2013-05-19T19:40:57-04:00 Brodie Smithers http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=brodie-smithers Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Brodie Smithers Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3054885 2013-04-10T15:18:04-04:00 2013-04-12T09:18:01-04:00

Brodie Smithers http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brodie-smithers/ Bringing adventure to the Scottish Borders, the Muckle Toon Adventure Festival is aiming to help revive the small town of Langholm.

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Mention of the Scottish Borders conjures up a number of traditional images in people. The untamed beauty of its rolling hills dotted with grazing sheep? The fierce spirit of the Border Reivers running amok in defiance of the King? Or perhaps it's the rugby derbies, fiery soap operas played out in front of passionate crowds?

Sadly though, the vast sheep farms have steadily been curtailed by pine forest plantations, the Reivers have long since been buried with their steel bonnets and the world famous rugby traditions survive despite the collapse of the regions professional team.

In the deep south of the Borders, just six miles from the English boundary, you will find a small town called Langholm (or 'The Muckle Toon if you prefer its ironic historical moniker). Notable for a number of reasons, birthplace of rambling Scottish poet Hugh MacDiarmid, ancestral home of moon-walker Neil Armstrong and headquarters to international knitwear brand The Edinburgh Woollen Mill. Up until the last decade 'EWM' shared the town with 22 other mills and textile manufacturers. All but a handful have since closed down and sent the town into an economic and social malaise augmented by the horrors of the foot & mouth outbreak in 2001 and the current hard hitting, never-ending recession we find ourselves presently well and truly mired in.

However, hope springs eternal and the industrious nature of the townsfolk and their famous community spirit (Scottish community of the Year 2000) has seen a number of innovative and commendable developments in recent years. For example, a former textile mill was turned from an empty carcass into the offices of a successful website design company in 2006; an American TV show was brought in to make-over the local park/picnic area in 2009 and the budding tourist market is being expanded to turn the town into an adventure sports attraction.

In particular mountain biking and cycling seem to be a real pull for the town. For the past five years locals have had access to world class facilities in neighbouring Newcastleton at the Seven Stanes downhill mountain bike course, the Lake District and Kielder Forest facilities as well as routes at the Mabie and Ae forests in nearby Dumfries.

Now though a handful of enthusiasts are launching the Muckle Toon Adventure Festival with a view to putting the town firmly on the radar of the UK's ever expanding adventure sports fan base.

Over three days in May (17th-19th)they have planned two mountain bike routes (15 and 25 miles), three sportives (30, 60 and 90 miles) which in true Border Reiver style will take participants across the border into England and back. For non-bikers there are trail runs (10k and half marathon)and historical guided walks all centered around their "event village" in the town with kids activities, camp sites, stalls and entertainment to boot.

They also have a guest speaker event with record breaking Scottish adventurer Mark Beaumont and they place the "emphasis on fun, socialising and family rather than competition"

For a town that has suffered its fair share of hard times in the past decade it is a truly encouraging development. Langholm's big showpiece event is currently the Common Riding in July, an age old tradition involving many horses, giant heather besoms, elected Cornets and a fish nailed to a stick (I kid you not). Drawing people from around the country every year it is a big celebration of the towns (and regions) history.

However, replace those horses with mountain bikes put it on in May and the Muckle Toon Adventure Festival may just become the new event on the block that bring prosperity, visitors and, dare I say it, hope to a town and a region sorely needing it. Turns out the famous Border Reiver spirit might not be dead and buried after all.

For more information on the Muckle Toon Adventure festival please visit www.mtaf.co.uk ]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2718119 2013-02-19T13:12:30-05:00 2013-04-21T05:12:02-04:00

Brodie Smithers http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brodie-smithers/
You won a Grand Slam with the England Under 21's in 2006, how do you rate your chances of repeating that feat with the senior side this year?
"We're just focusing on each game as it comes really. We don't want to say what our chances are like, we just want to focus on the game coming up and that's France. It's a massive test, we've had two good wins recently so we need to build on that against a tough French team and we're looking forward to it."

You mentioned the French, who've you've got on Saturday at Twickenham, do you see the French as a team in crisis or a wounded animal that could bounce back and bite you?
"Exactly, a wounded animal. Look what they did in the autumn, they beat really tough teams. They beat Australia and Australia then beat us. We know they're a team who haven't played particularly well but they're a brilliant team and when they want to turn it on they can. They could have won a World Cup final not so long ago as well, so we know it's going to be a tough game but it's one we're massively looking forward to."

