GH950722-000000 GH950722-000000 950722 No Headline Present ALASTAIR BALFOUR 3 22 977272918 HOW many owner-managers of growing companies can honestly put up their hands and say: ''I know everything that goes on in my business''? I'd be surprised if approaching half of you good, hard-working people could genuinely take a visitor through the company's operations in minute detail. After all, are we not constantly told by the experts to focus on the long-term vision, the big picture, and to do it from up on the bridge instead of being bogged down in the engine room? But the more we strive to improve the performance and efficiency of our company, the more I become convinced that the true secret of long-term success lies in mastering the minutiae. Sure, there has to be a vision to aim for and a plan to realise it, but without the right management of detail it won't happen as it should. Perhaps it won't happen at all. It goes without saying that every type of business generates its own deluge of detail. Every year, it seems, the complexity increases. The more you try to improve different aspects of the company's operations, the more questions seem to arise. The resulting solutions demand detail. As that wise man Sir Bruce Pattullo once observed: ''It's interesting how if you concentrate very hard on one aspect of the business, one number, that number tends to improve almost as if by magic.'' Except, of course, that there is no magic in business. Just grinding, unrelenting pursuit of improvement combined with the occasional breakthrough. I suspect that consistent attention to detail would yield as much bottom line improvement for most companies as any breakthrough. It's the same process that is involved in making all organisations work more professionally. Attention to detail involves painstakingly creating and installing the systems and procedures that mean the hassle is handled smoothly and automatically, whether by machine or man. It is those systems that are essential to achieve quality certification or Investors In People accreditation. But there is more to detail than drudgery. Increasingly the ability to manage detail successfully is being seen as giving businesses a real competitive edge, particularly when they operate in international markets. A company cannot hope to get within light years of world-class status unless its systems and procedures operate faultlessly -- literally. These days the quality of suppliers to some global markets, particularly electronics, is measured by their ability to deliver fault-free products within ever-shorter timeframes, not just 99% of the time but 99.9999% of the time. I recently visited Donprint, the East Kilbride-based product identification company which in its 15 years has grown to become market leader in the UK and is increasingly challenging US and Far Eastern competitors on their own doorsteps. The scale of its achievement was demonstrated last year when Jarvis Porter, the acquisitive quoted Leeds-based printing and labels group, agreed a #27m purchase deal with Des Donohue, founder and owner of Donprint. Donprint's success is down to a relentless pursuit of standards and quality through effective management of detail. The group had a vision, one that was much more ambitious than that of 99% of Scottish companies, but it would not have realised it without those boring old systems and procedures. Iain MacRitchie, Donprint's MD, knows precisely where his organisation rates on its key performance factors every single day. To achieve success in managing detail to this level requires a very specific structure, avoiding layers of costly bureaucracy or, worse, burying your best people in the engine room. To be blunt, it involves employing two quite different types of individual: strong well-paid managers who are good at driving and motivating staff, and much lower-cost people who are content to perform repetitive jobs reliably. Your good managers, and indeed yourself as the owner-MD, should follow the same principle in daily operation. No PAs or private offices, no large admin staff are allowed in this cost-effective, detail-hungry scenario. Instead you use the latest software to manage your own business lives simply and effectively, and you do your own admin. Because there is no time for complexity or unnecessary distraction, your working life is neatly prioritised. And boy, do you understand the detail! * Alastair Balfour is managing director of The Insider Group. GH950722-000001 GH950722-000001 950722 'Massacre of the innocents'. Mass murder claims as another day of bloodshed dawns on Bosnian battlegrounds 3 7 ILLUS 977272919 A BOSNIAN Minister yesterday claimed that up to 10,000 Muslim refugees from Srebrenica had been murdered by Bosnian Serbs. Foreign Minister Muhamed Sacirbey said: ''We think 5000, and maybe as many as 10,000, of Srebrenica's civilian population was murdered, not in the warfare but after the city surrendered.'' Sacirbey also claimed Bosnian Serbs had raped Muslims after overrunning the UN ''safe area''. ''In one instance, 1600 young boys and older men were executed in a soccer stadium after being taken prisoner,'' he added. He was speaking after meeting Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati and his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias for their third round of talks this year on the Bosnian crisis. He also urged Belgrade to recognise the sovereign states in former Yugoslavia and close its borders to help achieve a ceasefire. ''(One) avenue is mutual recognition between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbian Montenegro, and Bosnia Herzegovina in addition to real steps including border closing,'' he said. The claims of atrocities were backed by Dutch Defence Minister Joris Voorhoeve who said yesterday Bosnian Serb forces had committed grave war crimes and might have killed thousands of Muslims after they overran Srebrenica. ''I believe that grave war crimes occurred,'' Voorhoeve said in London. ''We know that very serious things happened in Srebrenica. We still do not have a complete picture but I fear that hundreds, if not thousands of people died,'' he said. Dutch officials have previously avoided commenting on the conduct of Bosnian Serb for fear of reprisals against the 310 Dutch UN peacekeepers who were trapped in the enclave. But Voorhoeve said that now all the Dutch peacekeepers had left, there was no longer any reason for them to remain silent about any atrocities they may have witnessed. Voorhoeve said he hoped the U.N. war crimes tribunal for former Yugoslavia in The Hague would fully investigate the recent events in Srebrenica. Fears over the safety of the Muslim population have also led King Hussein to say he was ready to join his countrymen serving in UN peacekeeping troops in the former Yugoslavia if the world acted to stop ''massacres'' of fellow Muslims in Bosnia. ''If the world decides to move to stop these massacres and to perform its duty, we are ready to send many more of our troops and I am personally ready to go with them,'' King Hussein told a live phone-in show on Jordan's television to rally a nationwide appeal to help Bosnian Muslims. He said he was donating #50,000 of his own money for the appeal. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin said later that he would launch a joint relief operation next week with King Hussein. Jordan has 3500 troops serving in the United Nations Protection Force. However, King Hussein warned the London conference that if the world failed in its resolve to end Serb ''atrocities'' against Bosnians, then the ''honour of Jordan's troops would not allow them to stay in a position that made them look incapable''. He said Jordan would continue an aid airlift by its air force, with two planeloads of foodand medical equipment already flown from Amman in the last two days to Bosnia. King Hussein said Bosnians were victims of ''religious, racist, and ethnic discrimination'' adding that their ''enormous suffering was an attack on humanity and its values''. Jordan this week threatened to pull out its troops from UN troops in former Yugoslavia if no military action was taken to stop Serb attacks against Muslim enclaves in Bosnia. Bosnian Radio reported Serb shelling of Gorazde, an eastern Muslim enclave which, though still relatively secure in government hands, is facing the threat of mass hunger. ''Regardless of any imminent military threat to Gorazde, it is being slowly starved and strangled,'' said UN aid spokesman Ron Redmond, in Geneva.Mr Redmond, with UNHCR, the main refugee agency, spoke of ''desperate'' food shortages. GH950722-000002 GH950722-000002 950722 Farmers fined for breaking potato ban 3 23 977272920 TWO Aberdeenshire farmers were each fined #1000 by a judge yesterday for breaking a court order banning them from selling a variety of uncertificated seed potato. The case of William Alexander Petrie and his son, William Gordon Petrie of Balquharn Farm, Alford, Aberdeenshire, returned to the Court of Session, Edinburgh after a complaint from a Dutch firm of plant breeders, Selectiebedrijf Luidenburgh BV of Warfhuizen, Holland. The company said the farmers had continued selling seed potatoes of the variety ''Estima'' or ''Estema'' despite a Court of Session order granted in May 1993 banning them from doing so. Peter McCormack , counsel for the Dutch firm, complained that despite the interdict of May 1993 the farmers sold uncertificated Estima seed potatoes to seven named growers in England between January and March 1994. The petitioners main concern in bringing the breach of interdict to the court's attention was that selling uncertified varieties of potato could ruin the good name of certificated seed varieties. It was also a breach of plant breeders rights. He said the sales and deliveries of the Estima potatoes by the Petries took place in time for the 1994 planting season. In each case, it was claimed, the English farmers would have no reason to buy ware potatoes -- potatoes sold for consumption rather than as seed potatoes -- from Aberdeenshire. Seed potatoes were more expensive than ware potatoes and the English farmers were said to have paid between #160 and #200 per tonne for the Estima seed vegetables. The ware price for the Estima potatoes during the same period was about #80 a tonne. Nick Holroyd, counsel for the Petries, said both farmers accepted equal responsibility for the breach of the court order. He said when they sold the Estima variety to the English farmers they were under the impression they were being sold as ware -- for consumption, and not as seed potatoes. But they agree that this should have been confirmed and they should have been more careful. Mr Holroyd said that since the first court action in 1993 a number of ''evils'' had happened to them. This included paying a damages settlement after a damages action was raised against them in connection with the sale of uncertificated varieties of potatoes. The total cost of legal expenses in the civil court to the Petries amounted so far to around #50,000. Punishment was also meted out by the Society of Plant Breeders who imposed bans on them from growing seed potatoes for at least three years. In the case of growing the Estima variety the ban extended until the year 2003. He said the Petries were also each fined #1400 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for selling uncertificated potato varieties. He said the consequences of the publicity given to the previous court action had an adverse effect on their farming business. The Petries also felt that their reputation went down in the estimation of their peers. Mr Holroyd asked the court to show leniency in the circumstances. The Petries, he said expressed regret for the breach of the court order. He added: ''They have already been punished for their misdemeanour.'' The judge, Lord Weir, fined each of the Petries #1000 for what he described as a ''wilful'' breach of the court order. The judge added: ''I had considered taking severe action in view of the blatant flouting of the court order, but having heard of the consequences on both farmers and on their busineess I am prepared to refrain from this and I propose to fine each respondent #1000''. GH950722-000003 GH950722-000003 950722 Price is angered by slow play. Sunesson calls the shots as Faldo fights back with a 67 RAYMOND JACOBS 3 30 ILLUS 977272921 St Andrews, AFTER a day in which much happened but which lacked any coherent shape, a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Open Championship at St Andrews was shared by two Americans, John Daly and Brad Faxon, and a 40-year-old Japanese, Katsuyoshi Tomori, on 138, six under par. Behind them, 100 more qualifiers were squeezed within only 10 strokes. This is 33 more than the minimum, and with each qualifier guaranteed to win #4000 -- as compared to #650 for those who miss the cut -- the extra survivors will cost the Royal and Ancient Golf Club more than #100,000. One saving grace is that four of them are amateurs who cannot take home a penny. The 103 total is still 10 fewer than the record 113 at Royal Birkdale in 1991. The R and A had been considering sending out players in threes today, but later reverted to their orginal plan of twos. As organisers were sorting out the logjam, holder Nick Price criticised them for allowing rounds to stretch to five-and-a-half hours. Price was one of the later starters, his group teeing off at 3.25pm, but the Zimbabwean did not complete his round of 74 until just before 9pm. By then, with light fading, there were just a smattering of shivering spectators left in the huge stands to welcome in the Turnberry champion and former world No 1. He said: ''Something must be done about this. It took us three-and-a-half hours to cover nine holes and that's not acceptable.'' Perhaps the most significant development on a day of bright sunshine and a westerly wind strengthening across the Old course to 30mph, was the advance of Nick Faldo, from seven strokes off the lead to only three. The leaders' closest pursuers included Masters champion Ben Crenshaw and the two latest US Open champions, Ernie Els and holder Corey Pavin. Once again the Amateur Champion, Barassie's Gordon Sherry, gave a wonderful account of himself in the company of Greg Norman and Tom Watson, and outscored them both. Of the five amateurs in the field, only Bathgate's Stephen Gallacher failed to qualify for the weekend's golf. Despite the congestion, distinguished casualties occurred. Most notably Colin Montgomerie, Europe's No.1 for the last two years, missed his first cut in 17 events worldwide this season, and his third in the last four Opens, unable to repair the damage of an opening 75 with another of the same to miss by two strokes. Montgomerie took his disappointment as well as he might after five-and-a-half hours' unavailing toil. ''Scoring like that is not good enough, even although the weather was more difficult today for the later starters,'' he said. Faldo,having picked up five birdie 3s and another gain at the long fourteenth, then bogeyed the sixteenth, not a well-timed mistake with the dreaded seventeenth lying in wait. But he escaped with par there. Daly is taking delight in stepping out some of the more outrageous distances between ball and hole on the double greens. Yesterday's gem was the first putt of 180 feet he had at the twelfth to four feet to make his birdie. That advance was the third of four in five holes from the turn, which helped retrieve a double bogey 7 at the long fifth. Els felt that until near the end, this was his best championship round since the third at Oakmont last year when he won the US Open. But then, he confessed: ''I pushed a little too hard trying to break further away from the field.'' 