Alex Lunn is one of the three existing councillors for Craigentinny/Duddingston Ward and he is standing again as an SNP candidate in May 2017.

We spoke to him about what he thinks his achievements have been and what he feels the next administration can and should do.

You can either listen to this interview or read it below.

TER : Alex when you started off your life as a councillor you were actually a Labour councillor and you jumped ship!

AL : Yes how could I forget!

TER : And you are now standing again as an SNP candidate. What are the main things you are campaigning for here?

AL : My focus has never really changed.  From a national point of view I want what’s best for Scotland and I want what’s best for Edinburgh which obviously is not the way I see that things are currently going in the United Kingdom and they haven’t been going that way for a long time.

In terms of the local issues of my ward I have actually had a fantastic five years. I have got so much done.  There’s a new nursery school at Duddingston which I led the campaign on, the redevelopment of Portobello I was also heavily involved in as were several other councillors

There has also been a lot of big successes as well like changing Council planning policy before I was a Vice Convener when we got a street named after Lawrie Reilly. That was fantastic. I absolutely loved being involved in that.

TER : You had to change the law to do that?

AL : It certainly had to change planning policy! I felt at the time the officers were being very uncooperative and did not seem to get the point that I and the local community were making. Whether you’re a football fan, a Hearts fan, a Hibs fan, a Rangers fan, a Celtic fan or an Aberdeen fan Easter Road and Hibernian Football Club are central to that area.

Now I’m a Jambo. Everybody knows that. I wear my heart quite literally on my sleeve, but Lawrie Reilly is a hero to the people of Edinburgh. He was a folk hero and that is why I wanted the new street right next to Easter Road named after him. Planning officers at the time were not overly cooperative.

I did offer them compromises including naming a street after the other Famous Five forward Willie Ormond, which they declined, and so I just changed the policy on them.

TER : At one point you were Vice Convener of Communities and Neighbourhoods and now what is your role?

AL : I am Vice Convenor of Planning.

TER : Which has been more fulfilling?

AL : Well I’ve got to say at this at this moment in time the communities and neighbourhoods Vice-convenership was excellent. Not only did I get to help with modernising local community media but, (and here’s the thing I’m really proud of), I was able to set up two things as Vice-Convener, one I was able to actually get a food bank working group off the ground, which and which is now chaired by my successor Councillor Lewis Ritchie.

That has done a lot of fantastic work.  The other thing, the thing I got political heat for from certain sections of the community, I got Edinburgh to join the Syrian vulnerable peoples relocation programme.

I am so proud of that. I have met several Syrians who have come to Edinburgh and they are just so delighted to be here. It is a new life for them and they want they want to be part of Edinburgh.

TER : How many people has Edinburgh welcomed now?

AL : Well when I was Vice-Convener we were aiming for 100 and I am hoping that the number has gone up. I haven’t checked recently but that is on my list of things to do. Now that I am vice-convener of planning my diary has really filled up! I have a weekly meeting with Councillor Ian Perry, the Convenor and the planning leadership of the City Chambers. We meet at 9 AM every Tuesday to discuss the various issues.

TER : Where do you think are the city could go from here? There is always conflict between greenbelt and brownfield sites.  What’s your view?

AL : We need houses, we need jobs and we need investment and we need to relieve the pressure that there is currently in the houses of multiple occupancy, the HMO market.

We have to relieve that pressure as well.

TER : Do you mean there are too many of those?

AL : Yes Edinburgh has become such an expensive place to live that it is not only students who live in houses of multiple occupancy. It’s  young professionals and young people who work in retail and say in the service industry who are living in houses of multiple occupancy because Edinburgh has just become so expensive.

In terms of my political beliefs I am somewhere to the left of Marx but the system and the capitalist system is all about supply economics and the supply of housing has not been strong enough in Edinburgh in the last ten years.

There are reasons for that most of them external but it is something that we have to get a hand on.

TER : But the council has just recently, just within the last year said that it is going to build 16,000 affordable homes over the next 10 years.

AL :  Correct.

TER : So is that not enough?

AL : I think to be honest we need to start getting some of these houses built and then we will know where we are going with the housing, but until we start actually seeing them built then the waiting list will continue to get worse.

TER : Haven’t they already started? Haven’t we seen new 21st-Century Homes in Muirhouse and other places?

AL : Yes but it is not enough. That is the point I am making. We have turned a corner but by turning the corner we are only at the end of a very long road.

We have a lot of work to do.  We are making the right policy decisions and the housing market and the developers are now looking to work with us so we’ve turned the corner, so  what happens and how far down the road we get is another matter.

Am I concerned about the impact of Brexit on the potential of the housing market in the next ten years? Yes I am very concerned about that.

TER : If you get re-elected what are you going to make your priorities in the local area?

AL : For the local area I will be looking to get more investment in our schools.

I feel good about the work I have done in schools in the last five years.

Obviously the highlight was the Duddingston nursery. We’ve also had investment in Parsons Green Primary School, Royal High Primary School Saint Ninians, Craigentinny.

I will be fighting for more of that I will also be making the case for more nursery placement at the other schools as well.  I will also be fighting hard to get more of the schools in my ward into the school road closure scheme.

Currently Duddingston and St John’s have benefited from that; making it safer trying to change the attitude of parents when they are taking and dropping off their kids at school.

I want to see more of the schools in my ward added to the list of schools on that scheme.  I will be fighting very hard for that.

Of course the uphill battle really has been on dog dirt though sadly. It is now an education matter to be honest with you.

I holiday in America and I don’t recall seeing a bit of dog dirt in America, and that is true wherever I have been. That’s because the Americans pick up, and if they don’t pick up they get a whopping fine.

We need to see that here, but definitely an educational element as well. And of course it is not just dog dirt we still have periodic problems with littering. High school kids have got better although I am under no illusions we will ever solve that!
The candidates in the Craigentinny/Duddingston Ward are as follows:

Ian Campbell SNP

Joan Griffiths Scottish Labour Party

Patrick Hadfield Scottish Liberal Democrats

Alex Lunn SNP

John McLellan Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Lyndsay Martin Scottish Labour & Cooperative Party

Alex Staniforth Scottish Green Party

Mridul Wadhwa SNP

The Jim Clark Trust has urged motor sport fans to donate as soon as possible to help ensure the legacy of the racing driver is secured for years to come.

Campaigning has raised over £250,000 with £87,000 from public pledges through the Crowdfunder campaign, £100,000 in private donations direct to the Trust and a further £75,000 in grants from other charitable trusts and foundations.