Speaking of tough games, after that win in Dublin there must be a growing belief in the capabilities of the current squad to grind out a result when needed?
"Yeah, definitely. We've been building confidence and things like that over our last few games. It started with New Zealand, we got a lot of confidence from that, beating such a quality team and then we started this competition so well. That's come from hard work put in on the training field and then transferring that into the game. We know we've still got a lot more to work on and a lot more to keep putting on the pitch so we'll try and do that. That will continue this weekend with France"

You currently lead the Six Nations player charts for line breaks and are second in the list of metres gained in the Six Nations Championship, how much of that attacking style is down to your individual way of playing and how much is down to team tactics?
"I think it's just the player I am. I think it's just one of my strengths. That's why I enjoy playing in the back three. I play in a team at Quins that allows a quick game and I try to bring my game into the England team too. We're trying to play a really expansive game of rugby too. Unfortunately against Ireland we couldn't really do that because of the conditions but yeah...I just enjoy running with the ball and when I get that opportunity I try and do that."

Do you think playing on the wing give you an element of freedom from some of the responsibilities of full-back?
"No I think playing anywhere in the back three gives you that element of freedom. I think, in the modern game, it's very transferrable... the skills and things like that. So that's how I've been trying to play on the wing, pretty much the same as playing at full-back. Roam around and try and see where I can get involved. A bit like Ashy (Chris Ashton) on the other wing, we just roam around and try and get involved anywhere on the pitch and see where we can affect the game."

Do you feel the pressure of selection from other out-and-out wingers?
"Not really, I'm just trying to focus on what I've been doing in the squad and what's got me into the squad and ultimately what's got me into the starting fifteen. I've just been trying to push all the back three players hard in training. We all push each other, which is good. There's very much a competition in all positions. Everyone knows they've got to be training well and playing well or else someone else will come in and take that position. So whichever position I've picked in in I've just tried to work hard on my own game. Put my game on the pitch and everything else will take care of itself."

Speaking of selection, the Lions question will come up a lot this year. How positive are you about your chances of touring?
"To be honest I'm just trying to focus on England and everything else will take care of itself, like I said before. If I'm playing well with England and with Harlequins then I'm putting myself in the shop window. I'm just really focusing on improving myself as a player, on the wing and at full-back, and I'm learning so much as a player being part of this squad. I'm really enjoying my time with these coaches and these players. So I'll just keep my head down and keep working hard and make sure I'm doing my job the best I can for England."

You mentioned your club Harlequins there, they won at the weekend to put them back on top of Aviva Premiership again, is there a part of you that's missing being part of that push for the title whilst you're with England?
"I was at the game against Leicester at the weekend and you go there as a player and you don't really feel comfortable just sitting down watching, you want to be involved of course. But then then you have to be selfish and think "I'm where I want to be with England and I want to be playing for England". So, you have to take those hits and take it on the chin that you're not going to be involved because you want to be playing for England. It's hard to watch but they don't seem to be missing me, so that's fine! I'll take that because I'm where I want to be with England and I'm enjoying it."

With England going for a Grand Slam, Quins going for silverware and selection for a Lions tour all on the cards how do you cope with the pressure to deliver week-week-out for club and country?
"I'm quite an experienced player, I've been around for a while now and I don't really feel any pressure. I'm focused on getting better as a player, on and off the field, I try to focus on my skills and at the weekend just focusing on my role within the team and playing to the best of my abilities. Doing what I need to do to have a good game for whichever team I'm playing for and in whatever position."

Mike Brown is representing the England team. For more behind the scenes footage from inside the England camp, including Mike's fellow Harlequin Joe Marler analysing how to beat the French, you can watch the latest episode of O2 Inside Line at: www.O2InsideLine.com ]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2597823 2013-02-01T08:24:47-05:00 2013-04-03T05:12:01-04:00

Brodie Smithers http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brodie-smithers/
France
A few seasons back the FIR invested somewhere in the region of €200,000 in a state-of-the-art scrum machine. We're talking hydraulics, instant computerised statistical analysis, uneven push-back, the whole shebang. After watching the French destroy the Australian pack as though they weren't there in the Autumn Tests it's safe to say it is working for them. The truly frightening thing is that in addition to a dominant pack their strike runners in the backs are amongst the best in world rugby just now. Saint-Andre seems to be eradicating their inconsistencies too and turning them into a disciplined, patient side who execute when required in an accurate and devastating way. Michalak is the one potential banana-skin for them as he's either playing a blinder or completely anonymous but even with that I expect France to win this year, possibly by way of a Grand Slam.

England
Right, let's get the All Blacks result out the way first. It was a great win and an impressive second-half but the reality is that barrelling over the top of an exhausted New Zealand side masked a number of frailties that were exposed during the Autumn Tests. Leadership is still an issue, creativity is often very limited and once you take away a handful of key players (Tuilagi, Foden, Parling, Farrell, etc) there is not much strength in depth behind them and their props look shady. That said, England continue to progress slowly in the right direction, blooding youngsters and allowing their players to make decisions for themselves (even if they are wrong ...step forward Mr Robshaw). Their coaching team is a strong one too with Andy Farrell in particular being key but you feel this current squad may be found wanting when the going gets especially tough.