0 Els misjudged the wind at the fifteenth, his approach came up 40 feet short and he took three putts. The seventeenth exacted a routine 5 when he pulled his second shot and missed from five feet and although he drove into the Valley of Sin, his first putt had neither line nor length, and from five feet he missed again. Pavin's difficulty was less with the elements, more with sustaining his concentration as the round moved inexorably well past the four hours 20 minutes thought acceptable by the Royal & Ancient for a three-ball to complete a championship round -- in this age of go-slow golf a case of wishful, if hopeless, thinking. Trying not to fight the wind and take what he could from the afternoon, Pavin swung and putted well enough to advance his challenge further. His only mistake was to reach a place on the fifteenth green from where three putts were almost inevitable, but he finished by driving the last and making his third birdie 3 with two putts from 50 feet. LEADERBOARD (British and Irish unless stated, * denotes amateur): 138 B Faxon (USA)71 67 K Tomori (Japan)70, 68 J Daly (USA)67, 71 139 B Crenshaw (USA)67, 72 M Brooks (USA)70, 69 C Rocca (Italy)69, 70 J Cook (USA)69, 70 E Els (S Africa)71, 68 C Pavin (USA)69, 70 140 P Stewart (USA)72, 68 J Leonard (USA)73, 67 V Singh (Fiji)68, 72 141 N Faldo74, 67 S Elkington (Australia)72, 69 D Gilford69, 72 F Nobilo (New Zealand)70, 71 P Mickelson (USA)70, 71 *G Sherry 70, 71 S Torrance71, 70 142 R Drummond74, 68 *S Webster70, 72 S Lyle71, 71 G Sauers (USA)69, 73 W Riley (Australia)70, 72 J Rivero (Spain)70, 72 B Glasson (USA)68, 74 B Estes (USA)72, 70 S Bottomley70, 72 B Ogle (Australia)73, 69 M Campbell (New Zealand)71, 71 143 M McNulty (Zimbabwe)67, 76 L Westwood71, 72 K Green (USA)71, 72 B Watts (USA)72, 71 M Nichols75, 68 B Langer (Germany)72, 71 M Calcavecchia (USA)71, 72 D Feherty68, 75 T Watson (USA)67, 76 S Lowery (USA)69, 74 144 B Lohr (USA)76, 68 G Player (S Africa)71, 73 J M Olazabal (Spain)72, 72 P Baker70, 74 A Coltart70, 74 S Ballesteros (Spain)75, 69 A Forsbrand (Sweden)70, 74 D Robertson71, 73 M Hallberg (Sweden)68, 76 R Claydon70, 74 M O'Meara (USA) 72, 72 D Frost (S Africa)72, 72 P O'Malley (Australia)71, 73 N Price (Zimbabwe)70, 74 P Lawrie73, 71 145 T Nakajima (Japan)73, 72 H Sasaki (Japan)74, 71 R Allenby (Australia)71, 74 J Maggert (USA)75, 70 J Huston (USA)71, 74 *T Woods (USA)74, 71 J Gallagher Jr (USA)69, 76 M Davis74, 71 G Norman (Australia)71, 74 I Woosnam71, 74 B Lane72, 73 P Broadhurst73, 72 146 G Hallberg (USA)72, 74 J Sandelin (Sweden)75, 71 S Hoch (USA)74, 72 M Gates73, 73 E Herrera (Colombia)74, 72 W Bennett72, 74 D Duval (USA)71, 75 R Floyd (USA)72, 74 B Claar (USA)71, 75 P Senior (Australia)71, 75 D Clarke69, 77 J Parnevik (Sweden)75, 71 L Janzen (USA)73, 73 147 *G Clark71, 76 O Karlsson (Sweden)71, 76 D Pooley (USA)76, 71 P Mitchell73, 74 P-U Johansson (Sweden)69, 78 P Jacobsen (USA)71, 76 J Hawksworth73, 74 J Coceres (Argentina)71, 76 D Cooper71, 76 P Linhart (Spain) 72, 75 P Burke (USA)75, 72 M James72, 75 J Delsing (USA)72, 75 J Lomas74, 73 148 J Nicklaus (USA)78, 70 D Love (USA)70, 78 B Longmuir72, 76 M A Jimenez (Spain)75, 73 J Haas (USA)76, 72 E Romero (Argentina) 74, 74 R Kawagashi (Japan) 72, 76 T Kite (USA)72, 76 S Burnell72, 76 THOSE WHO FAILED 149 B Tway (USA)71, 78 P Azinger (USA)74, 75 M Springer (USA)75, 74 M Ozaki (Japan)71, 79 B Charles (New Zealand)73, 76 S Simpson (USA)72, 77 H Clark76, 73 J Morse (USA)75, 74 C Strange (USA)73, 76 P Fowler(Australia)74, 75 N Graves72, 77 150 J Spence77, 73 M Roe75, 75 S Leaney (Australia)76, 74 L Roberts (USA)76, 74 W Grady (Australia)75, 75 T Johnstone (Zimbabwe)75, 75 B Jobe (USA)74, 76 C Montgomerie75, 75 C Stadler (USA)74, 76 M McCumber (USA)73, 77 M Martin (Spain)73, 77 M Besanceney (France)73, 77 151 J Watson76, 75 L Mize (USA)74, 77 T Weiskopf (USA)76, 75 M Clayton (Australia)74, 77 A Crerar77, 74 *S Gallacher72, 79 T Wargo (USA)72, 79 R Karlsson (Sweden)77, 74 P Carman72, 79 J Bickerton71, 80 152 B Bryant (USA)78, 74 C Mason 75, 77 B Andrade (USA)76, 76 L Trevino (USA)75, 77 153 I Baker-Finch (Australia)77, 76 T Suzuki (Japan)80, 73 R Rafferty75, 78 A Tillman75, 78 J Wither75, 78 M Gronberg (Sweden)81, 72 K Takami (Japan) 76, 77 C Parry (Australia)76, 77 R Weir71, 82 N Roderick74, 79 R Boxall72, 81 F Andersson (Sweden)77, 76 155 M Thompson76, 79 158 A Palmer (USA)83, 75 B Chamblee (USA)80, 78 159 P Mayo77, 82 162 G Stafford78, 84 Withdrew P Walton A Oldcorn GH950722-000004 GH950722-000004 950722 A roller-coaster ride for Webster 1 30 977272922 AT ten to nine yesterday morning, Steve Webster looked up at the giant scoreboard towering above the seventh tee and saw his name heading the list of Open co-leaders. And 10 minutes later, after a birdie three, the baby-faced 20-year-old amateur from Warwickshire was in the outright lead at six under par, with the names directly under him being Watson, Daly and Crenshaw. Yet his day was to prove a roller-coaster ride. A brilliant outward 32 was followed by five dropped shots in four holes from the turn, including a double bogey six at the twelfth. He then birdied the fourteenth and fifteenth, three-putted the sixteenth, and had two pars at the closing holes, his first of the back nine. And there was controversy at the seventeenth. As Webster tapped in for his par, his caddie Simon Lilley was standing behind him, and in the recorder's hut afterwards, playing partner Olle Karlsson's caddie pointed this out, as deliberately standing on the line can cost a player a two-stroke penalty. But 20 minutes later, after discussions between all the players and their caddies, referee David Probyn ruled there would be no action, leaving Webster to celebrate his 72 and two-under-par aggregate following his fine opening 70 on Thursday. GH950722-000005 GH950722-000005 950722 Total recall of Jack Nicklaus' blue and white sweater IAN PAUL 3 28 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP SPECIAL ILLUS 977272923 ONE of the eternally fascinating aspects of listening to top golfers in Open week is the astonishing recall they have for shots, holes, and scores stretching back many years, writes Ian Paul. American Brad Faxon, however, lent a new dimension to this phenomenon when he described the sweater Jack Nicklaus wore when he won the Open at the Old Course in 1978. The slim, tall man from Barrington, Rhode Island, mentioned this as he explained why, although he had never played at St Andrews, he felt he knew the course well. After shooting a superb 67 to join the traffic jam at the top of the leaderboard, Faxon said: ''I watched the course so often on TV that I feel I know it very well. ''I can remember Jack's sweater and I remember watching Seve in 1984 when he won. ''The sweater? It was a blue Argyle, a light blue and white cashmere.'' Faxon knew he needed a birdie at the last to equal his performance at Turnberry over the opening two days last year. He achieved that, despite being nervous about his chances, adding his 67 to his previous 71 for a six-under-par 138. As well as an impressive memory, Faxon revealed a rare modesty. ''I haven't played that much in the Open because I was just not good enough. I remember the last time I was over I had to qualify at Scotscraig and I shot seven under but still didn't make it. ''I had always planned to play St Andrews.'' He didn't think the pin placements were tougher than Thursday ... ''two were impossible''. He would like to think he will play better in the last round this year if he is in contention than he did at Turnberry. ''I was anxious to get off to a good start but I bogeyed the first hole and never really got going.'' Faxon has won four tournaments in the US but has never made it at the highest level. ''Majors are a pretty big part of my life, but I don't think I could say that I cannot live without winning one.'' Two players didn't even get to the last green. Irishman Philip Walton did get up the fairway, but when he discovered that his ball had gone out of bounds he decided he would call it a day rather than walk back to the tee and start again. He was five over at the time. Andrew Oldcorn, the Englishman who speaks with a Scottish accent, had to quit for a different reason. His back has been giving him trouble, and it proved too painful even to start his second round. GH950722-000006 GH950722-000006 950722 Courting disaster with cuts MARTIN SMITH 3 10 FEATURE 977272924 Martin Smith assesses the brunt of pressure on Glasgow's criminal justice system as thousands of cases are dropped IT IS, indeed, alarming to read that more than 7000 criminal cases, which would normally be prosecuted, were dropped because Glasgow District Court had insufficient capacity to deal with them within the allotted time. While these figures have just been made public, they will come as no surprise to the hard-pressed legal practitioners who ply their trade in the district court, and for that matter the sheriff court, and also the over-worked procurator fiscal's department. As with everything else, however, the situation is perhaps not quite so critical when one examines the background in more detail. It would have to be said that a considerable number of these 7000 cases will be dropped for cause shown. The public should not think that the procurator fiscal sits with a huge pile of case files on his desk, tosses a coin, and then throws half of them into the bin. Before any case is dropped, it will be carefully checked and many cases will not proceed simply because the procurator fiscal realises after examining the papers that there is no case to answer or that to proceed would, for whatever reason, not be in the public interest. The cases dealt with by Glasgow District Court are summary cases, and in the majority of summary cases the procurator fiscal does not see the witnesses before the day of the trial. What a witness may have told a police officer six months previously may well be different from what he is prepared to say when he goes into court. So rather than waste court time such a case may be dropped prior to trial if the fiscal realises a conviction cannot be obtained. Another important factor, one forecast by the Glasgow Bar Association at the time when the Legal Aid budget was slashed, is that an ever increasing number of accused persons are now denied assistance. People outwith the legal profession might have rubbed their hands at the time assuming lawyers were getting rich on the back of Legal Aid which, of course, is a fallacy. The birds, however, have now come home to roost, which will cause those who are familiar with court procedures no surprise whatsoever. It is a fact that whether an accused person is guilty or innocent the vast majority of them will, when they first appear in curt, plead not guilty. If those individuals then have the benefit of legal advice the lawyer will often, and where appropriate, tell them they have no alternative but to plead guilty. Normally the lawyer's advice is accepted and at the end of the day the accused pleads guilty. The unrepresented accused, however, will probably maintain his plea of not guilty causing a trial to take place which could last a day or more. In the end he will, of course, be found guilty, probably because he was guilty in the first place, but without the benefit of legal advice these individuals normally opt to take their chance at a trial which unnecessarily clogs the system. A third reason is that crime is on the increase in this city whatever facts or figures are publicly produced. Assaults, and even murders, are now 10-a-penny and the drug problem is, I believe, more serious than the authorities have admitted. Ironically, it is probably the drugs problem which has caused all forms of crime to increase because many crimes are, for varying reasons, drug related whether it be the addict stealing money to spend on his habit, or the drug-crazed youth prepared to stick a knife into someone's chest while under the influence. While all of the foregoing factors contribute to this serious situation in our courts, the main reason for this appalling state of affairs is quite simply a lack of resources. The problem would be virtually resolved if an additional 12 courts were constructed at Glasgow District Court, an additional 12 magistrates were hired to hear the cases in those courts, and an additional 12 fiscals and back-up staff were employed to process the cases. In an age when cut-backs are the name of the game, the court system has suffered more than most. In the civil courts, litigants are being charged exorbitant amounts for even the smallest claim on the basis that the Government believes that eventually the courts should pay for themselves. In the criminal courts the cut-backs have undoubtedly led to guilty people walking the streets because there are not sufficient resources to handle their cases within the time limits laid down by statute. The Government can try and apportion blame wherever it wants but the reality is that it is the primarily responsible for the court system breakdown in Glasgow. This should not be interpreted as a gripe against the present Government -- it is a gripe against government in general. If at the next General Election the Labour Party comes to power, it is unlikely that the situation would radically change as sorting out the court system in Glasgow is not likely to be one of the first priorities of any new Government. I was intrigued to read that the Crown Office had put a new structure into place at Glasgow District Court. While I would not confess to be a regular attender nowadays in what is jokingly referred to by the legal profession as Glasgow's Palais de Justice, a number of my colleagues, who do frequent the premises, tell me that this new structure must be so sophisticated that no-one seems to have noticed it in operation. I must admit that never in my reasonably lengthy career as a Glasgow court practitioner have I ever been in a situation where a client of mine has had his case dropped when I have believed him to have been guilty. I can recite many examples of cases being dropped by the prosecuting authorities on the grounds of good cause shown, but my own experience lends me to believe that the situation is perhaps not just quite as critical as the published figures would have one believe. Interestingly enough, I was asked only yesterday, as were a number of my colleagues, if we could provide an example of an actual case which had been dropped in circumstances which would have allowed a person who, in our opinion, was guilty to walk the street without having had to face trial. None of us could come up with any example. Good luck to Crown Office -- if it can bring down the number of cases that are dropped then it is to be commended but, in my opinion, the system will continue to decline until such time as somebody, somewhere realises that it is false economy to cut back on our criminal justice system. * Martin Smith is a Glasgow lawyer and a former procurator fiscal. GH950722-000007 GH950722-000007 950722 Sprinting towards retailing's premier league JOHN BUCHANAN 3 22 ILLUS 977272925 We are about number seven in our sector but our aim is to be in the top three by 1998 Sports shoe retailer Tom Hunter went into business 11 years ago with no stock and very little money. Today, his Ayrshire-based Sports Division has a