The Edinburgh Reporter August 2022

22 SPORT
Hearts net striker
Can latest Jambo signing Lawrence Shankland rack up the goals?
By JAMIE MCINTOSH
HEARTS’ FANS keeping an eye on the
Lawrence Shankland transfer saga will be
delighted the Beerschot striker has finally
agreed a three-year-deal at Tynecastle.
On paper, this looks like a very good
signing, however some Scottish football fans
have voiced concerns about Shankland’s
supposedly poor goals tally in Scotland’s
top-flight.
Delving a little deeper into his season in the
Premiership at Dundee United you will see that
his stats are not as bad as they first seem.
First of all, Shankland’s record that season
was 8 goals in 32 games. Okay, it is not the best
record a striker has ever had, but it is definitely
not the worst.
Secondly, Shankland played in a Dundee
United team that scored the fewest goals in the
league that season (32) and finished ninth in
the league.
The Dundee United manager at the time was
Micky Mellon, who was a manager who liked to
defend from the front. It is worth noting that
the Dundee United goalkeeper, Benjamin
Siegrist kept 12 clean sheets that season, only
Allan McGregor and Joe Lewis kept more.
To cut a long story short, Shankland
spearheaded a United side that lacked creativity
and in Mellon they had a manager who was
more interested in defending than attacking.
In contrast, a move to Robbie Neilson’s
Hearts could be the perfect move for the
striker who turns 27 this month. The pair
have previously worked together and with
great success.
Shankland was the top scorer in the 2019/20
Championship season that saw United
comfortably secure the title and return to the
Premiership under Neilson’s management.
Moving on to his new teammates, Hearts
created and wasted so many chances during
SWF add practical experience to the team
SCOTTISH WOMEN’S Football
(SWF) have recruited new staff
with practical experience of
the game ahead of the new
2022/23 season.
Youth coach and former player
Kim Guthrie has been appointed
to administer the new national
Championship and League One
competitions as Club &
Competitions Coordinator, while
football referee Fraser Joss joins
as SWF’s new Lead Administrator
and Financial Support Officer.
Former Stirling Uni and
Boroughmuir Thistle player
Guthrie played for Rossvale in the
2021/22 Championship season
and coaches children from 18
months, and Joss has refereed
Kim Guthrie
their successful Premiership return, but with
Shankland leading the line this is unlikely
to continue.
Barrie McKay, Liam Boyce, Jorge Grant, Josh
Ginnelly, Gary Mackay-Steven, and Alan Forrest
will be just some of the players hoping to supply
Shankland with the appropriate service and that
is before we mention Hearts’ attacking full backs
in Nathaniel Atkinson and Alex Cochrane who
will be bombing forward and firing crosses into
the box for the striker.
Scotland internationalist Shankland is
undoubtedly a born finisher in the box and that
is where you would expect he will score the
youth games while completing
his MS in Sports Management at
Stirling University, as well as
coaching junior tennis.
SWF CEO, Aileen Campbell,
said: “I’m delighted that Scottish
Women’s Football can draw on
the practical experience of Kim
and Fraser as we continue to grow
the women’s game in Scotland
and the stature of our new top
tiers the Championship and
League One.
“Kim brings a vital player’s
perspective to the way we
develop Women’s Football from
the grassroots up, while Fraser’s
experience both as a referee and
a coach in other sports will give
us a fresh take on the running of
our leagues.”
Kim Guthrie said: “This is a
period of unprecedented growth
in the women’s game and I’m
delighted to step up from playing
to help make the new
Lawrence Shankland
majority of his goals at Hearts, but at United he
displayed his footballing brain to score from all
areas of the pitch, most notably when scoring
from his own half at an empty Tannadice against
St Johnstone.
To sum up, the argument that Shankland can’t
score goals in Scotland’s top-flight is lazy and
also unproven at this stage.
The team he has just joined is incomparable
in terms of creativity to Mellon’s United and if
he can stay injury free you wouldn’t bet against
the Scot becoming the first Hearts player since
John Robertson in 1992 to score 20 goals in a
single season.
Championship and League One a
success. Both leagues will be
exciting and competitive contests,
and I’m pleased that the clubs
from across the country have
committed to player well being as
part of the criteria to join. I can’t
wait to get stuck in supporting
further growth in our game.”
Fraser Joss said: “I’ve been
actively involved in the grassroots
game as a referee and have seen
first hand the unique culture and
atmosphere created by the girls
and women’s game in Scotland.
My new role at the SWF combines
my interests from university and
sport and I’m really looking
forward to supporting the growth
of Women’s Football in Scotland.”
Good news for
Corstorphine
CORSTORPHINE Athletics Club is
celebrating some good news after
becoming a registered charity.
The Saughton-based team, formed in
1986, secured the status following the
lengthy 18-month process which was then
rubber-stamped by members at its AGM
last month.
Officials hope the Scottish Charitable
Incorporated Organisation title will enable
them to eventually employ coaches for
community sessions and help boost the
club’s funding avenues, with businesses
now entitled to tax breaks for donations
and sponsorship involving charities.
ClubTogether Officer Harry Baird said:
“This is a real landmark for Corstorphine
and shows how we are progressing as a
forward-thinking, family-friendly club.”
Anyone interested in sponsoring or
donating to Corstorphine Athletics Club
should contact Harry Baird on
corstorphinecto@gmail.com or Chris
Peggie on secretary@caac.org.uk
You Can wins
lottery funding
THE SCOTTISH Children’s Lottery has
funded Edinburgh Leisure’s You Can
project with a grant of £10,000. This
programme uses the power of sport and
physical activity to support care
experienced young people from 14 to 26
improving their health, well being and
quality of life.
There are 1,300 children and young
people growing up in the care system.
Many face obstacles such as the cost,
low confidence or just not having the
right equipment.
Every Monday morning Taylor goes to
the gym with instructor, Gemma. Taylor
said: “Before I started working with
Gemma, I struggled with poor mental
health, low confidence, and difficult
relationships with my family. I spent a lot
of time alone in my bedroom rather than
going to school.
“I look forward to the gym. Even if I’m
not feeling 100%, I’ll never miss a session.
When I’m feeling low, my Gran reminds me
about the rush of feel-good endorphins I
get after I exercise, and I know she’s right.
And I am more likely to go to school .”