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Scotsman
42 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Monarchs shoot down Berwick Bandits to keep play-off ambitions on track
Kye Thomson (blue) and Justin Sedgmen (red) were Monarchs top men. Picture: Jack Cupido The Edinburgh Monarchs edged closer to securing a coveted play-off berth after a 51-39 victory over the Berwick Bandits. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Capital outfit remain third in the Championship table and on course to seal a top-four finish - Poole and Glasgow, currently first and second respectively, have all but guaranteed their play-off berths. Crucially, Monarchs also grabbed the aggregate bonus point ahead of what is a pivotal four weeks for the club in both the league and KO Cup. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The hosts continued where they left off at Scunthorpe last week and had the Bandits pinned where they wanted them - 20-10 ahead with Monarchs claiming four heat advantages inside the opening five races at Armadale. However, by the midway point, the Borderers, who still harbour their own play-off aspirations, had cut the home side's lead to just four. Heats nine and ten were shared with Bandits top duo Peter Kildemand and Drew Kemp taking the chequered flag. There was a tenseness in the air with Berwick now threatening to turn the meeting on its head. However, a superb gate from both Michael Palm Toft and Jonatan Grahn saw Monarchs produce a timely 5-1 in heat 11 and increase their advantage to eight with four races remaining. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A brilliant ride from Justin Sedgmen then nullified the Bandits tactical substitute and Monarchs were now within touching distance of maximum points. A brace of 3-3s followed and the three points were in the bag. However, the Blue and Gold rounded off the evening in fine style with an impressive Kye Thomson following team-mate Sedgmen home to secure a 12-point triumph. Australian Thomson, 26, said afterwards: "We were under pressure for a while as they were coming back so we had to dig deep. It was nice to make some strong heats at the end and a great ride by Justin to knock their tactical ride. I'm happy with my own form and have a good heat 15 and put it to bed. "We've just got to try and win every meeting and we're going to be busy over the next month. We're looking forward to it and we want to be right up there."
Daily Mail
42 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
McGlynn keen to emulate PSG's template for success as Falkirk return to the top flight after 15-year absence
John McGlynn is surrounded by paperwork, pens and computer kit as he sits in an unassuming office deep in the bowels of the Falkirk Stadium, contemplating what can only be described as a seismic season ahead. Fresh from a getaway to Torremolinos, the 63-year-old manager is clearly champing at the bit as he gets ready for the Bairns' return to the Scottish top flight after a 15-year absence. Preparations have been full-on since the Championship winners returned to pre-season training. There was a 'wake-up call' when they were defeated 3-2 by Edinburgh City, followed by a successful League Cup campaign which saw them top their section with three wins and a draw. Now McGlynn is in reflective mood as he sets out his stall for the forthcoming campaign, starting with the visit of Dundee United on Sunday. His inspiration for the club's big-time comeback comes as something of a surprise. 'We've actually been looking at Paris Saint Germain a lot, because PSG are the team of the moment,' he tells Mail Sport. 'We look at the way they play and how we can replicate that, do what they do. We show some videos to the lads, virtually every morning, particularly in pre-season, so you're laying down the mantle in terms of how you're going to go on.' The notion of Falkirk seeking a template from this year's Champions League winners is maybe not as daft as it sounds. Naturally devoid of big names, it all boils down to this for the Bairns; how, realistically, can a team that has risen exponentially from the lower ranks, without the 'star' players associated with the likes of Celtic and Rangers, take on the might of the Premiership? Looking to PSG may actually provide some answers. When Luis Enrique's men secured their European title following an emphatic 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan, it was a huge statement of intent and proved that teamwork was greater than 'star power' for a side who had previously boasted the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. 'PSG had just won the Champions League,' muses McGlynn. 'And, me being me, I'm looking at how they won it, when the team that had Messi in it, had Mbappe in it, had Neymar in it, a little bit further back had Angel Di Maria in it, were not able to do so. 'They're all superstars, so what's the difference between that team and the one that just won it? This team work together. They're not relying on an individual. It's the whole team that's synchronised, the way they press. When one goes, they all go. And they do it so quickly, with speed, energy, commitment, aggression. They press and they win the ball back high. And when they don't and they get broken, their recovery is incredible. 'If you look at the manager, he has done an amazing job so quickly, to turn that team around. Younger players and more of a team, rather than just individuals. This is a key point I'm now trying to put across. ' McGlynn is a huge fan of his Spanish counterpart. 'Enrique is absolute class,' he continues. 'He's on another level. And to come through that route where loads have tried, lots of PSG managers have tried to do that job, and he has done it in a way that has been so exciting to watch. 'I just think he has controlled them better. I think it might be quite difficult to control Messi, arguably being the best player in the world. Mbappe may be the best player for others. 'They're probably such superstars that they get away with just their individual ability. 'The manager now has this team working as a whole unit, he's got more control of them. They're younger, they're more likely to listen and take things on board. rather than think: 'Well, give me the ball and I'll score a goal' — which does happen. 