turnover of #22m and, he tells John Buchanan, this is just the beginning SPORTS Division could already claim to be in the first division of UK retailers, but Tom Hunter's aim is to put the company firmly into the premier league of specialist stores. Over the next three years he plans to triple its turnover from the present #22m to #66m. This dramatic growth will come from an expansion of the existing 29 stores to 106 by 1998. Such ambition would be breathtaking at any time, but coming during a period when retail sales in the High Street are flat, and To Let signs are a common sight in shopping centres, Hunter's proposal would appear to require an intake of pure oxygen. The high flying image of the proposals are put in perspective, however, by a trip to his base in the depths of rural Ayrshire. Visitors invited to Sports Division's headquarters in Dundonald should be issued with a compass as well as a detailed layout of the tiny village. Even once you have found the Olympic Business Park the search is not over. No signposts indicate that the Sports Division HQ is tucked away at the rear of some large warehouses, hidden from view by a row of factories. Hunter laughs at the company's anonymous site, and jokes that when people arrive for an interview they are immediately awarded a bonus point for having found the office. He can afford to laugh. Any firm of consultants asked to give a report on how the privately owned firm should expand would no doubt put at the top of the list a plush new easily accessible head office with an appropriate address in either Edinburgh or Glasgow. After all, the argument would go, if you want to be taken seriously you have to have the right image. Hunter, however, continues to prove all the accepted public relations/marketing theories wrong. From the very beginning Sports Division has bucked the economic trends. Listening to his low key description of how the business started, why it is based where it is, and how he plans to continue growing it, you begin to believe that tripling turnover in three years is easily attainable. Six generations of the Hunter family had run a grocery shop in Cumnock, an Ayrshire mining village, but in 1984 the mines finally closed and his father, Campbell, decided to shut up shop. ''When the mines closed, Cumnock closed,'' says Hunter, who at the time was studying at Strathclyde University. His father, refusing to retire, helped keep the books of a local entrepreneur who sold footwear to retail outlets. ''I was examining the receipts my father had and noticed that trainers appeared to be very popular,'' he says. After some thought he came up with the idea of selling the sports footwear in High Street stores by convincing retailers that they should give him some space. ''I wrote to a number of groups including the then What Every Woman Wants group saying that I was a rapidly growing business. ''I did not get many replies, and I never heard from What Every Woman Wants, but a store group in the North of England agreed to let me sell my footwear in three of its stores.'' This single success buoyed the young entrepreneur but also presented him with a problem: he had no shoes, and nothing on which he could display them. He thanked the store group and explained that because of ''pressure of business'' he would not be able to start the in-house store concession for three weeks. He had borrowed #5000 from his father and another #5000 from a bank. It was time to buy some shoes display units. ''The stores were in Leeds, Sunderland and Aberdeen,'' he explains, ''and I spent my time driving in an old van I had bought between the three replacing stock.'' Sports footwear sales were booming and business went well for the fledgling Sports Division. However, there was a cashflow problem, and this could easily have killed the company almost at birth. ''The money from my sales went into the store group's till, and it then deducted commission and sent me the remainder, but I had to wait for the money.'' Sports Division was owed #30,000 by the store group when Hunter was approached by the chairman who suggested changing the way he was being paid. It was agreed that in future Sports Division would receive the gross money from the sales, and would then forward the commission to the store group.''Six weeks after this conversation,'' he says, ''it went bust, but it only owed me #145.'' Sports Division could easily have been brought down by the crash of the other company, but thanks to the action of its chairman it was able to carry on, and gained concessions in large chains such as Fosters. By 1989 Hunter had 60 in-store concessions, and in that year opened the first sports footwear store of his own in Paisley. ''After this we changed our strategy. We now have 29 stores, and only six concessions.'' The aim now is for the company to increase this year's turnover of #22m to #32m in 1996, #45m in 1997 and #66m in 1998. This will be achieved by opening 17 new stores this year, another 30 next year and a further 30 in 1997. At present the company is concentrated in Scotland, although it does have a presence in England with outlets in Sunderland, Carlisle, Stockton, Manchester and Dudley. This is not a definitive list, for such is the rapid expansion of the company that even Tom Hunter has to double check before he can say how many Sports Division branches there are. By next week the figure could easily have grown. ''We are about number seven in our sector,'' he says, ''but our aim is to be in the top three by 1998.'' How does Sports Division buck the present retail trend of flat sales and store closures? ''We understand this business. It is almost like a passion. We do live and breathe the business, and we deliver what our customers want,'' he responds. Sports Division will also stay with the tried-and-tested formula which has brought success, and has no plans to diversify. ''We will stick with the business we know,'' he says. ''In 1991 I tried out the indoor go-karting business, and it was not really a success. We came out of this business after a year.'' To date, Sports Division's expansion has been self-financed as turnover has grown from #135,000 in 1984, the first year of operation, but Hunter does not rule out the company, which he still owns outright, having to borrow to help pay for the planned growth. On the question of the site of his headquarters, he says simply: ''I come from Ayrshire. I only live five minutes from here, and many of the people who work for me are Ayrshire folk, so I have no plans to move to either Glasgow or Edinburgh.'' He makes this statement with the confidence of man who knows that suppliers will find him wherever he is so that they can share in Sports Division's success. GH950722-000008 GH950722-000008 950722 Smith satisfied with Rangers victory. Gascoigne dazzles in Denmark KEN GALLACHER 3 29 ILLUS 977272926 Brondby 1, Rangers 2 RANGERS won the first of their Danish tour games last night in the small town of Grena and Paul Gascoigne scored one of the goals which sent them to victory and had their fans celebrating on the terracings. It was the competitive debut that anyone would want: to score a goal, to have the fans chanting your name, and to fit in with your new team-mates. Gascoigne revelled in the atmosphere. And afterwards he admitted: ''Scoring the goal was a bonus. Obviously that is something extra. ''All I wanted to do was get another game under my belt, and get to know the other players. ''I think I succeeded in doing that and playing with Brian Laudrup was a pleasure. He is wonderful to watch -- but there are so many good players around in this team.'' Gascoigne scored Rangers' second goal when they snapped into action just before half-time. The first came from a Mark Hateley penalty after Laudrup had been dumped in the box by his fellow countryman Per Nielsen. He may have been captain for the night but there was no ceremony involved when he was sent crashing. Hateley took the kick and sent it confidently into the net. Two minutes later it was Gascoigne's turn to score, and to finish the game. A marvellous Rangers move down the right saw new boy Stephen Wright play a one-two with Laudrup, and then cross for Gascoigne to score with a shot which struck the inside of the post and then spun into the net. The Danes did get one back in 65 minutes when the local referee gave them what seemed a soft penalty. Ole Bjur was fouled by Durrant, he took the kick himself, and scored and it was the one time in the game that comeback keeper Andy Goram was caught out. Afterwards Rangers manager Walter Smith said: ''I am delighted at the result because this was a game played against good quality opposition. ''It was played in the right manner and I saw enough to satisfy me. Brian Laudrup picked up from where he left off last season. Paul Gascoigne scored a goal and there were other things which satisfied me. ''We need games and by the time we reach our tournament we should be in good shape.'' Just like the Danish side, Smith juggled his team in the second half. Ten minutes after half-time Alan McLaren went off and was replaced by Trevor Steven. Seven minutes later Gascoigne, Hateley, and Charlie Miller all went off with Gordon Durie, Ian Durrant and Stuart McCall taking over. Apart from the Gascoigne goal, and an outstanding performance from Ian Ferguson, Smith must have been delighted with Goram's display. Several times he made world class saves and looked as if he had returned to the form which had Smith rate him the best goalkeeper in Britain. Rangers went into the game without skipper Richard Gough but there is nothing seriously wrong with the defender. Explained Smith: ''Richard has a slight injury and on these hard grounds I didn't want to take any risks.'' RANGERS -- Goram, Wright, Robertson, Moore, McLaren, Reid, Miller, Gascoigne, Ferguson, Hateley, Laudrup. Substitutes -- Steven, McCall, Durrant, Durie, Mikhailichenko. GH950722-000009 GH950722-000009 950722 Pentire to confirm status WHITE GOLD 3 27 977272927 PENTIRE, racing's equivalent of the ugly duckling, can show the world he is truly a swan by landing the Group One King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot today. The transformation through the winter has not been one from muddy down to a imperious white plumage, but more like useful performer to champion middle-distance three-year-old elect. Make no mistake, that will be Pentire's mantle if he humbles Lammtarra and company in today's #340,000-added race. As a juvenile, he showed plenty of ability without for a moment suggesting he would scale the heights. Things have been very different in 1995, however, as Pentire goes into the King George with an unbeaten record for the season. Pentire, who will prove well-suited by the prevailing conditions, should prove up to his first Group One test. Of the Maktoum challenge, the most potent threat looks to be Lammtarra, due to be ridden by Frankie Dettori after the baffling decision by connections to axe Walter Swinburn. GH950722-000010 GH950722-000010 950722 Rootless writer pays the price ANNE SIMPSON 3 10 PROFILE ILLUS 977272928 Anne Simpson talks to Vitali Vitaliev who longed for 'Britain's shabbiness and grace' VITALI Vitaliev . . . the very name spells animation, a life tirelessly on the move. And it is true, Vitaliev inhabits mobility as if it were his home, the only significant furniture being his ethnic complications. These he intones with a blade of satire in his voice, as if recalling the nitpicking of some petty Soviet bureaucrat: Jewish by origin, Ukrainian by birth, Russian by culture, European by instinct, Australian by passport, British by residence. It adds up to what? Vitaliev shrugs, incredulous as anyone. Is he a global nuisance? A clapped-out empire thought so, which is why he now describes himself as a vagabond, but a vagabond captivated by hotels. That, anyway, is the story so far. But even in the worst of times when the might of the Soviet Union crushed the very breath of freedom from its people Vitaliev was, by emotion, a buccaneer. In order to dream that he was living elsewhere he learned foreign languages compulsively, and for 30 years the child, the journalist, and the husband in him absorbed every twist and turn of remote voyagers through books. ''We were duped by an appalling patriotism,'' he reflects. ''The patriotism of lies which told us that because the motherland loved us we must lead isolated lives in the largest cage in the world.'' No real mother ever maimed her children so. In Edinburgh, the other day, Vitaliev was promoting Little Is The Light, his fifth book of humorous insights on the West, and once more he was relishing the floating anywhere-ambience of hotels. His bleak experience of empire spurred this latest travelogue, a journey through nationhood in miniature, which focuses Vitaliev's idiosyncratic eye on 11 tiny European states from the Faroes to Andorra, from Liechtenstein to the Isle of Man. What emerges is a hymn to smallness and the bravery of those who defend their culture against the big batallions and, in so doing, acquire a self-esteem.But, as the world knows, small countries can also be the dung heaps of bigotry, national pride souring into national conceit and, worse still, the poison of corrupted nationalism. Look at former Yugoslavia where territorial wars stain everything with hate. In trying to comprehend that horror Vitaliev crafts a metaphor of the kind that is never far from a Soviet victim's psyche. The dismay of ages fills his voice, and his conviviality seems suddenly rammed by the hopelessness of it all: ''For me, poor trampled Bosnia is like a person who has lived all his life in a prison cell with no daylight, and the belief that the world is a plate of soup. One day a sympathetic jailor shows him a little window in the ceiling, and he sees outside just a fraction of a wonderful world with sky and colour, and pine trees. ''So, now he knows that he has been cheated; the world is not a plate of soup. But instead of rejoicing, he tries to redress the injustices visited on him. In anger he wants to reclaim years that cannot be returned. He seeks recompense through violence from the person in a neighbouring cell where he believes the view is better. And once he has broken the boundary into vengeance and barbarity he, too, is lost because he can never step back . . .'' Moscow's perestroika promised so much, and for a while came good. But just when things were looking up for Vitali Vitaliev, KGB harassment forced him into exile. So, in 1990 Vitaliev came West, arriving first in Britain to be embraced by the jesting Socrates, Clive James. Through James's good offices he acquired a TV persona, but even if a vagabond may call the world his home, he sometimes finds it inhospitable: Britain refused Vitaliev a visa. The solution, encouraged James, was to point himself and his family towards Australia, and thus Vitaliev became a columnist on the Melbourne Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. Did paradise beckon? Admiring readers, a big house and swimming pool, a happy wife, a son excited by shimmering horizons . . . no matter how moved by Australia's kindness, Vitaliev felt himself bereft. His sudden freedom seemed to be evaporating in the tyranny of Australia's distance. ''For 35 years I had lived with the great emptiness of totalitarianism,'' he says, ''but in Melbourne I couldn't find myself creatively there either. I missed Europe too much. I missed the smell of flowers, the colour of the sky, and I longed for Britain's shabbiness and