The Leisure Review: high ground

High Ground edition 3; dateline 1 March 2011

Quangos a go-go...
MacSideliner has been reading with no little interest that UK Sport is up for the chop. From the perspective of the High Ground up here in North Britain we could never really work out what it was actually for anyway. One sports studies student I know reckoned it was about the most expensive website for broad career guidance she had come across, although she was actually seeking information about women in sport. To be fair and balanced, as MacSideliner always is, of course, similar questions can be asked of a few other quangos in the sporting arena. It can be sometimes tough enough trying to work out the role and point of the national agencies for sport; or should that be sub-national? And there is the crux right there, boys and girls. With crushing cuts coming over the horizon and then some, there needs to be a reality check about how these organisations support sport first and foremost rather than falling into the trap of thinking they are actually the key player in it. If local government can work out that it needs to be more “enabling” then it surely can’t be beyond the wit of other organisations to deduce that a concerted effort must be made to support grassroots community efforts better.
Fun Tip No. 1 – spellcheck ‘quango’ and see what it offers as alternative word

Role models and swallow dive bombers
Time for another “contrasting cultures spot” from the High Ground’s musing moments. The Six Nations is in full swing and across the British Isles, France and Italy, eyes are glued to the action. The big talking point, for the media anyway, is flying Chris Ashton and his pre-try celebration. Is it cricket, old boy? Is it rugby even and is anybody else wondering whether it is very sporting? Well I suppose some might say it depends who you support. MacSideliner has carried out a straw poll in recent weeks (not to be confused with Scotland’s defence against Wales and Ireland) to gauge public opinion – all very IPSOS MORI science and all that. Various robust techniques were deployed: water-cooler chats, coffee and tea breaks, talking with rugby development officers (yeah I know, but hey), and much more sensible conversations with parents and volunteers pitchside at mini-rugby games. Coaches other than Johnno (and I thought he was supposed to be tough?) are a bit concerned with kids copying and either dropping the ball before grounding or hurting themselves when landing on the ball – always room for a little bit of public information and child safety tip. The trend here appears to be that pre-celebrations are, let’s say, “a bit off” at the best of times, and even more so when your team is well in the ascendancy. Maybe it’s a bit of fun but most of the folk I’ve spoken to are looking forward to seeing the Ashton mug being at the bottom of a ruck more often. Now that might be a bit of tartan piety and how much would we give to have a player playing like he is at the moment in our team? Truth is we’d like to have him even more if he would cut out the showboating once he donned the kilt. I won’t do the “some of my best friends are” line but the French coach’s attempted psyching about “nobody likes England” gets harder to have a go at when you have a guy giving it plenty before he has actually gone over the line. Someone suggested that arrogant England is the only team not to have the opposition’s name on their Six Nations jerseys during the tournament. MacSideliner doesn’t have Sky (never mind “the Plus”) so I can’t corroborate that one. By the way, the Sky no-fly zone is enforced by Mrs Macsideliner, a big sports fan herself, to stop me staying up late watching competitive log chopping tournaments et al (sounds like a good watch though eh? – point proven, no further questions your honour!). So up here we are going to be sticking with Chris Paterson as the rugby role model of choice. First, he is actually Scottish (well you know what rugby is like). Second, he is also quietly effective, with 102 caps, 22 tries (rarely mentioned by the hacks and punditry up here), 752 points plus the 15 I think that he scored against Ireland (yes, he is a pretty good kicker too). And third and best of all, he’s the poster boy for Scott’s Porridge Oats. I am not kidding on that last one. Go and buy some at your local store. All that and more out of a guy who is 12 stone 8lbs in old money. Now that’s quality. Fingers crossed for Twickers.......
Tip No.2 – try honey and banana on it, dee-lish! (the porridge)

A community sports club and then some!
MacSideliner gives a huge shout out and hearty congratulations to Kilwinning Community Sports in Ayrshire. This club driven by the two Jims, McCubbin and Hodge, has just got great news about moving to another level. In these days of austerity this club with the right kind of support from the right kind of people has secured £642,000 from its local authority, North Ayrshire Council, towards its second phase of development which will cost around £2.3million to put in place. The council funding was pretty much the final piece of the package required to deliver the dream. This club has been working towards having its own sustainable facility for over ten years and already has one in five of the town’s population as club members. It’s most definitely an example of the MacBigSociety in action. “See you Jimmy(s)” takes on a whole new resonance indeed!

MacSideliner