Support has poured in from around the world as Jim Clark supporters commemorate the anniversary of his accident at Hockenheim on April 7.

However, with just seven days left to secure the £300,000 needed to create the new, modern Jim Clark Museum, the race is on to find the remaining £50,000 required to start the build phase.

Doug Niven, cousin of Jim Clark and a Family Trustee, said: “It has been wonderful to see the campaign attract the support of generous individuals, companies and the general public.

“Our aim is a new museum of national and international interest based around heritage and education to celebrate perhaps the most naturally gifted racing driver of all time with a fitting museum showcasing the cars in which he raced to inspire future generations.

“However, we still need the support of motor sport fans everywhere to help us over the finishing line.”

The project is supported by Scottish Borders Council, Heritage Lottery Fund as well as the Trust’s Honorary President Sir Jackie Stewart OBE and Patrons including Dario Franchitti MBE, David Coulthard MBE, Allan McNish, Lord March and Clive Chapman.

Donations to the #jimclarkmuseum appeal can be made on Crowdfunder which has a wide range of rewards available for every person who pledges funds.

A joint venture by three organisations has been awarded £4 million from the Aged Veterans Fund for a programme of support for older veterans and their families in the next three years.

Unforgotten Forces is a collaboration of 14 organisations formed to deliver a range of new services such as access to healthcare, advice, social isolation, respite and activities for those living in care settings. The ambitious programme will be rolled out over the next three years to support aged veterans.

Some of the funding came from Standard Life’s Accelerated Development Support Programme and the rest came from HM Treasury funded by banking fines.

Mark Bibbey, Chief Executive at Poppyscotland, the organisation leading the consortium, said: “We want people to understand that key organisations in the area of support provision have joined forces to provide a more holistic provision for aged veterans.

“If a veteran is engaged with one organisation, for example, they can immediately be referred to another – or multiple consortium members if required. The essence is strength in numbers and we want the identity of our consortium to reflect this.

“The 2014 Poppyscotland Household Survey numbered Scotland’s Aged Veterans community at approximately 280,000, with almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of those aged 65 or over. It highlighted the need to improve the wellbeing of this group in areas such as care, loneliness, social isolation and recreational activity, and to ensure access to advice on a wide range of subjects in order to ensure an improved quality of life.

“Poppyscotland’s strategy has been to build a wide portfolio of complementary activity and to work in partnership with like-minded organisations to provide enhanced and well-defined services.

“The components of the portfolio partnership are deliberately diverse to cover the range of potential needs identified and to maximise reach and this funding boost will allow us to do just that. Each partner will also have a sound understanding of what others offer and each will effectively be a door to the whole partnership.”

And Defence Minister Mark Lancaster added: “Our veterans have given so much for their country, and the Aged Veterans Fund is a way of us thanking our older veterans and ensuring they are cared for in later life.”

The charity Poppyscotland offers support to members of the armed forces in Scotland with funding and assistance along with services in advice, employment, housing, mental health, mobility and respite.

A  joint investigation by the fire service and police is underway to establish the cause of a fire which resulted in the death of a woman in the Liberton area.

Emergency services attended the blaze in Burnhead Crescent just before 1am yesterday morning.

Two people were rescued from the house by firefighters and handed over by paramedics at the scene.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service later said that one woman has since died.

The fire was extinguished by 3.30am.

Hibs’ Head Coach Neil Lennon says he is ‘proud’ of his players after the team finally clinched automatic promotion from the Championship with a comprehensive 3-0 home victory over Queen of the South yesterday.

Over 17,000 fans turned out to see Hibs secure the title with goals coming from lifelong fan Darren McGregor (2) and club captain David Gray.

The players celebrated on the pitch after the final whistle and Lennon was carried on their shoulders.

An emotional rendition of club anthem ‘Sunshine on Leith’ rounded off a perfect day for the club and Lennon has asked that the supporters continue to back the team in the top flight.

Hibs return to Hampden Park for the ninth time in the last five years next Saturday to face high flying Aberdeen in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup as they bid to defend the trophy.

Speaking after the final whistle, he said: “It feels brilliant, absolutely brilliant. I am really proud of the players and the club because you could feel the burden of being in the league for a third season. There was a weight but now it is lifted.

“Another season in this division would have been really damaging but we can look forward now. We have good players and we are getting great crowds and they have won two trophies in a year, with the chance of another one. We are back where I think Hibs belong and we don’t want to be in this division again. It is a Premiership team. That is why I came here.

“The potential was there and when you see 150,000 people on Princes Street you know that there is a support to tap into. I hope they stay with us next year because we are not going to probably be challenging for the league title but we will be competing at a high level and that is good for the supporters, to get a taste of Premiership football again. This club deserves it.

“We have a healthy squad and some talent coming through from the development team.”

The Scottish Government has released new figures confirming that the number of people who had an organ transplant from a deceased donor in the last year increased from the previous year by 34%.

430 people living in Scotland received an organ transplant in 2016-17 – 348 of these were using organs from deceased donors

Thes figures also show that the number of people on the waiting list for a transplant dropped to the lowest on record.

More than 45% of Scots are now on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Some deceased donors who were not able to donate organs did donate tissue such as eyes, heart valves and tendons. But 82 living donors were also able to donate kidneys, essential for those living with kidney disease.

Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell said: “This is fantastic news and shows the real progress we’re making on organ donation. An increase in deceased donor numbers of 34% is not only really positive news for people waiting for a transplant, it puts us ahead of our target in progressing to reach 26 deceased donors per million of population by 2020.

“And it means that more Scottish residents than ever before received  a life-changing transplant, although we know that there is still more to do to ensure that as many people as possible can receive the transplants they need.

“We must always be mindful that most organ and tissue donation can only occur as a result of tragic circumstances and I’d like to thank every donor and their family who made the selfless decision to donate their organs or tissue and enabled others to live and transform their lives. I’m also very grateful to staff across the NHS in Scotland who work tirelessly to ensure that people’s donation wishes are respected and that every donation counts.

“Our consultation on a soft-op-out system closed recently and the responses are currently being independently analysed. We have a presumption in favour and will be setting out our next steps in the coming months.”

Passenger numbers for March released this week show that over 956,000 people travelled through Edinburgh Airport last month.

These figures show that this has been the busiest March for a Scottish airport ever, a 4.1 per cent increase on the same month last year, with international passenger numbers performing particularly strongly.

Gordon Dewar, Edinburgh Airport’s Chief Executive, said: “March’s passenger figures underline Edinburgh Airport’s growing international ambitions and ongoing demand to fly to and from this great city.