grace.'' To escape his loss, Vitaliev would take off whenever possible for Tasmania. There, amid its small scale and European sensibility, he would be almost moved to tears, and inevitably such pining brought him back. So, today he is based in London, a recognised figure from his engaging television documentaries, and a regular contributor to the European. ''To be rootless is important for a writer because it helps to make him objective, but I have paid a heavy price for it. My wife and I are now divorced, and Mitya, my only child who is 15, stays with her in Australia.'' As for his own childhood Vitaliev returned to the Ukraine some years ago to discover that everything he remembered had been bulldozed as unimportant. ''My childhood country didn't exist anymore except in my memory, but I carry that horrible, dear place inside me wherever I go.'' Although he insists his interest in Russia has drained away, the country clearly haunts him: ''I wrote the other week that I was ashamed to be associated with Russia because of what it had done in Chechnya -- and this at a time, when the Government asks Germany to apologise for the atrocities of the Second World War. So, nothing has changed. The lies continue and people in power suppress their guilt. Why else is Yeltsin drinking himself to death?'' Vitaliev is, if anything, a reversed ageist in his attitude to countries: ''Beauty is a category of age and for me Australia is a teenage girl, the land where I first allowed myself to write lyrically, and for that I will always be grateful. But Britain is the older woman: experienced, elegant, often complaining but eternally seductive.'' So there it is, the life of the vagabond turned Commonwealth citizen contained within a piquant symmetry of its own. Vitali Vitaliev swapped one crumbling empire for another, only this time he can say the motherland is not the country of his birth, but the country where he started growing. * Little is the Light by Vitali Vitaliev. Touchstone Books. #14.99. GH950722-000011 GH950722-000011 950722 Chairman Robinson strikes after 'damaging comments'. McLean is axed from Tynecastle JIM REYNOLDS 3 29 FEATURE ILLUS 977272929 TOMMY McLean's turbulent career as manager of Hearts came to an end yesterday when he was sacked by club chairman Chris Robinson following weeks of speculation and in-fighting. A brief statement by the chairman confirmed the move, with compensation still to be agreed between the two parties. Now the way could be paved for a legal battle. Relations between McLean, who moved to Tynecastle from his job as manager of Motherwell only 13 months ago, and his chairman had recently become more strained and it emerged during the last week that McLean had offered to resign on several occasions. It also was claimed that, with two years left of his contract, the manager would be prepared to go, if a compensation figure could be agreed. The situation, however, took a new twist yesterday when chairman Robinson said: ''It is with some regret that I confirm the termination today of Tommy McLean's position as manager of Hearts. ''Whilst there has been recent comment about Mr McLean resigning his position, the board have found it quite intolerable that someone in Mr McLean's position should make public statements, some totally untrue and damaging, about the confidential affairs of the club, including player contracts and negotiations.'' Earlier this week, Hearts did offer McLean an undisclosed pay-off to quit the club, but it is understood that it was only in the region of #50,000. McLean was expecting almost double that. McLean, who left Tynecastle at lunchtime yesterday, would only comment: ''I don't want to say anything until I have spoken to my legal advisors.'' Robinson took over Hearts from Wallace Mercer, he sacked Sandy Clark and installed McLean, who had spent 10 years at Motherwell -- years in which he had helped to wipe out debts at Fir Park and put the club in a good financial position. On the playing side, he led the Lanarkshire side to the Scottish Cup in 1991 and twice steered them into Europe. A month after quitting Motherwell, the call came from Hearts, and McLean could not resist the chance to work with one of Scotland's biggest clubs. It seemed, however, doomed to fail from the start. He was promised a budget to strengthen the squad, but that never happened. The club was faced with ongoing financial problems, including the upgrading of the stadium, and instead of buying new players, McLean was forced to sell. Alan McLaren went to Rangers for #1.2m and Tosh McKinlay moved to Celtic for #350,000, and the manager had to stand by in frustration as the money from those sales went elsewhere. There was also the case of a failed share issues venture which raised less than it cost to set up, and in recent weeks there was even a question over who would own the club. All of this was hardly conducive to building a base where Hearts could work their way back to the top of Scottish football. The club presently has an overdraft of more than #4m and other smaller amounts owing to other creditors come to just under #300,000. Former club chairman Wallace Mercer will see them in court within weeks over #125,000 which they failed to pay, as agreed, last month. It represented the first of six annual instalments to pay for the balance of last summer's shares transaction when the club changed hands. Yet, despite the upheavals, McLean helped Hearts to win their premier division survival battle last season, and took them to the Tennents Scottish Cup semi-final. Now the club faces further legal action as McLean chases adequate compensation, and lack of money could hinder Hearts in any move they have in mind of going for a ''sitting'' manager to replace him. Falkirk manager Jim Jefferies, a former captain of Hearts, is one name being shouted around, but he said yesterday, before taking the Brockville players to the Highlands: ''I'm manager of Falkirk, preparing to take my team up north for pre-season matches.'' Jimmy Nicholl, of Raith Rovers, was another name being mentioned, but, because of the financial situation, I would not be at all surprised if Hearts made an appointment from within, either coaches Eamonn Bannon or Walter Kidd, who will be in charge of training in the interim -- or even the appointment of a player-manager. Senior players who could fill that role are Craig Levein and Dave McPherson. GH950722-000012 GH950722-000012 950722 Goodison grab Kanchelskis 3 29 977272930 EVERTON persuaded Andrei Kanchelskis to agree a club record #5m move to Goodison Park yesterday rather than join former Manchester United team-mate Bryan Robson at Middlesbrough. The unsettled 26-year-old Russian international boosts Everton's European Cup-winners' Cup challenge. GH950722-000013 GH950722-000013 950722 Second could well be best JIM REYNOLDS 3 29 977272931 PARTICK Thistle will this afternoon hope to keep alive their hopes of claiming a place in the UEFA Cup when they play their final sectional match against the Croation side Zagreb at Firhill -- but even a victory may not be enough for John Lambie's men. . French club Metz have already made sure of winning the group, but Thistle can hope to claim one of the spots in the next round, reserved for the best second-placed sides, if they win today and Metz beat Linzer of Austria. Thistle manager John Lambie had hoped to include a new signing, but last night there was a hiccup over the proposed swop deal which would have taken St Johnstone's Harry Curran to Firhill with striker Roddy Grant heading back to McDiarmid Park. ''The deal isn't dead yet, but there is still some negotiating to be done,'' said Lambie. Thistle also have huge injury problems, with Alan Dinnie, Steve Pittman, Calum Milne, and Kevin McKee all struggling to be fit. Said Lambie: ''I will be lucky to have one of them in my side, but there is a plus in the fact that striker Rod McDonald,, who missed our last match, will be back. ''I know there were some who doubted the wisdom of our taking part, but my players will have played four matches on quality grounds and against quality opposition. I think the exercise has been worthwhile.'' GH950722-000014 GH950722-000014 950722 Seeing red over Dutch tomatoes 3 8 FEATURE SCOTLANDS HOMES GARDENS ILLUS 977272932 * AS you wait patiently for the first succulent, ripe tomatoes from your greenhouse or conservatory, spare a thought for the war raging between Germany and Holland, writes Ian Walls. Germany has always been a big importer of Dutch tomatoes, but this year's crop has been labelled Wasserbomben aus Holland -- or Dutch waterbombs -- because, say the Germans, the quality is so poor. The problem is the method of culture, which involves hydroponics, and the Germans claim this has a severe effect on fruit quality. The harm to the Dutch glasshouse industry is tremendous, with forecasts of a 20% failure rate among growers unless things improve. One solution may be to develop still further the techniques of selling on the truss, which prove to customers that the tomatoes were grown in a relatively conventional manner. There certainly has been criticism about commercial growing methods which are boosting yields to unprecedented levels. Few commercial crops, other than those produced organically, now grow in soil. Peat-based grow-bags are the most popular amateur method and they are reasonably successful and produce good-quality fruit. Probably the best and most tasty fruit come from growing in soil, or soil-manure mixes. I grow all mine in greenhouse borders and the family seem perfectly happy. It will be interesting to see the outcome of this tomato war. The Dutch are resilient. If changes are needed, they will make them. GH950722-000015 GH950722-000015 950722 Wacky wizard of Oz. Bob Downe, Moulin Rouge, Glasgow Green STEPHEN MCGINTY 3 16 REVIEW 977272933 THE thing about Bob Downe is that he wants to be Roger Moore in The Spy Who Loved Me more than I do. He wears a killer safari suit. Other secret agents may deal death with a flame-throwing pen, Bob dances us to death with disco tracks, Fame and I Will Always Love You. Judging by the ecstatic audience reaction -- he literally couldn't leave the stage -- Glasgow will always love him. Here hecklers don't harass, they just can't contain their unbridled passion. The girl next to me asked Bob if he had a video to promote, before giving him a wrapped square of caramel shortbread. Even with an audience fed on caster sugar Bob is sweet enough. He's also camp as a big tent, which is exactly where he found himself, dishing out laughs like the Minister of Fun. What is it about Australia and tack? It's as if the entire continent was bought at a car boot sale, or swapped for Kerplunk! and a Scalextrix set. It revels in it, and Bob Downe is the cultural attache, a vision, first in a light blue shell-suit, all man-made fibres, white BhS socks, and Hush Puppy loafers. His actual comic material, Slyvanian Waters, day-time TV and Opray meets Michael Jackson is three years out of date and relatively chuckle-free. But when it's strained through the perfect white teeth of such a bizarre character, it becomes as sharp and tangy as Listermint. Bob might not swallow, but we all do. GH950722-000016 GH950722-000016 950722 Coltart's own report reads 'could do better' IAN PAUL 3 26 PROFILE THIS SPORTING LIFE ILLUS 977272934 Paid as well as you played is the hard lesson EVEN if it is a risky business, predicting great things for embryo star turns is an exercise in which we all like to indulge. In golf, Scotland seems to be going through a particularly exciting period, with amateurs like Gordon Sherry and Stephen Gallacher preparing to move sooner or later into the professional arena. They have what it takes to do well, but they ought to be aware that, once they cross that great divide between amateur and pro, life is very different indeed. Andrew Coltart would be able to fill in the blanks for them. The 25-year-old from Thornhill is still learning the business at the pay-packet end, where playing a game is transformed into working for a living. Coltart, who turned professional four years ago, has made significant progress in that time, and is now doing a good deal better than earning his keep. The next stage for him will be winning, and then winning again. After that, who can tell? He talks with some passion about the traumatic time it can be for a new young pro on the Tour. He gradually had improved as an amateur to the point where he had made it into the Walker Cup team, as well as the Eisenhower Trophy side and the World Cup. ''I decided it was time to give it a go as a professional. I had only played in one pro tournament, the English Open, and suddenly I was thrown into a bewildering new world. ''There were guys who were household names out on the practice range hitting balls beside me. I didn't know people. You are inclined to feel lonely. When I played in tournaments I would stare at big stars walking up the next fairway. '''I also went into my first tournament thinking I would win #40,000 right away. I was trying shots that were impossible, instead of playing the percentages.'' The consequence of this dramatic change of lifestyle was that Coltart ended his first year depressed and disappointed, but he did not allow thoughts of quitting to enter his head. He had won #9763 . . . ''not enough to pay the bills.'' It may not have seemed like it at the time, but this was the apprenticeship, the hard school that needs to be experienced before the good times can be contemplated. The young man who had believed since he was about 13 that golf would be his life had absorbed the lessons. The steel, the single-minded application and the conviction that he would succeed were in place. He was also helped greatly by Chubby Chandler, whose ISM agency look after his interests. The next year was entirely different. He won the Scottish Professional championship, the first time he had played in it, had seven top-10 finishes on the European Tour, and collected #286,960, more than enough pennies to pay off the wolf at the door. He also won the Australian PGA title in Sidney. He has his own explanation as to why there was such an uspurge. ''It was all different for me then. I knew the people on the Tour, like a big family. I knew the places to stay, the countries and the courses. I was not lonely any more, and the whole thing seemed so much friendlier.'' He started this year feeling good about himself but, as he says, golf soon knocks any fanciful ideas into the rough. He did finish fourth in the Johnnie Walker Classic, second in the Catalonia Open, tied fourth in the French Open, but otherwise, he has not had a great time. ''I had played an awful lot of golf in 12 months and I felt tired. I decided to take a couple of weeks off, and I feel the better for it.'' He agrees, albeit a bit grudgingly, that his progress has been satisfactory. ''If someone had said a couple of years ago that, after 12 months, I would have played in the Dunhill Cup, the World Cup, am now playing in my fourth Open, have a chance of getting a Dunhill Cup place again, and have the possibility of a Ryder Cup spot, of course I would have been delighted.'' But he thinks a little about that report card, and adds: ''I don't want to be an also-ran. I want to finish well up there nearly every week. I am a bit more seasoned now. I don't care who I am paired with. I have a job to do and I want to get on with it.'' Like everybody else, Coltart has a high opinion of Gordon Sherry and is confident that the young man from