UK investment and sustainability teams will move to ClearBridge The Martin Currie brand will be retired in 2025 after 144 years as part of a wider realignment of the Franklin Templeton Group Martin Currie’s UK investment and sustainability teams will move to Franklin Templeton’s ClearBridge brand while its global long term unconstrained team will move under Franklin Equity Group The firm’s Australia and global emerging markets teams will also fall under the Clearbridge umbrella PA Events: PA Live: A World Of Higher Inflation 2025 Franklin Templeton confirmed that no changes would be made to Martin Currie’s investment process or portfolio management teams while the move would ‘maintain investment autonomy’ and allow the brand’s products to ‘achieve greater scale’ and ‘access to broader resources’ operated independently until its acquisition by Legg Mason in 2014 Franklin Templeton then took ownership of the brand following its acquisition of Legg Mason in 2020 the brand’s investment teams currently manage $18bn (£14.5bn) assets See also: Evelyn Partners sells fund solutions business to Thesis Call: 0345 404 4108  Mobile: 0797 388 3412 Fergus is a barrister with 25 years’ experience in employment / discrimination law and related fields His employment work includes the staple diet of unfair and wrongful dismissal actions together with all aspects of discrimination (across the gamut of protected characteristics) and harassment as well as more general contractual disputes at all judicial levels up to the Court of Appeal He has assisted numerous organisations in drafting contracts and policies with particular emphasis on discrimination and equal opportunities provisions as well as the implementation and review of risk assessments A more recent development in his practice has been to carry out a number of workplace investigations for companies and other institutions into internal matters of alleged misconduct He has many years’ experience of dealing with employment related claims such as accidents at work (including industrial disease and bullying / harassment (with considerable experience of such behaviour within UK Armed Forces) A good deal of his time is spent training on Employment Tribunal practice and procedure on behalf of companies and organisations such as ACAS (primarily in the form of mock hearings) and giving seminars / workshops on updated legal developments and other topics to a wide variety of lay and professional clients This training extends to 'prevention rather than cure' advice for employers He has a particular interest in mental health issues from the implementation of and adherence to appropriate policies and procedures Member of the Employment Lawyers’ Association Call: 0345 404 4108 Mobile: 0797 388 3412 Hybrid Employment / PI claim brought by a politician alleging bullying / discrimination by his political party (including separate actions against individual colleagues) Associative disability discrimination claim against a major retailer resting on the applicability of the concepts of that doctrine in both direct and indirect claims of differential treatment with reference to both UK and European jurisprudence Acted for the captain of the England blind / partially sighted football team in his grievance for discrimination / harassment against the FA Negotiated a successful resolution which enabled him to continue his sporting career Successfully represented a local animal rescue organisation in its defence of an action brought following an employee’s dismissal for animal cruelty misconduct which eventually made its way up to the EAT on the issue of the medical evidence provided The RSPCA and PETA had pushed this into the national press agenda Acted for the Claimant senior teacher (public access) in her claim against her school for unfair dismissal and religious and age discrimination but settled after one week following my cross examination of the Respondent witnesses Represented a public school of national significance in its defence of a multi-dimensional claim by a former teacher High Court action involving the employment rights of an employee with learning difficulties in a TUPE situation and – in currently applicable jurisprudence arising from the claim - allegations of misrepresentation / negligent misstatement as between a transferor / transferee (consultation communication and knowledge of the parties as to the Claimant’s situation) Chaired an independent investigation into bullying / harassment allegations at a professional rugby union club involving interviewing witnesses / the alleged perpetrator and subsequently writing a detailed report into the legitimacy of disciplinary proceedings our wide ranging expertise is here to support you and your business so let’s start your legal journey today and get you in touch with the right lawyer to get you started 0330 100 1014 For general enquiries, please complete this form and we will direct your message to the most appropriate person. For information about Freeths, please see our legal notices and privacy notices Call: 0345 404 4108  Mobile: 0797 388 3412 Call: 0345 404 4108 Mobile: 0797 388 3412 please complete this form and we will direct your message to the most appropriate person 0330 100 1014 For information about Freeths, please see our legal notices and privacy notices By 2025-04-10T15:20:00+01:00 Currie European said it was “pleased” with the progress the business had made over the last 12 months after latest financial results showed pre-tax profit had more than doubled to £190,000 Turnover at the Dumfries-headquartered logistics operator fell by 5.2% to £29.8m in the year ending 30 June 2024 but it said its UK transport services had remained resilient Currie European Transport said: “The directors are pleased with the continued positive progress the business has made during the past 12 months despite the ongoing economic and industry challenges which persist underlying core sales are trending upwards compared to last year once we account for the movement out of our air and ocean service and adjust for significantly lower fuel surcharges added to customer invoices in the 23/24 year resulting from diesel prices returning to a consistently lower price point.” The company added: “Fleet operating costs continued to rise above inflation during the year which is why we need to be resilient with customer price reviews “The national driver situation has worsened again leading to higher use of agency drivers “We continue to roll out above inflation wage increases to drivers to help ease the situation but the continual substantial increase in the living wage rate inevitably applies wage pressures which are difficult to absorb during the year.” The company had not responded as we went to press Currie European Transport returned to the black last year for the first time since 2015 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and significant fleet operating costs.For the year ending 30 June 2022 the haulier reported a £253,000 pre-tax profit and said it was pleased with the continued .. Currie Solutions is set to move out of the red three years after the loss making logistics firm was purchased in a management buy-out and despite having to battle its way through the impact of Brexit the driver shortage crisis and global supply chain restrictions.The Dumfries-headquartered group Site powered by Webvision Cloud KARK Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" these are the actual most popular baby names so far in 2025 Whether it’s a short vacation or they’re jetting off to begin their career show the future traveler you care with a meaningful graduation gift National Teacher Appreciation Week begins May 5 take advantage of these freebies and deals Ahead of the Guinness Men's Six Nations match against Wales this Saturday Matt Currie is recalled to the Scotland squad fresh from scoring a hat-trick against Munster on Friday night after returning from the concussion he sustained against Zebre He will be joined by fellow Edinburgh player Ben Muncaster who also started in their memorable win in Cork who scored a try at the end of their tight loss to Ospreys Luke Crosbie and Jack Mann have been ruled out due to injury Crosbie was replaced early on in the Edinburgh game on Friday night and has returned to his club to undergo further assessment Jack Mann picked up a head injury on Friday night and is undergoing World Rugby’s concussion protocols Ali Price and Ross McCann have returned to Edinburgh Rugby Scotland squad update for the 2025 Guinness Six Nations (caps in brackets) Sign-up for our newsletter today to receive the latest updates We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us 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visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns Scotland international centre Matt Currie has put pen-to-paper on a new two-year deal ahead of tomorrow night’s EPCR Challenge Cup clash with Bayonne at Hive Stadium 23 – who made his international debut against Canada during the recent summer tour to The Americas – has been a standout player in the capital midfield so far this season starting six out of eight games in all competitions A product of Dumfries Saints and Merchiston Castle School Currie made his Edinburgh Rugby debut against Munster in February 2021 – becoming Edinburgh player 1287 – with the centre nearing a half-century of games for the capital club Currie said: “I’m really excited about staying on for the next two years I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here since leaving school and joining the club in 2019 “I think we’ve got a quality squad here and we’ve got a great blend of experience and younger guys coming through I’ve grown up with a lot of the players here and it’s a privilege to represent the club alongside them.” After making his debut for his boyhood club in February 2021 the centre grabbed his first professional try soon thereafter in the Rainbow Cup win over Zebre Parma at Scottish Gas Murrayfield two months later Currie signed his first professional deal for the club in January 2022 and went on to vice-captain the side against Ospreys in the same month – holding a leadership role at just 20 years old The former Dumfries man came of age in the 2023/24 season winning the club’s Breakout Player of the Season – grabbing five tries while featuring across the club’s backline while After making his full international debut against Canada in Ottawa he scored his first try for Scotland against Chile in the summer He continued: “Edinburgh is a great place for me to be in terms of honing my skills and trying to improve as a player We have some class centres here and there’s some brilliant centres in Scotland right now “It’s a very competitive place but I think if I can keep working on my own game in Edinburgh I can hopefully push for more international caps in the future.” said: “We’re thrilled to have Matt [Currie] sign a new deal He’s a talented and hard-working player who has consistently impressed when playing a number of different positions across the backline “His development has been fantastic to watch and we believe he has the potential to become one of the best centres in the country “We’re delighted that he’s committed his future to the club.” Scott Bickerstaff and Colin Sturgeon played their last game for the 2021-22 Premiership champions – who acted as a nursery for a number of the Ayrshire Bulls and current Ayr side – already knowing that Marr would be playing next season in National League One so they put on one last show of defiance as they went down swinging against old foes Currie Chieftains in a high-energy encounter “This whole week has been about the lads having a bit of a good time and putting a show on for the crowd and for the four lads who are giving up playing and we showed a lot of character out there which was great,” said Marr’s Kenny Diffenthal as he watched his side nearly complete an outrageous comeback from 5-26 down early in the second half “At half-time I just said: ‘There’s 40 minutes then there’s a nice rest so go out there and leave it all out on the pitch And a lot of the younger ones knew they would be coming on for the guys who are giving up so it was good that the guys who came off the bench made an impact.” Challenge Cup: Edinburgh hold off Bulls fightback to claim semi-final spot Champions Cup reaction: Franco Smith delivers Matt Fagerson injury update Champions Cup: Glasgow Warriors torn to shreds by Leinster Former captain and star centre Conor Bickerstaff had already retired at the end of season 2023-24 and Fraser Grant left for Australia halfway through of the current campaign meaning half a dozen of the championship winning side have hung up their boots in the last 12 months Does the Marr chief think that they’ll be able to compete in National One minus all that experience “The players that I’ve spoken to are keen to stick with the club we might lose one or two outwith the four that are retiring but I’m pretty confident that we’ll have the majority of this squad playing again next year,” he said today was about getting minutes into some legs and trying out some new things in a game environment before they come back to Ayrshire for the play-off semi-final against runaway league table toppers Ayr “We were looking to put in some of the stuff we’ve been practicing in our attack try to keep penalties down in defence – we maybe didn’t do that at all times so that’s a frustration from today – and gave some boys who are on the edges a chance to stake a claim for the squad next week whilst also being able to rest some crucial players,” said Malleny head coach Mark Cairns Currie struck effectively off set-pieces from distance for their opening two scores a line-out near halfway saw Wallace Nelson charge through a gap in Marr’s midfield Nelson was there to help push Gregor Scougall over the line from close range Then Ed Hadsell found the gap after a set-play Sayers weaved into the 22 and Alex Harley finished off a tip tackle on Jake Jacobson saw Bickerstaff punt a penalty to the corner the touch judges didn’t raise their flags for the conversion attempt Both sides then went close but were stopped by ferocious defence Marr’s lengthy spell of possession in the Currie 22 being halted when frustration took over and a man was taken beyond the ruck then Currie were denied when Bickerstaff smashed Robeson near the Marr try-line Currie were perhaps a little fortunate to extend their lead The ever-dangerous Charlie Brett found a bit of room down the left to run into and Harley’s offload seemed to go forward to Brett before he cantered off to the line leavinga Diffenthal and his assistant Stephen Adair shaking their heads in disbelief that it wasn’t called forward Currie made sweeping changes at half-time and one of them taking a quick tap-penalty before Nelson finished the job followed by some hard carrying by the props shortly before Roy Vucago saw yellow for a no arms diving chop tackle Inglis’ second long kick which won his side the line-out which eventually led to a try finished off by Callum Steel who had replaced the first of the four retirees in Ben Johnston and Sayers was also sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on in the build-up Jardine’s turnover in the shadow of his own posts led to a dramatic counter-attack led by Jacobson however Jardine then knocked on and Marr’s last chance in the last dance was done Currie now look forward to the toughest gig in Scottish domestic rugby: heading to Millbrae but as reigning champions and the only side to have beaten Ayr in the league this season “Some people felt it was a disadvantage for us to have this game but there’s not much we could do about it so we used it as an advantage by practicing some of the things we’ve been doing in training into today,” he said “There’s no point in turning up next week if we’re not confident we can win I’ve got massive respect for Ayr and what they’ve achieved this year but it’s a play-off and we can go there knowing that we have beaten them this year and why not make it four finals in a row?” Scoring sequence (Marr first): 0-5; 0-7; 5-7; 5-12 (h-t) 5-17; 5-19; 5-24; 5-26; 10-26; 12-26; 17-26; 19-26 Player-of-the-Match: Alex Harley was an early candidate before being removed at half-time so due to the rugged nature of Currie’s defending and getting himself on the scoresheet Wallace Nelson takes the last regular season POTM crown Talking Point: The four horsemen riding into the sunset of course There was a small ceremony afterwards presenting them with gift bags and although the boots are staying in the bag Challenge Cup: Edinburgh hold off Bulls fightback to claim semi-final spot Arnold Clark is the UK’s largest independent car retailer With over 70 years of experience in the automotive industry As proud partners of Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) we’re committed to supporting both professional and grassroots rugby across Scotland aligning our passion for driving forward excellence on and off the field Whether you're looking for your next car or cheering on the national team Arnold Clark is with you every step of the way Website: www.arnoldclark.com Thought much liked Killie boys referred to earlier as part of Ayrshire recruits led by Sturgeon or did they need a separate identity It was a great ride and now it’s over with a new era beckoning G.Paxton,J.Shedden all Killie boys and a significant prescence in the Marr squad all worthy of a mention rather than to be tagged as “Ayrshire recruits” Aye great boys and in fairness they probably would have been mentioned as a Killie group had they still been at the club this season All good boys although none there this season which is possibly why it didn’t occur to the contributor Looking forward to this weekends Match and wanted to extend an invitation to Marr supporters to watch the best team in Ayrshire the only team in Ayrshire Don’t deny yourself enjoyment a bit of pink and black opposed to purple and boak Just remember when your lads run on the pitch where you recruited the majority and best ones from ,the purple and boak as you elequantly put it Currie rested a few boys and made wholesale changes at half time likely to protect some more key men for next week It probably affected Curries flow in the second half with so many changes at once winning at Fullarton is always a tough task and they did well to see it through with no injuries It will take a mammoth effort next week when they head back out to the west coast to play Ayr Maybe they can take some inspiration from their away play offs last season and also the Watsonians result against Heriots Last of the Marr superstars to leave the field As with any sport to loose half the championship squad over the last 15 months is hard but we have some fabulous young talent emerging and some great new additions If we can back this up with a few new experienced players I think we will compete strongly in NL1 It may take a couple of years to get back to the top flight but it’s achievable As far as “off the field” the club it’s going in the right direction and has a great new structure in the making Stick with your club the future is bright for the purple & gold Yes not forgetting the committees over the years As big Peter Brown emphasised a few years ago The players get the glory and that’s life but the club does well to mark the occasion by acknowledging all and sundry at this stage understand the sentiment but the blazers have driven the club into a dead end Russell Keane with others are trying to put the club on a more stable footing Well done pal like others would like thank the Blazers for there work many detractors of the current coaching team having taken time to digest the common opinion a change is required The team has not moved on in terms of type of play over the past few seasons or development of 1s,2s My lad a 2s player has never had an 1s opportunity and is good enough like many others Frustrating when you see so many randoms with no affiliation get opportunity What sort of message does that send out to aspiring