“We have seen another solid increase in the number of international passengers which highlights the ever-increasing draw of Edinburgh as a global destination. An increase in visitors to the city stimulates the economy, creates new jobs and offers direct international links for all of Scotland.

“As we move into the final few weeks of our public consultation on airspace change I would urge everyone in our neighbouring communities with a view on our preferred flightpath options to respond before our consultation closes on May 7.”

4 May 217 – Voodoo Rooms, 8pm

Brina & The Tribal Global Collective: Jamaica Sings Robert Burns

Jamaican roots-reggae artist Brina performing with members of her high-energy Tribal Global Collective, creates a dynamic dialogue between her homelands signature music and its African kindred styles, together with funk, gospel, rock, and Latin elements, all underpinned by her message of justice, equality, liberation, oneness and love.

Brina (who has worked with Jamaican legends including Sly Dunbar and Toots Hibbert) will be performing reggae versions of Burns songs from the upcoming album ‘Jamaica Sings Robert Burns’, including her much acclaimed versions of Warmongerers By Name and The Slave’s Lament. The power of Jamaica’s greatest export – reggae music – combined with the immortal words of Scotland’s national bard, Robert Burns.

Tickets from Tradfest Box Office at the Scottish Storytelling Centre

T +44 (0)131 556 9579

http://www.tracscotland.org

Leeann Dempster has thanks the supporters for standing by the club during the last three years spent in the Championship.

Hibs finally achieved automatic promotion after beating Queen of the South 3-0 at Easter Road this afternoon in front of over 17,000 fans.

Goals from Darren McGregor (2) and David Gray secured the victory, which, coupled with Falkirk’s draw against St Mirren ensured that Hibs will finish the season on top of the table.

After today’s game she said: “It has been a longer journey than any of us would have liked, but Hibernian has finally arrived at the destination we have all worked so hard to reach – promotion to the top flight of Scottish football.

“It would be wrong to celebrate without first thanking you, Hibernian’s magnificent supporters, for standing by your Club during these difficult three years.

“Difficult they have been; an emotional roller-coaster with the deep lows of play-off defeats contrasting with the incredible high of May 21st last year. Through all of this, and more, you the supporters have continued to commit to season tickets, buy shares either individually or as members of Hibernian Supporters Limited, or walked up to buy tickets.

“Through it all you continued to turn out and support your team in increasing numbers. Thank You. Winning this Championship is dedicated to you and your families who have kept this club going through the years.

“I’d like to congratulate Neil and his coaching staff, and of course the players, for working hard to win the Championship. They have worked incredibly hard, dealt with pressure, and there is no arguing that they have deserved to win the league.

“Thanks are also due to the Board, the Chairman, and the principal shareholder for their continued support and encouragement.

“Finally, I’d also like to personally thank all of the staff who work long hours behind the scenes, but whose contribution is also vitally important in making progress at the Club. Without them, none of this would have been possible.

“Now we can all look forward to re-establishing Hibernian as a force at the top end of Scottish football. Season Ticket sales are running at record levels, the mood around the Club is buoyant.  Exciting times lie ahead. The forecast – Sunshine on Leith.”

Easter Road will host top flight football next season after an absence of three years as Hibs deservedly clinched the Championship title with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Queen of the South this afternoon.

That result, coupled with Falkirk drawing at home to St Mirren means that Hibs cannot be caught with three games remaining.

Neil Lennon made two change to the starting XI that drew with Morton last Saturday with Fraser Fyvie replacing Marvin Bartley and Andrew Shinne replacing Brian Graham.

Queen of the South had three formed Hibs’ players  their line up, John Rankin, Stephen Dobbie and Danny Carmichael.

After a bright start, Hibs took the lead in the 13th minute then John McGinn floated a free-kick to the back post where McGregor was on hand to send a looping header over Lee Robinson and into the net to the delight of the home fans.

If Neil Lennon needed proof about the poor standard of refereeing in Scotland he need look no further than Barry Cook who inexplicably called back play when Cummings was clean through on goal to book Rankin for a challenge on Andrew Shinnie.

Hibs were dominating possession however it took a world class save from Ofir Marciano to deny Dobbie from close range.

Hibs added a second when Jason Cummings’  corner was prodded into the net by McGregor from close range.

The referee infuriated the Hibs fans again just before the break when Jordon Marshall aimed a kick at Shinnie as he shadowed the ball out of play. The action deserved a straight red card but to the amazement of everyone in the stadium he did not even book the defender.

Just after half time, Hibs added a third when skipper David Gray headed home a Cummings’ corner at the back post.

Easter Road then erupted as news filtered through from Falkirk that John McGinn’s brother Stephen had given St Mirren the lead.

Hibs introduced Alex Harris for Shinnie and and James Keatings for Martin Boyle as they looked to add to their lead.

Harris did well down the left wing before cutting the ball into the path of Keatings who fired over from 10 yards.

After the final whistle, the supporters had to wait until full time at Falkirk then when the news finally arrived the players celebrated on the pitch before leaving the field to a standing ovation from the delighted supporters who can now look forward to next weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final with Aberdeen at Hampden.

Hibs: Marciano, Gray, McGinn, Fyvie, McGeouch, Stevenson, Boyle, Shinnie, McGregor, Ambrose, Cummings. Subs Laidlaw, Bartley, Holt, Keatings, Forster, Graham, Harris

Queen of the South: Robinson, Marshall, Brownlie, Higgis, Rankin, Dobbie, Jacobs, Thomson, Thomas, Dykes, Carmichael. Subs; Leighfield, Dowie, Hilson, McManus Mercer, Murray, Bell

Referee Barry Cook

Attendance 17,056

A police investigation is underway following the unexplained deaths of 55-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman who were found dead at a house in Inglis Avenue Port Seton around 3.45pm Friday.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police in East Lothian are investigating following the death of a 55-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman at an address in Inglis Avenue, Port Seton.

“Enquiries are ongoing. Both deaths are being treated as unexplained at this time.

“A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.”

It’s less than three years since Ann Budge took over as Hearts Chief Executive and Chairperson and immediately began implementing the changes she believed were required to take Edinburgh’s biggest and most successful club back to the top of Scottish football. Some of Budge’s decisions when she took over were clearly unpopular with a section of the Hearts support, in particular the decision not to retain the services of then Head Coach Gary Locke. However, it is clear strategic decisions regarding the long-term future of the club had to be made.

Back in 2014, Budge appointed former Hearts and Scotland manager Craig Levein as Director of Football while Youth Team Coach Robbie Neilson was promoted to First Team Coach.

