Dear Scotland

Indelible Ink: Toni Davidson’s ‘Scar Culture’

Alistair Braidwood — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:17:27 +0000

Over the months I’ve written about some difficult and disturbing books. Duncan McLean’s ‘Bunker Man’ immediately springs to mind, but perhaps Toni Davidson’s 1999 debut novel ‘Scar Culture’ unsettles more than any other Scottish novel I have read. It’s never as salacious as McLean’s novel often becomes, but like ‘Bunker Man’ it deals with abuse; [...]

Who’s Running Rangers?

Billy Williamson — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:00:11 +0000

You need a degree in accountancy to be a Rangers fan these days. On Tuesday, the Daily Record broke the story that Rangers’ owner Craig Whyte sold four years’ worth of Rangers season ticket sales to fund his takeover of the Govan club. Later that same day, Whyte released a statement admitting the deal happened [...]

Sopranos Football Association

Billy Williamson — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:35:23 +0000

Across the world, there are people who specialise in getting what they want by any means necessary. In Japan, they have the Yakuza; in Hong Kong, the Triads; in Italy (and Little Italy), the Mafia. Maybe we should add the Scottish Football Association to that list. Those criminal groups can, and do, use violence, but [...]

8 Scottish Bands Now Announced for South by Southwest 2012

The Dear — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:44:47 +0000

A trawl through the 2012 SXSW music schedule published earlier today reveals that there at least 8 Scottish bands who have been invited to attend this year’s festival in Austin, Texas. We expect more to be announced in the next few weeks. The 2012 music festival will take place in Austin from March 13th to [...]

Marriage of Inconvenience

Billy Williamson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:00:47 +0000

This week, while the First Minister set a start date for Scotland’s divorce from England - 2014, if Alba says aye - the Chief Operating Officer of Rangers has proposed a new marriage between the Auld Enemies: a merger of the Scottish and English League Cup tournaments into a British League Cup. Ali Russell suggests that the [...]

Scotland on Tour with Vic Galloway – Sons & Daughters in Melbourne

Vic Galloway — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:33:45 +0000

Having spent Hogmanay with Vic and Primal Scream in Edinburgh, Sons & Daughters have headed for some summer sunshine in Australia and will be in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth this week. Vic has more on them as well as the only complete listing of every Scottish gig outside the UK. Sons & Daughters in [...]

Postcard From The Future

The Dear — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:39:29 +0000

No-one predicted 2012 would be the best year for Scottish football in decades, and looking back, it’s still hard to believe what just happened. Motherwell’s amazing form from mid-January to May pushed the Old Firm until the last day of the season; three teams are in Europe past Xmas; and the national team sit clear [...]

Indelible Ink: Rodge Glass’ ‘No Fireworks’

Alistair Braidwood — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:31:18 +0000

When these columns started in November 2009 I suggested that there was a noticeable change happening in Scottish writing, and attempted to answer why. Here’s a short excerpt to give you a flavour: ‘You can argue the reasons for this new confidence in Scottish writing, when it began, or even if it exists at all, [...]

The SPL and SFL Are Dead; Long Live the SPFL!

Billy Williamson — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:00:07 +0000

Millions of kids all over the world opened their Santa stockings on Sunday morning to find football gifts of joy: Leo Messi’s garish yellow boots, FIFA ’12 for the X-Box, a new Dundee top. Me, my Xmas football gift came a few days early this year, and the Santa wasn’t a fat man with a [...]

Back To The Future

Billy Williamson — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:00:41 +0000

The Scottish Premier League’s rule change to allow the re-introduction of terracing at football grounds is just the first in a series of announcements to be made under a “Back to the Eighties” initiative to reinvigorate, revitalise, and revivify top-tier Scottish club football. Over the next 18 months, soccer casuals, football specials, and genuine competition [...]