college players but tell me what mainstream press covers the premiership and below Answers on a postage stamp please (old size) An excellent report…much better than anything you read in the mainstream press Quite possibly a unique journey in Scottish rugby; a bunch of boys from the same school joined by a few aspiring players from around Ayrshire led by Colin Sturgeon and a journey all the way up the leagues to the pinnacle of being champions and community to their families and friends gathered on the touch line Hopefully after a break some return to the club to coach with these values; in the meantime Marr need to hold on to Craig Miller and Blair Jardine they need Marr products like Callum Inglis Jack Scott and Jamie Braddock to lead the Marr way then build again to return to the top flight but when you’ve climbed Everest once the success of Marr Rugbys fairytale was built on the backs off Too many supporters forget the relentless dedication of Rory McGee Without these men working hard we would not have what we have now This does not include our many foreign imports over the years that made the difference This would not have been possible without our sponsors our volunteers The talent spotters of John S & Gordon M never mentioned There are a few ex Kilmarnock players that made a big difference to Marr that don’t seem worthy of a mention tae a man good blokes especially big Wilko the club has very few Marr Boys in the side Pleased to see Hendry in the Scotland 18s smashing player fae a good family Skunnered our wee club disnae keep these boys but they need a chance tae play higher ken and website in this browser for the next time I comment Stuart Hogg facing lengthy lay-off and … “If Langholm proves anything, we have to stay focused. As far as the title race goes, it was huge for us that Kelso got only three points at Earlston.” … “We did well to fight back at times, but we gave away some silly penalties, allowed them far too easy access into our 22. When you give them access to the 22 time and time again, it’s difficult to put that amount of effort in.” … Enjoyed this article? Quality journalism like ours is made possible by readers like you. If you value our in-depth coverage of Scottish rugby at all levels and want to see more, please consider supporting us with a subscription or donation It helps us keep delivering the news you love Thank you for being a part of The Offside Line community independent and up-to-date coverage of all aspects of Scottish rugby photographers and business minds bring their talents and enthusiasm to our unrivalled coverage of the game © 2016-2025 Scottish Rugby News from The Offside Line | Kept onside by webporty Phil Keen is switching to the GT4 class this year after joining Jon Currie and Team Parker Racing Keen has more series wins than anyone else thanks to 19 GT3/overall and two class victories but has never stood atop a GT4 podium during his 20-year British GT career That is partly due to a lack of opportunities: hic CV includes just two GT4 outings He joins full-season debutant Currie who made his first appearance at Donington last year also at the wheel of TPR’s Mercedes-AMG It’s a car he knows well after also racing it in this year’s GT4 Winter Series “I’m thrilled to be competing in my first full British GT campaign with Team Parker Racing,” said Currie who has also race with Keen in other series “Last year’s experience at Donington gave me a taste of the championship Having Phil as my teammate is a fantastic opportunity and I can’t wait to get started.” Keen added: “It’s great to be racing in British GT again especially with Jon and Team Parker Racing and I’m looking forward to helping him take the next step in his GT racing journey and we’re aiming to be competitive from the start.” The full-season GT4 duo join Endurance Cup contenders Ed McDermott and Seb Morris at TPR this year Both Mercedes-AMGs will feature retro DTM liveries British GT’s wider entry list will be revealed during media day at Silverstone this Friday before Donington hosts round one on April 5-6 The Dumfries-born centre capped off a stellar season at club level with his Scotland debut against Canada earlier this summer a moment he’s dreamt of since childhood it was really cool,” Currie recalled of his first international appearance and then getting picked for the tour was unbelievable but then the feeling when you do get to run on the pitch Currie’s journey to international rugby has been a gradual one playing alongside many of his Edinburgh and Scotland teammates throughout the age-grade ranks “It was amazing playing on tour with guys I’ve come right through the system with,” he reflected “I played with Harry Paterson at under-13s at school but then after that it was kind of into age-grade stuff I’ve played with him for quite a while and it was cool to get to put on a Scotland jersey with him there he obviously got capped in the Six Nations because obviously it was my first time in a Scotland jersey and it was cool to have him outside me doing that.” His debut was a special moment not just for him Currie started his rugby journey with the south of Scotland club before moving to Edinburgh to finish his schooling at Merchiston Castle “I was down watching Dumfries in their pre-season game against Biggar just last week,” he said “I’d like to get down to the clubhouse a bit more this year “It’s really cool to be the latest player to be capped from Dumfries Guys like Stafford [McDowall] and Alex [Craig] are both from there while Scott Steele is obviously someone that I’ve played alongside The 2023/24 season was a breakthrough for Currie who believes it was his best as a professional The centre picked up the club’s Breakthrough Player of the Year at the club’s annual Season Awards having been one of the most consistent and versatile midfielders in the URC I’d say…Obviously not as a team as we probably felt like we underachieved last season it’s probably the most rugby I’ve played in a season and the highest level of rugby I’ve played from my own development and the enjoyment I took out of last season And hopefully I can just bring our learnings from that into this season and keep pushing ourselves as a team and hopefully I can take the learnings from last year and the learnings from the summer and hopefully kick on a little bit.” One of Currie’s standout moments from last season was scoring in December’s record-breaking 1872 Cup decider at Scottish Gas Murrayfield It was a breakout moment for the centre whose try scoring exploits also came alive in Europe crossing the whitewash against both Castres Olympique and Bayonne Mark Bennett celebrates with Currie after his 1872 Cup score “There were probably a few highlights but I think scoring at Scottish Gas Murrayfield in the 1872 Cup in the corner “Because that will be the biggest crowd I’ve played in front of and it’s the 1872 Cup It was a shame we didn’t win the 1872 Cup but the feeling of scoring in that game was… Yeah “It’s always a cool feeling scoring for Edinburgh and especially when you’ve got a decent crowd there but the 1872 was probably the highlight of last year.” Currie is excited about the additions of Matt Scott and Mosese Tuipulotu to the capital midfield The duo will add to the competition already in place with Matt Currie James Lang and Mark Bennett just three of the centres vying for a place in the capital midfield it’s class having them both come in,” he said “Matt [Scott] brings a lot of experience and you can see he’s still on the top of his game He’s playing class in training,and Mo’s [Tuipulotu] a younger lad and you can see that he’s bringing energy and he looks like a dangerous ball carrier “So hopefully this season they can show what they’re about and I think it’s only going to strengthen our midfield “They look like they’re both good ball carriers And then you’ve got to carry hard at 13 as well “I think they’ve been training really well and hopefully we can see them do some damage this year.” The return of Darcy Graham and Emiliano Boffelli from injury will also be a boost for Sean Everitt’s side And Currie is full of praise for returning star winger Graham who is so often a game-changer for the capital outfit “Darcy just opens everything up,” Currie laughs he’s so good because his speed off the mark “It’s class as a 13 when you’re in that kind of space and you’re feeling a little bit under pressure and you just see him flying up and cutting it off So it’s really exciting to have him back it’s only going to strengthen our team Currie is excited to be back in action at Hive Stadium As Edinburgh prepare for their season opener against Leinster at Hive Stadium on Friday 20 September with two rounds of action to follow in South Africa All eyes are on Currie and his capital squad as Sean Everitt’s side kickstart the new season against the Irish giants – a match that the young centre is relishing it’s definitely the start you want,” he said “You obviously want to start the season on a win and I suppose doing it at home again would be unbelievable “Everyone knows Leinster are a world-class team so we just need to make sure that this pre-season we’re getting ourselves in good positions and making sure we’re pushing ourselves so that when we do play that first game we’re in the best position that we can put our best plays on the field “The first few games are pretty tough going away to South Africa is not going to be easy either so I think for us it would obviously be a great momentum builder if we beat Leinster to go into the South African games as well we just need to make sure we’re preparing well and then when we do start the season Comic was at the centre of a storm after reportedly getting into an altercation with an audience member News | London A London theatre is being sued at the High Court by a comedian who received a lifetime ban and was branded “antisemitic” after a clash with a Jewish audience member Paul Currie was at the centre of an antisemitism storm in February last year after the incident at the end of the final night of his one-man show, Shtoom, at the Soho Theatre The comic unveiled a Palestinian flag on stage during his hour-long routine and reportedly got into an altercation with an audience member at the end while encouraging a standing ovation News reports at the time suggested the audience member blaming the production of the Palestinian flag and Currie was then accused of “aggressively” asking him to leave The Northern Irish comedian has now brought a libel claim, accusing the Soho Theatre Company of damaging his reputation with one of its press statements about the incident. Currie says he did not know the audience member was Jewish at the time and he disputes some of the public characterisation of the incident Mr Justice Nicklin oversaw a preliminary hearing in the case on Thursday, to determine the meaning the public would have drawn from the Soho Theatre statement It read: “Soho Theatre will not tolerate intimidation of audience members due to their nationality following the end of Paul Currie’s show Shtoom Jewish members of the audience were subjected to verbal abuse and the performer aggressively demanding they leave the theatre “Such appalling actions are unacceptable and have no place on our stages We will not be inviting Paul Currie back to perform at our venue Government failure to order public inquiry into Sean Brown murder ‘cannot stand’ Guardian journalist denies ‘contamination’ between Noel Clarke sources Assisted dying Bill process ‘thorough’ says MP as colleague brands it ‘a mess’ How Give Your Best aims to solve clothing poverty in the UK “Whilst we robustly support the right of artists to express a wide range of views in their shows, intimidation of audience members, acts of antisemitism or any other forms of racism will not be tolerated at Soho Theatre “We are continuing our investigation, discussing the incident with that evening’s audience and consulting with the police. We are working with the Campaign Against Antisemitism to meet with members of the audience who were affected We are taking professional advice to safeguard the much-valued inclusivity of Soho Theatre.” has operated from a former synagogue in Dean Street Gervase de Wilde, representing the theatre in the High Court on Thursday said the two sides do not dispute that the statement “conveyed the imputation that (Mr Currie) was antisemitic” The court was asked to determine whether parts of the theatre’s statement should be classed as fact or opinion Mr de Wilde argued the theatre had been “clear” that the allegations against Currie “go no further than him having misconducted himself towards Jewish audience members” and his knowledge of their race or religion is “irrelevant” which ran over three nights at the Soho theatre was 60-minutes long and was billed as non-verbal entertaining the audience instead through a mixture of mime Currie claims the theatre’s press statement suggested to readers that he had “intimidated audience members because he had identified them to be Jewish” and he had “aggressively” demanded they leave “because he had identified them to be Jewish” He also argues that the theatre had suggested his alleged conduct was racist and could led to a criminal charge the judge rejected the suggestion that the theatre’s statement had gone as far as to allege Currie abused audience members “because they were Jewish” He also concluded that the police investigation had been mentioned as a fact rather than as the theatre’s opinion of Currie’s alleged conduct The judge found the meaning of the statement to be: “Following the end of the claimant’s show the claimant had verbally abused Jewish members of the audience and aggressively demanded that they leave the theatre and there were grounds to investigate whether by so doing the claimant had committed a criminal offence “This conduct was a) intimidating and antisemitic b) appalling and unacceptable and c) inconsistent with the values of Soho Theatre and justified the theatre in refusing to allow the claimant the opportunity to perform at the Soho theatre in the future.” Currie’s lawyers released a statement saying: “The theatre said his conduct during the show was antisemitic - he vehemently denies this “The theatre's press statement suggesting that he was antisemitic went viral “This has harmed his reputation as a liberal/left comedian who is against all racism and he feels compelled to challenge the accusation.” Currie’s legal team immediately signalled the possibility of an appeal against Mr Justice Nicklin’s ruling The libel case is now expected to move forward towards a possible trial Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin David Beckham’s 50th birthday bash in London 'shut down' by council over noise complaints David Beckham’s 50th birthday bash 'shut down' over noise complaints Stacey Solomon 'regrets doing reality show with Joe Swash' for tough reason Stacey Solomon 'regrets reality show with Joe Swash' for tough reason Asset Allocator has heard something is happening over at Martin Currie the Scottish asset manager which was acquired by American counterpart Legg Mason in 2014 which was itself bought by Franklin Templeton in 2020 The latest research from Jeff Currie, Chief Strategy Officer of Energy Pathways at Carlyle—explores the forces shaping energy markets and how the next phase is being driven by nations’ desires for energy security. Download the report and read more below DOWNLOAD THE REPORT Jeff Currie is Chief Strategy Officer of Energy Pathways at Carlyle Currie focuses on conducting analysis of commodity market trends and the evaluation of new investment opportunities across energy markets and the commodity supply chain central to the energy transition Currie is the former Global Head of Commodities Research at Goldman Sachs where he helped to build their commodities business During his nearly three decades at the firm he became one of the leading commodity market strategists on Wall Street known for advising clients through the commodity “super cycle” of the 2000s and most recently the twin shocks of the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war Currie is a graduate of Pepperdine University and holds a Master of Arts Economics and a PhD in Economics from the University of Chicago Economic and market views and forecasts reflect our judgment as of the date of this presentation and are subject to change without notice and may change materially as economic and market conditions change The Carlyle Group has no obligation to provide updates or changes to these forecasts Certain information contained herein has been obtained from sources prepared by other parties which in certain cases have not been updated through the date hereof While such information is believed to be reliable for the purpose used herein The Carlyle Group and its affiliates assume no responsibility for the accuracy completeness or fairness of such information References to particular portfolio companies are not intended as recommendations for any particular company The investments described herein were not made by a single investment fund or other product and do not represent all of the investments purchased or sold by any fund or product This material should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security in any jurisdiction where such an offer or solicitation would be illegal We are not soliciting any action based on this material It is for the general information of clients of The Carlyle Group It does not constitute a personal recommendation or take into account the particular investment objectives Phone: +44 (0) 1858 438800 Email: [email protected] You are currently accessing Investment Week via your Enterprise account If you already have an account please use the link below to sign in If you have any problems with your access or would like to request an individual access account please contact our customer service team Email: [email protected] Join now Login © Incisive Business Media Limited, Published by Incisive Business Media Limited, New London House, 172 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5QR. Registered in England and Wales with company registration number 09178013. Part of Arc network, www.arc-network.com Sussex Cricket is delighted to announce that both Harrison Ward and Brad Currie have signed T20 contract extensions with the Club Harrison Ward has signed a two-year extension while Brad Currie has signed an extended one-year deal A product of the Sussex Cricket and Oxfordshire Cricket talent development partnership Ward has established himself as a vital player at the top of the Sussex Sharks T20 top-order forming a formidable partnership with overseas batter Ward has accumulated 314 runs in 11 innings including three half-centuries and a top score of 68.  His runs helped propel the Sharks to the knockout stages of the competition setting up a home quarter-final against Lancashire Lightning on Wednesday 4th September at The 1st Central County Ground.  Ward said: “I am delighted to sign a contract extension at Sussex.  "It’s an exciting place to be at the moment and I’m happy to be at the Club for another two years.  Hopefully we can get to finals day and compete to win the Blast." Brad Currie has also signed a new T20 deal with the Club and has taken 8 Blast wickets for the Sharks in 9 appearances.  In 2023 Brad’s skills with the white ball were on full display culminating in one of the performances of the T20 Vitality Blast campaign when he took 3-27 against the Hampshire Hawks before pulling off what many have called “the greatest catch of all time” He returned to Hove this summer after featuring for Scotland in this year’s ICC T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States where he took 2-18 against Namibia before picking up an injury.  Brad Currie said: “I’m delighted to have signed another extension with the Club.  “I’m thoroughly enjoying my cricket at the moment with the freedom to play in so many exciting games and I can only express how grateful to Sussex I am for this opportunity!  “I look forward to seeing the Sharks fans in a packed-out Hove when we play Lancashire.” Paul Farbrace said: “We are all very pleased that both Brad and Harrison will continue their development as players here at Hove and both have played their part in the team reaching a home quarter final in the Blast this season “Harrison has built an excellent partnership with Dan Hughes and has proved to be a top-quality opening pair.  “The opportunity for Harrison to work closely with Dan has helped Harrison really grow his game “Brad missed the start of the Blast this season but only because he was away with Scotland at the T20 World Cup and but for injury would have helped Scotland progress even further.  “Brad is now being picked around the world in other franchise tournaments and that’s testimony to the work he has done with James Kirtley to keep improving his white ball skills.” A PERFECT set of goal kicks by stand-off Alex Harley gave Currie Chieftains a narrow win over Selkirk at Philiphaugh in a match that ended with both sides scoring four tries apiece separated in the final scoreline by three conversions Arguably this was Selkirk’s finest performance of the season such was the sheer grit they showed to stay in the game when Currie’s bigger forwards and massively strong bench seemed to be dictating matters on the field Selkirk were weakened by the loss of Callum Anderson in the first quarter adding to a string of injury woes affecting the club Currie’s depth of reserves certainly showed when after losing Scott Robeson to a broken nose in the first half the visitors were able to bring on the skilful DJ Innes at inside-centre the Caledonia rep player confirmed his pedigree by scoring two of his sides tries It was an illustration of the strength of the Currie replacements a factor in they overall control of the game against which Selkirk had to constantly dig deep Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership: pack power key to Heriot’s win at Glasgow Hawks Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership: Melrose pile misery onto Marr Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership: Watsonians hit top gear to seal Musselburgh’s fate “We used the bench really well,” acknowledged Mark Cairns We’re pleased with the strength we’ve got in depth but even so there are still a few guys to return from injury Cairns suggested that it was the middle part of the game that made the difference “We built up a bit of momentum in that third part of the game but it was always going to be one score that would turn the match Fortunately we managed to cope when we got a yellow card,” concluded Cairns Selkirk coach Gordon Henderson admitted that matching Currie on tries was satisfying There were a couple of periods when we were inaccurate and gave ball away And a quality side like Currie will hurt you if you give them the ball But the guys stuck to the task for the full 80 minutes and I’m proud of them When we connected we scored some very good tries,” suggested Henderson Currie certainly looked menacing in the opening exchanges and it took just five minutes for the visitors to register their first points the score coming from a break by Charlie Brett support from Gregor Christie and Ryan Southern and then a chase for the ball that ended with scrum half Christie winning the race for the touchdown Alex Harley converting to maximise the visitor’s early advantage a cross-kick from Aaron McColm was fielded by Dylan Bronlund and the ball then transferred to Ben Pickles who had the pace and the strength to cross for his side’s first score Hugo Alderson was just wide with his conversion attempt Selkirk were unfortunate to lose Anderson to injury but fortunate to extricate themselves from a tricky situation when Currie’s big forwards drove hard at the home side’s line But it was only a temporary reprieve as Currie launched another wave of attacks that ended with Brett making space for replacement Innes to dash over for the Chieftains’ second try Harley’s second conversion giving the visitors a 14-5 lead Buoyed by the success of their handling game and enjoying a huge advantage in terms of possession Currie poured on the pressure  in attempt to score a third try before half time only to be met by resistant defence from a Selkirk side perhaps relieved to go into the interval break just nine points in arrears however grew at the beginning of the second half as Currie gelled together in attack from set-piece play ending with James McCaig  racing in for the Chieftains’ third try Harley once more providing the extra points Selkirk were in no mood to throw in the towel and after a period of pressure in their opponents’ 22 there was a minor reward in the yellow-carding of the Currie centre Ryan Southern Selkirk then used their numerical advantage and skill with ball in hand to engineer a try wide out for Bronlund The influential Bronlund then supplied vital line-out ball for Selkirk to work a move down the touchline with Corey Tait and Alderson interchanging passes for the latter to dot down in the corner but again the scrum-half was unable to add the conversion points Selkirk pressed the attack button and came to close to scoring from a handling move and a break by Andrew Grant-Suttie and again it was their midfield backs who did the damage creating space for Innes to side-step his way over for the Chieftains’ bonus point try the trusty boot of Harley accounting for Currie’s fourth successful conversion It was a punishing score for Selkirk but it was not a knock-out blow the home side showing their real character with a superb closing score from a run by Pickles and an interchange of passes with replacement scrum half Oliver McClymont for the quick footed Pickles to score his second try and the bonus point for his team the touchline conversion by Aaron McColm earning a further bonus point for the home side at the end of an enthralling match Scoring Sequence (Selkirk first): 0-5; 0-7; 5-7; 5-12; 5-14 (h-t) 5-19; 5-21; 10-21; 15-21; 15-26; 15-28; 20-28; 22-28 Man-of-the-Match: DJ Innes came off the bench to score two of the Currie tries but there was also a double try contribution from the Selkirk wing Ben Pickles who showed real strength and pace in scoring his brace and for this performance he deservedly wins the MOTM accolade Talking point: Were it not for the presence of three powerful former Super Series sides Currie Chieftains would have been eyeing up a successful defence of their Premiership title they look as though they will finish in the top four but will then face a daunting play-off semi-final a place in the play-offs might not be desirable given their thin resources and a current injury list that will put extra pressure on their fit and healthy Selkirk should feel reasonably satisfied at holding the Premiership defending champions to a try draw Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership: pack power key to Heriot’s win at Glasgow Hawks Failing to mention a young guy who stands out week in and week AGAIN Ed Hasdell is key puzzle piece in Curries success and does not get the recognition he deserves I prefer a balanced competitive league but that is unlikely to happen Sounds more like someone making a common sense comment to me Help Account 2000 AD brings you the galaxy’s greatest artwork and 2000 AD Covers Uncovered takes you behind-the-scenes with the headline artists responsible for our top cover art – join bloggers Richard Bruton and Pete Wells as they uncover the greatest covers from 2000 AD Borag Thungg and welcome to Covers Uncovered for another exploration into just how these epic covers get made it was one of those once in a lifetime moments – the debut Prog cover for one of the art droids Joe Currie’s spectacular work inside the Prog on Silver with writer Mike Carroll has been really impressing you Earthlets so it was about time Tharg let him loose on a cover ever since he first appeared in the pages of Tharg’s mightiest all deliciously fine of line and harking to an exquisite Euro sensibility And it wasn’t long before he got his very first series which is currently blowing us away with Book Two Silver’s the tale of an Earth under occupation by the alien Sepsis where the resistance unearthed (literally) the five-hundred-year-old vampire Baroness DeSilva to join in the fight back Joe’s art has a wonderful looseness at times a frenetic energy combined with otherworldliness His work kinda makes me think of someone like Geof Darrow trying to do his own version of Moebius except Joe’s combined the two and then gone off in a direction that until now no one even knew existed I honestly can’t picture anyone else bringing what Joe does to Silver I don’t imagine that he actually draws with a solid-gold but it sure feels like he does…’ And now he’s here with his first ever 2000 AD cover – it sure won’t be the last JOE CURRIE: I did this cover two episodes into Book Two of Silver you don’t get to see DeSilva wearing this get up – hopefully and it’s a huge honour to draw for 2000 AD I really can’t quite believe this is my job now massively influenced by the great writers and Art droids of the 1980s my younger self would of questioned why I wasn’t happily married to Sam Fox – and where was my yellow Ferrari and Harley Davidson (paid for by a cool movie stunt job id just completed) parked outside my lovely castle house with a hot tub Joe sent along his apologies to you all for keeping it so short and sweet – but there’s a hell of a lot of Silver deadlines he’s got to hit and Tharg’s got him locked up in the special room reserved for art droids needing to get that deadline sorted with only a five-minute oil change allowed every couple of days But he did manage to find a moment to sneak out these process pics showing you just how this first (of many) covers came about… always great to get a really incredible new artist debuting on the front of the Prog Thanks so much to Joe for taking time out to send those along You can find 2000 AD Prog 2428 on shelves right now wherever the Galaxy’s Greatest is sold, including the 2000 AD web shop And don’t forget to check out the Silver interview we did with Mike Carroll back in 2024 for the debut of the strip – you can find that here Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every week Sign up for access to 100s of pages of free digital comics FRIDAY night’s rerun of last season’s Premiership Play-Off Final between Hawick and Currie Chieftains at Mansfield Park  – which was scheduled to be televised live on BBC ALBA  – has been postponed due to the arctic conditions which have enveloped Scotland throughout the last week club game to fall victim to the weather this weekend given the temperatures are expected to remain largely below zero degrees across Scotland over the next three days Hawick confirmed the postponement with a social media post which stated that: “Sadly Our Premiership game against Currie Chieftains due to take place on Friday evening at Mansfield Park has had to be postponed due to the severe ground frost This game will now be rescheduled to the next available standby date.” Champions Cup: Glasgow v Racing: five changes to Warriors line-up for EPCR pool clash Bad weather in Scotland can hit anytime between October and the following September meaning games can be called off at any point It’s a shame they couldn’t move it to the artificial pitch that’s used by the Linden but there will be a number of reasons why that’s not feasible including lost revenue which clubs desperately need Melrose match on Greenyards 3G also postponed due to frozen pitch 3G’s are treacherous at the best of times at least with grass the hazards are obvious I’ve seen 3G’s declared playable when the top surface is loose but there is a horrible layer of ice underneath which is lethal Very careful and considered decision making is required when declaring on 3G pitches Some say you can play on 3G if it’s above minus 5 for me anything below 0 degrees and I would be very cautious about declaring a 3G playable Good to see so many early calls on this weekends games I will be interested to see what type of pitch Selkirk run into up at the ground Ayr have moved ithe game to…. there must be an Oasis around the Millbrae men… To be honest even asking clubs to travel in conditions of a potential forecast of -10 and under is questionable and again something that should maybe be taken out of the clubs hands Hi Don the nu.ber one reason the volunteer park was Frozen as well these 3 G pitches Freeze as well This reminds me of Dom Wards article on what can be done to improve participation/games fufilled As i have suggested before – A transition away from a winter rugby schedule is essential Too many games are regularly cancelled each season in January/Feb due to weather conditions Crazy we have a league schedule over a winter period where 50% of the games are always cancelled the weather in scotland is widely unpredictable we’ve had winters where we’ve had no games postponed while we’ve also had pre-season games postponed due to water logged pitches I’ve long thought that having the season run in the same year up here in Scotland (3months spring / 2 months summer break / and three months autumn) would also lead to more crowds coming along to watch the prem matches as well I’m sure someone with way more brains than me could work this out fairly easy……! it could be used to build interest and participation around the prem which could lead to help with additional revenues etc…. “50% of games always cancelled” – utter rubbish Based on the weather conditions you can probably count on one hand the number of games going ahead this weekend ON the event of home prop Graeme Carson’s 200th cap – and a 50th for visiting back-rower Lewis Stewart – these two sides served up a game-of-the-season contender with the home team  snatching victory from the Hawks’ talons with the last play of the match but then you’ve got to watch that game again and find out how much of that was us not being up to task and how much of that was Hawks they played some really good rugby,” said a relieved home coach Mark Cairns after seeing his side tighten their grip on the last play-off spot after Selkirk’s sound defeat at Myreside the second half exploded into an exhibition match “It wasn’t always the plan [to play so openly],” Cairns continued “We wanted to try and form some forward control and dominance but because of the weather and the dry paddock it just became a game where the boys wanted to chuck it about and express themselves Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership: Marr stay in the fight for survival with win at Musselburgh Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership: Watsonians breeze past sorry Selkirk to secure play-off place 6N: France v Scotland live blog: Ireland squeak past Italy “We’ve got three tough away games now – Kelso Hawick and Marr – where we’ll need to pick up points But we’re in a really strong position now.” but it was the former for Hawks as Currie raced into a two-try lead despite a bright Hawks start Late replacement Fraser Sayers was first to benefit the ball deceiving Andy McLean and landing in Sayers hands and on his inside shoulder was Gregor Christie to canter over Sayers had come into the team on the right wing coupled with Charlie Brett’s dink over the top and the bounce doing for James Couper this time saw Ryan Daley go over in  the opposite corner Ryan Flett climbed highest to claim Liam Brims’ restart and the Hawks winger then ran a perfect line through the gap in defence half-century maker Lewis Stewart on his shoulder to mark the occasion with a try Scrum-halves Christie and Brent Jackson were involved in their own try-scoring mini-battle Jackson’s close-range finish after the forwards had a couple of goes levelled the scores with Brims somehow missing the easiest conversion he had of the afternoon But Currie went in with the lead after a contentious penalty for playing the ball from an offside position went against Hawks and Ryan Stewart dotted down from the back of the maul Christie got his second to open the scoring in the second half following a break through the middle by lock Courtney West Flett claimed another restart to set them on their way and Finlay Callaghan finished well in the right corner with Brims’ conversion clipping the crossbar on its way over Christie completed his hat-trick after running another typical scrum-half support line this time centre Scott Robeson being the man to make the linebreak and offload Then when Hawks won a scrum penalty against the head deep in Currie territory Good hands from Brett and West sent replacement Roy Vucago over for Currie in reply but the electric Hawks backs weren’t for slowing and their own replacement Euan Muirhead was there to rein Currie back in Max Crumlish making some rampaging charges through the middle one of which led to a yellow card for Iain Sim Hawks retained composure and Ryan Burke crossed the whitewash to level the scores McLean’s conversion squeezed in at the left-hand side to seemingly cap a remarkable turnaround Hawks claimed a knock-on before human wrecking ball Isaiah Malaulau was pinged for offside and although they repelled the Currie maul there was space on the right wing for Robeson to seal victory after a big Brett mis-pass Graeme Carson tried to add the extras on his special day alas he should probably stick to scrumming Two bonus points did little to lift the mood of an embattled Andy Hill We’d been talking all week – not about proving people wrong but proving ourselves right – and I thought the performance deserved a win “It just shows you when we get things right and we have the bodies that we need available Currie’s the only team to have beaten Ayr so it shows they can mix it “I was quite confident coming in that if we got things right we could be competitive throughout and be in a position to win it – which we obviously were “We worked a lot on our attack shape and connections in defence People will look at our results against Watson’s’and Heriot’s (two recent 26-10 and 15-38 defeats respectively) but if you watch the games you’ll see how competitive we’ve been but today we had folk back and it makes a massive difference.” Scoring sequence (Chieftains first): 7-0; 12-0; 12-7; 12-12; 17-12 (h-t)24-12; 24-19; 31-19; 31-26; 38-26; 38-33; 38-40; 43-40 Player-of-the-Match: Not for the first time this season Eventual match-winner Scott Robeson made some telling linebreaks in midfield and won a couple of turnovers to slow down the Hawks   Talking Point: Some way to sign off your league campaign at home you’d expect Currie to secure that last play-off berth Perhaps the dangling carrot of Glasgow derbies versus GHA next season can inspire them to getting the required results Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership: Watsonians breeze past sorry Selkirk to secure play-off place I feel 9th place is not justification for this hawks side They have a really good side and play good rugby if they could have avoided a few more injuries including Currie yesterday in a game with no structure actually … Craig Nolan like the entire Hawks team had a smashing game – but THAT try was actually scored by his towering second row buddy A score from Craig next week would do just nicely CURRIE CHIEFTAINS virtually sealed their place in the play-offs with a comprehensive win over Kelso while the hosts claimed a bonus point that could be valuable in their battle to escape relegation But as the scoreline suggests there was much more to this bizarre encounter than a straightforward result The powerful visitors looked imperious in the first half-hour backs and forwards ignoring the numbers on their jerseys to pop up all over the pitch and shred the Kelso defence with five tries by the 27th minute The game had a distinct feel of a mismatch at this stage But two fine tries in the five minutes before half-time lifted the large Poynder Park crowd and the second half proved an entertaining affair that ended incredibly 21-21 and ensured the four-try bonus for the Borderers Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership: