Edinburgh Capitals 5 – 2 Braehead Clan,
UK Elite Ice Hockey League and EIHL Gardiner Conference championships;
Sunday, February 3, 2013: Murrayfield Arena, Edinburgh 

The intercity derby is always a fast and furious affair and the latest encounter between Glasgow’s Braehead Clan and the Edinburgh Capitals was to be no exception.

Away victories are a rare occurrence in this fixture but, 24 hours since they pressed championship-chasing Sheffield Steelers all the way, a rejuvenated Clan fancied their chances of bringing two points back west.

Braehead flew out the traps and winger Kevin Phillips’ surging break across the neutral zone drew the games’ first penalty after only 13 seconds of play. Richard Hartmann was directed to the sin bin for two minutes having tripped the attacker as he homed-in on the hosts’ goal.

Hartmanis, Goldie and Farmer rained shots on the Capitals’ net as the visitors set-up camp in the attacking zone, but somehow the Clansmen failed to find a way through a well-organised Edinburgh blockade.

When gaps could be found in the Edinburgh defence, goalkeeper Tomas Hiadlovsky proved equal to the task of frustrating Braehead.

While the Glasgow team spurned numerous chances in front of goal, Edinburgh were content to soak up the pressure and hit on the counter.

Clan goalie Machesney was repeatedly called into action as quick breakouts took advantage of Braehead’s commitment to attack, but he could do nothing to prevent Capitals’ opening the scoring in the 16th minute, when Hartman rifled a shot home from the blue line.

The goal came against the run of play but within moments the hosts had doubled their lead. As Capitals forwards rushed the net, Machesney was forced to cover his near post — freeing up space at the back for the incoming Marcis Zembergs to bundle home Edinburgh’s second.

Clan returned for the second period, again looking the more dominant of the teams and it was not long until their persistence was rewarded. Steve Birnstill brought Braehead back into the contest with a perfectly aimed slapshot that flew past the ever-impressive Hiadlovsky.

Despite enjoying the bulk of the chances Clan were unable to draw level and Edinburgh would again make the visitors pay for their wayward finishing. Holecko restored Capitals’ two-goal advantage little over a minute into the third period, and with the Braehead defence appearing to switch off Hartman quickly got his second of the night to put the result beyond doubt.

To their credit, Braehead continued to push for a way back into the game. Matt Schepke gave them a lifeline by scoring with eight minutes still to play, but a comeback always seemed to much to ask.

With two minutes left on the clock and nothing to lose Clan replaced their goalkeeper with an extra attacker, but the last-gasp gamble did not pay off. Edinburgh’s Jade Portwood guided the puck into Braehead’s empty net seconds before full time to round-off the scoring.

Speaking after the game, disappointed Clan forward Brock McPherson told The Journal: “It’s really frustrating — we shot ourselves in the foot tonight. Edinburgh are a strong team at home but we should have had the win.

“The Sheffield game was hard but we felt good; it didn’t take too much out of the team. We just didn’t take our chances tonight and we gave up cheap goals. We need to move on quickly from tonight.”

With a contract dispute threatening to cancel North America’s ice hockey season Braehead Clan swooped to sign a star player from the famous Detroit Red Wings.

Drew Miller is still under contract to the Michigan team but the world-leading National Hockey League (NHL) is currently shut down, as club owners and the players’ union argue over how to split its $3.3 billion (£2.1bn) annual revenues. The situation has led top names to move overseas in order to stay match-fit for whenever a deal is reached and the NHL season gets under way.

The American forward has played more than 320 NHL games, making his signing one of the biggest in the history of British ice hockey. Miller told Clydebank Live: “It’s a tough time right now in the NHL and it doesn’t look like they’re going to get it figured out in the next month or so.

“I’m in a position where you’re always fighting for your spot, and when the NHL does restart you don’t want to be far behind. The process was really quick – my agent came to me last Wednesday (October 3) and we agreed to it Wednesday night.

“I didn’t know much about the British league but when I looked into it there were a lot of good things said about the Clan. My agent had played with Jordan Krestanovich [Clan's head coach] and it was a great setup: He said ‘You’re going to have a great player-coach, a good team and ownership’ – so it seemed like a great place to come.”

Miller was part of California’s Anaheim Ducks side that won the Stanley Cup – the NHL’s championship and the world’s top ice hockey trophy – in 2008. Securing the services of the current NHL star is a coup for the Clan, who only launched in 2010 as Britain’s Elite League looked to expand into Glasgow.

The 28-year-old’s professional career began with almost 200 games in the American Hockey League (AHL) – below the NHL but also among the world’s top competitions. He played two seasons with the Ducks after being called up to the NHL club in 2007, before moving to Florida’s Tampa Bay Lightning and then joining his home state’s prestigious Red Wings.

Kirsty Longmuir, Clan’s general manager, told Clydebank Live: “For us to sign a player of Drew’s calibre – a current NHL player – in only our third season really is huge. There are teams that have been around a lot longer than Clan who haven’t managed to get this kind of opportunity.