The Edinburgh Reporter takes a look back at Ann Budge’s subsequent statement which was released on the official Hearts website in May 2014 and reflects on the progress made.

“Next season cannot simply be about getting back up into the SPFL. Of course, we will be striving for that, but we must take a longer-term view and build for the future. One of the key objectives of the new Board is to put in place a Coaching Education Programme that is second to none in Scottish football. Only by doing so, can we realistically attain the continual year-on-year improvement we are striving for and that will add to the value of the players and the club alike, and help to secure our future. This means change on a fairly major scale. Not everyone will agree with all the changes being put in place, but we must address the issues at hand with our heads and not our hearts. We have made these tough decisions after much deliberation and much discussion. All we ask is that you give the new management team time and we will show we can deliver.”

Progress:  Hearts returned to the top flight of Scottish football in highly impressive fashion. Not only did they return in their first season ‘downstairs’ but they romped to the Championship title, leaving rivals Hibernian and Rangers trailing in their wake. Hearts didn’t taste defeat in the league until February. Report Card: A plus “It was clear from my earliest visits to Tynecastle and my earliest meetings with senior staff that the company, Heart of Midlothian plc, was, in every sense of the word, “broken”. There was no overarching strategy for how the business should be run. For far too long, there had been no clear leadership. This coupled with the sole focus on day to day survival had left the club in a sorry and perilous financial state. This led to a fundamental disconnect between the various departments and a mountain of issues to be resolved. Add to this, the under-investment in various parts of the business and the current financial position, and we have a “broken” Hearts. We must all realise that there is no quick fix for these problems. One thing is very clear. We have come far too close to losing our very existence and we must never allow this to happen again. We must grasp this opportunity to start afresh; to put in place solid foundations that will ensure we never again risk our 140 years of history” 

Progress: Ann Budge’s leadership has been a defining aspect of Hearts success since the dark days of administration. Off the field the club continues to make considerable progress and the club’s integrity, professionalism and status in Scottish football has been resurrected following the embarrassment of the Romanov years. Report Card: A plus “We must make changes. We must stop thinking short-term. We must completely revitalise and re-focus the football side of our club. We have some excellent young players, who have done us proud in the last season. We owe it to them to create an environment that will help them to continue to flourish and develop. This will take time, patience and the continued loyal support of Hearts’ dedicated fan base. We will implement strategies to grow and strengthen the club. We will live within in our means to ensure that the future of the club is never again put in jeopardy. We must ensure we have a clear footballing strategy that drives every aspect of our game; everything from who we recruit into our club, from youth academy through to first team players; how we approach coaching, at all age groups and all levels; how we undertake training… and indeed, what kind of football we play at Hearts. There must be a totally cohesive plan that ties all aspects of our club together. Everyone must be pulling in the same direction.”

Progress so far: ‘the kind of football we play at Hearts’ has not exactly been enthralling in recent weeks. Robbie Neilson said during the early part of his tenure that he would never resort to the long ball game. But he did. The signing of Conor Sammon was a huge mistake but the long ball is still played all too often to Bjorn Johnsen and, more recently, Isma Goncalves. As for everyone pulling in the same direction I suspect club captain Perry Kitchen isn’t too happy at being left out while former striker Juanma fell out with the club as did former goalkeeper Neil Alexander. Report Card: C – could do better. “Craig Levein will join the club with immediate effect and will assume total responsibility for everything to do with the playing side of the business. He will be responsible for putting in place an end-to-end strategy for how we are going to implement a youth-driven playing policy within the club.”

Progress so far: The ‘youth-driven playing policy’ is up for debate. The likes of Jamie Walker, Sam Nicholson and Callum Paterson, before his injury, continue to thrive at Tynecastle. Goalkeeper Jack Hamilton has been given his opportunity this season but it’s unclear if this was through choice or necessity (Neil Alexander left the club in acrimonious circumstances at the end of last season) Liam Smith and Rory Currie have made sporadic appearances in the first team this season but the club’s playing policy, particularly since returning to the Ladbrokes Premiership, appears to be drafting in foreign imports, some of whom, it has to be said, are of dubious merit. Report Card: C – could do so much better

“A number of the decisions we make over the next few days and weeks will be driven by finance. We have to ensure we live within our means. All of the decisions have been taken with a view to ensuring the future stability of our club.”

Progress so far: Thanks to the continued support of the fans through the generous donations of the Foundation of Hearts and increased attendances – Hearts play in front of a full house at Tynecastle most games – the financial catastrophe of the Romanov regime seems like a million miles away. True, the take-over of the running of the club by the Foundation of Hearts has been rescheduled as Hearts work on delivering a new main stand fit for the 21^st century. But Hearts are certainly living within their means once more. There’s no reason to doubt Mrs Budge’s assertion that financial stability is paramount. Report Card: A plus

Overall, Hearts are in a much better position both on and off the field than when Ann Budge took over in May 2014. But they are still very much a work in progress. Hearts finished in third place in the Ladbrokes Premiership last season and Mrs Budge intimated that anything less than a third place finish this season would be classed as failure. At the time of going to press, Hearts will be doing well to achieve a top four finish. Robbie Neilson departed for the third tier of English football in December and the appointment of his replacement, Ian Cathro, has been contentious.

And this is, perhaps, where some Hearts fans feel progress has stagnated somewhat. Director of Football Craig Levein signs the players and appoints the Head Coach. Robbie Neilson had his critics – it’s about a year since some fans hired a light aircraft to fly over Tynecastle trailing a banner which read ‘No Guts. No Style, Neilson Out’ – and it’s fair to say Cathro has still to win over the fans. Two Scottish Cup defeats to rivals Hibernian in the space of a year hasn’t helped the mood of the supporters. Both ties were imminently winnable – and the feeling persists the balance of football power in Edinburgh has swung to Leith.

Ann Budge has been described as the ‘Queen of Hearts’. Her subjects are loyal and passionate about their club. It is hoped their loyalty and passion will be rewarded sometime soon.

The trout fishing season started on Wednesday, March 15 and you may be interested in getting a permit for local waters.

Here, as a reminder, are a sample of waters who have submitted details to The Edinburgh Reporter.

And a reminder that the Water of Leith season does not start until April 1 and permits are free. The Water of Leith Visitor Centre say they should be available a week before the official opening and they are also available from Post Offices at Junpier Green, Currie, Balerno and Colinton plus fishing tackle shops across the city. The river is no longer stocked.

