THE American husband of a Scottish Commonwealth Games athletics

medallist has been accepted by the Scottish Basketball Association as a

domestic player for national league purposes.

Curt Baxter, the 6ft 5in basketball-playing husband of Glasgow

sprinter Angela Bridgeman, has signed for East End Brightsiders and has

been cleared to play straightaway in the Dial Office Systems Scottish

League from which foreign players are debarred.

Angela and Curt met at Brigham Young University in the US where Curt

majored in international relations and business affairs.

Returning to Scotland with his new wife in the summer, he hopes to

settle in this country provided he can find a job, preferably in finance

or advertising. But, as East End have discovered, he is also a very

effective coach and has had an immediate impact with the youngsters at

their club.

''He is clearly not here as a professional basketball player,''

explained an SBA official over the decision to grant him immediate

clearance.

The rules were designed to discourage clubs importing foreign players

to boost their chances in the league having been cut first from two

foreign players per team to one and then none.

Baxter's college experience could be vital for East End who sagged

badly in the second half of their first league game at Meadowbank on

Sunday to lose to Boroughmuir, after leading by 14 points in the first

half.

Baxter was not available due to religious duties which may also

prevent him turning out in other Sunday fixtures.

His wife will hear on Sunday whether she has been rejected by the

country for which she ran in two Commonwealth Games -- 1982 when she won

a bronze medal in the 4 x 400 metres in Brisbane, and 1986 in Edinburgh.

Meanwhile the new basketball season in Scotland is quickly recovering

from its post-Carlsberg league hangover.

It has been marked so far by a return to ''roots'' with ex-Rangers Jim

Morrison and John Duncan back at Cumnock and helping their first club

into top position thus far in the men's first division.

Tony McDaid is back at East End and has taken another young ex-Ranger

with him, Alan Kiddie, whose former club Falkirk is no more. However

their youthful vigour was not enough against the experience of wily old

''Bones'' Bill McInnes, Chris Murray, and Stewart Gillies, who helped

Boroughmuir to a 72-67 victory.

Paisley also began their campaign with a 78-72 victory over

newly-promoted City of Edinburgh at Barrhead.

MIM Livingston, without a league fixture at the weekend, travel to

Denmark on Thursday for the first leg of their European Cup first-round

tie against Skovlunde and hope to bring in an American player just for

the tie. An announcement is expected today.