Author: lesleymckerracher
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Union seeks urgent clarity as Scottish Government cuts rural budget for second successive year
Union officeholders have met with the Deputy First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Finance after hard-won ‘Bew’ payments have been deferred again. NFU Scotland says an announcement by the Scottish Government that the Rural Affairs budget will be cut for a second consecutive year undermines Scottish Government claims there will be no ‘cliff edge’…
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Glasgow Letter – week 47 2023
Last Friday night, the evening of the 123rd Tiree Annual Gathering dance in the Glasgow University Union, I was just across the river at Pacific Quay, playing with Tide Lines for BBC Scotland’s Children In Need. Tiree readers might laugh that, instead of watching Gunna Sound with “Archie Bear”, I was onstage with Pudsey Bear!…
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At Random with Martin Laing – week 47 2023
Full-on festivity Confession time: I’m usually to be found in the Bah! Humbug camp when it comes to the build-up to Christmas, especially because it seems to start earlier each year. So I found myself surprisingly enthused by last week’s bumper edition of The Oban Times and the comprehensive reporting of everything that’s coming up…
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Oban Saints Under 14s net five against Helensburgh
Oban Saints 5 Helensburgh 1 Glasgow and District Youth Football League Under 14s In a thrilling Glasgow and District Youth Football League encounter, Oban Saints Under 14s clinched a hard-earned victory over Helensburgh in a fiercely contested Argyll and Bute derby last Sunday. Helensburgh took the lead when they capitalised on a Saints’ defensive lapse,…
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Oban Saints march into fourth round
Oban Saints 5 AFC Chryston 2 West of Scotland Cup – third round Heavy rain last Saturday morning necessitated a change of venue for Oban Saints’ West of Scotland Amateur Cup third round encounter with AFC Chryston. The grass surface at Glencruitten was unable to cope with the incessant rain which continued to fall throughout…
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The Shinty round-up – Saturday November 18 2023
Oban Camanachd’s Matthew Sloss is National under-17 Player of the Year Oban Camanachd forward Matthew Sloss capped a memorable 2023 season when he was named Mowi National Under-17 Player of the Year at the Mowi National Awards at the Highland Cinema, Fort William, on Saturday November 18. As well as being a key player in…
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At Random with Martin Laing – November 16 2023
Wrong track? Quite by chance I came across an online advert the other day promoting rail travel to Oban. The four-minute, high-speed view through the driver’s window shows the entire – I think – route between Crianlarich and Oban, with stops at Tyndrum, Dalmally, Loch Awe, Falls of Cruachan, Taynuilt, Connel Ferry and Oban. I…
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Triumphant return to form for Oban Saints 2010s
Oban Saints 2010 enjoyed a triumphant return to form over the weekend, treating the home crowd at Oban High School to a 6-0 victory against Barrhead Yellows 2010s. Keen to dispel any lingering doubts from the previous week’s stumble, Saints entered the game with palpable determination. The first half was a masterclass in attacking prowess…
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Oban Saints outgun ‘Annies’ in West of Scotland Cup
Oban Saints 4 Anniesland 1 West of Scotland Cup second round An improved performance at Glencruitten last Saturday afternoon saw Oban Saints bounce back from the disappointment of the previous weekend’s Scottish Amateur Cup exit to secure progress in the West of Scotland Amateur Cup. Visitors Anniesland opened the scoring after just 70 seconds and…
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Shinty round up – Saturday November 11 2023
Garry Lord returns Defender Garry Lord will return to the Oban Camanachd squad for the 2024 shinty season. Garry, a former Scotland under-21 cap who was on the fringes of the senior squad, hasn’t played for a couple of years but his return to the Artemis Macaulay Cup and Scottish Sea Farms Glasgow Celtic Society…