East Kilbride News

Quiet afternoon for keeper Alexander

Graeme English was a popular character

- ANDY MCGILVRAY

Goalkeeper Lee Alexander recordeda clean sheet as Scotland claimeda massive 10-0 win overCyprus­in a Euro 2 22 qualifying match.

0Alexander, whocomes fromEast Kilbride,had oneofher quieter matchesing­oals for Scotland.

Scotland scoredfive goals in each half to secure a sensationa­l win in Larnaca as theyfinish­edwitha remarkable 19 shots on target.

Erin Cuthbert, MarthaThom­asand Jane Ross all scoreddoub­les while CarolineWe­ir,KirstyHans­on, Lizzie Arnotand Claire Emslie all goton the scoresheet.

It was Stuart McLaren’s first gamein charge as interimbos­s after Shelley Kerr left her role as manager on December24.

McLaren said:“Th e y have certainly set their stall out.

“I thoughtthe­y showed terrific character to comeintoa game which unfortunat­elydoesn’t mean anything in termsof qualifying, butthey still wentaboutt­heir business ina thoroughly­profession­al manner.

“There is a real determinat­ion to makesureth­is is the start of the next stage.

“There has been some fantastic success, qualifying forsuccess­ive tournament­sand it was well deserved and well earned. Now it’sabout not looking back so much on that.”

ShelleyKer­r left her position as head coach after three successive 1-0 defeats endedScotl­and’s qualificat­ion hopes.

Tributes have been paid after former Olympic wrestler Graeme English passed away last week, aged 56.

Graeme died suddenly in the early hours of Friday morning, from a pulmonary embolism.

He was a two-time Commonweal­th Games bronze medallist at Edinburgh 1986 and Victoria, Australia, in 1994, competed at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and won British senior titles.

Graeme also competed in other sport, including judo, and was a regular winner at the East Kilbride Sports Personalit­y of the Year awards.

Starting as a gymnast under the watchful eye of dad Pat, Graeme turned to wrestling after suffering an ankle injury, and was coached by Michael Cavanagh at East Kilbride Wrestling Club.

Within three years he was competing at Seoul.

Graeme’s ex-wife Suzanne said he was a “real family man who lived for his kids”.

She said: “We’ve had so much of an outpouring of comments from hundreds of people because he was so well known in East Kilbride.

“He was an all-round nice person.

“He was a real family man, who lived for his kids.

“He was a doorman as well at the weekends, so a lot of people knew him.

“He was one of those people who just loved to talk to everybody, to wave at anyone he knew, and everybody looked up to and respected him.”

David Connelly of Scottish Wrestling said: “Graeme will always be remembered for being one of the most talented and hard-working athletes to ever represent both Scotland and Great Britain and he was a real inspiratio­n to anyone who was fortunate enough to meet and work with him.

“To put it into perspectiv­e, with only 3 years of wrestling training Graeme was not only a multiple British champion and Commonweal­th Games bronze medallist, but he had also qualified for the Olympic Games in Seoul, where by all accounts he put up great performanc­es against the world’s best wrestlers at 90kg.

“Graeme will be greatly missed by all who knew him.”

Graeme leaves behind sons Jordan and Ryan, Brandon and Adam, and step-daughter Robyn.

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Graeme English
Champion Graeme English

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