This year will see GUSA continuing with the Chancellor’s Fund for Sport. The Chancellor’s Fund for Sport is a fund given by the University to assist students in partaking in projects that they wouldn’t normally be able to do.

Just last year the Chancellor’s Fund funded some exciting projects that would normally be out of reach for most. These projects included mountaineering trips to the Alps, a road cycle from Paris to Berlin and Glasgow University’s Men’s Basketball Club travelling to Canada.

Chris Millar is one such person who has benefited greatly from the excellent opportunities that the Chancellor’s Fund can provide. I spoke to Chris about his experiences with the Chancellor’s Fund. “Last summer three friends and I took on the challenge of a lifetime – cycling from Glasgow University to the Sahara Desert in order to raise money and awareness for a children’s charity.”

When asked how the Chancellor’s Fund helped his journey, he discussed how the trip was “a once in a lifetime opportunity never would have been possible had it not been for The Chancellor’s Fund which allowed us to purchase essential equipment required for the expedition including bicycle maintenance, camping gear and our return travel home. Being four students, each with a minimal income, the Fund supported us in being able to get out there and tackle the project of our dreams!”

Stuart Law, GUSA’s finance convenor describes it as” a great way for the University to assist students to undergo a project in which they wouldn’t be able to in normal circumstances”.

Does the Chancellor’s Fund sound like something you would be interested in?  GUSA will be taking applications for grants when university resumes in January. So if you have any queries about the Chancellor’s Fund then do not hesitate to contact Stuart at gusa-finance@gla.ac.uk.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) lockout could potentially signal a sea of change in the world of sport. The owners of the NBA teams have had enough of entrenching themselves in debt in order to build a winning side and have decided to take a stance. Although a draft resolution was being voted on at the time of print, regardless the implications  remain the same. The NBA as a whole has been losing $300 million dollars per year over the past several years and 70% of teams are running at a loss each year. If they are successful in readdressing the balance of power, they could potentially start a revolution in terms of how sports stars are paid and perhaps even reduce the influence of player power when it comes to financial matters.

The lockout which had looked set to force the cancelation of the NBA season stemmed from a breakdown in negotiations between players and owners. The teams are struggling to cope with spiraling debt, caused mainly by the vast sums paid in player’s wages and in order to address this issue and to try and alleviate their financial worries, the owners have called for a salary cap of $45 million per team. The one stumbling block they have come up against is the rather tall brick wall of superstar players they have on their teams. They are the ones who hold all the cards when it comes to negotiating the multimillion dollar contracts that are crippling their franchises. The result of this stalemate is that there is no Basketball and the people who really matter, the fans, are being deprived.

What has this got to do with other sports? Well change the playing surface and it could easily sound like the description of any British football team; multimillionaire players earning vast sums of money, which in many cases forces clubs into administration. The extortionate wages being paid in the British game has brought many a footballing giant to its knees, such as Leeds United and Portsmouth in the English premier league. They are both examples of clubs that were spending way beyond their means in terms of player salaries and transfers and ultimately it cost them their place at the top table of English football.

Closer to home we have previously seen examples of teams like Gretna FC trying to buy their way to the top, it eventually got them there, but the time spent in the rarefied upper echelons of the top flight was fleeting. The bubble soon burst and they dropped out of the top flight, plighted with debt from players’ salaries. The solution was to offload the high earners who simply moved on to other teams willing to pay the going rates and the club was soon back down in the lower divisions.

If the same principles of the NBA lockout were applied to football in the UK, it could have as profound an effect as the 1995 Bosman ruling. Except it would now shift the balance of power from players back to the clubs. It could lead to a salary cap, a reduction in clubs operating debts and perhaps even make it a more level playing field, as with a salary cap enforced, teams would not be able to simply buy their way to glory. Instead they would be forced to nurture young talent and build teams consisting of maybe one or two superstars playing alongside local homegrown players.

The reckless spending has come home to roost for many teams, including Glasgow Rangers, who now find themselves in a precarious financial situation, most of which can be traced back to trying to spend their way to the Champions league. A few years of not earning the big money from UEFA and TV deals soon has an impact and they are now paying for years of living beyond their means. But this story can be associated with the majority of clubs in Britain. Perhaps chairmen up and down the country are watching events unfold across the pond and considering implementing some changes of their own in order to protect and preserve clubs for future generations rather than succumb to the demands of the current crop of multimillionaire players who bleed their clubs dry.