Kilmarnock will be a big success when he does get around to turning pro. ''If he can just play as he is doing, he won't have a problem, but if comes out expecting to break records, to be the Rookie of the Year and winning tournaments, that would put pressure on him. ''I put myself under a little pressure and kept shooting myself in the foot all the time.'' He has moved a distance along the road since then and looks very capable of taking the Coltart golfing family track record to new heights. His great grandgather was a founder member of Thornhill Golf Club, his grandfather was a scratch player and his dad has got close to a 1 handicap. His father, Robert, has been the biggest golfing influence in his life. ''He used to take me as a wee boy to the course. I would be about four or five at the time and I would sit on his trolley until we reached the green. I would then putt. If I took 4 and he scored a 5, I won.'' He progressed to the bigger boys' game in due course, playing in his first Scottish Schoolboys' championship when he was 13. It was about then that he made up his mind to concentrate on golf, giving up football, tennis, badminton etc, at which he had also shown talent. By the time he had won the Scottish amateur strokeplay title, and finished runner-up in the Scottish Amateur, he had become fully confident in his abilities and felt good enough to have a go at the pro world. He got through with the help of his parents and is gradually making a name for himself. The name is not quite well enough known yet to put the man with a similar name, racing driver David Coulthard, in the shade. The two are mistaken for each other, it seems. Certainly, Andrew tells of the time he was signing autographs at a Variety Club function when he saw a little boy sheepishly hanging back with autograph book in hand. ''His mum ushered him forward, saying: go on, this man drives fast cars.'' Still, he has been told that the other Coulthard has had a similar experience, although he suspects it was said just to make him feel better. ''I don't know if it is true, but apparently David arrived at Glasgow airport, rushed into a taxi and the driver, looking in his mirror, said: 'I should know that face, shouldn't I? You have had an awfy good season in the golf.' '' He might be an even bigger name one day. Coltart, the golfer, that is. GH950722-000017 GH950722-000017 950722 Raducioiu's about-turn KEN GALLACHER 3 29 977272935 RANGERS' patient pursuit of Romanian striker Florin Raducioiu will pay off within the next three days. Raducioiu, who said earlier that he was not ready to move to Scotland, appears to have changed his mind after talks with his Spanish club, Espanol, and his agent. Now he will become Rangers' third major close season signing, with his #2.7m fee pushing the Ibrox transfer budget for the close season towards the #9m mark. Already Paul Gascoigne has joined the Scottish champions from Italian club Lazio for #4.3m. Full back Stephen Wright has also arrived at Ibrox from Aberdeen with his fee, still to be set by a tribunal, surely nudging #1.5m. I understand that Brian Laudrup, who played with Raducioiu in Italy with AC Milan, has helped to convince him that Rangers are poised to become a major power in Europe. Manager Walter Smith may have to break away from the club's Denmark tour to finalise a signing which will boost the club's chances of reaching the European Champions' League, and making an impression once they get there. GH950722-000018 GH950722-000018 950722 Wood attacks to defend his title 3 29 977272936 TOP seed Kenny Wood became the first player for 26 years to successfully defend the men's singles title at the Scottish Grasscourt Championships at the Dyvours Club in Edinburgh yesterday. Wood led Calum McKnight 5-2 in the first set witih McKnight twice double-faulting on break point. But McKnight recovered and broke Wood's serve to love and then served a love game to cut the deficit to 4-5. Wood was more consistent and quickly took the first set, then broke his opponent's serve in the fifth and seventh games of the second set, for a 6-4, 6-2 victory. ''I thought Calum actually played better tennis than me but he didn't do it consistently enough,'' Wood said. Heather Lockhart of Newlands had to work hard to retain her women's singles title. She came back after losing the first set to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 against Nicola Burns of Whitecraigs. Finals results: Men's Singles: K Wood (Caledonian) bt C McKinght (Newlands) 6-4, 6-2; Women's Singles: H Lockhart (Newlands) bt N Burns (Whitecraigs) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Men's Doubles: McKnight and M Watt (Newlands) bt J Russell and T Smith (both Giffnock) 7-5, 6-3. Women's Doubles: Lockhart and Burns bt F Reid and A Wood (both Dunfermline) 6-2, 6-4; Mixed Doubles: McKnight and Burns bt J Thomson (Braid) and J Denholm (Erskine) 6-3, 6-4. * CHRIS Wilkinson, one of two remaining Britons in the Manchester Challenger, booked his place in the last four with a hard fought success at Didsbury yesterday over former Wimbledon junior champion Diego Nargiso. Wilkinson later described his 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 success as ''one of my best ever''. Wilkinson, who meets fellow Briton Mark Petchey in today's semi-final, added: ''If I can play like that more often I will be right up in the top 50.'' Petchey succeeded where Davis Cup colleague Tim Henman failed, beating Sander Groen of Holland 7-6, 6-4. The first semi-final will be an all-German affair between Christian Saceanu and fifth seed Arne Thoms. GH950722-000019 GH950722-000019 950722 Arnie closes Open account And then there were only two IAN PAUL 3 28 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP SPECIAL ILLUS 977272937 THEY were once collectively known as the Big Three, a trio of golfers who dominated the sport for three decades, and many still believe that it was due to their brilliance that the game was hoisted to a worldwide popularity it had not enjoyed previously. Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus may be in the twilight zone of their careers, but the testament to their durability is the size of galleries they still take around with them at the Open. Palmer, naturally, attracted the most as he went round the Old Course yesterday for the last time in this championship, Nicklaus showed immense strength of character to shoot a 70 after his trials of the previous day, but it was Player who showed his two old pals a thing or two by ending his second round with an aggregate 144, level par, to qualify for the last two days -- later to be joined unexpectedly by Nicklaus. At 59, the South African is the oldest man to make it through to the last stage of the Open in modern times. He did so wrapped up in his waterproof suit trying to fend off a heavy cold that had him wearing two pairs of pyjamas the night before. ''I tried to sweat it out, but I don't feel too good.'' Player, who had a 73, admitted that even he thought qualifying for the later stages was quite a feat. ''Although I have this cold I think that my general fitness is one reason I have made it. The pin placements are as difficult as I have ever seen them on this course.'' He coped well with the inevitable huge putts on the Old Course, some of which are longer than you take the dog a walk. He is enjoying a rather more comfortable time than he did when he first came to the Open here in 1957. He remembers sleeping on the beach on the first night before being able to find a bed-and-breakfast vacancy. Today could be a bit special even by Player standards as his horse, Broadway Flyer, runs in the King George Vl and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. Player, one of only four golfers who have won all four majors (the others are Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen, and Ben Hogan), had a birdie 3 at the seventh but was proud of the run-up shot he played to give him a chance of par at the last. ''I used a No.7 iron and ran it 112 yards.'' Palmer, however, will not be joining him, having played a very emotional last Open round -- he shot 75 -- to end a playing association that goes back 35 years. No-one who was there yesterday will forget the ovation he received along the eighteenth fairway and all of us who listened to him in the interview tent later will carry that memory for a long time. The sight of other players, officials, and the entire gallery on both sides of the fairway applauding the slightly hunched figure who had removed his cap to wave to the throngs was hard to remove from the mind's eye. Among the army of photographers, and almost unnoticed, went Mark McCormack, snapping away with his camera at the man who was his first client in the organisation which has grown to be the biggest sports management company in the world. The great man himself tried hard to hold on to his emotions. ''I promised I would not get sentimental,'' he said. ''So would you guys not ask me questions I find hard to answer.'' He failed, just, to keep his promise, stopping on occasion to swallow hard, blink, and occasionally exhale loudly, trying to stave off the flood of memories that clearly were close to engulfing him. ''I guess it is over,'' he said quietly. ''Coming up the eighteenth I couldn't help but think back to 1960 and what did for me. It brought a lot of happy times both golfingwise and socially. ''I think now about finishing second to Nagle at St Andrews, about winning at Birkdale and Troon, about the friendships I have made here. It has been a very happy time.'' He reminded us of one year having to qualify for the Open even though he had won the US Open and the Masters, and again after he had actually won the championship at Royal Birkdale he still had to qualify for Troon where he won again. ''The young guys don't believe it when I tell them.'' He intends to come back to St Andrews in September to play in the Autumn Medal, which is his right as an honorary member of the R and A. ''I have played like a handicapper this week, I might as well be one.'' When he came to the end of the chat he was close to losing his battle with his emotions, but reached out and finished off a glass of whisky. ''There is nothing like a good drink of Scotch to soothe things.'' Meanwhile, Nicklaus, whose temper had almost cracked when he took four to get out of Hell Bunker on Thursday, demonstrated what a courageous golfer he is by shooting a two-under-par 70, which still left him four over for the tournament. The steel of the man can be gauged by the fact that after that 10 the previous day he did not have a bogey in the next 22 holes he played. Like his colleagues of the Big Three, Jack showed us this week that they really don't make them this way any more. GH950722-000020 GH950722-000020 950722 Craigs' story of how West was lost JOHN BEATTIE 3 26 FEATURE 977272938 IT DEPENDS on how you view life, but it could be argued that the defection of the three Craig brothers -- Mark, Richie, and James -- from West of Scotland to Hawick over the summer is one of the most severe blows that Glasgow rugby has had. The fact that three ambitious backs from the West feel the need to go down to the Borders to further their rugby careers is surely a slap in the face for Glasgow rugby in one way or another. A time to investigate our belly buttons perhaps. Two of Mrs Margaret Craig's ''Lisbon Cubs'' as she affectionately calls them -- they do, after all, have a rather famous dad -- already are down in Hawick. Elder brother Mark is on a course with his employers in Hull, but training hard. They like what they have experienced so far, and in all their decision-making, the guiding hand of former Celt Jim is there to be seen. ''Rugby as a game is fundamentally flawed,'' says father. ''If your forwards don't win the ball in rugby, then the backs don't get it. They were not getting that at West of Scotland.'' Of all three sons, it is the youngest, James, who has created the latest impact. Quite extraordinary for a boy who last year was still at school. I still remember him producing two blistering breaks against the New Zealand Schools at Murrayfield, and they were, it would appear, enough to get the talent scouts sweating. It has been said that he could be the fastest thing on two legs in Scottish rugby. The problem quickly arose of who to play for. ''James used to come with me to watch Mark play for West on a Saturday afternoon,'' said Jim. ''He noticed straight away that Mark stood there for most of the game waiting to receive a pass, and he said that there was no way that he was going to do the same thing on the other wing this season.'' Eldest son Mark said one reason for leaving was a lack of coaching, and that was where Hawick stepped in. ''I played for Hawick in the sevens at the end of last year and I really enjoyed it. They seemed ambitious, which was more than could be said for West of Scotland. I don't think that I have ever been coached properly at West, although I'm not saying that there are not any good coaches in Glasgow. ''It was then that I really started to think about moving. It was a shame really, but West didn't seem to have any massive enthusiasm to progress. As three young players, we had to decide what we could do to help us up the ladder.'' As it transpired, three clubs -- Hawick, Heriot's, and Glasgow Accies -- made direct approaches to the Craig brothers to join, and, with perhaps more of a footballing father's approach, Jim and Margaret Craig travelled down to Hawick to meet representatives of the club to find out just exactly how they intended to play the game, and how they would look after the boys. The name Jim Renwick kept cropping up. A former player like Renwick, who has more knowledge than many a more celebrated figure, would appear to be a huge magnet for aspiring players, especially fellow backs, and Renwick's ability has undoubtedly been dangled like a juicy carrot in front of the Glasgow-based family. Frankly, they haven't been disappointed so far during early season training. ''Richie and James have both said that the things they have been doing in training have been excellent and they have learned a lot from Jim Renwick. I also admire him, and I chatted to him before we decided to come down,'' said Mark. It may be good for Hawick, but it certainly isn't good for Glasgow, and that really does apply whether or not you believe the brothers are world beaters. The fact is that we need every bit of talent to stay in the city to get our rugby progressing here. I understand that Hawick have offered no cash. The boys rent the flat they live in. It is simply a good old fashioned case of one club convincing three lads that they alone can help them get on. Frankly, Hawick got their act together, pushed the right buttons, and made a concerted effort to get the Craig boys. Nobody else really did. Dad Jim sums it up about right. '' Just like moving club, it is now entirely up to them.'' I agree. I'm will enjoy watching how this one unfolds. GH950722-000021 GH950722-000021 950722 Happy Armstrong in a spin with his kind of horsepower DOUG GILLON 3 26 PROFILE ILLUS 977272939 Thrills and spills galore as Jock rallies to the challenge HORSES used to be the sporting passion in the life of Jock Armstrong, but he has been seduced from his first love by horsepower, and is now being touted as the next Scot to make an impact in motorsport. The 25-year-old Armstrong, from Clarebrand, near Castle Douglas, is currently lying sixth after three events in his debut season in the British Rally