RIVER ALMOND: Fish with fly or spinner on approximately eight miles of the River Almond between Cramond and Kirkliston for salmon, sea trout and brown trout.

That’s the offer from Cramond Angling Association who issue permits on a catch and release basis in keeping with their ethos of conservation and sustainable fishing.

An adult season is £35 and it costs £25 for anglers over 60. A full-time student permit is £25 and it is £10 for a junior member (under 15). Apply to Treasurer@fishalmond.com

A day permit for an adult is £10, day tickets for those over 60 and full-time student £5 and a junior £2. Permits are non-transferable.

Day permit agencies are Barnton Post Office, 109 Whitehouse Road, Barnton, Edinburgh EH4 6BU t: 0131 339 1236; Cramond Falls Café, 10 School Brae, Cramond, Edinburgh EH4 6JN t:0131 312 8408; Scotmid Kirkliston, 1-7 Station Road, Kirkliston, West Lothian EH29 9BE t: 0131 551 1224

For further information, including beat maps and club rules please visit www.fishalmond.com

RIVER ALMOND: West Lothian Angling Association (WLAA) have permits available for salmon and brown trout an eight-mile stretch of The Almond from Kirkton Weir in Livingston to Clifton Hall at the M8 Motorway near Newbridge. The cost is £15.

They are available on line at WLAA.org.uk and the seven-year-old organisation aims to provide, promote and protect angling opportunities within the West Lothian area.

Members are permitted to fish using fly, spin or bait techniques and membership is open to all members of the public..

To encourage youngsters, juniors between the age of 9 and 16 can join free as part of an senior membership. All young anglers will receive their own membership card.

RIVER TYNE: East Lothian Angling Association’s waters cover most of the River Tyne as it flows through East Lothian.

Permits allow anglers to fish for brown trout and, if they are lucky, for sea trout and salmon. Catch and release is encouraged but by law all salmon must be returned.

Details of permit prices and where to buy them can be found on www.elaa.co.uk along with other information regarding the Association and angling on the Tyne.
More information can also be found on Facebook.

RIVER ESK: Musselburgh and District Angling Association has a new committee. Chairman is Chris Halliday, Jamie McDonald is president, Grant Dickson is the treasurer and Stevie Devine is secretary.

If you are interested in fishing the River Esk then permits are £20 and they are available from Ace Bike Co at 101 North High Street, Musselburgh EH21 6JE (just behind The Brunton Hall, t: 0131 665 4468). The shop is open from 9am to 6pm Monday through Saturday (closed Sunday).

Permits are also available at the Edinburgh Angling Centre at Granton Retail Park, 65 West Harbour Road, Edinburgh EH5 1PW (t: 0131 202 6351)

Berwick Bandits’ team manager Gary Havelock has admitted to being fined for an incident in the pits during the club’s SGB Championship defeat at Edinburgh Monarchs.

The former world champion incurred the undisclosed penalty from referee Christina Turnbull from Cranleigh after an incident in Heat 11.

Havelock said: “Edinburgh need a new pits phone now and I’ve been fined for ungentlemanly conduct. In 47 and a half years I’ve never seen a decision as poor in my opinion as was in Heat 11.

“Mark Riss came round the bend and hit Dimitri Berge’s rear wheel which spun his back wheel round and straightened him up which, in turn, flipped him high up and over the high-side and down onto the track. Then HE got excluded for it.

“So not only were we on a 5-1 he got excluded and it turned the heat into a 4-2 for them in the re-run. Can’t believe it.”

He added: “The situation up there was all wrong and things need to be looked at. That match has left me a very angry manager and things will be said.”

Havelock admitted it was not Berwick’s night and revealed that two of riders left Armadale with ice packs on their injuries.

The team manager said: “Liam (Carr) has a sore shoulder and Dimitri (Berge) has a painful wrist, so we will have to wait on their fitness.

“Liam says he should be ok but that’s no good to us as it’s pointless if he says after one race on Saturday it is too painful.

“Dimitri says his wrist isn’t broken but he’s broken it twice before so we need to be careful of that.”

Berwick host Glasgow Tigers, who topped the table before Edinburgh’s win on Friday over Berwick, at the Borders track on Saturday night (7pm).

Eric Riss powered to a 15-point maximum and impressive American newcomer Ricky Wells claimed 13 points in Edinburgh Monarchs’ comfortable 57-33 win over misfiring Berwick Bandits in the SGB Premiership at Armadale. Skipper Sam Masters earned 11 points.

It is a result which sent the Armadale club to the top of the ten-strong table but the defeat continued Berwick’s poor start to the current campaign.

Berwick’s team manager Gary Havelock urged fans to keep the faith but Monarchs, however, are in fine, early season form with their three top riders performing.

The visitors won only one of the 15 heats when young Monarchs rider Max Clegg went too wide on the final bend in the second-last heat to allow Bandits’ Austrian rider Dany Gappmaier through.

Edinburgh have now won all three of their league matches while struggling Berwick have lost their first four and it does not get any easier.

They entertain former league pace-setters Glasgow Tigers at home on Saturday night (tapes-up 7pm) followed by a trip to Ashfield for the return on Sunday (tapes-up 3pm).

Braehead Clan have welcomed the addition of two clubs into the Elite League and have pledged to remain in Britain’s top ice hockey division.

The move comes only hours after two of the Elite League’s three Scottish-based clubs, Fife Flyers, Dundee Stars confirmed they were considering their options.

Edinburgh Capitals have not made any statement but sources indicate they are also considering their future.

It is understood Fife and Dundee are unhappy that a maximum of 14 import players will be allowed in the league next season.

And the addition of two new teams is another strain on already hard-pressed budgets.

Gareth Chalmers, hockey and operations director at Braehead Clan, said: “It’s very exciting for everyone involved in the EIHL to welcome Guildford and Milton Keynes.

“The EIHL has always had ambitions to expand and, with the additions of these two stable organisations with proven track records, it can only be positive for everyone involved.

“Here in Braehead we’re looking forward to welcoming the Flames and Lightning during the 2017/18 season.

“We believe they’ll be great additions to the league and will give the Purple Army two new teams to see here in Glasgow.”

Berwick Bandits should prepare for a backlash after Glasgow Tigers racer Richard Lawson said he was “absolutely terrible” last weekend despite helping his side to four SGB Championship points.

Lawson claimed 14 personal points against Newcastle and Scunthorpe and wants to see a drastic personal improvement in the double-header against Berwick.

The 31-year-old from Cumbria said: “I’m not happy with my scores from the weekend, they were shocking.

“I don’t want to be repeating that so I’ll look to rectify that immediately and get two good meetings under my belt this weekend.”