A new season, a new FIFA. As the follow up to what many deem to be not only the best FIFA ever but probably the best football game to date, FIFA 12 has a lot to live up to. Whilst the new incarnation has the usual spoils of a yearly update; a facelift, increased roster, better animations and the like, EA Sports, the developers, have taken an unusually brave step and decided to make fundamental changes to the engine, in particular the art of defending. Unfortunately, the results are decidedly mixed.

The idea behind the new defensive manoeuvres is admirable; by creating a system of jockeying, harrying, containing and pulling, they are attempting to add greater skill to what was previously simply colliding shirts to see who ended up with the ball in the fallout. This works fine against the computer, whose pre-designed runs into channels are perfect opportunities to jockey and then dispossess. Against a human, who has no intention of putting themselves into a contained position (i.e. everyone with an ounce of skill), it becomes immensely frustrating.

Players are used to the kick and rush style of play encouraged by practically every other football game ever, and thus the space which the new system requires you to leave an opponent is exploited to devastating effect. By making slides and block tackles more erratic, the game is effectively forcing you to play in this compromising and flawed way. An option to change the settings would have resulted in a far more even style of play; instead, players become frustrated quickly, and enjoyment of the game is greatly hindered.

Nor is that the end of the problems. Goalkeepers have a mind of their own, stumbling out of the box like Rene Higuita on hallucinogenic drugs. The new physics engine, though effective for crunching tackles, needed a month of extra development; players collide softly before cartwheeling grotesquely into the air as if the ball was a grenade. The crossing mechanics are slack and loose, with the ball often spinning harmlessly out for a goal kick whatever the ability of the deliverer. Referees now give penalties for a defender even approaching an attacker in the box, to unanimous frustration. Though not disastrous by themselves, together they are indicative of a hastily put together product, with far too many bugs, nuisances and poorly executed ideas to be wholly satisfactory.

That is not to say it is terrible though; far from it. It is still a wonderfully fluid game of football, way ahead of its nearest rival Pro Evolution Soccer 12. There is a more marked difference in top quality players; whereas before the best in the world were simply a little bit faster, now the difference between Darius Vassell and Lionel Messi is far more apparent, both in ability and vision. Talking of vision, passes are far more precise, with through-balls going where you want rather than where the computer thinks you want them. Players move with far more grace and purpose, leading to some exquisite dribbles and swashbuckling attacking endeavour. The new online modes are well handled, with some well thought out new ideas, and are more engrossing and balanced than ever before.

Make no mistake, FIFA 12 is still a brilliant game of football, and is worthy of any football fan’s investment. However, it just feels like a missed opportunity; the new features are flawed, some of the presentation is sloppy, and often the play is just downright glitchy. Despite all that was promised, it barely feels like a step-forward from last year; in-fact, in many ways it is a regression from the cultured FIFA 11. What should have been the best football game ever is not even the best in the FIFA series; a bitter pill to swallow.

Glasgow University Women’s Football Club began the new season with a hard-earned victory against local rivals Strathclyde University at the Garscube, fighting both spirited opponents and awful conditions on the way to a solid start to the campaign. Strathclyde took an early lead before Glasgow responded with a brace from Mariel Kaney, leaving a wonder-strike from Vivieka Moricz to settle the tie late in the second half.

The fixture was the first of the season for both teams but any rustiness was not evident as the sides got stuck into each other from the off. Glasgow had the first opportunity, with smart work on the wing by Moricz resulting in a chance for striker Jane O’Toole, who shot straight at Strathclyde’s keeper but should have done better with the whole goal at her mercy.

Meanwhile, both teams started to by-pass the midfield in an attempt to utilise the erratic weather. Countering quickly, they were thwarted by a mixture of solid defending and poor decision-making.Whenever the ball did find its way into the central battleground, the strength and calmness of the skilful Kaney was a steady influence, ably aided by the industriousness of Katherine Jaycock, who did well to deny Strathclyde’s lively no.10 a clear shooting opportunity.
It was this same striker, a fine, athletic presence, who finally broke the deadlock, breaking between the Glasgow defence and calmly firing past the on-rushing Saara Mastinmaki into the far corner.