Ayr edge epic top of the table clash against Heriot’s Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership: Watsonians survive rousing Glasgow Hawks fightback Arnold Clark Premiership: Selkirk secure fifth place with hard-earned win over Musselburgh scoring four tries of his own off scrum and line-out mauls “You can’t be looking to pull positives out of shipping 54 points,” he said “The frustrating thing is that we knew they would come at us physically from the start and we said we had to start well and stop them from playing and they got too far away from us in that first period the two tries before half-time got us going and I am proud of the way we boys played in the second half and showed the spirit that this team has “You can talk about putting bodies on the line but that’s the minimum we expect here – boys putting their heads in the spokes It’s what we did around that that was key and got us the opportunities to score tries we have to see where we went wrong early on and prepare for a better performance against Hawks next week.” The way the picture of this game swung is what takes some getting the head around From when impressive Currie scrum-half Gregor Christie took Scott Robeson’s pass in the sixth minute to finish a move which had involved big charges by front-rows Chris Anderson and Ryan Stewart there was an almost metronomic precision about the way they cut open the home defence and finished off Kelso were missing key forwards Keith Melbourne and Jack Utterson and their fragile strength in depth was clear when Currie rolled on more big and yet the visitors did not dominate the set-piece it was too easy at times for Currie to score by exploiting missed tackles Lock Ali Bain and Stewart added to the visiting pack’s try count underlining their enthusiasm for open rugby and flying winger Ryan Daley and Robeson touched down for the backs at almost regular five-minute intervals A Dwain Patterson penalty was the only response from the hosts with lock Cammy Thompson particularly impressive in his work but their toil seemed to be counting for nothing until the Borderers sprung a two-try surprise just before the break The Kelso pack matched Currie in the set-piece and drove them back many metres in line-out mauls with McNeil scoring off a maul in the 35th minute Stand-off Liam Herdman’s sublime skill produced the second three minutes later when he ran at the Currie backline and chipped the ball into space behind them was first to it and hacked the ball 30 metres to the Currie line Herdman showed terrific pace to beat the Currie cover to the bouncing ball and dived on it over the line Patterson’s two conversions cut the deficit at half-time to 33-17 and while Currie still seemed in command it was far more interesting Currie try-scorer Robeson commented afterwards: “Well that was a great game for the crowd – we like to entertain “We played Kelso a few weeks ago and got into a good lead We enjoyed the first half-hour throwing the ball about like the Currie way running good support lines and sticking to the script we came into the game with But we probably got a bit loose after that and gave them too many ways back into the game “Fair play to Kelso because they took their chances but they are a good team and like all the Borders sides you never get an easy game down here and today again we saw what happens when you take the foot off that’s us almost there with the play-offs and we’ll take lessons from this one into the final games.” Kelso opened the second half with another McNeil try but Robeson came back with the second of his first senior hat-trick before a yellow-card for lock Courtney West provided an indication of Kelso’s increasing ability to get into Currie faces The visitors put the game out of reach with Robeson and Kerr Johnston scoring tries seven and eight the pack making the yards –  No 8 Ed Hasdell a key totem in attack –  and Kelso wing Patterson was shown a yellow for a deliberate knock-on But ensuring the see-saw nature of this engrossing contest continued A superb 50-metre kick to touch from replacement fly-half Isaac Coates set Kelso up for another line-out maul with Currie now down to 14 – Wallace Nelson having been the latest to be shown a yellow card by impressive referee Chelsea Gillespie – the Kelso pack drove their talisman over once again for a fifth try Scoring sequence (Kelso first): 0-5; 0-7; 0-12; 3-12; 3-17; 3-19; 3-24; 3-26; 3- 31; 3-33; 8-33; 10-33; 15-33; 17-33 (h-t) 22-33; 24-33; 24-38; 24-40; 24-45; 24-47; 24- 52; 24-54; 29-54; 31-54; 36-54; 38-54 Man-of-the-Match: Contenders aplenty in both sides this week with full-back Fraser Sayers and scrum-half Gregor Christie key to Currie’s back play while everyone in the pack had their moments – No 8 Ed Hasdell is a machine of a player with basketball player’s hands Bruce McNeil’s four tries and general influence was huge the front-row matched their bigger opponents but for a full 80-minute outstanding performance home second-row Cammy Thompson had few peers so the young lock takes the honours this week despite being on the losing side Talking point: Currie supporters were bemoaning the way they let Kelso back into the game after a fine first half-hour while Kelso supporters were praising their comeback and questioning why it took so long to get to grips with the visitors they would be talking about the great entertainment value that this game produced – a terrific advert for Scottish club rugby Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership: Ayr edge epic top of the table clash against Heriot’s Kelso have scalped a few teams on their own patch over the last 2 seasons so it’s brilliant to score over 50 points and no mean feat I watched the game via their YouTube channel as well as multiple key involvements in the other tries and some key turnovers Other players who stood out for me were Hasdell who has been a consistent performer every week for Currie this season who all carried excellently and had some decent charges up the field Sayers and substitute – Johnston all had great games also Perhaps they need to work on their maul defence as that was a real Achilles heel for them against Kelso Currie were very impressive and a great team to watch Very encouraging for Kelso was the comeback despite being a lot more lightweight in the pack both Melbourne and Utterson big misses but they showed they can score tries against any team but will be disappointed with the way they conceded some of the tries One of Scotland’s oldest fund management names will disappear after Franklin Templeton decided to scrap the Martin Currie brand Edinburgh-based Martin Currie will be re-aligned with other parts of its parent company It ran as an independent equity specialist boutique until 2014 when it was acquired by Legg Mason which was then purchased by fund giant Franklin Templeton in 2020 Martin Currie has operated within Franklin Templeton’s public market investments since 2023 In October of that year it announced that it promoted chief operating officer Jen Mair to chief executive She succeeded Julian Ide who moved into the newly created position of vice chair the $18bn (€17bn) AUM investment manager will see the majority of its business put under Clearbridge Investments a $193bn global equity manager which was also acquired in 2020 One Martin Currie team will move under Franklin Equity Group focused on long term quality growth stocks There will be no changes to the investment teams or their processes according to Citywire which first reported the story Franklin Templeton said it does not expect immediate changes to reporting lines Martin Currie’s investment teams will continue to report to its CIO Browne will partner closely with Scott Glasser Warm April weather helped deliver a record-breaking month for ice cream maker Mackie’s of Scotland.Read More Recipients of The King’s Awards for Enterprise have been announced today, celebrating the achievements ofRead More This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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CURRIE CHIEFTAINS made sure of their place in the play-off semi-finals by defeating Hawick in an extremely viewable match that produced 12 tries shared equally between the two participating sides and which brought satisfaction of different hues to both squads Given what for Hawick was a catastrophic event two weeks ago when they conceded 93 points to Ayr without reply the close scoreline against Currie and the two bonus-points gained represented restorative pride for the Greens Currie’s much stronger and more experienced bench gave the visitors the win they sought but Hawick can take satisfaction from the quality of their tries the best tries are those scored in the corner but that in turn makes the addition of conversion points more difficult Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership round 22: runners, riders and verdict URC: Glasgow v Lions: seven changes for hosts as Six Nations stars return Tom Jordan opens up on Glasgow exit but vows to go out on a high In that context Kirk Ford kicked three from six whereas Sam Leto for Currie presented with mostly much simpler conversions Currie knew what they wanted from the game in terms of points as their coach Mark Cairns explained: “We still needed a point to get into the play-offs and thankfully it’s now there We wanted to come here and improve on last week and also to keep this winning run going “So when we have the semi-final against Ayr we will have built up a bit of momentum away from home Tonight we managed to get everyone in the squad a half We were able to test a new half-back partnership in Ryan Southern and Sam Leto and … we won,”  Cairns said with a satisfied smile this was a game all about exorcising the scarred memory of the Ayr debacle and moreover about proving to themselves that they are still one of the better sides in the Premiership “I was really happy performance-wise,” stated Hawick’s coach we probably should have come away with more We felt that from our point of view the first two or three Currie tries were pretty soft “We asked to put some pride back in the jersey – and we did We need to keep building these boys up because some of the rugby they’re playing now is outstanding It’s a massive credit to our boys,” suggested Hogg On a chilly night the frozen faithful at Mansfield Park had just over two minutes to wait before receiving a body-warming score from the home team a try by Andrew Mitchell from a searing run by his fellow midfielder Lee Armstrong Currie wasted little time in replying by attacking from the restart with powerful thrusts by their bulky forwards that ended with No 8 Ed Hasdell dotting down between the posts leaving Sam Leto with an easy conversion kick Hawick hit back immediately with slick handling from the restart that created an overlap for wing Finlay Douglas to race in for his side’s second try The pattern of the game continued with Currie again using their heavier forwards to create another score from the men up front credited to prop Cairn Ramsay with Leto adding the extras The visitors tried to replicate the forward play that had produced two tries but Hawick perhaps with the memory of the Ayr defeat still raw in the mind Then from a line-out five metres out from the Currie line initially using a driving maul and then splintering to the blind side to set up a try for Hector Patterson Ford judged his conversion attempt perfectly to give the Greens a 19-14 lead But it was soon apparent that Currie would produce a riposte such was their eagerness to move the ball Their reward came after some aimless kicking by the home side that was converted into attack by the Chieftains’ centre Scott Robeson who had the skills to put Ryan Daly in for an unconverted try to level the scores Hawick’s determination to wipe clean the Ayr disaster then found expression in a swerving run by Ford and alertness by Douglas for the wing to grab his second and the Greens their bonus point try to give the home side a 24-19 interval advantage Hawick’s lead was extended five minutes into the second half with a bizarre try by Patterson after a Currie clearance attempt was charged down the bobbling ball resulting in defensive chaos that the quick thinking scrum-half used to his advantage to score his second You got the feeling that Hawick might pay for the temerity of moving into a 10 point lead the retribution visited upon the Greens arriving in the shape of frequent forward surges that brought about territorial gains Currie brought their blind side wing Iain Sim into play before the forwards took over once more for Hasdell to crash over  for his second try of the match the visitors adding further points to their tally when Robeson took an inside pass before sprinting to the line for a try under the posts Minutes later Robeson completed a brace after running a clever angle following formidable forward play from the visitors Again Leto was presented with a simple conversion attempt and again the stand-off was unfailing If it seemed that this double blow would crush Hawick then the home team proved any doubters in the stand wrong with a sixth try the score made by a perfectly judged spiralling pass from Patterson that gave wing Charlie Welsh room to squeeze over in the corner Ford kicked the conversion points to bring the curtain down on a match from which both sides derived satisfaction Scoring Sequence (Hawick first): 5-0; 5-5; 5-7; 10-7; 12-7; 12-12; 12-14; 17-14; 19-14; 19-19; 24-19 (ht) 29-19; 29-24; 29-26; 29-31; 29-33; 29-38; 29-40; 34-40; 36-40 Man-of-the-Match: Although not on the winning side Hector Patterson was a huge personality in the game not least in scoring two individual tries and making one for Charlie Welsh that gave his side their second bonus point Patterson missed most of the Scotland under-20 team’s Six Nations campaign through injury and illness but current form would suggest that he will be an asset to the national age-grade side  in the World U20 Championship being played in the North East of Italy in June/July Talking point: This match was originally scheduled to be covered by BBC Alba but the postponement of the fixture meant that the Beeb who had already inked in their television coverage for 28th March were unable to be a Mansfield Park for the rescheduled game between Hawick and Currie And that was a pity because the 12 try haul and the way that both sides responded to the other scoring would have made good viewing Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership: Friday night lights at Mansfield Park who at some stages looked like they could have caused an upset and beat Currie Currie without their normal 9/10 duo managed to win this with their pack being more dominant pushing Hawick off their own ball on a few occasions and some ferocious ball carrying from the pack was the difference Sets them up well going into Ayr who we know rely heavily on scrum and maul dominance and using their big pack you can’t deny the influence he is having on Cheiftains success this season After the psychological/physical battering of the Ayr game Hawick did exceptionally well Patterson fully deserved the recognition he received for his performance for Hawick For Currie 21 year old Hasdell’s leadership of the pack and all round impact at No 8 stood out brightly Currie have met their target for the season – which was to make the play offs – congratulations to their squad and coaching staff But Hawick deserve praise for regrouping after the Ayr debacle Representing the Shirt and playing with pride Edinburgh Rugby pro-academy players Euan McVie (lock) and Tom Currie (back-row) have joined English Championship side Doncaster Knights on a short-term loan have both featured for Edinburgh ‘A’ in recent matches against Glasgow ‘A’ while the duo were part of the Scotland U20 side that recently won promotion back to the Word Rugby U20 Championship McVie and Currie have linked up with the Knights with immediate affect ahead of Castle Park outfit kickstarting their Premiership Cup campaign First hearing in comedian's libel case over being branded an antisemite Paul Currie’s legal action against Soho Theatre over his altercation with a Jewish audience member has got under way The comedian claims the statement put out by the venue after the incident in February last year was libellous by branding him antisemitic Jewish comedy-goers had complained they felt threatened and intimidated by the Northern Irish stand-up who is said to have led chants of ‘get out’ and ‘free Palestine’ during his show at the London theatre.  However other audience members said they didn’t believe that Currie had been antisemitic and that the incident was just a crowd interaction gone sour Currie was given a lifetime ban from the theatre over the incident A preliminary hearing at the High Court yesterday was asked to determine which parts of the theatre’s statement should be classed as fact or opinion Mr Justice Nicklin said that it was a fact that: ‘Following the End of the claimant’s show and there were grounds to investigate whether by so doing the claimant had committed a criminal offence.’ what was opinion was whether: ‘This conduct was: (a) intimidating and antisemitic; (b) appalling and unacceptable; (c) inconsistent with the values of Soho Theatre and justified the theatre in refusing to allow the claimant the opportunity to perform at the Soho Theatre in the future.’ The Evening Standard reported that Currie’s legal team signalled they may appeal against the ruling The incident started when Currie produced the Palestinian flag during his show to make a statement about peace – and came to a head when the comic orchestrated his own standing ovation at the end Currie spotted one man who remained in his seat and asked him why he didn’t stand saying: ‘Didn’t you enjoy my show?’ later identified as 33-year-old Israeli software engineer Liahav Eitan replied: ‘I enjoyed your show until you brought out the Palestinian flag.’ It apparently provoked Currie to order him out of the theatre with Eitan saying he was left terrified by the 'mob mentality' of the crowd ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘get out’ at him which Currie claims damaged his reputation as a liberal comedian read: ‘Soho Theatre will not tolerate intimidation of audience members due to their nationality ‘On Saturday evening, following the End of Paul Currie’s show Shtoom ‘Whilst we robustly support the right of artists to express a wide range of views in their shows acts of antisemitism or any other forms of racism will not be tolerated at Soho Theatre ‘We are continuing our investigation discussing the incident with that evening’s audience and consulting with the police We are working with the Campaign Against Antisemitism to meet with members of the audience who were affected We are taking professional advice to safeguard the much-valued inclusivity of Soho Theatre.’