Ireland
Under Declan Kidney Ireland are currently at a cross roads. A couple of bad results and they immediately look like an uninspired, ageing rabble who are soft up-front and lacking tactical direction. On the flip side, a few wins and some champagne rugby and they suddenly look like genuine contenders. There's no doubt about some of their personnel, guys like Heaslip, Healy (in the loose), Ryan and O'Driscioll are outstanding. Add to that the wrecking ball that is Shaun O'Brien and the bold selections in the back-three and you have all the makings of a very good side. However, something about the psychological make-up of the national team doesn't fill you with confidence about their ability to capitalise on this opportunity. Results in their first two games will set the tone and ultimately decide their fate, as well as Declan Kidney's.

Wales
This could be ugly. The Autumn Tests were a disaster for Wales with only Toby Faletau and Leigh Halfpenny showing any kind of form. The Warren Gatland - Rob Howley - British and Irish Lions loveless triangle isn't working and there are real selection problems in the second-row and at fly-half ahead of their opening game against Ireland in Cardiff. And what a game that will be. I don't think it's overstating the point to say that this is Wales's most important game since that fateful World Cup Semi-Final match. Yes they've won a Grand Slam in that time but it was ultimately a fairly underwhelming clean-sweep (in the illustrious history of Grand Slams) and the subsequent collapse of both their regions and their International form has since eclipsed that achievement. Winning against the Irish will avert total disaster and may just kick-start life in what remains a very talented squad.

Scotland
Scotland, Scotland, Scotland...What can we do to solve a problem like Scotland? Well, if you are the SRU you can sack Andy Robinson after an awful loss to Tonga then install Scott Johnston, Steve Scott and Dean Ryan on short term contracts to re-arrange the deckchairs during this year's Six Nations. It may just work. The Scots are not short of grit, have a decent pack and they certainly do the hard work well, particularly in defence but when it comes to finishing or taking opportunities they are at times woeful. If the 'interim-coaching set-up' can inspire them, fix the line-out and get their runners such as Hogg, Maitland and the impressive Visser in the places they need to be then we could have a dark horse on our hands. The most likely outcome however is a few plucky performances and a fifth placed finish, as per the norm.

Italy
Having France up first will not please the Italians. Even at home that is a huge ask but without a decent goal kicker it looks nigh on impossible. They're set to gamble on Luciano Orquera to solve their obvious fly-half problems and should that work then you could see them getting results at Murrayfield and potentially at home to Wales too, depending on how wobbly the Welsh are by then. We know that Italy have the pack and the sheer fact that neither Bergamasco brother is in the squad (for the first time in 13 years) points to some new blood coming through. Parisse and Castrogiovanni remain the lynchpins but how the rest of the squad, particularly the backs, perform will decide their position in the table at the end of the tournament.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2230410 2012-12-04T19:00:00-05:00 2013-02-03T05:12:01-05:00

Brodie Smithers http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brodie-smithers/
Last summer I was in a small-Spanish village on holiday with my family for a few weeks. There wasn't much that could be done without driving so I put my hand up for the duties, thinking I'd give my liver a well-deserved break too. Whilst out and about I noticed the sheer number of quality non-alcoholic beers on offer in both draught form and bottles, we're talking San Miguel, Amstel, Mabou, Carlsberg... loads of them and they tasted pretty damn good. In fact I got so into it I managed to spend the entire of Spain's 4-0 victory over Italy in the final of Euro 2012 in a small Spanish town, where everyone was wrecked and partying all night, completely sober.

Upon returning to the UK I decided to continue this push for sobriety and headed out to my local supermarkets to find what was on offer. After six months of searching my findings are this:

Top Five Non-alcoholic Supermarket Beers

1. Furstenberg (available in Tesco & Sainsbury's)
Undeniably the best, bar none. Aside from the obvious dearth of hops aroma it tastes like beer, behaves like beer and feels like you're having a proper beer. At £1.49 a bottle it is also unfortunately the same price as real beer. That aside it is as good as you'll get in a UK supermarket, which may sound like a sure-fire case of damning with faint praise but it is the business.
2. Bavaria Wit Beer (available in Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose & Asda)
Non-alcoholic wheat beers are unsurprisingly very popular in Germany and Holland but this offering is the sole one readily available to us Island Monkeys. Very sweet and smooth but with a full flavour and infinitely very quaffable it is a true gent of a drink. Think Hoegaarden without the dry edge or the hideous price-tag. I like this one; it's a solid, dependable type.
3. Cobra Beer (available in Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Waitrose & Asda)
Oddly enough this doesn't taste like any beer normally found in nature. It doesn't even vaguely resemble actual Cobra, which is very bizarre given its branding. What is does is take on a whole category of its own which has the physical consistency of beer but a wholly unique taste. It's not unpleasant but it's definitely not beer either.
4. Bavaria Lager (available in Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons & Asda)
A staple non-alcoholic product. Doesn't taste great, doesn't taste awful. Neither arse nor elbow but can be quite drinkable if very, very cold. The 'cooking lager' of the alcohol-free marketplace.
5. M&S Own Brand (available in M&S)
Difficult to get hold of and ball-breakingly expensive but of typically good quality and has a tangy quality that separates it from the herd. Targeted at those increasingly rare, sober, middle-class M&S punters you rarely encounter in there on a Saturday afternoon. No wonder most outlets don't stock it.