Shell-shocked, Glasgow launched into action, almost equalising immediately as Rachel Holt’s prod past the keeper was desperately scrambled clear off the line. The home side didn’t have long to wait however, as a fortunate ricochet left the ball at the feet of the impressive Karney, who guided the ball into the top-corner from 20 yards.

Once again at stalemate, the game slowly devolved into a battle of attrition between the two combatants; their endeavour was not helped by the weather taking a turn for the worse, leaving the playing surface wet and slippery. As the holding of possession became a mixture of error and chance, Glasgow’s full-backs Paula Salmi and Sarah Sine started to impress for the home side with some forceful tackles, whilst Strathclyde’s gobby centre-midfielder energetically patrolled the midfield, putting herself about to great effect, utilising a repertoire of tugs and pulls to stop the flow of attacks.

Clear cut chances were at a premium; a free-kick flashing narrowly over from Strathclyde was the closest anyone came as the half drew to a close before a moment of controversy stirred the teams into animosity. The troublesome Strathclyde 10 got herself behind the Glasgow defence and rounded keeper Mastinmaki, who seemed to touch her before the nimble striker eventually stumbled and fell over theatrically. No penalty was the referee’s decision, despite Strathclyde’s vocal protestations.

Glasgow started the second half the stronger and quickly got the breakthrough they deserved. Moving to the byline, revitalised winger Moricz found Karney, whose weak shot inexplicably slipped underneath the keeper’s body and apologetically into the net, much to the delight of Glasgow’s supporters on the touch line.

This seemed to spark both teams into life, resulting in a flurry of good chances for both sides which with greater composure should have been finished off. The game became more stretched as both teams sought to resolve the fixture, and as the defences tired they dropped back, leaving more room for the driving runs of the wingers to exploit.

These gaps would soon prove pivotal to the outcome of the contest. Moricz, a thorn in the side to Strathclyde all afternoon, was given far too much space, and, latching onto a bouncing ball with the instep of her foot, she guided a wonderful lob into the top-corner of the net from 25 yards, leaving the Strathclyde keeper spitting in frustration. With this final blow, Strathclyde seemed to lose hope, and Glasgow comfortably saw out the last 15 minutes of the game out, confirming their first victory of the campaign.

The team now travel to Stirling where they are certain to face a far sterner test. The university hosts Scotland’s Academy of Footballing Excellence, and with 7 of their squad also playing for Champions League newcomers Glasgow City, Glasgow Uni will be looking to upset the odds.

The unraveling of 21-year old Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy in the recent US Masters golf tournament was just the latest in a long line of sporting meltdowns. The sporting choke can strike at any time and has been known to effect bigger and more experienced names than the young golfer.

But he is in good company, ever since Devon Loch collapsed just before the winning post in the 1956 Grand National, the enigmatic failure has captured the British imagination far more than the uncomplicated winner.

With victory almost within grasp, the mind can play dangerous games with our sporting heroes. I’m sure more highly qualified people than me, with degrees in sporting psychology could explain the real reasons behind it, but ultimately I have to hold my hands up and say I enjoy watching them unfold. Not in a sadistic way, for it was not at all pleasurable watching McIlroy hacking around Augusta like me at the local pitch and putt. Yet witnessing this drama somehow makes our sports stars seem all the more human, they can fail just like us and it seems they can make mistakes after all.

When it comes to viewing sport, the meltdown is a must see. I mean who really wants to watch the safe pair of hands, the calm head or the steely determined sports star anyway? If they were all in this mould then watching sport would be no fun at all. For every Stephen Hendry I want a Ronnie O’Sullivan, I would much rather see the unpredictable, rash play of Ronnie, with his threat of walking away from the table at any moment hanging in the air, (as he has demonstrated in the past). And for every Michael Schumacher I want to see the flamboyance of an Ayrton Senna or the daredevil attitude of a James Hunt.

In truth there’s nothing better than watching millionaire sport stars throwing a temper tantrum in front of legions of adoring fans. So credit where credit is due to young McIlroy, for handling his public choke in front of millions around the world, in the manner he did. When he left the last green he gave a TV interview and conducted himself in a style befitting a golfer far senior in age and experience than his. In the aftermath he treated the defeat graciously, giving credit to the eventual winner Charl Schwartzel.