` Currie is represented by barrister David Hirst,  who was instructed by Rahman Lowe Solicitors Both barristers are members of media law specialists 5RB Gig of the day Julian Clary: A Fistful Of ClaryLincoln New Theatre Royal from 19:30 Coming Soon Stewart Lee vs The Man-WulfLiverpool Philharmonic HallWednesday 7th May from 19:30 Gig of the day Natalie Palamides: WeerSoho Theatre Walthamstow from 20:00 Chortle had 173,000 unique visitors in April 2025 We are currently listing 20,981 upcoming comedy events Website and all original content copyright © Chortle 2000 - 2025 Chortle relies on advertisers to fund this website so it’s free for you so we would ask that you disable it for this site Privacy Policy Data Protection Policy ©2021 Copyright Warrington Wolves CURRIE CHIEFTAINS rediscovered the winning feeling with a seven-try victory over basement side Musselburgh Chieftains had to work hard for the result that keeps them on track for a play-off berth it was difficult to identify which of the sides was bidding for a top four finish and which was scrapping for survival It took some solid defence to repel a lively Musselburgh attack although the hosts showed the clinical edge at key moments and gradually built a comprehensive win that nudges the visitors closer to relegation Chieftains coach Mark Cairns paid tribute to the gritty nature of the opposition saying: “I thought Musselburgh played some really good rugby and I thought our defence was excellent The scoreboard doesn’t tell the story of how hard a match that was They put a lot into that match and we had to work really hard to keep them out at times.” URC: Edinburgh v Zebre: Sean Everitt’s side out-gunned by fired up visitors Franco Smith “honoured” to be linked to Wales head coach role Updated: Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership round 17: runners, riders and verdict The main outcome for Cairns was the five point haul that preserves Chieftains’ hopes of reaching the knock-out phase We’ve got Selkirk to play away and that will be a big game we’ve got a chance of getting in the play-offs.” believes that the courage of his players can only take them so far and he identified what he saw as the key difference when he said: “We were really competitive the first 25 minutes but the missing ingredient is physicality You look at us compared to them and it’s different gravy in terms of the carry into the contact “The positive thing for me is you look at the young guys like Nehemiah Su’a Bruce Weatherhead and Murray McCowan – really brave on both sides of the ball They create a template for what the older guys should be playing like.” O’Riordan is a realist and he knows that the outlook is gloomy we’re pretty much out of it but you need to look at big guys to do big things in games like this to give you a bit of a lift We’ve got five games left and we’ve got to make every one of those count in terms of how we want to be remembered in the league because it could be a dark final couple of months,” he stated take heart from the fact that he has a squad that showed in this match that they are ready to fight They raced into action and earned four early penalties that allowed them to apply sustained pressure McCowan looked sharp with ball in hand and Weatherhead also made ground they spurned a couple of kickable awards and the nearest they came to opening their account was when Jordan Lister crossed the whitewash but was held up the hosts won a penalty and a kick to touch led to their first visit to the opposition 22 as Ryan Stewart carried the ball into contact then was on hand to take a pass and thunder through the last tackle to dot down Alex Harley banged over the conversion for a seven-point lead that was a lesson in taking chances Chieftains now had their tails up and DJ Innes went on the attack but that venture came to nothing after Paul Cunningham intercepted Harley’s pass and the home side extended the lead in 27 minutes when Sam Cardosi crashed through two tackles and offloaded to Ali Bain who completed the job Musselburgh responded with a fresh wave of attacks and despite battering relentlessly at the home defence they again failed to convert pressure into points thwarted by a solid Chieftains effort and two handling errors in sight of the line The visitors were showing plenty of endeavour but they again contributed to their own downfall with the final move of the half A patient attack foundered on a spillage just inside the Chieftains half and amid confusion over whether the ball had gone forward Harley pounced and sprinted clear before slotting the conversion for a 21-0 interval lead The opening phase of the second half followed the same pattern as the first enjoying the territorial supremacy without scoring points And Chieftains struck on the counter-attack when the lively Ryan Daley sliced through the opposition defence to create the platform for James McCaig to clinch the bonus point Things got worse for Musselburgh when the referee showed Euan Bonthron a yellow-card for tackling Gregor Christie in the air Chieftains took full advantage of the extra man and extended the lead on the hour when Daley stepped in off his wing and carved through the heart of the opposition defence to touch down and leave Fraser Sayers a simple conversion The hosts rubbed salt into the Musselburgh wounds with try number six when Bain crashed over after a string of phases Sayer again stroked over the kick and he concluded the scoring when he sent home the kick after Scott Robeson hammered his way over for the final touchdown of the match Scoring sequence (Currie Chieftains first): 5-0; 7-0; 12-0; 14-0; 19-0; 21-0 (h-t) 26-0; 28-0; 33-0; 35-0; 40-0; 42-0; 47-0; 49-0 Man-of-the-Match: Musselburgh contributed a lot to the match but the big characters were in the Chieftains ranks with the powerful Sam Cardosi and the all-rounder Ali Bain who showed up well at the line-out and in open play Talking point: Chieftains are very much in the hunt for a play-off spot and showed impressive resilience in defence plus a clinical edge in attack Musselburgh displayed plenty of courage and had a lot of possession in the danger zone but time is running out if they are to make a late bid to beat the drop URC: Edinburgh v Zebre: Sean Everitt’s side out-gunned by fired up visitors Good to see some fringe players get a run out They will be delighted to have kept Musselburgh at 0 points as they defended for most of the game Credit to Musselburgh who have so much fight perhaps they just lacked a bit of execution If they do go down as their coach is saying I hope it’s not too long before they get back up again CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TDN FOR FREE! Remember Ben with a gift to Thoroughbred aftercare Subscribe for FREE to the Daily PDF or the News Alerts Home » Archive » Europe » Nicola Currie Puts Hot Run Of Form Down To Winter Sabbatical Nicola Currie: revealed that she contemplated retirement | Racingfotos.com Nicola Currie has put her encouraging run of form down to a three-month winter sabbatical but admitted to having almost called it a day after managing a meagre six winners from 126 rides last year Currie has already partnered five winners from 26 rides and is operating at an impressive 19 per cent strike rate It's a long way from the massive 81 winners the Scottish-born rider achieved in 2018 but the 31-year-old explained how the combination of stepping away from the sport she loves for three months during the winter and enlisting the help of a sports psychologist has provided her with a new lease of life Speaking about how she went from 81 winners to just six in the space of six seasons “I rode out my claim pretty quickly and it was all going very well for me but then I got the Jamie Osborne job but obviously Saffie [Osborne] started to get going and the job was no longer there for me as blood is thicker than water “So I was back freelance again and I just couldn't get the ball rolling wasn't riding out as much as I should have been got quite heavy and I just needed to change something This is not the kind of job where you get into the car to drive three hours for one ride if your heart isn't in it I was hoping for a winner that might get me going but it just didn't happen The reality was that I just wasn't putting in the work and I wasn't in the right frame of mind It can be hard to see the wood from the trees at times Stepping off that hamster wheel and seeing things for what they are takes strength she was willing to give up what small contacts she had been left with in an effort to step away and look at things objectively Her own family implored her to call it a day it seemed to be the most likely option but on the advice of retired jockey Colm O'Donoghue she spent some time riding out in Ireland for Donnacha O'Brien where she is said to have reignited her spark to continue “I needed to do something,” she recalls “Taking the time out was the best thing I could have done and I probably should have done it a year sooner 'did I really want to do this anymore?' I thought that I didn't and I went back home to the Isle Of Arran and I didn't even watch a race I got the bug back when I went riding out for Donnacha O'Brien for a month It was good to have a change of scenery and I had a lot of fun whilst getting my fitness levels back up I came back to England in February and I have had my head down ever since.” Followers of the all-weather will have noticed Currie to be plying her trade as well if not better than ever over the past few weeks She has ridden winners for her old boss Osborne as well as Ollie Sangster and Andrew Balding Attaching herself to some of the bigger yards is the very opposite approach to what Currie took last year I spoke at length with my agent around this time last year and we both decided that the best thing to do for me was to ride out for as many smaller trainers as I could I just couldn't get any momentum going because I had no backing from anybody I was just clutching at straws every day for spares.” [a tally of six winners in the season] it was really disheartening You can't make a living unless you're getting at least 10 rides a week and are riding winners My family were actually pushing me to call it a day and that actually spurred me on further to say Ollie Sangster was very good to me last year so I do a couple of days with him now and I also ride out for Andrew Balding It's the greatest thing in the world when you are busy and I feel I am in a completely different place since I've come back.” That mindset was already tested last Wednesday when the debutant John T (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) the only horse that Currie had been declared to ride at Kempton Such a wasted effort would have been a lot harder to brush off a year ago But Curries says she is finding it a whole pile easier to take the rough with the smooth since her return you ride with confidence and your riding becomes so much better that was quite a light weight for me to do and You deal with the bad days like that an awful lot better when you are riding winners and in a good frame of mind.” “It's one thing I have been very conscious of and it's something I got some counselling on last year through the PJA There are more bad days than good days in racing but I suppose I felt I was only having bad days and I wasn't coping with them well enough Speaking with someone taught me the importance of keeping the right mentality as a sportsperson and it has really helped me a lot “Not many people want to admit that they see a sports psychologist Maybe they feel you've just got to be mentally tough enough and that's it But the reality is that not everyone is and if it helps me deal with the bad days and to further my career I am happy to utilise it and I would encourage anybody else out there to do the same.” Not a subscriber? 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Copy Article Link Editor / News Stories:editor@thetdn.com Advertising:advertising@thetdn.com Customer Service:customerservice@thetdn.com Click Here to sign up for a free subscription THIS was a result and performance that virtually nobody saw coming Pilloried for their lamentable loss to Zebre at home in their previous outing and without an away win to their name in the URC since April few gave Edinburgh a chance of upsetting Munster at Virgin Media Park a venue where the hosts had racked up 10 league wins in a row had been the previous team to triumph in Cork in 2019 and surpassed that with this dominant display that was night and day from their tame effort against Zebre just a fortnight earlier URC: Glasgow v Ospreys: Adam Hastings starts at full-back in generally settled Warriors line-up Column: David Ferguson on creating a unified voice in the Borders Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership Round 18 Dream Team The final scoreline showed the margin of victory to be just six points as Munster offered a late fightback to earn themselves two bonus points this was a match Edinburgh had all but sewn up by half-time as they ran in four tries to make sure of their own bonus point with a brand of fast-paced Half-back pairing Ben Vellacott and Ross Thompson were key to that uptick in tempo and intensity shifted to the wing due to mounting injuries collected the man-of-the-match award after running in a hat-trick but there were big performers all around the park for Edinburgh most notably in the pack where Ben Muncaster and Magnus Bradbury put in a heroic shift as the visitors completely dominated at scrum-time Bradbury’s try just before half-time – after quick ball again from Ewan Ashman and Currie – all but sealed a long one that lifts Edinburgh back into the playoff places They have close to a month’s break from competitive action before travelling to play Benetton on March 22 A relatively kind run-in could yet make this a successful campaign but “We’re really happy with the performance,” said the head coach “It’s not easy to come to Cork and beat Munster I’m really happy for the boys and the resilience they’ve shown over the last couple of weeks “When you lose at home there’s always a refocus The players didn’t play that well at home [against Zebre] and we didn’t execute the opportunities we created whether it’s last year against Ulster or at home against Glasgow And now we’ve also done it against Munster But what we really need to work on – and what we have been working on – is our consistency “The players have learned now how tough it is to win away from home they know they can get extra gametime late in the season if they do well for this team And they’ve done that and I’m proud of them.” Currie has been one of Edinburgh’s steadiest performers in a trying season and showed alertness composure and strength to claim his three tries His first came just five minutes after Thompson’s first try for the club – after good build-up play by first Bradbury and then Muncaster – had cancelled out Alex Nankivell’s first of two on the night for Munster A dominant scrum gave Edinburgh penalty advantage affording Vellacott the freedom to try an ambitious chip kick through Munster winger Shay McCarthy ought to have dealt with it but was fooled by the bounce of the ball allowing the alert Currie to push down for the simplest of tries Thompson set up the second with a looping pass wide that Currie gathered The TMO had a look for a double movement before deciding it was all above board Currie’s third then came just short of the hour mark after Nankivell’s second try had briefly threatened to instigate a Munster comeback It was again a case of being in the right place in the right time as McCarthy failed to deal with a Thompson up-and-under the ball scooting kindly for Currie to pick up and saunter over the line “Matt has been our most consistent player,” added Everitt “His work-rate on and off the pitch is exceptional Tonight we had to move him to the wing as we were short in that position with the injuries that we have and he was outstanding That seemed to be that in terms of the contest although Munster came back to score twice more through Ben O’Connor and Sean O’Brien either side of Paddy Harrison being shown a yellow card for a high tackle That put a more flattering sheen on the scoreline than Munster deserved given how comprehensively they had been outplayed in the first half And it could have been worse had Italian referee Gianluca Gnecchi brought out his cards for the repeat scrum offences “If you can get dominance at the set-piece it makes the whole game easier,” added Everitt “I was quite surprised [there were no yellow cards shown] as there were six or seven set-piece penalties at one stage so I would have thought that might have happened We did send a message and Ben Vellacott spoke to the referee with regards to that You give a yellow card to one of their forwards at scrum time and they’ll probably bring on a weaker player it is difficult to manage sometimes as a referee but we’re not going to complain about that.” The only sour note from an Edinburgh perspective was the injury sustained by Luke Crosbie straight from kick-off which could now rule him out of any involvement for Scotland in the rest of the Six Nations “Unfortunately it looks like Luke has torn his pec muscle,” confirmed Everitt the South African cut a content and perhaps relieved figure after what could turn out to be a significant win for him and his team It’s about being resilient and relentless in the pressure that you exert on the opposition That was the plan and they couldn’t play.” Munster: B O’Connor; C Nash (S O’Brien 41) E Coughlan (P Patterson 52); J Wycherley (M Donnelly 57) B Vellacott (A Price 67); B Venter (R Hislop 65) Bradbury; Cons: Thompson 3; Pens: Thompson TOL Pod: Episode 31: Farewell (for now), Calcutta Our Edinburgh-based experts advise both individuals and businesses across a range of sectors Saffery is the 15th largest accountancy firm in the UK by turnover and has had a presence in Edinburgh for over 30 years Website: www.saffery.com Interesting reading the comments … suspect they sum things up pretty well Edinburgh simply need to play like the first half the rest of the season but the fact they could not in the second half makes that unlikely I think Hopefully that result gives them some confidence Didn’t help that Glasgow gifted Ospreys 5 points but incredible looking at the table with just 4 points separating 6th to 14th !! we must have the most competitive league in the world but the Welsh team played some lovely rugby and absolutely deserved the win (just as Edinburgh deserved their win over Glasgow at Murrayfield) Certainly remarkably close in the table – a good reminder that (perhaps aside from the Dragons) there are no easy games any more in the URC Muncaster and Sykes puting in the big dominant tackles and fighting through contact in the first half And Mish rolling back the years so good too OK this was a poor Munster but when you know Edinburgh are capable of this type of display it makes the poor games all the more frustrating Tuipulitu showed some good moments but Thompson was a bit of a curate’s egg) but this was a win built on an aggressive physical forwards display Did the forwards play well in the set piece yes Did RT have the best game I can remember in Edinburgh clours Was it a co-incidence that Price came on and we lost the last 20 minutes Were the subs the right subs at the right time Why bring on Price?Did the backs look devastating Is that one of the worst Munster performances I’ve ever seen So a good win but lets not get carried away There’s something fundamentally wrong at Edinburgh I know what you mean but it is hard to grudge Edinburgh fans a wee bit of cheerleading I would have been very happy but the 2nd half was back to normal and we absolutely gifted a close rival 2 points from nowhere Hospital passes to the deepest lying man on multiple occasions charge-downs after retreating 25 yards from the gain line turned over by choke and maul three times in the spaces of 5 minutes trying to exit our 22 not kicking for goal from just outside the 22 when the BP has already been secured and we are 13 points ahead We don’t half make things more difficult than they need to be and we really do have to remember just how poor Munster were It was like watching the Ireland team of the 90s It has probably undone the damage of the Zebre game – I think most of us would have settled for 6 points from these two games – but it probably just makes that game and most of the rest all the more frustrating when it is proven how these players CAN play last night shows that the quality of the players is not really the problem it is the consistency and/or motivation and/or game-plan and/or culture which is not delivering That is all on the coaching and management team It is a different conversation if we play like last night’s 1st half until the end of the season but we would still have to ask ourselves whether we credit the coaching staff for clearing up their own mess I really don’t see anyone getting carried away to be honest Just acknowledging a good win away from home No need to be overly negative about a good performance The Munster fans were certainly all acknowledging that they thought Edinburgh were excellent yesterday and deserved