Worst Five Non-alcoholic Supermarket Beers

1. Equator ('exclusive' only to Tesco - Thankfully)
The warning was on the label to be fair. The initial premise of "beer flavoured drink" is a USP that is never going to end well. Drinking Equator and expecting it to actually taste like beer is the equivalent of chewing a chocolate-flavoured condom and wondering why it doesn't taste like Lindor. Equator is awful, absolutely no redeeming features. Avoid.
2. Kaliber (available in Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons & Asda)
Made by Guinness and tasting like it has been filtered through a bag of fire-damaged Lego, Kaliber is a long-standing and largely undrinkable waste of everyone's time. Pissy, soapy and lacking any resemblance to beer it hasn't improved, even slightly, with age.
3. Becks Blue (available in Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, Waitrose & Asda)
Let's get something straight before I begin this review. I don't like 'real' Becks and never have. It was therefore somewhat predictable that I wasn't going to see eye-to-eye with Becks Blue. What I didn't expect though was it to taste so bad that it brought to mind the beginning stages of chemical castration.
4. Koppaberg (available in Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons & Asda)
Expensive Appletise.
5. Any Shandy DrinkAt school I must admit to being partial to a Top Deck Lager & Lime but to be fair I was only 12 and hadn't tasted real beer yet. As soon as I started on the cans of Castlemaine XXXX (I know, I know...) I quickly realised the folly of Shandy. My stance hasn't changed either. Whether it is Bass or those boxes of fizzy French urine it's a poor substitute for something that was crap to start out with. That's a bad substitute for a bad original product, or MK Dons as they're otherwise known.

There are better alternatives out there with the peerless Alcohol Free Shop leading the way but for ease of purchase these are your handy options. I say handy but for some reason non-alcoholic beers are subject to the same restrictions as other alcoholic products and quite a few times I've had to stand at one of those awful self-service machines whilst someone comes over any verifies I'm of a suitable age to purchase, what is essentially, a soft drink.

Putting all that aside though I am still not drinking and have found some good substitutes for beer. Not everyone's bag perhaps when on the prowl for a refreshing pint on a Friday night but the alternatives are slowly getting better.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1552377 2012-05-31T09:20:55-04:00 2012-07-31T05:12:17-04:00

Brodie Smithers http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brodie-smithers/
I met up with him to talk about his motivations, activism and, of course, rugby.

You do a lot of anti-bullying campaigning particularly in the area of sport, including the setting up of The Stand Up Foundation. Do you think there is still a problem with bullying in sport?
"I do think there is bullying in sport. At a professional level, not so much but at a lower level definitely. There is definitely education needed at that level. People are deterred from sport at a lower level and are not taking part because they feel they are going to be bullied. A lot depends on where you, as to how likely you are to be bullied. Particularly if someone is perceived to be gay then depending on what part of the country you are from or if you're from a religious background or anything like that then sometimes it can play a major part. Not that we (The Stand Up Foundation) get involved in religion or politics, it's not about that but it can play a part."

As an amateur rugby player myself I see the sport of rugby as having quite an inclusive attitude, certainly in comparison to football, do you think things have improved or does the sport of rugby in particular still have a long way to go?
"I think that rugby is very inclusive because it takes all sizes to play. I think it has a different approach too. It probably has always been inclusive. It really leads to way and you have to give credit where it is due. It is a great example of showing respect on the pitch and when you come off the pitch as well. Players leave that pitch with their heads held high."

The Bingham Cup looks a fantastic tournament, bringing together gay and inclusive rugby teams from across the World, are you pleased The Stand Up Foundation has come on board as an official partner and yourself as an ambassador?
"Yeah I also helped the Bingham Cup go to Manchester. It was either Sydney or Manchester and we managed to win the bid to bring to Manchester. I think it's fantastic for Manchester and fantastic for the game of rugby. So to be an ambassador and be part of it is fantastic. I'm really, really happy to be doing that."