Personally speaking, if it had been me I would have been more ‘Happy Gilmore’ than happy go lucky at the end of that round. I would not have been able to conduct myself in that manner, I would have smashed my driver against one of Augusta’s pine trees, threw my golf bag in the lake and launched my putter into the ‘patrons’, but that’s why I’m serving a life time ban from my local pitch and putt course and not playing at the masters.

Other famous stars who have fell at the final hurdle include great sporting names and icons such as Greg Norman, the ‘Great White Shark’ himself faltering on the last day of the Masters at Augusta. In football we witnessed the ‘divine ponytail’ Roberto Baggio famously choke with the final penalty for Italy at the World Cup USA ’94. He had carried his country to the final, scoring the winner in each round, but in the final against Brazil in what should have been his moment of triumph he watched helplessly as his kick sailed over the bar and with it, his country’s hopes.

Another iconic image from the world of golf was of Jean Van de Velde, trousers rolled up, standing in the burn playing the 18th hole of the 1999 British Open, only for him to triple-bogey and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, with the famous Claret Jug within pouring distance.

For every stiff upper lip and displays of sporting graciousness we also have the rebels of the pack. Those sports stars that wear their hearts on their sleeve and don’t care how many people are watching, if they aren’t winning it then as far as they are concerned nobody should.

When things weren’t going so well, Mike Tyson, once the most feared fighter on the planet, decided to take a bite out of Evander Holyfield’s ear during a heavyweight battle in Las Vegas in June of 1997. Likewise French football star Zinedine Zidane literally saw red at the 2006 World Cup Final, when he floored Italian defender Marco Materazzi with a head butt to the chest of the Italian defender, after he apparently insulted his sister.

In the normally sedate tennis world of strawberries and cream, Serena Williams let her emotions get the better of her, losing her U.S. Open Semifinal against Kim Clijsters in 2009, when she unleashed the following tirade to a lineswoman “ I swear to God, Ill fucking take this ball and shove it down your fucking throat.” An outburst that would surely have them choking on their Pimms at SW1.

Then there is the sub division, the bubblers and criers. From Gazza at the 1990 World Cup to boxer Oliver McCall, who broke down in tears during the fourth round of a 1997 heavyweight title fight against Lennox Lewis in Las Vegas. And in the world of Tennis Jana Novotná, blubbing on the Duchess of Kent’s shoulder after collapsing in a Wimbledon final in 1993.

In sport as in life, failure is only relative: it is how you handle failure that matters. And I applaud the way McIlroy handled his failure after the Masters. Maybe it’s a lesson to us all in how to conduct ourselves, but there is still that part of me that would have loved to see him smash his driver against a tree!

The Glasgow University sailing team was recently crowned Scottish University Champions at the student yachting tournament in Portsmouth.

The Glasgow team, consisting of Moray Clark, Henry Viljanen, Peder Schimmel, Samuel Tabor, Alex Erjavec, Euan Plater, Ailsa Pender and Charlie Foot, traveled down to Portsmouth with their main objective being to beat the other Scottish teams and get the prestigious entry slot to represent Scotland at the Student Yachting world cup in France later this year.

Races were sailed in brand new Beneteau First 40s yachts on the Solent and over the course of the week-long event the Glasgow team competed in both passage and round the cans racing. Glasgow University battled it out against their arch-rivals Strathclyde (and previous competitors in the Student Worlds), to not only claim the Scottish University Trophy and beat all Northern English teams but also secure two 4th places in Britain.

It was not all plain sailing, as team member Charlie Foot explained: “After the stable breeze and fantastic sunshine during the practice race and the first race, the wind picked up and the committee displayed the U and Y flags, forbidding the use of spinnakers and signaling that personal flotation devices shall be worn.” After the first day Glasgow found themselves in thirteenth place, two points behind the University of Strathclyde’s sailing team.

The second day’s racing included two upwind-downwind courses and a short passage race. As Charlie told the Guardian: “We were sailing in a slightly more gentle breeze than on the day before and a rather consistent series of sailing got the GUSC keelboat team to the leading position within the Scottish teams.”