Lawson is now at No 3 for Tigers after a switch by team manager Stewart Dickson.

Richie Worrall moves to No 5 and Aaron Summers stays at No 1.

Glasgow are at Berwick on Saturday night at 7pm with a 3pm start at Ashfield on Sunday and Gary Havelock, Bandits’ team manager, is looking for a response from his men after a verbal blast last weekend.

This has been a Royal week in the capital with The Princess Royal visiting Charlie Miller Hairdressing and now Princess Beatrice has agreed to choose the winner  of an Easter Bonnet competition.

The contest is being run to raise funds for the Sick Kids Friends Foundation of which she is patron.

The entrants are young patients at the Sick Kids who will decorate the hats over this weekend and post a photo on the organisation’s Facebook page.

Princess Beatrice will judge the best from there.

Fiona O’Sullivan, Arts Programme Manager at the Sick Kids Friends Foundation, spoke of the benefits of hosting regular fun and interactive activities within the hospital.

Fiona said: “We’re very pleased to be able to contribute the materials to make this activity happen and we’d like to say a huge thank you in advance to Princess Beatrice for judging the bonnet parade for us.

“This is just one of the many activities we provide to ensure children and young people’s lives are less interrupted by illness; they are less scared of hospital and have a more positive experience”.

The Sick Kids Friends Foundation supports the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh and has contributed over £3 million towards its move to a new, purpose-built home at Little France in 2018.

Modest Efe Ambrose has given credit to his Hibs’ team mates for their part in him winning the Championship Player of the Month award.

The Nigerian defender has won three ‘man of the match awards’ since joining from Celtic on an emergency loan deal as well as scoring a vital goal against Falkirk.

His style of play has won approval amongst the Hibs fans who have composed a song in his honour.

Despite the personal accolades, Ambrose insists that his focus is on taking all three points today against Queen of the South which, depending on results elsewhere mean that automatic promotion is secured.

Should Hibs win and Falkirk drop points against on-form St Mirren the title will belong to Hibs and top flight football will return to Easter Road next season.

He told Hibernian TV: “Winning the Championship Player of the Month was a good feeling but it’s not about me at all.

“As you know football is a team effort and not individual so credit to the other players and I appreciate everyone helping me.

“When I came here I just wanted to do my best and help Hibs to get back to the top league.

“This weekend we know that the game could decide the league but we don’t want to think about the other result, we just want to focus on ourselves. What we have to do is to win the game and that is the most important thing.

“We don’t depend on other teams to give us the title, we want to win the title ourselves.

“I don’t want to think about next season as it’s so far away. Securing this season for us is the most important thing right now.

“We also have a semi-final to look forward to but we don’t want to talk about that right now as our focus is on Queen of the South.”

Kilmarnock 0 Heart of Midlothian 0

Ladbrokes Premiership, Friday 14^th April 2017 – Rugby Park

There was something appropriate about Kilmarnock and Hearts playing on the evening of Good Friday. The Christian faith marks this day as the time Jesus suffered by crucifixion. Without wishing to incur accusations of blasphemy, supporters of Hearts and Kilmarnock endured suffering of their own after a tedious affair in Ayrshire.

Hearts Head Coach Ian Cathro opted to go with the same team that defeated Dundee at Tynecastle six days ago.

On a showery, chilly spring evening, a crowd of just over 4,000 were looking for something to warm them up. They didn’t get it in a truly awful first half which could be summed up from a Hearts perspective thus:

Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass (usually sideways), give the ball away. The highlights of that first half are below….

Half-time Kilmarnock 0 Hearts 0

The second half was little better although Hearts finally managed an attempt on target in the 67^th minute when Goncalves had a header saved by Killie keeper Woodman.

The introduction of substitute Choulay initially brought some spark to the visitors and his cross into the penalty box was almost met by Andras Struna but the Slovenian misjudged the flight of the ball and the chance was gone.

Jamie Walker then turned on the edge of the box but, in keeping with the evening, his effort was weak and straight at the Killie keeper.

Isma Goncalves had a great chance to steal the game for Hearts towards the end but his low shot on goal was deflected just inches wide for a corner. The same player then had an opportunity in the six yard box after fine play from Liam Smith but the striker inexplicably let the ball run from him rather than strike for goal.

The home side had a chance to take all three points with three minutes left when Boyd fired in free-kick that went wide.

The travelling Maroon Army made their feelings known at the end of the game. It was another 90 minutes of their lives they won’t get back.

After the game, Ian Cathro told BBC Radio Scotland: “A point isn’t acceptable because it’s not what we wanted.

“We’re disappointed that we’ve not managed to get the win. On reflection, maybe we have to accept it given the way the game panned out towards the end. Initially we controlled the match but didn’t create enough chances.  We didn’t have any threat in the final third.

“Second half we had a couple of chances which I would expect to normally go in and I’m sure the guys involved will say the same. But today they didn’t.

“There’s not tremendous confidence levels there but we’re building those things. A 0-0 away from home we can’t consider a disaster but we are disappointed.”

Disappointed is something of an understatement…

Kilmarnock: Woodman, Hendrie, Dicker, Ajer, Taylor, Smith, Wilson, Roberts, Longstaff, Jones, Boyd

Hearts: Hamilton, Smith, Buaben, Nowak, Struna, Kitchen, Tziolis, Djoum, Cowie, Walker, Goncalves.

Referee: Euan Anderson

Att: 4,110

Top man: The men, women and children – 617 of them – who made up the away support. They probably wished they hadn’t bothered.

Careful

Horse McDonald’s acclaimed biographical play.

There are times in life when you need to be careful…

The Scottish singer-songwriter, Horse McDonald, is taking her award-winning one-woman play, Careful, on the road for a Scottish spring tour.

First performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2016, this poignant and compelling story of Horse’s triumph over adversity through music, is collaboratively written with writer and comedian Lynn Ferguson, directed by Maggie Kinloch and produced by The Gilded Balloon.

After each performance, Horse will be joined on stage by director Maggie Kinloch for an intimate, ‘audience with’ Q&A session. For her music fans, Horse will also weave into the second half of the evening a small selection of her favourite songs from her illustrious career, prompted by the evening’s questions.

Horse takes to the stage as an admirably frank and engaging teller of her own touching story of survival, from wearing two-tone velvet loons to becoming one of Scotland’s most celebrated singers; painting a vivid and powerful picture of those times when she had to be… Careful.