'Messi, for example, is incredible, but if your team doesn't have the ball, then you're a man down. I'm sure there will be people who criticise that, because how can you criticise Messi? But then I'm looking at that and thinking: 'Well, in 2022, 2023, they couldn't win the Champions League'. 'They've done it now, through the organisation, the work rate, the tempo, the intensity with which they played. Inter Milan were steamrolled. 'Now, I know, I'm just John McGlynn, manager of Falkirk football club. We've been five years in League One. But that's just the way I look at it. 'I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but you have to look at the top. 'See how they do it at the top level and see what's working. If you can put that across to the players, that's what counts.' McGlynn's enthusiasm for the game is infectious. It's easy to see why the former Hearts, Livingston and Raith Rovers boss commands the respect of his players wherever he goes. He's straight-down-the-line, salt of the earth. His fundamental principles are borne out of ambition, of an understanding that working hard, fostering a winning mentality and showing humility, will eventually lead to your ultimate goal. Realism, though, is key. As a fan-owned outfit, Falkirk simply can't compete financially against the top-flight's clubs — some of whom are backed by a new cohort of wealthy American owners. An alternative approach with attainable goals is essential should they hope to retain their status and not simply drop back down into the second tier after one season. 'I look at Rangers with the 49ers now and the money that's going to be pumped in there,' says McGlynn. 'Tony Bloom coming in at Hearts and the money that's going to go in there. The Gordon family, along with the Black Knights, there's a lot of money involved there for Hibs. 'Celtic are obviously going to try and beat them all. Then you've got the two Dundee teams who have American owners who are not scared to put their hands in their pockets. So there are a lot of teams who could be going out and spending a lot of money and the boys here could be going up against superstars. 'If we work as a team, maybe we'll be able to do a bit of what PSG are doing against others. This is my mindset, that if we can outwork them and organise, we can come out on top. 'We're a front-foot team, we press high. We've done that in League One, in the Championship, in Scottish Cup ties and League Cup ties. That's the way we want to try and set up. We will have to adjust accordingly, of course, if we have to. 'We'll just go from week to week and look at the opposition. We won't change our philosophy, but we may need to be more aware of certain aspects that might crop up. By that, I mean almost playing the game before you play the game. 'Ultimately, this is a special dressing room. The team spirit is amazing, there's good banter every day. They enjoy their work and they enjoy winning. 'Over the past two or three years, we've done a lot of winning. We'll need to be strong, because I can't see us winning as many games as we have done. That's just the reality. 'As long as we win enough games to be in a good position, however, then it will be another feather in our cap. 'We've now got 5,600 season ticket holders, which is a phenomenal amount for Falkirk. It's certainly a good time to be here, and we're delighted with the job that we've done. 'One thing's for sure, that job is not finished yet.'
South Wales Argus
5 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Ynysddu rugby team fundraising to play in Premiership
Theo Rushton-Marsh, who plays for Ynysddu BG Women, described her journey with the club as life-changing and is now fundraising to help cover the costs of competing at this level. She said: "I was so nervous about what our next chapter had in store for us. "But what I didn't know was that only down the road, at Ynysddu RFC, was the group of women who were going to completely change my life." The team secured an unbeaten Championship season to earn promotion to the Premiership for the 2025/26 season, and will now play in the top flight of Welsh women's rugby for the first time in the club's history. But Theo says the step up comes with major financial challenges. She said: "Competing in a women's National League means playing games with 10-hour return travel times, paying thousands per game for minibuses because we compete on Sundays, taking out private health insurance because it isn't covered by the club, increasing out-of-training fitness work because we all work full time, and purchasing league-appropriate kit, which for example would cost over £10,000 for just a 23-player team alone, and we have over 30 players registered." Theo has chosen to use her personal sponsorship appeal to raise awareness and funds for Platfform, a mental health charity working across South Wales. She said: "Platfform is a mental health charity that focuses on social change and community as driving factors for improving the wellbeing of those struggling by building authentic connection. "As a service provider, they work to keep people from homelessness, offer therapeutic alternatives to hospitals, and facilitate community projects and meetings." The fundraising has special meaning for Theo, who has spoken openly about her own mental health journey and the role rugby has played in her recovery. She said: "Throughout the years I have been playing rugby I have made multiple attempts on my life, been involuntarily committed to various in-patient stays, and was prescribed around ten medications to 'deal' with the symptoms of ill mental health that I was experiencing without truly addressing the causes. "I do not know where I would be today without rugby and my ever-changing and growing support system." Theo hopes the community will get behind her and the team as they step onto the Premiership stage. She said: "If you don't want to donate because my club is awesome and women's rugby is underfunded and expensive, and if you don't want to donate to support getting the amazing charity Platfform some free advertising, donate because I really love playing rugby with this team and I would really appreciate your support in getting myself to the Premiership through community fundraising. "I know money is tight right now and everything is just so expensive. But if you can spare anything to support me and Ynysddu BG Women – we will go and do our best to win the whole thing again." Donations are accepted through Theo's Go Fund Me page.
