Hello readers,
June already? It has certainly come around fast, has it not? But, as the sun streams through the windows of our Glasgow office, and I write to you to offer my Editor’s Pick from the last week at The Herald, I am certainly not complaining.
Let’s start with sunshine weather at its very best – outdoor concerts – and our coverage of Bruce Springsteen’s return to Scotland as he played Edinburgh’s BT Murrayfield on Tuesday night with his E Street Band. Springsteen has not performed in Scotland since 2016 (or in the Capital since 1981) and our readers were desperate for a slice of Boss action. I loved our exclusive piece on fans queuing at the grounds more than 30 hours before the show, enjoying the sunshine as suspense built for Springsteen’s arrival.
Our pre-show piece on the last time he performed in Edinburgh was well received by readers and our concert review by Russell Leadbetter remains a top performer three days after the big event. A gig to cherish for so many.
An equally sunny event, albeit more controversial, was Celtic fans celebrating their side’s victory against Aberdeen on Saturday.
Tens of thousands of supporters gathered to toast a second consecutive title win, with crowds stretching down the Gallowgate to the Merchant City, making for remarkable, green-smoked filled drone images.
On Monday, sports writer David Flanigan asked why more had not been done to accommodate these people? Many fans were clearly drinking and some of the aftermath ‘did make for a less pretty picture’, as Flanigan wrote.
So, why did the local authority not plan for this? Why were catering and toilet provisions not made when it was known fans would gather in the area in the event of a win?
“Glasgow’s standing as a city of sport, music, culture, but most often football above all else, need not be to the detriment of those with other pastimes,” wrote Flanigan.
“Supporters should be allowed to gather and celebrate. But so long as the city keeps them at arm’s length and refuses to engage them, the issues these spontaneous events bring will long persist. The current arrangement works for no-one, and everyone deserves better.” What do you think? Give us your thoughts at letters@theherald.co.uk
Sticking with football, my final pick of the week (so far) is our exclusive investigative series into Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou’s little investigated spell at Greek side Panachaiki. Sports writer Matthew Lindsay has detailed the Australian's first managerial job in Europe and how it helped form the man who is on the brink of winning Celtic's historic eighth treble.
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Catherine Salmond
Editor
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