Championship. Despite piloting a left-hand drive car for the first time, he is leading many experienced veterans, and is second in the race for the Formula 2 amateur award. His charge through the rankings has been lubricated by the Shell Helix Rally Scholarship, granted annually to two drivers -- Lancastrian Neil Simpson is the other. It provides complete support including cars, engines, spares, tyres, mechanics, and hotel accommodation, and is worth a total of #1m this year. Jock, who owns a small building firm, previously rallied on a shoestring, patching up second and third-hand cars. ''You know who your friends are then,'' says Jock. ''My pal, Joe Hunt, often works till midnight, rebuilding and preparing cars. I virtually wrote off a new car -- second hand to me -- then had to rebuild it again. I spent #5000 on tyres alone last year. For each rally, you need 18, at #75 a time, plus VAT. One set may last only 150 stage miles.'' But the scholarship has changed that, providing the very best tuition. Fellow Scot Alister McRae was the inaugural winner three years ago, and he and his father, rallying guru Colin, are advisers to the students who race the Ulster Championship next weekend. Armstrong was launched by a family tradition. His sister Barbara was a fairly experienced driver when Jock beat her, aged 19, in his first event, the Galloway Hills rally. He finished with every body panel bent. Barbara now makes a living by coaching for the John Watson Rally School at Silverstone, and her former navigator, John Richardson, is now her brother's partner. His other sister, Janet had only one season in karts, but won the Scottish title -- the only woman in a field of 40. In a different age group, but often practising along with her, was a youngster called David Coulthard, who lived just over the hill, five miles from the Armstrong home. ''Lap for lap, I could hold my own with him,'' said Janet, whose skip hire business has co-sponsored her brother along with her mother's taxi business. Janet clearly has a forgiving nature. After she had driven just 25 laps in a brand new kart -- a teenage Christmas present -- the 13-year-old Jock pleaded for a shot, then buckled the chassis on his first lap. As a youngster, Jock was into eventing and show jumping, even quadrathlons involving shooting, running, swimming and riding. He won the Stewartry Show in three successive years, and once took the first three places in the New Galloway Show, on his own horse, a borrowed one, and a hand-me-down from one of his sisters. Though he excelled as a horseman, however, he felt the sport was ''for women -- a bit cissy.'' He hated riding lessons because he felt ill every time he made the car journey to the stables. ''I remember feeling humiliated when I was sick all down the back of the drivers' seat. I was the world's worst passenger.'' But his stomach did not even turn over when his Nissan Sunny did, spectacularly, on the Drummond Hill stage during last month's Scottish Rally. Indeed, after the spill, pictured above, spectators had them on their way within seconds. Brought up on a farm, Jock grabbed every chance to get behind the wheel of anything with an engine -- including his mother's Rover. When he was 13, he reversed it into a truck and mangled the rear end. ''I was not allowed in any car for a long time,'' he recalls. ''I used to take old cars into the barley stubble, when I was about 12, and waltz them round a figure-of-eight course, between cones, for hours. When the cones were flattened or knocked over, I would spin the car round the only other obstacle, a telegraph pole. My cousin, Sandy, would shout 'you're much too close.''' Now Richardson is the balancing influence, warning when Jock is pushing too close to the limit. But Armstrong insists: ''You never think about that. It doesn't pay to have too much imagination. It just stops you from going fast. ''I've had my moments, going wild and playing to my pals. But I've learned that's no good. I have learned to drive at nine-tenths. It does not do to go shunting cars. People are looking for a good, clean, safe driver, showing a bit of experience and maturity. It is hard, because my inclination is to drive flat out.'' The voice of reason appears to have helped. Standing in the driveway at Clarebrand, his Nissan looked tempting. ''Nice car,'' I said in a moment of mimicking madness. ''Want to show me what it can do? ''You bet.'' I sat beside Armstrong for less than four minutes, strapped, reassuringly rigid, into the intimately buttock-hugging navigator's seat of the 2000cc injection machine. During that time we covered nearly six miles in Glengap, a special forest stage used during the Scottish Rally. The car rarely seemed to be travelling in a straight line along the corkscrewing dirt track which passed for a road. Yet there was no wrestling with the wheel. Armstrong's movements were smooth and unhurried, except when his arm shot out like a striking cobra, making constant gear changes. Mesmerised, I could barely take my eyes from the trail as it unfolded, frequently only to be seen through the side windows. When I managed to do so, I observed the speedo needle hovering around 150kph, immediately prior to Armstrong's left foot dabbing delicately, almost caressingly, at the brake pedal. His right, on the accelerator, seemingly remained rooted to the floor. The car occasionally managing to get airborne. Jock, apologised for such a tame ride. ''This is just a reconnaissance car. I don't want to do too much damage.'' To be honest, it was life's second greatest thrill. Or in Hugh Grant terms of endearment, the best fun to be had in a car without disturbing one's clothing. Perhaps that's why the constant crescendo, as rocks and debris were hurled into the floorpan and side panels, conjured the image of a biscuit tin subjected to an Old Testament stoning, the penalty for adultery. That was when I understood why Jock Armstrong had fallen in love with rallying. GH950722-000022 GH950722-000022 950722 Lammtarra still one to watch ROBIN COOK 3 27 977272940 THE form of the Epsom Derby has not worked out as well as it might, but punters are still advised to follow Lammtarra for Ascot's feature race, the Diamond Stakes. It is impossible to exaggerate the scale of his Derby achievement. Lammtarra is only the second horse this century to carry off Britain's biggest race on his seasonal debut and he had to find an astonishing burst of speed from off the pace to do it. Despite an interrupted preparation, further improvement can be expected. He is preferred to Carnegie, who has yet to win on firm ground, and Pentire. Blue Duster is the banker on the card and a worthy favourite for the Princess Margaret Stakes. She won the Queen Mary Stakes impressively and ran on in a way that suggests she will get the extra furlongs. Of her rivals, only Ribot's Secret has run in Pattern company and she is well held on a line through Sweet Robin. Wizard King has the class to defy top weight to land the Crocker Bulteel Handicap. He won the Britannia Handicap over course and distance last year and looked better than ever on his reappearance when caught on the line in a Listed race run at a cracking pace. At Newmarket, the Aphrodite Stakes can go to Ellie Ardensky. A progessive sort, she impressed winning at Ripon in May and that form has been boosted by the subsequent wins of those behind her. She is expected to rise to this challenge. Sweet Magic has gone close in his three races this season and can finish in front today in the Chemist Brokers Handicap. He runs best over the minimum trip and last time out was a creditable second in the valuable Gosforth's Park Cup. On a line through Shadow Jury, third that day, he should have the edge on Fairy Wind, who won recently over course and distance against more modest opposition. * LAST week, Robin Cook's tip, Naked Welcome, came in at 6-1, to give him three winning naps in the past month, the others being Bold Effort (10-1) and Salt Lake (9-1). GH950722-000023 GH950722-000023 950722 Bid to lay ghost of a February night 3 28 977272941 MEMORIES of the ill-fated February night against Gerald McClellan are bound to be vivid when Nigel Benn steps back into the ring at the London Arena tonight to protect his WBC super-middleweight crown for the eighth time against Italy's Vincenzo Nardiello. Just how Benn copes with overcoming that traumatic event of five months ago will hold the key to the level of his performance against the 29-year-old Nardiello, from the Rome port of Ostia. During the build-up, Benn has been positive, cheerful and focussed on the job, declaring: ''The old animal is back. I've no fear of going back to the London Arena. The McClellan fight was one of those things that happened.'' Benn suffered a fractured nose and jaw against McClellan, as well as passing blood and shaking uncontrollably -- and he even hyperventilated in the dressing room after the fearful action. Former European champion Nardiello, on the face of it, does not possess the fire-power to physically trouble the 31-year-old champion. Nardiello has a high guard and nagging jab, but is vulnerable to the right hand, probably the best weapon in Benn's artillery. If all goes to plan, Benn could appear on the Oliver McCall-Frank Bruno WBC heavyweight title bill at Wembley Stadium 42 days later -- and may even fit in another defence before tackling the WBC's leading contender Thulane ''Sugar Boy'' Malinga, of South Africa. GH950722-000024 GH950722-000024 950722 Burns more hopeful of major signings. Celtic's strikers do the job IAN BROADLEY 3 29 977272942 VfB Lubeck 1, Celtic 2. MANAGER Tommy Burns was last night guardedly optimistic about adding the German international striker Andreas Thom and Dundee United sweeper Gordan Petric to his squad in the near future. Burns arrived at Lubeck barely an hour before the opening match of Celtic's German campaign having been delayed in transfer negotiations. After seeing his side make an impressive start to their tour, he revealed: ''If I get the news I'm hoping for, I would hope to make an announcement within a couple of days, but at the moment I cannot make any comment on our transfer dealings.'' Then, turning to his side's victory over the lively German outfit, he added: ''The goals we scored through Pierre van Hooydonk and Andy Walker were really special. ''I'm glad for Walker because he will be a very important player for us in the coming season having recovered from all his injury problems. ''Van Hooydonk's goal from a free kick is something he does regularly in training, and we will be looking for more like that in the weeks ahead. ''It was impossible to play flat out in such humid conditions. ''Nevertheless I thought the players did very well considering we have only been in training for six days and were up against a very competent side.'' Celtic's opener came in 29 minutes when Dutchman van Hooydonk was hauled down on the edge of the penalty area. He took the kick himself and swerved it with his right foot into the top right-hand corner of the net for a spectacular delivery. Lubeck equalised in the second half after Celtic keeper Gordon Marshall, defender Mark McNally and goalscorer van Hooydonk had been replaced by Pat Bonner, Malky Mackay and Walker. Lubeck's captain Holger Hinrichsen struck a speculative drive from 35 yards which went in off the post to deceive Bonner. Somehow Celtic summoned the resources amid 90 degree heat to stage a late revival, which was rewarded when Walker volleyed in from 15 yards after John Collins had opened up the German defence. * CELTIC announced yesterday that they had now sold a club record 21,000 season tickets and that the new stand is now a sell-out. Some season tickets are still available for the south stand. * DUNFERMLINE last night signed striker Andy Smith from fellow First Division side Airdrie under freedom of contract. GH950722-000025 GH950722-000025 950722 What the new milk man will deliver ROY GREGOR 3 10 PROFILE ILLUS 977272943 Roy Gregor meets the new chairman of Scottish Milk and examines his plans for the industry THE new man responsible for getting Scotland's milk to the consumer, either as milk, butter, cheese or chocolate products, sat at his desk yesterday and joked: ''Thank goodness my wife is learning to drive a tractor.'' It is just as well John Duncan, a 52-year-old dairy farmer from Maybole, Ayrshire, has in his wife Marion a lady from a similar background. For the foreseeable future he will see less of his 450 acres of land and his 150 cows and the routine of milking, silage making, and more milking. He will also have less time to indulge in his fishing hobby. Instead he will either be in the headquarters of Scottish Milk at Underwood Road, Paisley, or he will attending meetings or answering his telephone. It was on Wednesday of this week that the farming industry was shocked by a leadership coup at Scottish Milk, the fledgling successor to the Scottish Milk Marketing Board. Lanarkshire farmer Jim Brown, the then deputy chairman, was expected to move into the top slot of an organisation that represents 80% of Scotland's milk producers, plus another 160 from Cumbria. After reports that he had been knifed in the back by fellow directors with whom he had worked for over 13 years, he resigned and within an hour it was anounced that John Duncan, a board member for only two years, was the new chairman. Less than 24 hours later Duncan was in ''the lion's den'', in his own words, by attending a producers' meeting in Jim Brown's backyard of Strathaven. ''I know there has been some ill feeling but I have a job to do. We have to make sure Scottish Milk producers are not tempted to go elsewhere to sell their milk.'' One of the problems he faces is that the old SMMB owned its creameries producing butter and cheese and this helped cope with the swings and roundabouts of seasonal supplies. The removal of the statutory powers of the board gave dairy farmers the freedom to choose where to send their milk. But at what price? The SMMB creameries, under the Scottish Pride label, were customers, as were other cheese manufacturers and Nestles as well as the growing pinta-selling giant Wiseman Dairies. ''We have to convince farmers that Scottish Milk can raise them a realistic price in the market-place. Scottish Pride is a crucial outlet, taking more than half the milk we produce.'' But he points out that profit margins in milk production are in fractions of pence per litre. With the variation in production size units he and his team have to balance out collection and delivery costs. In an extreme example he tells of three successive occasions when a tanker was called to a farm to uplift only 50 litres of milk, while another was marketing 8000 litres from its herd. That is why there has been the introduction of charges of #5 per call and one-tenth pence per litre for collection. ''It would be difficult, if not impossible, to differentiate between large and small producers and who is nearest to a delivery point.'' Another aspect is that of milk quality. Producers are paid according to the protein and butterfat content of their milk -- important considerations for processors but as yet little acknowledged by the pinta-buyers. But Duncan believes that will change. ''We are beginning to see, and will see more, of the supermarket-led consumer demand which exists in America. This not only relates to the nutritional quality of milk but also the public image of dairy farming with regard to animal welfare. So far we have a good record but we must be prepared