Probe begins as fire leaves house gutted
THE police and fire services have launched a joint investigation into a blaze which wrecked a house in the city’s South Side. Firefighters worked through the night into the early hours of yesterday to tackle flames that stemmed from the top floor of a property on St Andrew’s Drive in Pollokshields – with three fire engines needed to contain the blaze.
They left the scene at 8.35am after working on the fire for more than seven hours, and later confirmed there were no casualties.
The Glasgow Times understands the house had recently been purchased by new owners who were not inside at the time of the incident.
A resident in the area claimed the blaze had been sparked by wilful fire- raisers after breaking into the empty home – but Police Scotland would not provide further comment on the nature of the investigation.
The local said:“We saw tufts of smoke from our living room window so came outside to see what was going on and there was the house, up in flames. The whole of the top floor was on fire.
“We’ve heard locally that the property was broken into from the back and that it was deliberately set alight. We also know that there is work currently getting done to the house and that it has a limited electricity supply.
“We’re very concerned that this is becoming an ongoing issue within the area and we hope that police recognise this issue.”
The blaze comes three days after crews were called to St Andrew’s Road to extinguish a fire that developed inside a business unit.
Elsewhere in Pollokshields in April, firefighters also tackled a blaze that tore through a tenement building on Kenmure Street. There is no suggestion that the fires are linked.
Police Scotland has confirmed it is now working alongside Scottish Fire and rescue to establish the circumstances surrounding the blaze at the Pollokshields house.
A spokeswoman said: “Around 1.30am on Wednesday, November 25, we received a report of a fire at a premises on St Andrew’s Drive, Glasgow.
“A joint investigation is ongoing to establish the cause of the fire.”
point to prove, maybe Scotland just played to his strengths, but on that day we saw a fabulous player come of age.
He had it all – brilliant one touch control, the ability to see a pass when others could only count legs, and that greatest of gifts, sheer footballing intelligence. I remember a couple of the Scottish players trying to rattle him early doors, but that’s when we saw Maradona’s sheer strength. He could twist and turn and had that short sprint over 10 yards that demoralises opponents.
Scotland had actually started well and had scored a couple of half- chances before the wee magician got going. I recall him dribbling past five or six Scots right through the midfield, and I was not the only one who applauded the incredible skill he showed.
Argentina scored after 33 minutes and it was all down to Maradona who bamboozled the Scottish defence before laying the ball off to Luque for the goal.
In one brilliant run Maradona beat three defenders and only George Burley intervened to clear the ball off Scotland’s line. He then hit the post and by now we realised we were in the presence of genius.
He was involved in Luque’s second and then he crowned his performance with his first international goal. George Wood had replaced Alan Rough in goal and he bought Maradona’s dummy before the wee man cheekily clipped it into the near corner of the net.
All the way home the talk was of Maradona and was he the next Pele? He most certainly was, and though he’ll be remembered for drug offences and other controversies off the pitch, for the Hand of God goal against England in 1986 and the one that followed it – in my humble opinion the finest individual goal ever scored in the World Cup – my personal memory was an unforgettable day at Hampden.