Any plans to dust off the boots and have a run out at the Bingham Cup?
"I might do. Although, I played football this morning for 90 minutes and my legs are absolutely killing me but yeah I most probably will."

Twelve Premiership rugby clubs are donating signed balls to be auctioned at the Bingham Cup with the proceeds going to the Stand Up Foundation. Have you had a lot of support from within the rugby community for your cause?
"Yeah, they're going to be signing up to the Home Office Charter. They have an obligation, all sporting clubs have an obligation to their local communities and they have to be very inclusive to all. Sexual orientation, colour of skin, anyone who is perceived to be different they have to be very accepting of all natures. It's very good for rugby to be doing this and supporting this. To get them to give us a ball and the donations to go to the (Stand Up) Foundation is lovely."

On the flipside to that, have you found any negative attitudes towards the causes you promote from any of those within you're the rugby community?
"Honestly I haven't no. I've had nothing but support which has been really good. We know it's needed. It's the world first anti-bullying foundation dedicated to LGBT bullying but also for anyone who is perceived to be different. It very relevant right now and we know it is needed. Especially when you see adults coming up and saying "My kid is being bullied". It really is needed. So we've received massive support and it's been brilliant."

The subject of homophobia is something you are keen to tackle; do you think Gareth Thomas coming out has aided your cause in terms of having a positive, high profile gay rugby icon in the public eye?
"I think it has just shown that rugby generally doesn't have a problem with it. He was very accepted as being a world-class player and that showed people will respect you for your talent not your sexual orientation. Which should be a given. We work very closely with Nike, we have a good partnership with them about eradicating homophobia and making sport a fair place for all. Which it should be."

Being so closely associated with anti-homophobic activism and being a gay icon do you find your own sexuality is subject to scrutiny more than, say, other players involved with different charities?
"Yeah, people sometimes want to say that. I've been around long enough now and have a following who understand I'm happily married and comfortable in my sexuality and I have two beautiful girls. The bigger picture that people start to understand is that me being straight is the most powerful thing. Me bridging the gap from the straight community and the gay community is very powerful. There is nobody else in the world doing it right now and especially a successful sportsman. Once you explain that people say "Oh I see what you mean" .For me being straight and a successful sportsman and really breaking down stereotypes and driving a cultural change is creating a cultural movement. Going into schools and protecting that next generation is very powerful."

You have said previously that one of your main motivations in setting up The Stand Up Foundation was the loss of your father in a violent incident whilst he was protecting a colleague who was being bullied. Does his memory still drive the activism you do?
"Yes. Basically my Dad stood up to bullying and lost his life protecting someone else. It drove me to be the best player in the world and win the World Cup (in 2003) but certainly the emotions that death caused in my family was devastating. It was horrible. I don't like bullying full stop and I know that it wrecks live. It is not just about here and now either, it stays with people for the rest of their lives. There may be opportunities for me to make a difference and that's what drives me. Drives me because I'm trailblazing, there's nobody else doing this in the world and then opportunity is there to create something really special and make a mark. It's huge."

On a lighter note, you must have been delighted with England's form in the Six Nations?
"I think it finished it successfully. They turned it round and I don't think they were playing a fantastic brand of rugby but they won. We'll have to see how Stuart Lancaster gets on managing that transition to make these players play in a system and a structure but also go out with that free spirit to play rugby"

Do you think Stuart Lancaster is a good appointment as coach?
"I think he's fantastic guy and that he should be in and around rugby but not as head guy. I think we need more experience to bring him on as a head coach but also to be in and around with a view to him being head coach eventually.

Kind of like the Clive Woodward/Andy Robinson model?
"Yeah exactly. Maybe look at Nick Mallet or Wayne Smith who have been around a bit and could maybe bring him on with their experience especially within tough times in the sport. Like when you're going to a World Cup or a summer tour and how to bring on players."

Speaking of the summer tour, how do you rate England's chances in South Africa this summer?
"It's going to be a tough ask. They've got a really good squad actually and have some good players going over but I think it's going to be tough. Really tough. It will be a good learning curve for them all."