the win These results (from the Glasgow forum where most discussion about Embra seems to happen these days) tell the story:- Round 3: lose 55 – 21 to Lions after being 48 – 0 down at half-time Round 4: beat Stormers at home 38 – 7 Round 8: lose 33 – 14 to Glasgow after being 33 – 0 down at one stage Round 9: beat Glasgow at home 10 – 7 Round 11: lose 17 – 22 at home to Zebre Round 12 beat Munster 28 – 34 but it was a game of two halves and I had my head in my hands when Price was brought on for the last fifteen minutes I would agree with some of what you say and some of Garrys points particularly around the 2nd paragraph – charge downs poor defence in the backs getting held up in the tackle This was down to poor game management when we had a good lead The backs still dont have the cohesion and fluency even compared to Munster who were much more threatening I know Curry scored a hat trick but 2 tries were from botched kicks I would say where Edinburgh stand is that they can play a conservative forward and set piece oriented game with strong forward defence and be quite successful against most teams but when they try to play with more fluency they dont look comfortable There is still a lot of work to do to get that fluency and half backs remain the problem Anyhow i will take the win for now and enjoy Genuinely superb first half performance by Edinburgh Muncaster and Bradbury perhaps a little bit unlucky not to grab POTM though Currie took the lucky chances well for his hattrick Letting Munster grab the bonus points in the final minutes was frustrating – but the fact Edinburgh can be annoyed about that is a good sign of how well the team were playing Any points from the Benetton away game will be a bonus Edinburgh do actually have about as straightforward a run in as possible for the season so a decent finish is still certainly possible Glasgow have Munster at Scotstoun next – on this performance Warriors should be very capable of taking five points from that one as others have said only real black mark was the 2 losing BPs for Munster which then keeps them 3points ahead but as a Weegie I feel compelled to highlight that Thompson looked more like the player he was while at Glasgow – best game I’ve seen him play for Edinburgh and would love to see him kick on and be the player he can be I believe Thompson has suffered from playing with Price too often and has been a shadow of the player he was at Glasgow The previous game saw as poor a halfback performance as I’ve seen in a while With Price leaving at the end of the season and playing poorly it makes more sense to give Vellacott the regular starting spot and try to develop a back line that hasn’t had enough playing time together So many positives in that performance with only one negative They had the possession to prioritise territory but did not do so to many times we turned over the ball from deep rather than kicking back The interesting thing was through injury we ended up with the right mix in backrow Don’t like Crosbie and Bradbury together both too similar Muncaster the all rounder and Bradbury the ball carrier Also really liked Curry on the wing he was excellent and looked very comfortable Scrum was outstanding and that was not just about props second row and no 8 had a big say in the domination All props will tell you when you are being munched not a lot you can do but collapse or fold in or rotate Even if you go back so difficult to retain balance and there is a real danger of serious injury Yellow card won’t help with danger aspect as total dominance rarely down to one player it’s a major imbalance in pack strength or technique A difficult one as there should be punishment for repeated offences One of the problems our law makers have created by moving the scrum to power only Firstly there is virtually no danger when going backwards unless you do collapse the scrum and at this level that risk is minimal What other game do you get sent off for not being good enough to be replaced by someone who in all likely hood is a poorer player I wouldn’t issue yellow cards but let the coaches decide whether to replace the player ( s) concerned It is quite easy to go backwards without creating an offence but that is up to the team under pressure there is no offence and no pen But if the ref keeps awarding pens then there has to be yellow card before it gets to 7 or 8 pens I’m not sure there was even a warning the number of scrum penalties where someone is basically being penalized for not being as good as the opposition How about sending a batsman off when he plays and misses at a ball?! And I get there are offences committed to stop the more powerful/better scrummaging side though often it is really hard to pick out one particular offence unless blatant there are numerous laws being broken at scrum time I don’t think yellow cards are appropriate for scrum penalties Their physicality and carrying and all round game were on another level Mention to Ross Thompson who has been highly criticised albeit some really poor moments too but there were signs of what we need to see from him for sure Ben Muncaster and Jack Mann should both be in the squad for the Wales game Mosese displayed some great sleight of hand in his passing He’s developing really well and we could see the brothers together for Scotland at some point it was a deserved win and Edinburgh really fronted up Proof that when they put their mind to it Scottish players can go toe to toe with other nations physically and win Zebre clocked up another decent win there against Cardiff – their third in a row I think we need to move on from the idea that they are an easy win at the bottom of the table They’re a mid-table team (10th currently) with a shot at the playoffs Muncaster (whom I’ve always thought plays like a NZr) were tremendous with Watson and Bradbury not far behind As Douglas and the main piece alludes absolute scrum dominance and multiple penalties but no YC – he is in real danger of being left behind by the younger generation of back rowers See what happens when you select a dominant pack of forwards who carry hard and a scrum-half who gives quick tempo… On another note: Refereeing has become truly awful The whole system needs to be overhauled with less interpretation left to the referee through clear cut rules Why is there not a universal set number of penalties you can concede at scrum before a yellow card is issued Couldn’t agree more re standard of officiating… it’s not individual refs fault but the rules and system simply becoming overcomplicated and perhaps too open to interpretation – dare I say with the tv in mind Do we need more refs NFL style and less cameras As others have said the difference in selecting a dominant pack is huge In all fairness I thought Munsters back three were really poor at covering kicks so we got a few soft tries We shouldn’t have let them get two bonus points And I thought before the zebra game our chances of making top 8 were slim So this result only puts us back in the position we were before that game imo So there are still big problems at Edinburgh But you’ve also got to enjoy results like this The first half was the best half of rugby I think I have ever seen from Edinburgh They played like the Irish normally play against us – pressurised Munster Helped massively by a dominant scrum and solid line out The front row were superb with Muncaster and Bradbury outstanding It got a bit edgy in the 2nd half as we allowed Munster back in with a few mistakes and they got through us too easily at times securing the 2 bonus points Great result and really changes the league potential with top 8 now much more of a reality The challenge is consistency but confidence will be restored after this A RESOLUTE first-half defensive effort and a third-quarter smash-and-grab secured a bonus-point win for Watsonians and although two late scores from Currie Chieftains salvaged a four-try bonus-point they had left themselves too much ground to make up to pick-up a bonus-point as well Watsonians are now in a very commanding position to finish third in the league at the end of the regular season given they are 12 points clear of fourth placed Currie with six and seven games left to play respectively and head coach Davie Wilson was keen to congratulate his players’ on their performance in this match but also remind them that they need to maintain similar sorts of levels to avoid any more slip-ups such as they have suffered twice against Kelso this season “I thought Currie pretty much threw the kitchen sink at us in the first half and our defensive sets were outstanding we worked really hard for one another to try to negate their momentum “What was frustrating during that period was our kicking Rather than applying pressure or getting it off the field we were pretty much giving it straight back to Currie and they were able to re-establish momentum Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership: Ayr overpower Marr in feisty Friday night derby clash 6N: Gregor Townsend plays down Scotland vs Ireland ‘needle’ as he explains team selection Updated: Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership round 16: runners, riders and verdict “So the message at half-time was pretty simple: we’ve not had the ball and we’ve not really fired a shot apart from the try we had scored against the run of play so let’s just make sure we give ourselves a chance to play some rugby “And we had that purple patch at the beginning of the second half for 15 or 20 minutes where we were able to find space and we’ve got players who are going to hurt teams if we can do that hey rallied and we probably knew the game was in the bag at that stage So from a coaching perspective it is a wee bit concerning that we maybe should have shut them out altogether But I’m generally pleased with the performance we put in “The big challenge for this team is that when we face other teams who we should be able to handle so there is a mind-set thing there we need to keep working on,” he added with his mind clearly already racing ahead to next weekend’s trip to Marr As much as Watsonians deserve credit for their defensive heroics during the opening 40 Currie were also guilty of inaccuracy at key moments which can partly be explained by their lack of recent game-time (with just one league match played since the 14th December)  Matt Scott (released by Edinburgh Rugby to turn out for the club where it all began) managed a half break only to feed a maroon and white shirt when he popped the ball back inside Charlie Brett didn’t reach touch with a penalty into the corner Scott Clark fired a diagonal grubber straight into touch after a long period of pressure inside Watsonians’ 22 and a couple of other promising positions came to naught due to a loose offloads out of contact All off which meant that with quarter of the match played the scoreboard operator had not got close to being called into action despite the visiting side’s monopolisation of possession and territory The deadlock was finally broken on 23 minutes when Clark managed to lob the ball back infield as he was squeezed into touch although it was too far out for Brett to add the conversion only to see it cancelled-out just a minute later when Murray Scott scampered clear then sent replacement second-row Andrew Steven on a 20-yard run to the line setting up a straight-forward conversion for Jason Baggott Watsonians weren’t exactly razor sharp in the strike zone either They spurned three easy points on offer from a ruck penalty in front of the posts and took the scrum only to huff and puff without making much headway and that spell of pressure fizzled out when the hosts overthrew a line-out to the tail Lomond Macpherson dollied the clearance and Chieftains won a penalty at the subsequent scrum That allowed Currie to have the final say of the first half when they kicked a high-tackle penalty to the corner and wrestling the ball over from close range with Gregor Scougall credited as the scorer Despite losing loose-head prop Craig Davidson to an ankle injury in the first minute of the second half (having lost second-row Andrew McInnes after a similar amount of time in the first half) Watsonians streaked back into the lead when Lewis Berg burst clear on the left then sent a speculative offload infield which was picked up on the first bounce by Freddie Owlsey who didn’t need to use any of his renowned pace to finish off under the posts before Owsley went from scorer to creator with a well-time pass which sent Macpherson over for the home team’s third try with the bonus-point wrapped up just short of the hour thanks to an electrifying snipe from Edinburgh Rugby academy scrum-half Conor McApline Chieftains rallied briefly and had a short spell inside Watsonians’ 22 and their hopes of salvaging something from this match suffered what you imagined would be a grievous blow when Sam Cardosi was sent to the sin-bin on 68 minutes for slapping the ball out of McAlpine’s hands at the back of a ruck they did manage to claw two scores back during that period reduced to 14-men First claimed by Ryan Daley on the left with five minutes to go following powerful carriers through the middle by Roy Vucago and Rhys Davies The second going to Robeson with a powerful finish in the opposite corner both their frontline kickers – Brett and Clark – were invalided out of the game by that stage and James McCaig couldn’t land either of the touchline conversions Then there was real heartbreak for the stand-in stand-off at the very death when Watsonians gave away a high-challenge penalty in overtime but his kick into the corner sailed too long into the dead-ball area “We built lots of pressure in that first half and Watsonians defended really well but you get rewarded for that later in the match we let them score too easily and get too far ahead for all that work to pay-off,” reflected Chieftains head coach Mark Cairns afterwards “They scored off our missed tackles at the start of the second half but the really frustrating thing was the  lack of pressure around the ball [because] if someone misses a tackle there should be someone else to finish it off So we’re going to have to look at the lack of pressure we applied on the ball carrier because they were given too much time to pick the right pass and Jason Baggott got so much time to kick the ball up in the air It is really hard having had just one games since the 14th December and I know other teams are in the same boat but we need to build momentum and you can’t do that when there are such big gaps between fixtures.” Watsonians: F Owsley; J Mitchell (L Macpherson 60) M Scott (C McAlpine 47); C Davidson (D Voas 41) Currie Chieftains: C Brett (I Sim 28); J McCaig; M Scott Scoring sequence (Watsonians first): 0-5; 5-5; 7-5; 7-10 (h-t) 12-10; 14-10; 17-10; 22-10; 27-10; 29-10; 29-15; 29-20 Player-of-the-Match: On his 50th appearance for the club Watsonians skipper Neil Irvine-Hess led his team’s heroic defensive performance by example with some earth shuddering hits plus a relentless workrate to keep getting back off the ground and ready to absorb another wave of Currie attack Talking points: Another season structure review questionnaire has been distributed to clubs this week which has been greeted with widespread bemusement given that it seems like we are in an endless cycle of canvassing opinion on this subject without ever really getting close to creating a clear vision of what we are trying to achieve Both coaches here were in agreement that regular matches are key to driving performances and with games scheduled right through the worst of winter season (inevitably meaning matches being postponed) while several weekends in November February and March are ring-fenced for the international game maintaining momentum is a near impossibility It is not good for the quality of rugby and it is not good for trying to create a product which supporters can really buy into Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership: Ayr overpower Marr in feisty Friday night derby clash Currie seemed to just lack a spark in attack until the last 10 minutes of the game with Watsonians being able to defend really well in the first half and then getting some easy tries scored against them early in the second half I really hope they can get back on track and win all remaining games and secure 4th spot It’s still in their hands as Selkirk still have to play Watsons and heriots but Currie will need to win away at Selkirk Kelso and Hawick – not easy places to go for any team Internationals are only played on one of Friday Saturday or Sunday it’s nonsense that league games cannot go ahead on these week ends Friday under lights is great or what about a Sunday fixture make it a family day with youth rugby involved As it is the Premiership is going on to the 12th of April and that’s not including the playoffs but this was a classic reminder of that old adage It’s not the tries you’d threaten that matter most of the territory and created more obvious chances but they were given a lesson in the key importance of converting openings into scores Currie created six scoring chances and took five of them to come away with a full-house of vital points in the league Kelso created at least as many but took only two including failing to score a point when facing only 13 men partly due to their own tendency to make mistakes at key points There is no doubt in the mind of Mark Cairns that most of the praise goes to the way his side defended we can look at our defence and be pretty proud of ourselves,” he said which gave them opportunities to reset and come back at us even though our defensive sets were pretty good.” 6N: England v Scotland report: hosts escape to victory after late Finn Russell miss 6N England v Scotland reaction: Gregor Townsend upbeat in defeat U20s 6N: England’s pack power prevails over error-prone Scotland The result means their hunt for a play-off spot is still looking solid enough with their game next week against Selkirk “It’s not the be-all and end-all game for us then it keeps us in control of our destiny that top four is an important goal,” he added the mystery was how a performance in which their forwards dominated the scrums and won a pile of penalties where they had the lion’s share of territory and possession you’re going to struggle,” said coach Bruce McNeil We leaked 19 points at the start and then it was an uphill battle We were still on the bus for the first 15 to 20 minutes you have to start strong and stay in the fight and we need to aspire to be like that and grind out wins like this in places like this.” the remaining games are vital for staying in mid-table though McNeil says they are not looking any further ahead than next week’s clash with Hawick but we’re not looking beyond next week; if you look further ahead than that Currie could thank a flying start and a strong finish for the result Not in their wildest dreams could they have imagined how good the opening minutes would be Kelso knocked on from the kick-off; from the scrum Currie moved the ball to the open side and Alex Harley One soon became two as lock Ali Bain exploded from his own half on a lung-bursting 60-metre charge He didn’t have the pace to make it all the way but his support was there quickly enough to make sure they got a penalty and Bain was there to finish the move he had started Kelso might have had every excuse for letting that opening slump get to them coming close to scoring as a break from centre Adam Hall was carried on by full-back Archie Barbour but key turnovers from skipper Gregor Christie and No 8 Ed Hadsell kept them out Currie produced a lesson in finishing as they broke clear Hadsell powered to the left and found wing Iain Sim Harley on his inside shoulder to set up Harley for his second try Kelso were still looking dangerous when they had the ball with wing Hamish Tweedie cutting the defence open but it said everything about the problems they were having stringing plays together that his pass missed the support and flew straight into touch picking up yellow cards – Nicholas Barnes for