for any challenge by the public on the welfare issue.'' As a former member of the National Farmers' Union of Scotland animal health and welfare committee he is well aware of the public pressures on the industry. He also wants to see a renewal of the generic promotion of milk as a health food but, like his followers, wants to know who will pay for it and how it can be generated since there is no longer a Scottish Dairy Council. The last year, he says, has been traumatic for many in the dairy industry. ''After deregulation we had a dilemma of which way to jump in the open market. There is a new generation of milk producers knowing they have access to other outlets. Duncan is also concerned about the lack of opportunities for anyone wanting to start milk production. ''The milk quota system was introduced dramatically with no regard to its social consequences. The industry has benefited financially from the quota system but there is no way in for new entrants.'' His new post he sees as a challenge to get milk producers to consolidate behind their co-operative marketing structure and become more aggressive in marketing milk. ''Members have told me they want a higher profile. That we must try to deliver''. And in the process John Duncan might have to spend less time on his hobby of fishing. ''Mind you, fishing is a wet-day hobby and I wouldn't be out making silage that day.'' No. But he may well be on the end of his telephone telling milk producers what, if anything, he has achieved in a dour market. GH950722-000026 GH950722-000026 950722 Victory dedicated to tragic team-mate 3 28 977272944 AMERICAN Lance Armstrong drew strength from tragedy to win the eighteenth stage of the Tour de France yesterday, dedicating his victory to tragic team-mate Fabio Casartelli, who died in a race crash four days ago in the Pyrenees. Armstrong, the 24-year-old, leader of Italian Casartelli's Motorola team, had to dig deep into his reserves of stamina to make a solo break 18 miles from the end of the 104-mile stage from Montpon-Menesterol. He said afterwards: ''I did it for one person. I did it for Fabio Casartelli.'' The stage made no major changes in the overall standings, with Spain's Miguel Indurain virtually assured of a fifth successive win when the Tour finishes in Paris tomorrow. He leads Swiss Alex Zuelle by 2min 46sec. Amstrong, world champion in 1993, escaped early on in a group of 12, then went alone late on to finish in 3hr 47min 53sec, 33sec ahead of Italian Andrea Ferrigato and 44 ahead of Russian Vyacheslav Ekimov. The race continues with a 29- mile individual time trial at the Lac de Vassiviere today. Stage 18 -- 1, L Armstrong (USA) Motorola 3hr 47min 53sec; 2, A Ferrigato (Italy) Telekom-ZG at 33sec; 3, V Ekimov (Russia) Novell 44; 4, JC Robin (France) Festina same time; 5, M Den Bakker (Holland) TVM 48; 6, A Tafi (Italy) Mapei GB same time; 7, M Lelli (Italy) Mercatone Uno 58; 8, B Cenghialta (Italy) Gewiss Ballan at 1min 47sec; 9, J Bruyneel (Belgium) ONCE; 10, M Sciandri (GB) MG Technogym all same time. Overall standings -- 1, M Indurain (Spain) Banesto 88hr 07min 39sec; 2, A Zuelle (Swi) ONCE at 2:46; 3, Riis 5:59; 4, L Jalabert (France) ONCE 6:26; 5, I Gotti (Italy) Gewiss Ballan 9:52; 6, M Mauri (Spain) ONCE 13:02; 7, F Escartin (Spain) Mapei GB 14:03; 8, H Buenahora (Col) Kelme 14:07; 9, C Chiappucci (Italy) Carrera 14:35; 10, R Virenque (Fra) Festina 14:54. GH950722-000027 GH950722-000027 950722 Another day, another delay RON MACKENNA 3 10 FEATURE 977272945 Ron MacKenna reports on the paper chase that brings a court to a standstill IT took a little over half an hour for the wheels of justice to come spinning off at Glasgow District Court yesterday. Business in No 1, the custody court, began at 10.30am and a steady flow of life's casualties was brought from the cells to go before stipendiary magistrate Mr Robin Christie. As normal, new custodies -- those arrested on the day or night before -- entered from a door to the left of the bench. Men already serving a sentence in prison, or on remand, and all women were brought from a door to the right. The accused, mainly young, usually impassive and all on relatively minor charges, moved swiftly to stand before the magistrate as he dispensed fines, handed down short prison sentences or set trial dates, and just as quickly were taken back to the cells. Then, at 11:05am, the bar officer indicated that there was to be a recess. There was no shortage of accused persons waiting in the cells behind to appear or lawyers waiting to represent them. There simply wasn't any paperwork for them. The supply of complaints documents outlining the alleged offences and prepared by the fiscal's office more than half a mile away had dried up. It took 35 minutes, while the public, lawyers, and court staff cooled their heels, before proceedings could start again and then they only continued until another shortage prompted an early break for lunch. Glasgow District Court, said to be the busiest in Europe, is under the spotlight because last year 7000 criminal cases, which would normally be prosecuted, were dropped because there was insufficient capacity to deal with them in a reasonable time. The figures, revealed in a House of Commons Public Accounts Committee Report, showed that among the charges abandoned were 365 assault cases, 1646 breaches of the peace, 985 thefts, and 3592 parking offences. The lost revenue in fines alone is believed to amount to #250,000. Yesterday's delays, while clearly unpleasant for the prisoners held 30-to-a-Victorian-cell in the back of the court, were nothing out of the ordinary said court personnel and not symptomatic of problems which caused last year's delays. Glasgow senior depute-fiscal John McMenemy said: ''The custody court is dealing with people who have been brought in under warrant or people who have committed offences and been arrested the day or night before. ''That means that from around 9am my office receives new reports from the police on the new crimes. Thereafter they are considered by fiscals on how to proceed. They then require to be typed. The district court is three-quarters of a mile away from our office and the reports have to be ferried over by van.'' Part of the problem with delays in custody cases, said McMenemy, was that Glasgow District Court dealt with them in the morning while most other courts waited until the afternoon, giving the paperwork a chance to catch up. ''It dates back to the days when the courts were under Glasgow Corporation. They were police courts and the police brought people to that building and they could be fed in.'' The depute-fiscal added that cases that had been abandoned were not custody cases. ''They were cases that were reported from the police with no person in custody. They tended to be of a minor nature. There was a lack of court resources and they would have been going into court when the cases were very old, clogging up the system.'' The revelation of large numbers of deserted cases came as a surprise to lawyers working in the district courts. Most solicitors The Herald spoke to said they were not aware of an abnormal number of their cases being abandoned over a year. The district court in Glasgow is made up of eight separate courts run on a two-tier system. Full-time stipendiary magistrates, all solicitors or advocates, deal with the more serious cases and have the sentencing powers of a sheriff sitting in a summary matter. They are backed up by justices of the peace, often local councillors, who sit with a legally qualified person to guide them on the law. The Crown Office say that a new structure is now in place at Glasgow District Court and there had been no cases dropped because of insufficient capacity during May and June. GH950722-000028 GH950722-000028 950722 Osher is back in the old routine ELSPETH BURNSIDE 3 28 977272946 EALING'S Kathy Osher extended her British National Swimming Championship record to 10 victories in the 200 metres back-stroke with a comfortable win in yesterday's finals in Coventry. The 26-year-old veteran, who will compete for Britain in the European Championships in Vienna next month, clocked 2min 17.93sec, almost two seconds ahead of fellow internationalist Joanne Deakins. Scotland's Fraser Walker comfortable qualified for the 400m medley, but then pulled out of the final, preferring to concentrate on today's 200m medley, the event in which he won the bronze medal at last summer's Commonwealth Games. Now training with Warrington after a troubled season, the 21-year-old from Dunfermline was sixth fastest in the longer event in the heats with a time of 4-39.44. James Hickman (Stockport Metro) took the gold in the final in 4-30.94, with James Harris and last year's winner David Warren having to settle for silver and bronze. Newcastle's Susan Rolph confirmed her status as the rising star of British swimming when she held off Karen Pickering to win the 100m free-style in 57.41sec. Pickering beat Sarah Hardcastle by one tenth of a second to take the 200m freestyle title. Mark Foster, who will be one of Britain's main hopes for gold at the European event, won the 50m metres free-style in 23.74 ahead of Mark Stevens. GH950722-000029 GH950722-000029 950722 Bunney back in running DOUG GILLON 3 25 977272947 ELLIOTT Bunney, the record six-time Scottish senior 100 metres champion, will come out of retirement this weekend to help his crisis-hit country in the international against Wales, Turkey, Israel, and Northern Ireland in Cardiff. Ian Mackie is the latest casualty in a team which now contains fewer than half of its original complement, and which will travel minus any men's or women's 5000m runner. Mackie, a world junior bronze medallist last summer, has endured a nightmare year with illness and injury, a cruel reward after having gone full-time on a winter of very hard work. He has decided to terminate his season. Doug Walker (200m), the only surviving first-choice men's selection in any flat track event, has first refusal on Mackie's vacated 100m place. Bunney has agreed to run the 4 x 100m, and Jamie Henderson also comes in for the relay. With team captain Geoff Parsons absenting himself to chase a world qualifying standard, Tony Gilhooly is the high jump choice, and Scottish runner-up Darren Ritchie comes in for Duncan Mathieson in the long jump. Kheredine Idessane (800m) replaces Tom McKean, an ironic sequel to last weekend when Idessane protested to AAA officials, vainly attempting to have his compatriot disqualified for barging. Other replacements: Ian Horsburgh (400m), Jim Austin (steeplechase), Grant Graham (1500m), Lisa Vannet (400m) and Dawn Flockhart (relays). Mel Neef, whose duties at the BUPA international meeting in Sheffield tomorrow gave Vannet the opening, is out to claim the scalp of grand slam 400m hurdles champion Sally Gunnell. The Great Britain team captain will be having her first race of the year in a bid to claim a flat 400m and relay place in the UK team for the worlds in Gothenburg, which begin a fortnight today. Most of Britain's world squad, including Linford Christie, plus fitness rebels Roger Black, Steve Backley, and John Regis, will be in action at Sheffield, as will Scotland's Yvonne Murray (2000m) in her last race before Gothenburg. The meeting has offered a big-time baptism to steeplechasers Graeme Croll and Billy Jenkins. GH950722-000030 GH950722-000030 950722 Sherry reaches new heights IAN PAUL 3 28 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP SPECIAL 977272948 THE Sherry is still flowing along nicely, defying the forecasters, the odds and the Old Course by shooting another fine score, a one under par 71 for a halfway aggregate of 141, three under par and joint leading Briish player along with Sam Torrance, Nick Faldo and David Gilford. Gordon may be 6ft 8in but he has never reached these heights before. He outscored his partners, a couple of players who have a bit of experience of these occasions, Greg Norman, and Tom Watson. He also was introduced to the former Us President, George Bush. Just another day at the office for the Amateur Champion from Kilmarnock. However, he confessed that it was the toughest day he has had yet. ''It was very difficult to concentrate with all the waiting we had to do but I will have to get used to it if it is going to be my life.'' He had to hang on very bravely when he bogeyed the fourth and fifth holes as there was a real danger the wheels were about to come off. He did tremendously well to pick up a birdie at the ninth and get to one under at that point. Bogeys at the eleventh and twelfth had the alarm bells ringing again but he responded once more to lift two birdies, at the fifteenth and last, to finish three shots off the lead at the halfway stage. He loved the day out with Norman and Watson, none the less. ''They are both tremendous to play with. Greg jokes all the way round, encouraging me all the time. It can't be bad playing with the best player in the world. Tom calls me pard, after I was his partner in the practice round.'' Torrance, who would love to partner the young star today (''We'd get some cheers''), said he had played as well as he can. ''I was very solid, played only one bad shot, a No 4-iron into the trap off the tee, and I am sure this is the best position I have been in after two rounds at an Open.'' Torrance aknowledged Sherry's concern about the slow play but points out that it is something they all have to get used to. He is not at all surprised that Sherry is up there close to the leaders. ''He is a very good player and he is just a boy full of confidence. It is not bad to beat Tom Watson and Greg Norman in your first Open.'' Sandy Lyle looks to be getting closer every day to his former glory. Consistency has been his game this week and yesterday he turned in another 71 to be two under for the championship. Yet Sandy was a bit disappointed. ''I played better than the score suggests,'' he said, ''and I drove the ball well.'' He was annoyed at taking three puts at both the eleventh and eighteenth, especially at the last where he had driven the green. * LEADING qualifier Joe Hughes of Cardross beat Paisley's Robert Linden 4 and 3, coming back from two down, to book his place in the final of the Helensburgh Boys' Tournament yesterday. Graham Ewart, of Eastwood, won at the twenty-first in his semi-final match with John McMahon, of Cardross. GH950722-000031 GH950722-000031 950722 Scots suffer defeat without dishonour JOSEPH DILLON 3 28 977272949 THE Scottish team management made no secret of their fears that they might be humiliated by England in their opening match of the Four Nations men's hockey tournament at Bisham Abbey yesterday. But in the aftermath of their 0-3 defeat, they have grounds for optimism. They were beaten by a superior side, ranked No.6 in the world, but equally significant they beat Belgium, one of Scotland's group opponents in the European Nations Cup in Dublin next month, 8-0 last week. The principal difference in the sides on this occasion was the slickness of the English team. But Scotland matched their opponents for a spell before half-time, 10 minutes after the interval and then for a similar period in the final quarter. Unfortunately they were unable to capitalise. Jimmy Cox, Richard Freeland, and Stevie Grubb all managed to find weaknesses in the English rearguard but they allowed their opponents off the hook. Grubb was a handful for the English, for he also carved out Scotland's best scoring chance of the game when he managed to get a touch to a passback by Julian