Ben Cohen is an ambassador for the Bingham Cup, the world championship of gay and inclusive rugby teams. The Bingham Cup is proudly sponsored by Gaydar.net.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1529264 2012-05-19T03:11:26-04:00 2012-07-18T05:12:06-04:00

Brodie Smithers http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brodie-smithers/
The properly understand the gravity of this game to the people of Edinburgh, particularly those of a green persuasion; you have to go back in time. Way back to 1896 in fact, when Hibs last played Hearts in a Cup Final. Then forward slightly to the oft referred date of April 26th 1902. The date Hibs last won the cup. A full, frank and painful 110 long, long years ago. Hibs 'Famous Five' era of the Forties/Fifties, which remarkably won the league in 1948, 1951 and 1952 finished runners up in 1953 and reached the semi-finals of the European Cup in 1956, still couldn't win the Scottish Cup. Nor could the highly talented team of the Seventies known as 'Turnbulls Tornadoes' and featuring the likes of Pat Stanton and John Brownlie. As is to accentuate this, the club has reached the final on eight separate and agonising times, most recently in 2001 losing 3-0 against Celtic. We are talking about easily the biggest hoodoo in Scottish Football bar none. If the affable current Hibs manager Pat Fenlon and his team are going to shake this King-Kong sized monkey off the clubs back, they're not only going to have to cope with the weight of history and 110 years of anticipation, they're also going to have to do against their fiercest rivals.

Hearts have, by contrast, won it in four times during that period, most recently in 2006 when they beat Gretna in the final. They also boast arguably the stronger squad. In Rudi Skacel, Andy Driver and Ian Black they have players who can boss a game and make a genuine impact on the scoreline. Despite the near constant turmoil off the pitch this season, in which players have been paid late on numerous occasions and managers sacked seemingly on a whim, they finished a creditable 5th in the SPL. Run by the volatile and self-serving Vladamir Romanov they have been through 10 mangers since he took over in 2004 and countless incidents, producing scandalous headlines and often unfair speculation on their future. Despite this, over recent years they have consistently made a bid for the somewhat patronising title of 'Scotland's Third Best Team'. For them, Saturday is an opportunity to definitively put Hibs in their place. The opportunity to not only beat their city rivals in the Scottish Cup Final for the first time since 1896 but to also extend the Easter Road sides embarrassing Scottish Cup drought must rate so highly on the desirability scale it is almost unbearable.

Hibs have what can only be described as a 'punchers chance' of winning it. They're a side which has diced perilously with relegation all season. A team which are, quite frankly, hopeless in defence and unspectacular in midfield. They also suffer a near bi-polar shift in confidence, swinging from an assured looking mid-table SPL team to a hapless pub team, often over the period of 45 minutes. However, they do have goals in them. Up front they possess the one time Birmingham City and Locomotiv Moscow striker Gary O'Connor and Ivan Sproule, who spent last season netting goals for Bristol City. It is this strike force that offers Hibs their best chance of edging this monumental encounter. Should this pair get the opportunity, they will give Hearts a bloody nose. A point which will not be lost on Hearts manger Paulo Sergio who will look to counter this by tying up the midfield area of the park.

With such pressure on both sides it is unlikely to be a classic game. However, it will be a fascinating encounter. Meagre allocations of 22,000 tickets per club has seen a predictable frenzy for Cup Final briefs and calls from both sets of fans to move the game from the national stadium in Glasgow to Murrayfield in Edinburgh. True to form, The SFA have refused to humour any suggestion of this leaving the headache of transporting thousands of rival fans from Edinburgh to Glasgow and back. All police leave has been cancelled, pub opening hours restricted as Edinburgh residents put down the shutters in anticipation of the biggest derby game in the citys recent history. Never before has so much been at stake for the two Edinburgh teams. One thing is for sure, it is a game that captures the importance of the Scottish Cup better than any other possibly could. For both teams a win will be colossal but for Hibs in particular it would be not only overwhelmingly enormous and historically significant but ultimately a victory for the sheer romance of the Scottish Cup.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1371877 2012-03-22T05:12:37-04:00 2012-05-22T05:12:01-04:00

Brodie Smithers http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brodie-smithers/

They are looking at me. A whole herd of them. Big black, hairy-faced Galloway cows, shifting from hoof to hoof and looking worried. It is stroke number 136. My arms and back are sore. I am 15 strokes off the lead and still have half a mile to go. The rules strictly state that shots should, under no circumstances, be directed towards any livestock. I will have to go round them. I turn 90 degrees and slice an awful drive over a stone dyke and into a chest-high patch of ferns. Welcome to the rigours of Cross Country Golf, the most bafflingly challenging, invigorating and cost effective game of golf in the world.

Having spent my formative years in the very rural but bleakly beautiful Scottish Borders, my friends and I had grown up accustomed to life outdoors. Sport and leisure pursuits inevitably involved a tussle with the elements and the wonders of the countryside. Golf was no different. Living a good 15 miles from our nearest golf course, it is safe to say we were never going to follow the traditional route of playing golf. Instead we would take an old club and ball out and hit some shots in a field or a windswept hillside. Little did we know that these early attempts at playing the game would sow the seeds for an epic game between us some twenty years later on a Perthshire hilltop.

