be imagined, and the same is true of City, with many players at the club also at the Scottish FA’s National Academy at Stirling University, and competing at various levels for the national side.

City’s development has also benefitted the national side, with many players featuring heavily over the last few years, including the team which was unlucky to miss out on qualification for Euro 2009 in Finland, losing on away goals in a 4-4 draw with Russia in the play-offs.

Women’s football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world and becoming more popular on a global scale - as proven by the massive global interest in this summer’s Women’s World Cup in Germany. But while Scotland still have some way to catch up to the likes of Germany, Sweden, Norway and more recently France, the signs are bright, and it should not be too long before Scotland qualify for a major final if the development continues.

Black added: “The women’s game in Scotland has improved greatly over the past few years and I think it shows that if the focus is on developing the Continued on page 31

Great Britain’s Helen Jenkins’ strong second-place finish in Beijing’s World Series Grand Final secured her the women’s triathlon world championship title, following up the success of her compatriots, brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, who secured a one-two finish in the men’s final standings. Jenkins this year won the London triathlon on the very same course that will be used in the 2012 Olympics and has ensured that she will be seen as the woman to beat come next Summer’s games. However, since the discipline’s introduction to the Olympics in Sydney 2000 Britain has yet to win a single triathlon medal, so the home nation’s contenders won’t be taking anything for granted – even going in as favourites.

100m king Blake turns the wick up in Zurich Recently-crowned 100m world champion Yohan Blake showed he still has plenty in the tank as he powered to a new personal best on his way to victory in the same event at Zurich, as the Diamond League resumed last week. Blake has filled the space vacated by the injured pair of Powell and American Tyson Gay, not to mention the recently-banned Steve Mullings (Jamaica) and Mike Rodgers (USA) – the third and fourth fastest men in the world this year, respectively, prior to Daegu.