Horse is iconic. She has few peers, utterly unique, with breath-taking stagecraft. Her voice is a ‘finely honed instrument’. Since her studio debut in 1989 with single, You Could Be Forgiven, Horse’s power to reinvent and advance her musical style and prowess has been unshakable.

Lynn Ferguson has written for BBC, Pixar and CBS including her own sitcom. A Fringe Festival veteran, she’s won the prestigious Fringe First Award for new writing and the Stage Award for Acting Excellence. In mid-2015, Lynn founded Youtellyours.com, a successful storytelling school in California. She has used these same storytelling techniques to construct this show for Horse, collaborating with both Horse and Maggie Kinloch over Skype throughout the writing and production process.

Touring 19 venues throughout Scotland the production finishes with a two night residence at Glasgow Tron’s ‘Mayfesto’ Saturday 27 May.

http://www.edtheatres.com/horse

Friday 21 April, 7.30pm The Studio, 22 Potterrow

A police investigation is underway after £18,000 worth of damage was caused to Hawthornden and St Mary’s Primary Schools in Bonnyrigg.

At Hawthornden alone, 80 skylights and 42 double-glazed windows were shattered on April 7.

Police Scotland and officials at Midlothian Council have assessed the total repair bill for all the damage as being £18,000.

Inspector John Dryden said: “This is an appalling attack on the primary school and the cost of the repair will ultimately come from Midlothian Council’s budget – money that would be better used for vital services to the community.

“It would have taken a significant period of time for the vandals to smash 122 windows and the noise alone must have attracted attention.

“I would also ask parents and guardians to assist in preventing further incidents by ensuring they know where their children are and what they are doing when out and about.”

A spokesman for Midlothian Council said: “It is not just the financial cost to the council, but the emotional cost to our school community.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101.

Hibs have reminded supporters not to enter the field at any point before, during or after matches, both at Easter Road and away from home as such incursions have significant potential ramifications both for supporters and for the club.

The warning comes in advance of tomorrow’s game against Queen of the South where victory couple with Falkirk dropping points would ensure the Championship title and automatic promotion for the club.

Supporters who enter the field of play risk a football banning order amongst other penalties.

Any investigation will also be detrimental to the club, both in terms of resource wasted and in the cost of any sanction imposed on the club.

Supporters were also reminded that the use of pyrotechnics is strictly forbidden at football matches.

The use of pyrotechnics, including smoke bombs and flares, within football stadiums is extremely dangerous and is a serious offence, with the Club having a zero tolerance approach with regards to the carrying and usage of pyrotechnics at our matches. Recent events have led to two supporters receiving indefinite bans.

A Hibernian spokesperson said: “We are approaching an exciting end to the season with plenty to play for in the league and Scottish Cup.

“We hope supporters can back the team and enjoy the remaining games in a responsible manner.”

A 22-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with seven housebreakings and an assault, which occurred in the West Pilton, Kirkliston, Murrayfield and Drylaw areas.

The assault took place in Crewe Place on Tuesday, April 11. The housebreakings occurred between 8th and 12th April period of time.

The 22-year-old will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Saturday 15th April.

Detective Inspector Graham Grant said:  “We treat violence and housebreaking as a priority in Edinburgh and will act swiftly to apprehend those responsible.

“If you have witnessed or been the victim of crime in your area, you can report this to police via 101, or can do so confidentially through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Edinburgh Comic Con is back and bigger than ever.

On Saturday and Sunday the Edinburgh Comic Con returns with a programme spread over both days. This year’s show will include the Premier of Shooting Clerks the film about the making of the 90s independent movie from local filmmakers as well as U.S. TV Stars from the hit show Comic Book Men.

Along with the chance to pick up some rare comics and collectables, this event should see fans pack the Edinburgh International Conference Centre to battle it out for the highly contested best Cosplay award.

Other guests booked for this year’s show include Scottish-born comic book artist Garry Brown (Marvel’s Iron Patriot, DC’s Catwoman among his own projects) and Emma Beely (DC’s Wonder Woman and Robbie Burns: Witch Hunter) are among the many names from the comic book world in attendance.

The event runs starts at 10 am on Saturday and again at 10 am on Sunday. Tickets will be available on the door for more information check out www.heroconventions.com

Kurt Warner believes it is a matter of time before American Football becomes part of the sporting culture here.

The biggest hurdle the 45-year-old from Iowa believes is making a level playing field when North American teams travel.

The former Super Bowl winning quarterback says there is great passion and knowledge about his sport in Britain.

And he experienced some of that passion during the packed NFL UK Live Tour event which checked into Edinburgh on Thursday night.

Around 500 fans – many wearing the colours of their favourites – crammed into the Edinburgh International Conference Centre to hear Warner and hear about plans to bring more games to Britain.

Also there were Danny Shelton of the Cleveland Browns, former player now pundit Steve Smith Jr and respected American Football journalist Peter King.

They took part in a lively, two-hour forum hosted by Sky Sports presenter Neil Reynolds and it included a lively question and answer session.

It also highlighted the forthcoming series of fixtures in London at Wembley and Twickenham which will feature a number of teams including New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and St Louis Rams. Tickets go on sale soon.

Some, including panelist King, believe the best way forward would be to have a British-based team not North American teams jetting into this country for a series of games.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-UzRO3Bdfo?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-GB&autohide=2&wmode=transparent&w=696&h=392]

Warner, who also played for the New York Giants and the Arizona Cardinals currently holds a number of records including being the seventh-highest career passer of all time and his achievements are a far cry from his spell as a supermarket shelf stacker.

He was also a visitor to Murrayfield after joining the Amsterdam Admirals who played against the Scottish Claymores in the NFL Europe League and the rest is sporting history.

If you don’t mind the cool air, this Easter weekend looks like being a cracker. The daffodils are still in their full glory, the whin is turning bright yellow and the birds are singing like naughty choirboys from every hedge.

Just about every visitor attraction is staging special events, from an Easter bonnet competition at Castle of Mey in Caithness to the traditional Easter egg hunt at Traquair House in the Borders.  On Loch Tay, there’s a pancake fry-up at the Crannog, a Neil Gow fiddle festival in Dunkeld and horse racing at Musselburgh where Judy Murray will present the new £100,000 prize, the Queen’s Cup.

Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports are expecting huge numbers of fliers this weekend with the normal tourist traffic coinciding with the return of the school holiday migrants.

You might think this would put us all in a prosperous mood.  And, sure enough, the unemployment figures have taken a surprising turn for the better, dropping to 4.5 per cent of the workforce.