There were four of us, all friends from childhood, Tom, Dan, Kelly and me. A plan for a game of Cross Country Golf was hatched in a pub beer garden. Rough rules were argued over and potential courses were examined on Ordinance Survey maps. Eventually a decision was reached on Birnham Hill, above the small town of Dunkeld, about 10 miles North of Perth. We had noticed a patch of clear ground, roughly two miles square on crest of the hill. Upon examining the contours on the map carefully and on getting the rulers out we were able to plot a switchback course approximately two miles long across this course. There also appeared to be good vehicle access and the weather for the weekend was looking dry-ish. Game on.

First up a quick pit-stop to pick up some second-hand clubs and balls from one of the local charity shops. Then the balls were modified with some small screws and bright orange ribbons giving each one a long, bright and hopefully, a very visible tail. Upon arrival in Dunkeld and the location of our forestry track discovered, the car wound its way up the hill to the highest point of the road. Hauling our gear a further 100 yards up a track we eventually arrived at the first and only tee. A spread sheet was opened on Dans smartphone entitled 'Scorecard' and it was me up first on the alphabetical playing order.

Placing my old Dunlop ball on a tuft of grass I examined the first shot. Uphill about 75 yards was a plateau that represented a reasonably secure spot. The slope was quite steep on the right and tailed off into a marsh on the extreme left. I was going to have to really hit this hard to clear the gradient.

Unsheathing the wedge from our old bag, I stood over the ball, its ribbon trailing mockingly off to right. Looking up, I plotted my tee shot to the left of a big tree at the rise of the slope figuring it was as good a line as any. Watching on in anticipation, the other three offered little by way of support. The silence was edible. Here goes, I thought as I swung through hard and straight. Roots and mud flew into the air as I neatly cut the turf of grass in half. The ball however did not move an inch and the silence was shattered with howls of mocking laughter.



So began our game of Cross Country Golf. Roughly three or four shots saw us up on the plateau and heading across a relatively flat patch of ground which led to the remains of an old stone sheep pen. Tom was consistently hooking his shots off to the left and before long found himself in amongst the extreme rough of thistles and barbed wire fences further down the hill. His decision to wear shorts counting horribly against him. Kelly though, had the range but was over-shooting and spending a fair bit of time looking for his ball but held an eight shot lead after the first half mile. Dan then skied a shot into a small stream but as a random bonus managed to come away with the antler from an old stag he had found down amongst the reed beds. With that stashed in his bag it was on towards a stone dyke that surrounded the field fairway. After a few attempts the stone obstacle was traversed. By this time, Tom had closed Kelly' 67 shot lead to a mere two strokes with me and Dan tied on 78 behind him.

The stone dyke pretty much marked the tipping point on our plotted course between 'quite easily playable' to 'very difficult'. An extremely steep and rocky slope greeted us as playing away from the wall. It was also covered in big bunches of thistles, gnarled hawthorn tress and thorny bushes. The next 40 minutes were spent swearing and chipping our way up with no real advantage or distance being gained by any player. I was miraculously first up and upon cresting the hillock the magnificence of the view became starkly apparent. To the South, the rolling purple hills of the Tay Valley and the historic city of Perth, streaked with sunlight only broken by the occasional dotted shadows of passing clouds. The North boasted the gloriously green woodland hills of the Lower Grampians beaming back at us in a violent bright green. Some 600 foot down to the South West the town of Dunkeld sat nestled by the banks of the River Tay, surrounded on all sides by sumptuous dark green pine forest. It was, to say the least, a glorious view.

Directly below us, sat amongst the acres of fern sat a perfect strip of grass roughly 50 yards wide and maybe 300 yards long. This natural fairway led to the final stage of the course, namely the big oak tree by the gate back to the car. Scores had escalated over the short, steep hill farce. Kelly still led but was now on 93, I sat at a respectable 107, Tom on 111 but Dan had toiled to a miserable 121. One by one we paused, marvelled and absorbed the sheer beauty and enjoyment of driving our balls off that hilltop and onto the grass below. Huge shots which sailed in the azure sky, ribbons fluttering, before dropping in a beautiful arc onto the grass below. What a view, what a shot.



The following fairway really tested our patience and stamina though. By this time sunburn and the fatigue of golfers who do not play very often was kicking in. Scapula muscles groaned, form dipped and shots were flying off into the ferns left, right but unfortunately not centre. Finally, after making our way past a herd of cows, over another stone dyke and down a small valley the one and only green came into view. The game was only deemed over when you hit your ball off the thick trunk of the appointed oak tree. Remarkably Tom and Kelly were only separated by 7 shots with me and Dan well out of the reckoning. Kelly and Tom upped their game for a dramatic last fling. By the time Tom hit the tree first with a low drive Kelly was left with a par four to win and his ball sitting 12 yards down a small steep slope. His first shot sliced wide of the tree by about 12 foot, the next fell agonisingly short. With the pressure now firmly on he dinked his ball up from about six yards and it sounded off the bark with satisfying thump. After all that, he had astonishingly only won by a single stroke. The sun dripped low in the sky as we trailed off towards the car in search of a pitched tent, roaring campfire and some well-earned beers. Mark Twain was wrong you know? With Cross Country Golf 'the good walk' was well and truly unspoiled. Cross Country Golf; a good walk, a great game and brilliant fun and all virtually free. What more could you ask for?