Kelso followed by Bain for Currie soon after the Borderers were back to 15 – but it said everything about the visitors’ problems and the Currie defence that all the pressure ended when McNeil was held up over the line and Currie could clear their line with a drop-out meant it was 15 versus 13 at the end of the first half and the start of the second though they were definitely in the ascendancy by the time the home side collected their third yellow card The penalty was sent to touch and the line-out mauled to the line with prop Grant Shiells the man in possession to ground the ball while wing Dwain Patterson added the conversion this one going to fly-half Liam Herdman as he found a rare hole in the defence to go in Currie were on the attack from the kick-off with skipper Gregor Christie leading the way until the forwards got the chance to recycle the ball at which point lock Courtney West forced his way over featured several times in the build-up to the next score and any chance of a Borders recovery was well and truly buried Scoring sequence (Currie Chieftains first): 5-0; 7-0; 12-0; 14-0 19-0 (h-t) 19-5; 19-7; 19-12; 19-14; 24-14; 26-14; 31-14; 33-14 Currie Chieftains: Bain (34 mins),Robeson (37 mins) mostly on the Currie side though Archie Barbour hooker Ryan Stewart got the club award and scrum-half Gregor Christie was a livewire in attack won key turnovers and was a power in attack to win out award Talking Point: It was anything but a dirty game but still resulted in five yellow cards and a load of penalties that made it hard for the action to really flow Still plenty of excitement but not much continuity Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership: Freddy Owsley brace helps Watsonians to win over Glasgow Hawks Justin Currie has every reason to dread Christmas. But this year, songs will save the season for the Del Amitri frontman. “I had my Parkinson’s diagnosis, my mum was diagnosed with cancer and died shortly afterwards, and my partner had a stroke all in the run up to Christmas,” said the singer. “So I’ve gradually come to kind of bury my head in the sand around Christmas, with all that. I’m really glad I’ll be on tour with the band this year, rather than moping around snarling at Christmas trees and Christmas music in the shops. I’m glad I’ll be busy.” Justin is on a UK tour with the band he’s spent most of his hit-laden adult life with as the songwriter and singer for, with singles like Nothing Ever Happens, Roll To Me, Always The Last To Know and Don’t Come Home Too Soon. They’ll bring the curtain down on 2024 with a pre-Christmas double header at Glasgow’s Barrowlands, scene of many a memorable Dels festive show in the past. “It had become almost like a tradition for us,” said Justin. “We did a Barras gig at this time of the year for years. The Barras audiences are great, the noise they make bounces off that low ceiling and makes it all seem twice as loud. We’re looking forward to it.” Justin and the band’s fans know to make the most of the moment – here and now, to echo the title of one of their most popular singles. Since going public earlier this year with the news that the tremor in his right hand was a symptom of Parkinson’s disease, the singer is honest about his view of the future. He said: “Today is a good day, I don’t feel too bad, and I can still do my job. I don’t look too far into the future with either hope or lack of it. “People with things like Parkinson’s or Multiple Sclerosis would say there’s something refreshing about not living in the future at all. The future is quite scary. “I know I’m going to get worse, and there are lots of different ways you can get worse that you don’t really want to think about. There’s nothing you can really do to prepare for that. I used to live in the future a lot, but something like this is quite good for getting rid of all that.” The current burst of activity looks likely to yield another album following the band’s 2021 LP, Fatal Mistakes. “I’ve written half of another album, but I’ve been procrastinating as usual,” said Justin. “Hopefully we’ll get something out next year. Things move at such a glacial pace with us, and I’m not really sure why. “At first I was freaked out with what I was writing, because I thought some of the songs were quite sad. I wondered if maybe I should just bury them, then I realised that actually they are very honest. And all I have ever really tried to do as a songwriter is write about what I know. Sometimes I write stories about things I’ve read about or witnessed happening to people. “So it’s quite natural if you get hit with a diagnosis of a degenerative brain disease. It changes you. The disease itself changes you. It’s like someone else taking control of you. Something starts taking over. And you want to let that guy do some of the writing as well. You can’t fight against that.” Having become a regular fixture in the charts of the 1980s and 90s, his band split in the early 2000s, and it would be more than a decade before they performed again, reuniting for an epic Celtic Connections performance at Glasgow’s Hydro arena in 2014. Justin said: “I do regret that we haven’t made more Del Amitri records. I made four solo records in 10 years and I’m glad I made them but I would have liked to have made more. The solo years feel like they’re over now. “We’re quite happy to make Del Amitri records now that might sound like a solo album, whereas in the past we’ve been careful to avoid that. I’m not writing pop songs anymore. Why pretend to be something I’m not? “I couldn’t carry a gig myself on piano and guitar, I don’t have the same dexterity. A solo gig would be too exposing. It is what it is.” And yet the band plays on. Del Amitri launched their festive tour with a warm-up gig at Glasgow’s Tramway at the start of the month, an event which also doubled as the official unveiling of a limited edition malt whisky struck in their name. Parkinson’s might now be part of their story but, based on their brilliant Tramway performance, it’s not part of their sound. Justin said: “I try to keep my voice in shape as much as I can. When you’re 59, the audience don’t expect you to sing the high notes you could sing when you were 25. I used to want to be perfect within my limitations, whereas now I will let myself off if I am imperfect within those limitations. “I’m a high baritone and your peak period as a high baritone is your early 50s. Your low range gets weaker and you lose some of your falsetto. You’ve just got to expect that.” He takes encouragement from the likes of Michael J Fox, who appeared briefly on stage at Glastonbury this summer with Coldplay and has sustained elements of his career in film and TV. “I watched him on the last series of Curb Your Enthusiasm and I was very pleased to see him working,” said Justin. “He was very funny in it. You look to those public figures who have got the same thing as you, Jeremy Paxman, Paul Sinha, Billy Connolly, and sometimes that can be quite troubling. It can be either frightening or encouraging. Not to be doing things would be really rubbish.” Justin Currie is still doing things. Writing, recording and touring, and for now that’s all that matters. “I still consider it a victory when someone tells me they’ve been moved by a song, especially if it’s one that has been designed to move them,” he said. “That’s still really gratifying. “Parkinson’s has made me ignore any comparisons with myself when I was younger. You can only do what you can do now, the best you can do, and when it’s not good enough anymore then you just stop. I’m confident I’ll still be playing next year so long as my voice holds out.” Del Amitri play Aberdeen Music Hall on Wednesday, Perth Concert Hall on Friday, Edinburgh Usher Hall on Saturday, Glasgow Barrowlands, December 22-23, and Inverness Leisure Centre June 25, 2025 Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica. Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed. © DC Thomson Co Ltd 2025. All Rights Reserved. Privacy PolicyTerms Of UseAccessibilityCompany DetailsContact Us Copyright Southend United FC 2024 Southend United assistant head coach Darren Currie spoke to the local press ahead of Saturday's Vanarama National League fixture against Tamworth FC The Shrimpers won the reverse fixture 2-0 at Roots Hall and will be making their first visit to The Lamb Ground Watch Currie's full pre-match press conference in the video below A BLUE Angels biker has been cleared of torturing five children with cruel punishments including waterboarding Brian Currie, 42, was accused of inflicting horrific abuse on the kids, aged between one and 16, at two addresses in Southwest Scotland between 2014 and 2022 Kilmarnock High Court heard Currie who was kicked out of the Blue Angels Motorbike gang following the allegations was cleared of 15 of the 16 charges against him Following an eight-day trial, Currie was convicted of a single charge of acting in an aggressive manner, shouting, swearing and calling his ex partner derogatory names and uttering threats of violence, after the jury was shown CCTV footage of him shouting and shoving a kitchen table However the jury rejected testimony that Currie had stuffed wash cloths into the mouths of children as young as five before holding a shower head over the cloth until they were “choking for their last breath” His lawyer Ian Duguid accused the children’s mother of “coaching” the youngsters because she had become enraged Currie had left her for another woman in 2022. Some of the children claimed the loft incident had happened at an address which Mr Duguid said didn't even have a loft. Currie, a former Scottish Champion Powerlifter, denied the abuse and broke down in tears numerous times when he was giving evidence in his own defence. but when on the stand he said he “didn’t mean anything by it” One of the children told the court Currie would monitor them on CCTV and punish them in warped ways if he seen them misbehaving the children’s mother admitted she was the one who had installed the cameras in the home Another child claimed Currie would force them to carry out extreme exercise regimes involving running barefoot around the streets whilst he followed them on his motorbike in the dead of night She also claimed he would force them to run through nettles and glass barefoot Currie frequently got upset and shook his head in disbelief throughout the trial and when quizzed about the accusations he stated "It just didn't happen" Currie wept in the dock as the jury announced not guilty and not proven verdicts on almost all the charges against him He will return to court next month for sentencing on the domestic charge Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click here TWELVE months after finishing runners-up to Boroughmuir at Murrayfield Stirling County regained their champions status by lifting Boys U18 Youth Cu after a deserved victory over Currie Chieftains in a match that generated ten tries Six of these touchdowns were scored by Stirling who over the piece edged out Currie in terms of game management But the beaten side deserve huge plaudits for staging a late fightback after trailing 10-31 early in the second half scoring two converted tries that brought the Malleny Park side to within a score of County Crucial to Stirling’s win was the pace of their centre and man-of-the-match who had a hand in several of his side’s tries as well as scoring one through his own effort Stirling were also well-served by their stand-off Eoin O’Cinneide whose kicking both from hand and off the tee was exemplary Champions Cup: Toulon v Glasgow: Warriors battle to two valuable bonus points Girls U18 Youth Cup Final: Stirling County stretch clear of Biggar after cagey start Boys U16 Youth Cup Final: Boroughmuir triumph in an arm-wrestle against Currie Chieftains Stirling’s skipper and No 8 Daniel Casserly was also a key player for his side the powerful back-row providing leadership to County’s pack as well as scoring a trademark try close to the Currie line winning the Cup was the achievement the Bridgehaugh side had sought and deserved after navigating their way through a difficult draw The big test was Boroughmuir [in the quarter final] We got an opportunity against them and we were good enough to take it Since then we’ve been focusing on our defence and our attack has just got better naturally as a result,” observed Stirling’s coach who acknowledged that County’s backs handled well in pressure situations “We have experience at nine and ten: all the other backs are all young guys who will be back next year They just love attacking rugby,” added Imrie Casserly suggested that the win was achieved because his side knew how to handle an expected fightback by Currie in response to trailing 10-26 at the interval “We know that Currie are a team who are relentless and who work very hard in the second half,” said the Stirling captain “Our biggest strength today was being able to shut them down in the second half.” there was the disappointment of losing the final after defeating Stirling in the under-18 Conference and finishing one place higher than the Bridgehaugh side The Malleny side certainly had physicality and several skilful players who contributed greatly to a strong display among them their lively scrum-half and place-kicker David Bryden and powerful centre Jack McLay was full of praise for the effort his team showed “I’m very proud of the boys in the way they came back in the second half but probably left themselves too much to do They were slick and showed really good handling Currie should have made more of their dynamic start which produced an early break by Jacob Dunlop but a fractional delay in delivering a potential scoring pass gave the Stirling defence time to react to the threatening situation Stirling then applied their own brand of pressure rugby and but for a massive clearance kick by the Currie full-back Matthew Murray the Malleny Park men could have been in trouble If that was a chance missed by County then the Bridgehaugh side soon atoned with clever handling that created an overlap for wing Arran Pollock to run in a try Pollock looked to have bagged his second try after County had worked the ball cleverly only for the winger to graze the touchline with his boot But when Stirling turned up the heat once again they forced Currie to concede a penalty in the five-metre zone County chose to go for the tap-and-go rather than what would have been a straight forward three points and when the ball was transferred to Casserly used his power and pace to bustle over for his side’s second try Currie were able to reply after moving the ball slickly to left wing Connor Wilson but it was the support play of Bryden that was key to the score the scrum-half supplying the link for No 8 Ruairi Bruce to cross for his side’s opening try Stirling immediately hit back with a siege on the Currie line that drew the Chieftains’ defence into the middle of the field providing the opportunity for County to move the ball to the right for O’Cinneide to dive over in the the corner The game of oscillating try scoring continued as Currie showed their handling skills by moving the ball wide from broken play resulting in a try in the corner for Murray although desperately close with his conversion Stirling again took advantage of Currie’s hesitancy at the restart gaining possession and then using the muscle of loosehead prop Angus Wright to score their fourth try presenting O’Cinneide with a simpler conversion kick to give County a 26-10 interval advantage the Bridgehaugh men gained early territorial advantage with a skilful 50-22 kick by O’Cinneide but it was not until halfway through the second period that they added further points If there had been a paucity of tries in the third quarter then the flow of scores restarted as the game closed in on ts conclusion with Currie replacement prop Fiacha McCarthy powering over from close range when Currie again moved the ball with accuracy McLay had the pace and strength to cross in the corner Bryden added the difficult conversion points to bring the Chieftains within a converted try of Stirling Currie’s hopes of converting their late surge into a winning process the ball was transferred crisply to the left for hooker Connor Ward to plunge over in the corner sealing victory for the Bridgehaugh side at the end of a classic final Peebles fought back from a 12-26 half-time deficit to snatch a 40–33 victory over West of Scotland in the Boys U18 Youth Cup Final at Hive Stadium earlier in the day with Matthew Farndon and Cameron Grant both scored twice for the Borderers with skipper Liam Irvine slotting five conversions West’s point came via two tries each for Rory Caldwell and Rory Kaye Scoring Sequence (Currie Chieftains first): 0-5; 0-7; 0-12; 0-14; 5-14; 5-19; 10-19; 10-24; 10-26 (h-t) 10-31; 15-31; 17-31; 22-31; 24-31; 24-36 Man-of-the-Match: It’s always exciting to watch a centre who can use pace timing and guile to slice through a defence and that was what Stirling County’s Beau Kesson was able to show in what was an exciting final Talking point: Another quality final which bodes well for the future of youth rugby in Scotland and which suggests that the club game in age-grade rugby is on an upward trajectory the youth sector is still in a delicate position and if it is to reach the very high standards reached by the top sides in schools rugby then the resources that help these schools become excellent should be on tap for clubs as well Girls U18 Youth Cup Final: Stirling County stretch clear of Biggar after cagey start Result from last season’s East Area Cup: Bourghmuir 14 Watson’s Second XV 29 The Seconds also won their conference and beat Linlithgow in the process They ran Currie and Linlithgow close in the Cup games too The Schools probably aren’t keen as it might not be much of a contest At Under 16 level I saw a Watson’s v Stirling game finish 60-0 a few years ago If anything the Schools are under-represented at Regional level With regional training and games at the same time I’m unsure how much of a priority clubs give to this cup I know Watsons must as there were a number of their Edin regional players playing for their second XV in the U16 version a couple of years ago I can only imagine how good their 1st XV was that year Need to commend the coverage OSL has for youth rugby in Scotland Last weeks schools finals and this weeks club finals A small ask to all here to support the site financially This reporting takes time and effort and that has a cost Please take out a subscription to continue this unrivalled coverage of our game I thought the quality of rugby in both the U16 and U18 finals was pretty dire to be honest I know nerves can kick in at these big events but overall it was painful to watch the amount of errors on all sides To those that moan about the lack of club players in the regional pathways and age grade national sides Yes there are individual excellent players in the Clubs but compare these games to the School finals – there is no comparison The school game is way ahead of these clubs Very few club sides can compete with the schools Boroughmuir is one of the best but they also had a shocker in the quarter against Stirling which they must be kicking themselves about I would bet my last dollar that you weren’t at Murrayfield watching the games yesterday Maybe I wasnt looking at the game through rose tinted glasses It was not the best of games and I was not the only one with that opinion And it seems plenty had the opposite opinion too It was not the best of games and I was not the only person there to comment on it Like I said nerves probably paid a part but the games were not as thrilling as the School games or as skillful These club sides would not be able to compete against the schools that took part in the School cup games He is another that can’t tell the difference Seeing the comments I thought I’d watch the U18’s final certainly not dire but probably not quite up there with schools final but it’s not a fair comparison I read the report on the Heriot’s v Hawick game and disagreed with a