But here’s a thing, there are 27,000 people who have left the jobs market altogether and our economic growth rate in the last quarter was minus 0.2 per cent.  Real wages are falling and, according to the latest survey, 40 per cent of our small businesses are pessimistic about the immediate future.  Add to that the continuing “austerity”  from the UK Treasury and our springtide champagne begins to lose its sparkle.

However, one public spending project which has come good this week is the “missing link” on the M8 motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh.  Seven miles of the motorway were left as duel-carriageway when the M8 was built in the 1960s but by the beginning of May, the frustrating bottleneck of road works will be over and journey times between our two main cities will be cut by 20 minutes.

Another infrastructure project which has enjoyed some good news this week is the Borders Railway.  The transport minister Humza Yousaf announced a study into extending the railway from Tweedbank near Melrose to Carlisle.  The re-constructed line opened just a year ago and has attracted 1.2m passenger journeys, that’s well ahead of expectations.

I was one of those passengers this week and it allowed me to enjoy a cycle run from Melrose to Dryburgh Abbey. The River Tweed sparkled in the sun.  The park-and-ride car parks were full, the tea rooms were reporting good business and new houses seemed to be going up everywhere. That’s what a railway line does for the economy.

I’m not saying the motor car age is over but one of its great champions died this week, Sir Arnold Clark.   Back in the 1950s he used his RAF de-mob money to buy an old banger, did it up and sold it.  And from that humble beginning in Glasgow he founded the Arnold Clark car dealership with garages throughout the UK.

Last year he became Britain’s first billionaire car salesman.  He had an interesting collection of vintage cars and at one point owned the racing yacht “Drum”.  In 1988, “Drum” with Arnold Clark at the helm won the famous Tobermory race before being hit by a Royal Navy submarine.

Tobermory was in the news this week when parents at the local school took it into their own hands to find a new head teacher. The post has been vacant for nearly a year. Official adverts for the job have twice failed to find a suitable candidate.

The parents have been using the internet to post photos of the colourful houses around the harbour, famous for being the setting for the children’s TV programme Balamory. And they’ve been getting a huge response.  Let’s hope there are some serious candidates among them.

One woman who has taken her vocation seriously is the Scottish nurse Pauline Cafferkey.  She is now planning to return to Sierra Leone to meet some of the children left orphaned by the Ebola outbreak in 2014.

Pauline went out to West Africa as a volunteer to help in an Ebola clinic run by Save the Children but when she arrived home she fell seriously ill with the virus herself and spent weeks in hospital, at times close to death.  Now she is hoping to take part in a 10k run in Sierra Leone to raise funds for children affected by the outbreak which killed an estimated 11,000 people across West Africa.

“I’ve had a terrible few years,” she told a BBC interviewer, “so it will be good to go back just for things to come full circle for me and to find a little bit of closure.”   Such bravery, followed by resilience, deserves our deepest respect.

Edinburgh Mini Maker Faire is the grand finale of Edinburgh International Science Festival taking place on Sunday 16 April 2017 at Summerhall.

For the fifth consecutive year it gathers fascinating, curious people who enjoy making things and who love sharing what they do.

From engineers to artists, scientists to crafters, the Faire is a chance for these makers to show off their hobbies, experiments and projects, and for visitors to discover new ways to make their own ideas a reality.

It is Scotland’s largest Mini Maker Faire event and has reached 1,500 visitors each year since the inaugural event in 2013.

The images feature Wilson, an interactive 3D projection mapping installation, which aims to encourage togetherness! It is built by a Napier University student Andrew Ferguson and will be available to Mini Maker Faire audiences to play with on Easter Sunday.

Over the past few years Napier University student Andrew Ferguson has picked up a variety of skills, including how to create fun and wacky interactive installations, and so for his final project he decided to create something special. Wilson, is an interactive display that takes things very personally! Created using 3D projection mapping, Wilson will invite you to define his personality based on how you treat him, but more importantly how you treat the people around you.

Andrew said: “I am interested in Cyber-Psychology & User Experience theories and have tailored my honours project to explore how an interactive installation can encourage social cohesion and just basically get people working together, mainly by just having fun!”

“Wilson will react to certain things he senses such as the noise levels around him. The visuals will help show the emotion he is feeling as different inputs affect his mood.”

Photos Chris Scott

Edinburgh Capitals are understood to be considering their future in the Elite League.

The club have so far stayed silent but sources, however, indicate that they are looking at their options along with Dundee and Fife.

Fife Flyers were first to issue a statement through club spokesman Steve McLean which confirmed that the club will be attending the next Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) board meeting later this month and, until then, the club will not release season ticket information.

The statement comes only days after the league confirmed that the maximum bench size for next season will be 19 plus up to three British-trained players to help encourage home-bred talent. The initial 19 skaters can include 14 import players.

And it also follows moves to include Milton Keynes and Guildford in the current ten-strong league.

Fife’s statement said: “As you may be aware, at present the structure and format for the 2017/18 EIHL season has not been finalised.

“We will be attending the April EIHL Board meeting at the end of this month where the format for next season will be discussed and we hope to be able to make plans from there regarding our future.

“We will not be in a position to release season ticket information or look at fixtures and scheduling until after the April board meeting and discussions with all 12 teams have taken place.

“We will release an update. Thank you for your patience and support during this time.”

Dundee Stars then have also put season ticket and schedule information on hold leading to doubts about their participation in the EIHL next season.

A statement from the directors Mike and Stephen Ward said: “Due to the uncertainty of the structure and format of the 2017/18 EIHL season, the Dundee Stars have put season ticket and schedule information on hold.

“We will be attending the April EIHL board meeting where plans will be made on the structure for the forthcoming season.

“Following this we will release a full update on our future position within the league.”

A police investigation is ongoing after a teenage girl who was walking her dog, was punched to the ground and left with bruising and swelling on her face.

The 16-year-old victim was walking on a footpath to the rear of houses at Wester Bankton in Murieston, Livingston  when the suspect approached her around 6.30pm on Tuesday night.

The culprit ran off towards Murieston East Road.

He is described as white and in his late teens, about 5ft 7in and of stocky build. He has freckles across his cheeks and nose, dark blue eyes and ginger hair.

He was wearing a grey Adidas tracksuit with blue stripes down the arms and legs, a dark grey roundneck T-shirt and black Nike canvas trainers.

Inspector Adam Smith, of Livingston Police Station, said: “We are very concerned about this unprovoked assault which has left the young victim extremely shaken and distressed.

“We are committed to finding the person responsible and I would urge anyone who may have witnessed anything or has any information which can help with our enquiries to get in touch.”

Anyone with information has been asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.