Halls, but Simon Mason in the English goal made a brilliant reflex save. England, who broke the deadlock after 21 minutes from a penalty corner conversion by Callum Giles, consolidated their advantage in the fiftieth minute from Kulbir Takher, Robb Thompson adding the gloss with a third three seconds from time. Results: Spain 0, Canada 0; England 3, Scotland 0. JOSEPH DILLON GH950722-000032 GH950722-000032 950722 A Grand Slam double for Scotland 3 25 977272950 SCOTLAND made cricket history last night by becoming the first nation to complete a British amateur Grand Slam double. George Salmond's men crushed Wales by six wickets in Belfast to retain the Triple Crown. It was a performance which again proved the selectors were right to gamble on handing the captaincy to the Arbroath batsman. Salmond beamed: ''The tournament has been a tremendous experience, but we still have a lot of tightening up to do before next week's European challenge against Holland and Denmark. ''Morale is high again, and the talent is there to build on.'' Wooden-spoonists Wales tumbled to 148 all out -- but they probably would not have reached three figures had Jim Govan not spilled three slip catches. Strathmore paceman Kevin Thomson was the top bowler with three for 24. The Scots surged to the clean sweep in just 32 overs -- but they had to survive a scare at the end. With their total just four short of victory, Iain Philip, who had smashed 55, became the first victim of an amazing hat trick by part-time bowler, Tim Hemp. Both George Reifer and Salmond spooned their first deliveries straight to a fielder. But Bruce Patterson (40 n.o.) and Greig Williamson kept their nerve to complete the job without further alarm. Earlier, debut boy Bryn Lockie hit a tidy 24 before mistiming a drive to midwicket. Philip's effort clinched the man-of-the-match award. Scores: Wales 148 (G Lewis 39, J Langworth 32; K Thomson 3-24); Scotland 149 for four (I Philip 55, B Patterson 40 n.o.). Other scores: BRITANNIC ASSURANCE COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP At Cardiff. Warwickshire (21pts) beat Glamorgan (4) by nine wickets. Glamorgan 122 (T A Munton 5-42) and 122 (A A Donald 4-25); Warwickshire 208 (D R Brown 52) and 37 for one. At Southend. Somerset 421 (P D Bowler 196, A N Hayhurst 78, M C Ilott 4-84); Essex 186 (P J Prichard 71, M E Waugh 56, Mushtaq Ahmed 4-74). At Cheltenham. Lancashire 231 (W K Hegg 61) and 87 for eight (J Srinath 5-37); Gloucestershire 265 (R J Cunliffe 92 n.o., R C Russell 83, Wasim Akram 5-58, I D Austin 4-50). At Northampton. Hampshire 560 (R A Smith 172, M C J Nicholas 120, S D Udal 62 no, P R Whitaker 57, A Kumble 7-131); Northamptonshire 152 for three (A J Lamb 88, R J Bailey 55 n.o.). At Guildford. Surrey 239 (G P Thorpe 72, A D Brown 55) and 194 for three (D J Bicknell 65 n.o., G P Thorpe 63); Nottinghamshire 324 (W M Noon 64 n.o., C L Cairns 50, J E Benjamin 5-53). At Hove. Leicestershire 242 (N E Briers 125, I D K Salisbury 5-70) and 59 for one; Sussex 233 (F D Stephenson 80, P Moores 58) At Harrogate. Yorkshire 338 (M P Vaughan 87, D Byas 64, M Prabhakar 4-87, S J E Brown 4-90); Durham 113 for three. TETLEY'S CHALLENGE SERIES At Canterbury. West Indies beat Kent by 6 wickets. West Indies 337 (S C Williams 137, J C Adams 77) and 92 for four. Kent 95 (V C Drakes 5-20, O D Gibson 4-47) and 331 (P A de Silva 102, D P Fulton 89, R Dhanraj 4-88). TOURIST MATCH At Chesterfield. Young Australia beat Derbyshire by four wickets. Derbyshire 191 (J E Owen 65, M A Harrity 4-37) and 316 for eight decl (T A Tweats 58, D G Cork 50 n.o.); Young Australia 234 (A C Gilchrist 105 n.o.) and 276 for six (M L Love 108, R T Ponting 64). YOUTH TEST MATCH At Taunton. England Under-19 223 (U Rashid 64, D C Nash 56 n.o.), and 99 for no wicket (M E Trescothick 63 n.o.); South Africa Under-19 346 (A M Omar 123, A Flintoff 4-63). GH950722-000033 GH950722-000033 950722 Bogey mark for golf fashion JAMES TRAYNOR 3 28 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP SPECIAL 977272951 EXPERIENCE it, discover how it feels, look at the people and the faces and you will know what we know. You, too, will fall under the spell. It all sounded like part of the hype, more pap to perpetuate the myth that golf is the finest sport man has ever known, that it can be some kind of mystic, almost religious experience. Lo and behold, it's all true. The Open Championship, especially when it is played at the sport's Mecca, St Andrews, does something to people. It does have a deep and powerful effect. Golf at the traditional home makes people metamorphose. It alters them dramatically and profoundly influences minds in ways which no other sport can. Beware. Championship golf and golf watching changes everything, especially your clothes. Favourite loitering spots are along the length of the seventeenth of the Old Course, a hole which both excites and reduces adults to sobbing heaps. Newspapers always post sentries at this dastardly, treacherous strip of green which erodes even the strongest of wills. Golfers don't just lose their way there, they lose their dreams also. ''The hardest hole in championship golf,'' is how Severiano Ballesteros describes the par 4, and yesterday he stole a par on his way to a round reminiscent of the player who won the first of his two Open titles here in 1984. The Spaniard went round in 69, which was only one more than he needed to complete his second round 11 years ago. That year he had opened with a round of 69, on which his championship-winning performance was built here, while on Thursday he had to settle for a three-over-par 75. Affection lingers for Ballesteros, who commands the sympathy of the masses these days as he struggles with his swing. When he made it to the seventeenth yesterday the crowd applauded enthusiastically for a great sportsman, and when he splashed his bunkered ball to within putting distance they roared their approval, even if many of them couldn't see what was happening. Thousands were attracted to St Andrews, and they swarmed all over the course hoping to catch glimpses of their favourite players, but it is never easy. Even if you arrive early enough and stake your claim to a high vantage point, you are likely to be blinded by the glare of the gaudy and garish rigouts worn by the players. No colour is too loud, no shirt too over-stated in a world so obviously free of fashion police. If the clothes are a turn-off they are in the golf shop windows. Just take a look at the ridiculous garb worn by Payne Stewart. Nevertheless, despite the spectators who every year look more like the golfers than the players themselves, golf watching is no laughing matter. It is a serious business and step-ladders have been added to the essential equipment of brollies and golf shoes although some spectators make do with old milk crates, but they will get the game a bad name. Things were bad enough when the fans moved about charting their courses through cardboard periscopes, but turning the courses into painters' and decorators' conventions is really too much. The parts of the ladders which rest on the shoulders should be padded so as not to saw into skin tissue, a modification which suggests there may, indeed, be intelligent life here. Golf is everything, but following Arnie or Nick or Jack is not worth losing a limb. Yet risk injury these fans will as they clamber to the very top steps of their ladders where they then teeter precariously while peering through binocolars. A rogue gust of wind would send all of them toppling on to the people below in a collision of reds, pinks, greens, blues, and yellows. There was nothing remotely bright about the mood of Bill Glasson after he had negotiated the Road Hole, where his round fell apart. As he hit his drive he was heading for a six-under-par, two-round total, but an at the seventeenth left him two under and the American went off to curse his misfortune. If anyone was due a little luck it was the 35-year-old from Stillwater, Oklahoma, who has not enjoyed the best of health and spent some time moving between golf courses and hospitals. Apart from knee problems -- which required surgery four times -- and sinus trouble, Glasson considered filing for permanent disability on the grounds that his professional golf career was over because of severe problems at the base of his spine. He decided to give it one more try and was doing well . . . until the seventeenth yesterday. Who would be a golfer, and what kind of people enjoy following them? People who like to run up and down step ladders, that's who. Oh yes, and seriously bad dressers. GH950722-000034 GH950722-000034 950722 Strang grabs world place, but . . . Jackson's hopes lies in tatters DOUG GILLON 3 25 977272952 COLIN Jackson's reign as world sprint hurdles champion is over. The Welsh world record-holder broke down in training yesterday, with a serious aggravation of the adductor muscle injury which caused him to pull out of last weekend's AAA championships in Birmingham. He immediately withdrew from the British team for the world championships which begin in Gothenburg a fortnight today. Sally Gunnell already is unable to defend her hurdles crown, and three other stars who were given a fitness ultimatum by Britain's selectors will not perform before the deadline expires on Monday. ''European 400 metres champion Du'aine Ladejo, Commonwealth triple jump record-holder Ashia Hansen, and European 100m hurdles finalist Jackie Agyepong, each have indicated they are unable to compete,'' revealed British Athletic Federation spokesman Tony Ward. It was left to Scotland's David Strang and Linford Christie -- Britain's only surviving world champion -- to relieve the gloom last night at the Bislett Games in Oslo. Strang, running his first international 800m race in three years, clocked 1min 46.02sec, almost half-a-second inside the world qualifying mark and the fastest time by a Briton this year. ''I have been told I must run in Sheffield,'' said the European indoor 1500m champion, who finished second on the Bislett track behind American Rich Kerah in the B two-lap race. ''They can put in whoever they like at Sheffield. I know I can beat them. There is easily another second there.'' Strang finished second in last week's trial behind Curtis Robb who, as the only UK runner with the qualifying time this season, has already been selected. Having promised Jackson he would win for both of them, Christie clocked 10.12sec, but had to work hard late on to finish three-hundredths clear of Jamaican Donovan Powell. Christie's leading US rival, Dennis Mitchell, was fourth (10.19), while the world's fastest man of the year, Canadian Donovan Bailey, failed to reach the final, managing just 10.24 in his heat after watching Christie record the fastest time of the night, 10.08. Christie needed physiotherapy treatment on a tendon between heat and final. With Jackson absent, Tony Jarrett reminded the Americans that Britain is not a one-man band over barriers, winning in 13.31, with world indoor silver medallist Courtney Hawkins behind. Jackson had trained yesterday morning in Cardiff, preparing for tomorrow's BUPA International in Sheffield where he had agreed to confirm his fitness. ''While it was always my intention to comply with the selectors' requirements, and compete within the specific seven-day period, my recovery has not progressed according to plan,'' he said. ''Mentally, my preparations for the world championships have been far from perfect, with both my honesty and credibility questioned by the media and the BAF.'' BAF officials were saddened by Jackson's decision, but will undoubtedly see this as vindication of their policy. On Monday, Jackson will visit the Munich specialist, Dr Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wolfhart, and hopes the German can do as much for him as he apparently did last night for Christie. Steve Backley's third in the javelin (86.46m) will have convinced the selectors he is fit, but Geoff Parsons' 2.20m high jump was short of the world qualifying mark. Steve Smith cleared the same height as Javier Sotomajor, 2.31m, but he had to settle for second. Kenya's Moses Kiptanui ran the second fastest steeplechase ever, but failed by 1.28sec to beat his own world mark. Oslo winners and UK placings: MEN. 100 metres: Linford Christie 10.12sec. 200m: Geir Moen (Norway) 20.40; 2, Solomon Wariso 20.58. 400m: M Johnson (USA) 43.86; 3, Mark Richardson 45.06. 1500m: Venuste Niyongabo (Burundi) 3-30.78; 6, Kevin McKay 3-37.27. 3000m: Dieter Baumann (Germany) 7-33.56. 5000m: Shem Kororia (Kenya) 13-05.72. 110m hurdles: Tony Jarrett 13.31. 3000m steeplechase: Moses Kiptanui (Kenya) 8-03.36; 7, Spencer Duval 8-26.20; 8, Justin Chaston 8-26.35. High jump: Javier Sotmayor (Cuba) 2.31m; 2, Steve Smith 2.31. Javelin: Raymond Hecht (Germany) 92.60m; 3, Steve Backley 86.46; 4, Mike Hill 84.14. WOMEN. 200m: Gwen Torrence (USA) 22.36; 6, Catherine Murphy 23.94. 3000m: Sonia O'Sullivan (Ireland) 8-34.31. 5000m: Lynn Jennings (USA) 15-18.30; 7, Jill Hunter 15-28.46. 100m hurdles: Lena Solli (Norway) 13.17; 2, Michelle Campbell 13.24. 400m hurdles: Marie-Jose Perec (France) 53.92. High jump: Alina Astafei (Germany) 1.96m. Triple jump: Anna Biryukova (Russia) 14.38m; 7, Michelle Griffith 13.48. Discus: Ilke Wyludda (Germany) 68.54m; 7, Jackie McKernan 55.50. Javelin: Natalya Shikolenko (Belarus) 68.36m. GH950722-000035 GH950722-000035 950722 Five-year croft row ends with sister's victory 3 9 977272953 A FIVE-year dispute over the ownership of a West Highland croft, which split a family in a court wrangle, has been settled. It brought victory for an Inverness woman who has been battling her elder brother over the right to buy her dead mother's croft, which has been in the family for more than 150 years. The Scottish Land Court brought the controversy to an end when it allowed Mrs Angie Fraser to buy the croftland and the land on which the crofthouse stands from her brother. She had already bought the house. The mother had died in 1990 without making a will leaving the croft at Strath, Gairloch, to any of her eight children. The brother, Mr William Mackintosh, 49, lived next door to the croft. He went to court to have himself declared executor and wrote to the then landlord, Mr John Mackenzie of Gairloch, to inform him he was taking over the croft. However, Mrs Fraser, of Midmills Road, Inverness, felt that the value of the croft should be shared amongst her brother and six sisters. So she asked Inverness solicitor Derek Flynn to fight her brother through the courts. Mrs Fraser and another sister, Mrs Jessie Mackenzie, were also appointed executors. Mr Flynn said: ''Mr Mackintosh made it clear that he would block any move which would mean he would not eventually get tenancy of the croft. Mr Mackintosh wanted to buy the croft and had it valued at around #30,000. ''But Mrs Fraser's own valuation showed it was worth around #20,000 more at #50,000. A sheriff then decided the tenancy should be sold on the open market to resolve the dispute.'' Eventually, Mrs Fraser paid #50,000 to buy the croft tenancy, which included the crofthouse and the money was divided among the family, including Mr Mackintosh. However, Mr Mackintosh was still determined to have a hold over the croft. He bought the landlord's rights from Mr Mackenzie for #350. He then became Mrs Fraser's landlord and she found herself paying her croft rent to her brother. In an effort finally to remove her brother from any interest in the croft, she applied in court to buy the land from him. The court refused to sa