“It’s obviously a big thing for our club and a huge thing for our fans, but it’s also pretty big for our other players too. For the guys to train and play alongside someone of Drew’s stature will bring a lot to the team and our game.”

Britain’s Elite League is a world away from the colossal arenas of the NHL, but Clan pride themselves on offering top class facilities for players and fans alike. Strangely, as the Braehead Arena boasts an Olympic-sized hockey rink, the Clydeside surface is actually bigger than those used in the NHL – with extra width giving players more time in possession.

Asked what effect it will have on his game, Miller said: “It definitely is different. You get out there and your whole perspective of the rink is different, but when it comes to style of play you just try and fit in with the team. I like to bring a bit of my own game to the team – to play offensive and with speed – and hockey’s hockey.”

Crowds at the Glasgow venue have steadily grown over the past two seasons and the club now draws around 3,000 per game – attendances nearing those of Scottish Premier League football teams. Miller joins Clan days before the side returns to Glasgow after an arduous month of away matches, with excitement growing fast even before news of the NHL man’s arrival.

Jordan Krestanovich has high expectations of his team, looking for a maximum four points from the weekend’s games against Dundee Stars (Friday, October 12) and Edinburgh Capitals (Saturday, October 13). He explained: “We really are super excited to be back on home ice.

“People don’t realise but not only have we been playing on the road for five weeks, we’ve had to train away too. I was pleased we got three wins from the eight games but now we’re back in Glasgow, with the fans behind us, only wins are good enough.

“The goal for the season is to win our conference and if we do that then I believe we can challenge for the [overall British] championship. So this weekend’s games were huge even before Drew arrived, but with a player of his calibre it’s great for the fans and the team – especially the young British players.

“It’s an unfortunate situation back home [in North America] with the lockout but it’s our gain. However long Drew is here he’s obviously going to be a massive part of our team, so I’m excited about it.”

Tickets for the weekend’s games, starting at £8 for kids and £14 for adults, are available from the Braehead Clan website or by calling 0844 499 1700. After Saturday’s match with Edinburgh fans have the chance to skate with the players in the arena, on the club’s Olympic-size ice rink.

First published by Clydebank Live on October 11, 2012
By Mark McGeever

A controversial merger between British defence giant BAE Systems, which owns the Scotstoun and Govan shipyards, and the Franco-German owner of Airbus collapsed yesterday (Wednesday, October 10) after high level talks broke down.

On Tuesday Clydebank Live reported the defence ministers of the UK, France and Germany were due to meet at a NATO gathering in Brussels, in a last minute bid to save the £30 billion deal between BAE and EADS. Talks centred on a disagreement between the three governments over how much of the new company would be in state hands, with the British government able to block any deal thanks to its ‘golden share’ in BAE.

West Dunbartonshire’s MP Gemma Doyle – who is also a shadow defence minister – told Clydebank Live: “It’s important during merger discussions like these that the interests of shareholders aren’t put ahead of the workers.

“We all know that shipyards on the Clyde have suffered too much in the past – so I wanted to see the best outcome to secure the future of the yards. If the merger had went ahead, it seemed as though there might have been the potential to open up new markets for Scottish shipbuilding, but clearly this would have had to be matched with guarantees on jobs.

“The current Government has failed to deliver a defence industrial strategy, let alone a successful one. We need to make sure that Britain has a secure defence industry, supporting our armed forces, and I hope these discussions might have kick started a bit of thinking along those lines in ministerial corridors.”

The British government was in favour of the merger but only if safeguards were in place to ensure the new company would not be subject to political interference by France or Germany, whose governments own substantial amounts of EADS. High levels of involvement by the French and German governments threatened BAE’s access to American military contracts – something considered crucial to both British defence manufacturing and national security.

BAE now sells more to the US Department of Defense than it does to the UK Ministry of Defence, making clear the importance of American military contracts to British jobs. Much of the work is classified and would be off-limits to European companies, with the British firm only allowed to bid because of the extremely high levels of integration between the UK and US militaries.

In order to protect BAE’s business with its biggest customer, both BAE management and the British government insisted each state own no more than nine percent of the merged company, with no government representatives allowed to be on its board. It is thought France was open to the conditions but the deal fell apart when the German government made its opposition clear.

Speaking last night, British Defence Secretary Philip Hammond commented: “The British government has always understood the attraction of building what would be a world-leading defence company, but it had to be done on the basis it was in Britain’s national interest. We set out our requirements to make that happen and the French and German governments have done the same. Obviously the company is looking at all of the facts and all of the stakeholders and has just decided it was too difficult to progress this project further.”

Clydebank’s streets will be protected against a winter freeze by a fleet of new vehicles designed to prevent snow and ice causing chaos on our roads and minimise damage to the surface.