Starting the third day, the GUSC team competed in a non-discardable 5-hour passage race. With the competition increasing Glasgow now found they were six points ahead of Strathclyde. Commenting on the third race, Charlie continued: “The atmosphere started being both excited and thrilling. Shortly after the start, individual team members one at a time started realising that there were not many boats ahead of us. Beating for 3-hours in a good breeze and rounding the windward mark fourth. But after losing a position due to a bad spinnaker hoist, the fourth place was taken back after one of the leading teams missed out a mark on the course and had to go back to round it properly.”

Light winds dominated the last day of the event, with a 22nd place in the first race of the final day after some very safe sailing, and then another fourth place after having rounded the windward mark first made sure that the Glasgow University Sailing Team would win the SUSA yachting trophy, placing 13th overall and on top of all the northern boats. In doing so they qualified to the world championships.

The overall winners of the event were Southampton White, both winning the event and representing England at the SYWOC. The Scottish team now looks forward to some serious training in preparation for the Student Yachting Worlds in France later in the year
The GUSC has a reputation for fielding strong teams in a variety of disciplines, which compete at both Scottish and British events.
Team racing forms the bulk of the racing activity for GUSC and there are regular events and training sessions spaced throughout the entire academic year. GUSC has some of the top team racing squads in Scotland. This year the A team placed second in the SUSA leagues whilst the B team finished 4th. The C team had a more comfortable mid table finish. This meant that the A’s entered for the BUSA championships, and the B’s traveled to the BUSA playoffs to attempt get a place at finals.

The Sailing Club is one of the biggest in the University with the biggest active membership of any other university sailing club in Scotland. They have 6 firefly dinghies, the national team racing boat and access to Laser 2000 and Laser Picos at Bardowie Loch on the outskirts of Glasgow.

For anyone wishing to try the sport, they hold Open Sailing every Wednesday afternoon at Bardowie Loch. The GUSC can teach you to RYA standards, with the clubs many instructors and experienced sailors.

For more information on the club visit the Glasgow University sailing Club website www.gusailing.com or Facebook page ‘GUSC’.
The club is looking for sponsorship and any help before their competition in France later this year would be hugely appreciated.
E-mail: sailing-committee@gla.ac.uk

The Glasgow University Cricket Club (GUCC) is one of the oldest clubs in the Universities history.

The GUCC, who claim to have played the first ever game of cricket in Scotland against Perth (later to become Perthshire) Cricket Club at Stirling in 1829, have a rich tapestry of historic statistics, characters and stories, ranging from Dillon Burnett, who led the team to victory in the inaugural Scottish Universities’ Championship of 1933, to Robert Ogilvie McKenna, who won the club’s first international cap shortly after.

For those new to the sport the GUCC welcomes one and all to the unique team sport that places individual players under unusual scrutiny and pressure. Bowler, Batsman, and fielder all act essentially independent of each other – while team managements can signal bowler or batsman to pursue certain tactics, the execution of the play itself is a series of solitary acts.

Cricket is a unique game where in addition to the laws, the players have to abide by the Spirit of the Game. The standard of sportsmanship has historically been considered so high that the phrase “it’s just not cricket” was coined in the 19th Century to describe unfair or underhanded behaviour in any walk of life.

In the last few decades though, cricket has become increasingly fast-paced and competitive, increasing the use of appealing and sledging, although players are still expected to abide by the umpires’ rulings without argument, and for the most part they do.
A cricket match is played between two teams (or sides) of eleven players each on a field of variable size and shape, with the GUCC playing at Garscube. The essence of the sport is that a bowler delivers the ball from his end of the pitch towards the batsman who, armed with a bat is “on strike” at the other end.

The objective of each team is to score more runs than the other team and to ultimately dismiss the other team.
Depending on your primary skills, you may end up as a specialist batsman or bowler. A well-balanced team usually has five or six specialist batsmen and four or five specialist bowlers. Teams nearly always include a specialist wicket-keeper because of the importance of this fielding position. Each team is headed by a captain who is responsible for making tactical decisions such as determining the batting order, the placement of fielders and the rotation of bowlers.

As the team at the GUCC state “Don’t be put off by the name – Cricket isn’t just for people with double barrelled surnames, and you don’t have to have toured Australia to give it a try.” So even if you’ve never played before, why not let the GUCC’s internationally acclaimed coaching staff turn you into a superstar.