The Rules of Cross Country Golf

1. A to B in as few hits as possible
2. Always hit away from livestock
3. Honesty in totalling one's strokes is paramount

Definition of Cross Country Golf

A game in which clubs with wooden or metal heads procured cheaply from a charity shop are used to hit a small, white ball over a course casually plotted between two points on an ordinance survey map. The object being to get the ball from point to point in as few strokes as possible, public house intermissions are also allowed and indeed encouraged.
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Brodie Smithers http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brodie-smithers/
An injury plague of biblical proportions has also seen coach Andy Robinson's hand forcibly turned towards a policy of blooding youngsters. Ironically, the subsequent performances from the likes of Lee Jones, David Denton and Stuart Hogg has turned out to be among the few high points of a beleaguered campaign.

In particular, it is Stuart Hogg who has grasped his opportunity with an exciting, creative vigour not seen since the early years of Chris Paterson, Gregor Townsend or even Jim Renwick.

Much like these erstwhile legends of Scottish Rugby, Hogg also hails from the Scottish Borders.

An infamous hotbed of passionate rugby fervour famed for producing talented oval ball specialists with the frequency of a conveyor belt. Whilst the region forms only one four-hundredth of the population of Scotland it has through the years provided one sixth of its International rugby players.

An extraordinary statistic that continues with today's crop of Borders stars gracing the Murrayfield turf. In addition to Stuart Hogg (Hawick) there is Lee Jones (Selkirk), Greig Laidlaw (Jedburgh), Geoff Cross (Galashiels), Kelly Brown (Earlston) and current captain Ross Ford (Kelso). All this seems ever the more remarkable when you consider that the Border Reivers professional side was indefinitely closed by the Scottish Rugby Union in 2007.

The Borders is an area that has also suffered more than most in the recent economic downturn. A once rich textile and woollen mill industry which fuelled these small but prosperous towns is now a shadow of its former self. Beeching's cuts in the sixties and seventies cut the region off from the rail network and more recent disasters such as the Foot & Mouth outbreak in 2001 have proven costly.

The past 15 years has seen a, somewhat inevitable, steady migration of young people to the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow in search of education and employment. This has left behind not only a difficult economic legacy for towns such as Galashiels and Hawick, but also a near decimation of players to continue the fine Borders' rugby tradition.

However, through a combination of fantastic rugby development work at youth and school level and a slow but successful adaptation to the new professional rugby landscape, there seems to be something of a renaissance amongst the rugby folk of the Borders. Stuart Hogg is very much a product of this renewed endeavour.

A proud son of Hawick, his father John Hogg played for Hawick Rugby Club and had the distinguished honour of being elected Cornet of the famous Hawick Common Riding in 1983.

Stuart and his brother Graham cut their rugby teeth endlessly playing full contact rugby in the swing park off the towns Weensland Road and making their way through the well-worn Hawick rugby youth structure.

However, it was at Mansfield Park, the home of Hawick Rugby Club where he honed his inimitable running style and fearless broken field attacking play. He quickly came to prominence for the senior side as both a brilliant utility back and a devastating sevens specialist. Persuaded by former test player Richie Gray to join his BASE Rugby course at Borders College, Hogg was provided a crucial pathway to professional rugby. From there he was capped at all Scotland age grade levels and signed by Glasgow Warriors as a development player in 2011.

By the time the Six Nations came round this year he was listed in the Scotland A team. Out of the blue this second string side pulled off a shock victory over a much-fancied England Saxons side at Netherdale with Hogg scoring a fabulous try in the process.

His mazy run broke through several England tackles before he touched the ball down and became an overnight YouTube sensation. Pressure from fans and the media for him to be called into senior side saw him make the bench for the Scotland v Wales match in Cardiff. An injury to Max Evans then propelled Hogg on to the pitch for his first full cap and go on to make one of his blistering trademark breaks and nearly score a try. A star was born. He then went on to deliver substance to the hype in the following game against France at Murrayfield with a brilliant try in the opening exchanges and an electrifying performance throughout.

From here Stuart Hogg and his fellow young stars will hope to turn around the fortunes of the national side over the next decade or so. For the region that birthed Hogg and his fellow Internationalists their success will provide inspiration and hope for the next generation of young, rugby-mad players. Hope that the rich tradition of providing top quality rugby will continue for years to come. ]]>