Six road gritters, complete with snow ploughs, and four mini-tractors have been added to West Dunbartonshire Council’s winter defences. The authority spent £450,000 on the new vehicles, which will spread salt more accurately, clear larger amounts of snow, and be able to operate for far longer without ongoing maintenance.

The authority unveiled its latest assets yesterday (Wednesday, October 10) as it launched the Ready for Winter campaign. The announcement included details on a range of plans for dealing with extreme weather, as well as ways for residents to help keep their communities moving.

Councillor David McBride, the convener of environmental services, said: “Keeping our streets and pavements safe during winter is essential and that is why the council has invested heavily in these fantastic new vehicles. I’m confident that we are in better shape than ever before to tackle what the winter has to throw at us.

“During severe weather, disruption is unavoidable, but we are putting good plans in place to ensure we can maintain services as much as possible. We also have a great workforce who are prepared to come out in all weather and all times of the day to keep us safe – and for that I’m very grateful.

“I would also urge residents to be realistic in their expectations. We’ve got 400 miles of roads and more than double that in footways and it is just not possible to keep every one of them gritted when you are fighting heavy snow or sub-zero temperatures. What I can assure you is that our committed staff will work tirelessly for residents to minimise disruption and respond quickly to any emergencies.”

West Dunbartonshire Council has collected more than 6,000 tonnes of salt – treble the figure in 2010 –  to treat nearly 70 percent of its road network as a priority during severe weather. Footpaths around shops, sheltered housing, railways, schools and hospitals will be gritted as a priority. The council’s website and social media channels – such as Twitter and Facebook – will give immediate notice of school closures and service disruptions

Councillor Lawrence O’Neill, depute convener of environmental services, said: “We’ve got the vehicles, we’ve got the salt and we’ve got the staff so we’re in good shape for the months ahead. However, it isn’t just about the council – we are also encouraging residents to do their bit.

“Being a good neighbour and clearing paths of ice and snow is the kind of practical step that most of us can take during cold weather. It’s far easier to clear away fresh snow than it is to come along once everyone has squashed it down.

“We’d also ask residents to put together a small emergency kit bag – including things like a radio, torch and first aid kit – as well as heating your home efficiently and finding out how to respond to damage such as a burst water pipe. Information on all of this and more is available on our website and the national site at www.readyscotland.org.”

EXCLUSIVE –  Clydebank residents are being urged to attend council-run free fireworks displays next month as authorities look to curb injuries from unorganised Bonfire night celebrations.

West Dunbartonshire Council is plotting its most spectacular Guy Fawkes’ event to date, with thousands of people expected to attend Dalmuir Park for Clydebank’s official fireworks display. More than 5,000 fireworks will light up the sky above the burgh in what organisers say will be an incredible 20 minutes of colour and noise.

Along with the display there will also be fun rides for kids and plenty of stalls selling hot food and drinks to keep warm. The event has proven exceptionally popular in recent years and councillors believes the authority provides the best, most exciting and safest way to mark the annual festivities.

Bonfire night is the fire brigade’s busiest of the year and 2011 saw Strathclyde’s firefighters called to 563 incidents in just 24 hours. Incredibly, it was the lowest number in over a decade. Councillor Lawrence O’Neill, West Dunbartonshire’s representative on the Strathclyde Fire and Rescue board, urged residents to choose the official displays over hosting their own events.

He told Clydebank Live: “Attending the council’s magnificent fireworks displays will not only save you money buying your own fireworks, it will also ensure that you and your family enjoy bonfire night in a safe environment. If residents attended our organised displays that would cut down on the number of injuries suffered by people and reduce the emergencies that fire and rescue services need to respond to at this busy time of year.”

West Dunbartonshire Council stages two official Bonfire night displays, with the Clydebank and Dumbarton events alternating between November 5 and November 6. This year Clydebank hosts its display on Tuesday, November 6 – with events starting at 7pm and the fireworks being released at 7:30pm prompt.

Councillor David McBride, the chair of organisers WD Leisure, said: “The annual firework displays are always very popular with thousands of people attending over the two evenings. The atmosphere in the build up to the main display is very exciting with lots of activities to keep the family entertained. Residents should wear suitable clothing on the night, leave pets at home and come along and enjoy one of our spectacular displays.”

With Clydebank’s official display taking place the day after Bonfire night, residents can have double the fun by also taking in the official displays at either Dumbarton or Glasgow Green on November 5. West Dunbartonshire’s second town hosts its event at Levengrove Park, with entertainment again beginning at 7pm and the display starting half an hour later.

Glasgow City Council’s official event – always one of the biggest in the UK – includes fireworks, lasers, live bands and a funfair, with the city’s famous Winter Gardens as the backdrop. This year’s Glasgow Green display begins at 7:30pm, with the entertainment running from 6:30 to 9:30pm.

Strict parking restrictions will be in place around Dalmuir Park and the other venues, and people are urged to arrive in plenty of time to avoid missing the spectacular shows. Stewards will be at the site to provide advice and help keep the public safe.