For more information contact the GUCC by emailing:
gucc@hotmail.co.uk or captain-cricket@gusa.gla.ac.uk

‘Glasgow University Cricket Club’

GLASGOW UNI STUDENTS Charlotte Slaymark, Chris Millar and Donnie Moonie are cycling to the Sahara Desert to raise money for the charity ‘Right to Play’.

The team have been hard at work planning their big adventure over the last two months and this preparation has paid off, as they have been awarded a grant from GUSA’s Chancellor’s Fund. This was a welome boost to the students as they prepare to embark on their epic journey.

Elsewhere on the planning front they have received valauable route advice from John Briggs in the Department of Geography, alongside potential sponsorship for equipment and, most importantly, 15% of the team’s target has already been reached for fundraising.

Charlotte Slaymark told Guardian: “We would like to say a big thanks to all who donated, the donations are a real encouragement to the group. The donations are such a boost to get us to the gym everyday, but more donations are always welcome and it would be good to see the students at the University support this worthy cause.”

Overall the training has been going well for all in the team, withCharlotte enthusing that they are hoping to plan a ‘24 hour’ fundraising cycle. They will be setting up on ‘turbo trainers’ that allow the team to use their own bikes to sit on for the duration of the fundraiser, getting a very good idea of what a day in the saddle could be like.

Charlotte emphasised that support and donations for this event and the whole journey are very welcome – even sponsoring them 1p a mile could help fund activities by Right to Play.

Donations to Right to Play are used for Holistic Child Development, HIV/AIDS education, Peace Games and Community Play Days as well as Immunisation Campaigns.

Fore more information visit facebook: Cycle2sahara or email: cycle2sahara@hotmail.co.uk

On a fantastic day for all those involved with Glasgow University sport, GUSA teams shrugged off competition from Glasgow Caledonian University and Strathclyde University to win the multi-discipline Brewin Dolphin City of Glasgow Cup at Scotstoun Leisure Centre.

The competition was remarkably close, with the margin of victory between Glasgow and second place Strathclyde, a mere single point.
On a day that was fuelled by an absurdly high amount of free energy drinks provided by the cup’s partner Red Bull, there was an enthusiastic atmosphere with eleven sports taking place overall, most of them at Scotstoun.

The desire to win by all the teams involved was matched by the good nature of the event. The relatively “warm” weather was a more than welcome addition to the day’s proceedings outdoors, while inside, there was no stopping Glasgow on arenas such as the basketball court. The Men’s Basketball eam continued their excellent season, winning both matches by emphatic margins.

Further success came from the women’s Volleyball team and the Badminton Club. It was a particularly successful day for GUFC’s male and female teams, both coming out on top in their tournaments. One of the day’s biggest successes belongs to the Tennis Club, hammering both rival universities 6-0.

The Women’s Hockey team triumphed in an evenly matched group, winning both of their matches 1-0. Sarah Scholes, the captain of the Women’s Hockey first eleven, was proud of the performance of her team, with goals by Jill Symmington and Nicki Skratsin in the matches and solid defensive play from Nic Lowery, Alex Mercer and Ali Sinclair. Team captain Sarah Scholes said: “With it being my last ever Glasgow Cup, it was an absolute pleasure to lift the winning trophy on behalf of the squad as captain in my last year!”
President of GUSA, Leo Howes, was obviously delighted with the day’s events. He said: “I think that this year’s City of Glasgow Cup was bigger and better than ever before and it was great to see Glasgow win the cup for the first time in four years.”

The success of Glasgow’s teams this year, Howes claims, is due to their professional approach towards the tournament and throughout the season, which he feels “is a credit to the University and really made the difference in winning the competition”. The success of the tournament overall this year provides hope that the City of Glasgow Cup can be bigger and better in 2012, and that Glasgow can defend their trophy.

Photo: Iain Oliphant

Millenium trophy for ‘team of the year’ Ladies Sabre

Justin Langham trophy for ‘outstanding first year undergraduate’ Louise Creechan

Rebecca Cooke trophy for ‘outstanding sportswoman’ Stephanie McDowall

Bob Wilson trophy for ‘outstanding sportsman’ Chris Logan

Development of Sport award James Hayhurst

GUSA Drinking Horn Leo Howes & Karen Byars

GUSA Talking Stick Jack Smart