lot that was written That doesn’t mean I’m right and the reporter is wrong Having watched a couple of the u16/u18 games yesterday I was impressed with the physicality of the players but I was also surprised at the number of dropped passes and general handling errors I am going to put this down to a combination of nerves and very tough weather conditions Overall the games were really fun to watch I think the school’s final was probably played in slightly more favourable conditions and their play was generally more structured I don’t think this is a reflection on the quality of players though Putting together (and playing) a structured game plan doesn’t necessarily require supreme talent it just requires hours on the training pitch and schools tend to have greater access to the kids This is a roundabout way of saying that i think man for man in the school and club finals the quality of the players are broadly the same and the difference is the amount of time coaches can spend with players implementing attacking and defensive shape This has a knock on effect to make the individual players look better and therefore progress earlier in the pathway system i would like to think that Dev Officers and selectors have the nous and experience to see beyond this and select based on the individual player’s talent and potential Are you sure the school finals were any better Hardly expansive rugby considering the time and money pumped into it in comparison with volunteer club setup Perhaps the clubs would be better if the schools didn’t lure their best players away every year Boroughmuir were comprehensively beaten by County scoreline flattered them considering they couldn’t get out their own half! I think the first game of the season when both teams were likely able to play full strength squads is a better reflection of where both Boroughmuir and Stirling are Boroughmuir won all 7 of their Conference games with an average winning margin of 21 points If Boroughmuir were able to field all U18 eligible players week in I think they’d be the only club that could Boroughmuir were well worthy of the Conference win nobody is disputing that or if they’re good enough to play in the schools league All I wrote was that County played them off the park in the cup game just like Boroughmuir did in the league game! A number of people on here commenting on the “schools league” I imagine people are referring to the conference / league 1 Loretto were one of the top 4 school teams in Scotland this year and they are not in the conference either Surely getting the top 4 from club and school leagues together post Xmas would be something worth pursuing It would be better for all of the players to play quality opposition on a regular basis I attended the Boroughmuir v West of Scotland u18 Final a few years ago I’m not sure how the winning Boroughmuir players have progressed but from that final I know that about half of the West squad have gone on to play U20 international/Super 6/Premiership level making them almost certainly more successful than any private school side from that time (I do know that Liam McConnell played for Boroughmuir that day and has been a mainstay of Scotland age group sides ever since.) Was that the year that Jamie Dobie played in the cup Why would you come onto a platform like this and mock children Everybody knows the schools you reference have the privilege of investing in their players It’s like saying that kid from an affluent background drives a brand new car but the kid who isn’t as fortunate can only afford the bus Just next time bear in mind that both will come to the same destination But what type of person is it who feels comfortable pointing this out with no thought to youngsters who would have been feeling on top of the world at their achievement only to be shot down by a curmudgeon like you Your sense of grandeur is making you out to be a fool You also freely mocked the author of this piece who hailed the game as a “classic” Ask yourself who has had the opportunity of watching the most matches and so better placed to assess schools aren’t keen to set up games against clubs when asked @Englebert Why are schools apparently “not keen to play club sides” As far as I know it’s not true but I’d love to hear your words of wisdom on this one who do so much to advocate for the club game Currie fought hard and had a great off-loading game the late Noreen and grandmother of the late Matthew Reposing at her late residence until removal on Tuesday at 11.30am for 12 noon Requiem Mass in St Malachys Church Interment afterwards in adjoining cemetery Sacred Heart of Jesus have mercy on her soul Very deeply regretted by the entire family circle sister and friend.Wake times from 12 noon to 9pm on Sunday and Monday please Share this sad news with friends and loved ones [email protected] Link GlasgowAn enormous orchestra and an ever mobile Colin Currie gave the UK debut of Olga Neuwirth’s dizzying and witty work inspired by the story of a robot gone rogue Unlike much of the orchestral music he performs, percussion soloist Colin Currie was not premiering Olga Neuwirth’s epic concerto Trurliade – Zone Zero. The work was written for the Lucerne festival almost a decade ago and it might have been tailor-made for Currie’s adventurous musicianship A platform packed to capacity with instruments and players had been extended into the auditorium for Currie’s three stations of gongs drums and cymbals – tuned percussion very much a junior partner to noise-making kit These instruments were initially rubbed and scraped as much as bashed in an enormous vocabulary of mechanical sound his feet employed as often as four-mallet hands and small cymbals used to hit larger ones Behind him an enormous orchestra – with six very busy orchestral percussionists contrabass clarinet and tenor saxophone added to the winds – was also multitasking The flutes and clarinets doubled on swanee whistles and other toys horn-players palmed their mouthpieces in a steady pulse and the front desks of the strings picked up hand percussion in recognisable evocations of a madcap cartoon chase The violas became a gate swinging on its hinges and a step-by-step chromatic scale in the winds was answered by super-fast repeated phrases from the soloist so when Currie eventually played the opening of gospel hymn We Shall Overcome Estonian conductor Mihhail Gerts was a meticulous guide through the complex score the concerto followed by an equally authoritatively directed account of Prokofiev’s brooding ambiguous Symphony No 6 and preceded by the same composer’s youthful but still dark-toned Autumnal Sketch Available on BBC Sounds until 7 March. Southend United assistant head coach Darren Currie is keen to get straight into action while confidence is running high as the Blues visit Tamworth FC on Saturday Having picked up seven points from the last three games the Shrimpers have risen to eighth in the Vanarama National League Ahead of a fifth league match in a fortnight Currie believes the busy schedule has enabled the team to build momentum at an important time “Once you start winning games and putting points on the board then you want the games to come quicker,” Currie told the local press “There’s a confidence in the group at the minute on the back of the last three games It’s pleasing to do it at home because we’re all aware that our home form has not been where we want it to be so to have these three games and pick up seven points is pleasing for everyone.” Reflecting on last Tuesday night’s 2-1 win over Aldershot Town Currie was pleased the Blues were able to take the chances that they created “It\'s stuff that we work on that plays out in most games to be honest but we’re aware we haven’t always taken those opportunities and been clinical enough the first goal was a good pick-out from Bridgey [Jack Bridge] he does it mainly in training and we need to see him do it a bit more on game day But from what we see it was typical Noor in that moment and a really good finish.” Currie and the rest of the coaching staff have benefitted from a full squad of players who are ready to make an impact when called upon “It\'s been unfamiliar territory if I’m being honest We’ve had our season last year and the early part of this year where the squad’s not been what we’ve wanted it to be so now we’re in a territory where we can rotate the team around and make sure that we’re fresh without disrupting too much “Making one or two changes here and there just to give people opportunities and freshen things up – that allows us to freshen things up late in games as well so it’s been a real plus for us having a healthy squad “I know from in my time back in the day there would have been a few players throwing a few wobblies if they were left out They’ve been as good as gold and remained focused There’s obviously a training program in place for people that don’t start games so they’re all in healthy condition and ready to go.” This weekend’s fixture will be our first visit to The Lamb Ground having won our first competitive meeting with the Staffordshire-based side 2-0 but Currie is expecting a stern test on the 3G artificial turf pitch and they’ve got a style of play that will always ask questions of you and we’ve got to stand up and be good when we have our moments and time on the ball We’ll continue to be clinical when we get our chances.” One of the notable threats that Tamworth carry is the long throw of Tom Tonks and Currie is aware of the challenges that will pose “Gussy’s [Gus Scott-Morriss] the only one who has anything close to that and this boy can throw it twice as far can’t he “Even looking back at the Tottenham game [from the FA Cup Third Round] and he’ll go over to the ball and everyone else goes marching up and it’s going to have to be something we deal with again if he’s selected so you’ve got to manage your box well in moments like that.” Tickets for Saturday’s match are available to buy online below Tamworth Tickets A BONUS point victory away from home against a fierce rival which secures top spot in the Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership table (at least until 5pm Saturday by which point Ayr will hope to have picked up a win at Glasgow Hawks to regain pole position) all adds up to a pretty satisfying Friday night’s work for Heriot’s – and head coach Bob McKillop was quick to praise his players for the professionalism they exhibited in getting the job done with minimal fuss after a month out of action This game won’t be celebrated at the end of the season as a classic but it could well prove to be an absolutely crucial 80 minutes and five league points for the Goldenacre men It certainly had the potential to be a costly interruption to the momentum built up during seven straight wins in the lead-up to the Christmas break “It was never going to be easy coming here for a top four clash having not played for four weeks,” reasoned McKillop “Currie were incredibly physical in the first 30 to 35 minutes and I think we did well to weather the storm I said before the match that I thought ring-rustiness might be an issue and we saw that with some things that were working very well for us before Christmas not working quite so well tonight but I am incredibly proud of the heart and guts that the team put into it Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership round 14: runners, riders and verdict Champions Cup: Harlequins v Glasgow: Jack Dempsey returns for Warriors Challenge Cup: Edinburgh v Black Lion: Lewis Wells handed debut opposite number Mark Cairns was disappointed but not dejected after his team kept on battling to secure a losing bonus point which could prove useful in the final shakedown for play-off qualification/seedings ‘Heriot’s were really effective when they got entry into our 22 but the way they got those entries at times was frustrating,” he reflected made a handling error and then gave away a penalty and that’s given them an opportunity There was a lot of situations like that where we gave them the entry rather than making the when they got access to our 22 they were really clinical.” “Heriot’s also defend really well They are really disciplined so we had to go through multi-phase and we didn’t manage that enough but there was two opportunities when we just didn’t find the final pass and that creates a different game if these things stick I am not totally deflated because we showed enough but that also creates a frustration because I know there is more to come from us.” Heriot’s waited a heck of a long-time after making the long walk from the changing rooms to the Malleny 1st XV pitch before Currie’s eventual arrival signalled time to kick-off  and although they kept themselves moving with some gentle handling drills this may have contributed to the away team’s unconvincing start They allowed the kick-off to bounce twice and out for a line-out inside the own 22 and then gave away a scrum penalty just to the left of the posts which allowed Scott Clark to fire his team into an early three-point lead That seemed to be the jolt the visitors needed and they promptly battled their way into Currie’s 22 more through ferocity of intent than guile and precision and got their reward when Sam Wallace scampered over on the right for an unconverted try Both sides looked like they hadn’t played for a month Iain Sim squandered an opportunity to attack from deep when he fumbled a ball which was slightly ahead of him but very catchable and another promising move from the hosts washed up on the rocks when James McCaig‘s overlap creating offload went behind Chris Anderson with Thomas Glendinnig left cursing himself after losing the ball in contact after his team had built up a head of steam on the left and when the visitors kicked a penalty to the corner and tried to rumble the maul home from 10 yards they executed the throw and catch at the tail perfectly but were stopped short of the line and couldn’t get the ball down to recycle especially after losing starting tight-head Cairn Ramsay to a shoulder injury and when they were shoved off their own ball halfway between their own 22 and the halfway line it set in motion the most cohesive attack of the match to that point which culminated in Euan McLaren powering over for the visiting team’s second unconverted try Refreshed by reinforcements off the bench in the shape of returning skipper Charlie Brett veteran prop Graeme Carson and tearaway flanker Archie Fletcher Currie looked the livelier of the two teams at the start of the second half but twice lost the ball at the breakdown at key moments and couldn’t make that energy count on the scoreboard and then punished Currie with try number three this time executing their driving maul effectively and it was Michael Liness who ultimately got the downward pressure The bonus-point was wrapped up just shy of the hour mark when Heriot’s softened up Currie’s defence with a dozen or so tight thrusts close to the line then spread then ball leftward for George Coull to make the most of the overlap and after Heriot’s had lost Dan King to the naughty step for 10 minutes as punishment for a deliberate knock-on the home team clicked into gear to generate quick ball and link together a couple slick passes to send Brett over for a try which was converted by Clark Things then got really interesting with about five minutes to go when Christian Townsend made a hash of a simple clearance from a scrum on his own 22 and was charged down they then found themselves pinned back on their own line as Heriot’s ruthlessly closed out the game Currie Chieftains: J McCaig (I Sim 64); I Sim (C Brett 41) F Gibson (S Broad 60); C Keen (A Munro 49) Scoring sequence (Currie Chieftains first): 3-0; 3-5; 3-10 (h-t) 3-15; 3-20; 8-10; 10-20 Player-of-the-Match: Jamie Campbell and Jason Hill put in massive shifts in the middle-row for Heriot’s but 17-year-old centre Henry Kesterton gave a demonstration of his huge potential with a performance which oozed class landing some big tackles in defence and showcasing intelligence in attack “I thought we lacked a bit of calmness behind the scrum and the calmest guy on the park today was the 17-year-old,” said head coach Bob McKillop “He carried hard against two Super6 centres and then made that absolutely cracking pass off his right hand to put George Coull in for the fourth try Henry has the potential to be something special and the great thing about him is that he is the most humble young man you could ever meet.” Talking point: It already looks like being a two-horse race to finish top of the Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership table at the end of the regular season and both front-runners have now visited Malleny Park (with Ayr suffering their only defeat of the campaign to date and Heriot’s managing a narrow win) Or will it come down to their two matches against each other on 22nd February at Goldenacre and 22nd March at Millbrae Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership round 14: runners, riders and verdict Barney was clearly trying to stick to his pre-match predictions the most entertaining part of what was a very poor match was Phil Smith Neil Meikle and the rest of the Heriots blazerati dancing to YMCA after Heriot’s 4th try… quite why Currie played it every time Heriots scored I am not sure Damn You Goldenacre Man – Messers Smith and Meikle as members of the Village People – that is an image I cannot unsee Still trying to decide which one will be which but ultimately fell short against a team who all season have looked like a top side in Heriots They seemed one pass away from scoring or a creating scoring opportunity on a number of occasions Heriots kept the ball far better for long periods Some really good performers in yellow last night though that deserve mention- Davies & Hasdell carried tremendously Currie can’t afford to lose too many more now before the end of the season so they don’t have to rely on other results to finish in top 4 the headline score is the wrong way round 😀 the glee some people take when there’s a typo on this wonderful It is a great site but it was quite a crucial typo and needed to be corrected Welcome to building.co.uk. This site uses cookies. Read our policy A festival focused on the future of digital construction By 2025-02-07T12:42:00+00:00 Consultant says hikes in some countries could be as much as 7% Currie & Brown has said construction costs in the UK could rise by up to 4% this year The consultant said rises of between 3% and 4% this year were expected with the firm saying the hikes will be driven by labour shortages and possible trade tariffs It added: “There is also uncertainty around the impact of increased National Insurance contributions for employers which could undermine business confidence and imperil economic progress.” Work underway at a residential scheme in east London last month Currie & Brown said UK construction costs could rise by 4% this year Currie & Brown said costs will rise across all global regions and most markets driven by a shared set of factors including economic uncertainty and labour shortages It also said the rise of AI would create opportunities for growth but added: “That growth will also generate intense competition for scarce and specialised materials notably for projects in the technology sector adding significantly to global construction costs.” Countries expected to see the biggest rises of up to 7% include Saudi Arabia and India with Australia seeing a rise of up to 6% It added the US will see a rise of 4% in construction costs this year Firm adds potential of Chinese steel being ‘dumped’ into UK mitigated by certain specifics Firm leaves Blackfriars Road home of past eight years Consultant says risk-averse contractors in capital taking longer to sign on dotted for jobs DESNZ will boost green skills under its Warm Homes Plan through financial awards  Former Interserve subsidiary posts turnover of £542m for 2024 150 Aldersgate was fully pre-let to social media giant prior to completion and includes new terraces a reconfigured entrance and a public art installation