S is for...Supporters Club, Glasgow Rocks

So, this is a bit more of a current affairs kind of entry.

This past week I’ve become a corporate sponsor of the Glasgow Rocks Official Supporters Club.

Now, some people will be going...why on EARTH are you officially supporting Glasgow Rocks Official Supporters Club, Chris? You’re from Wolverhampton, you grew up in Devon, of ALL the teams in the UK you’ve become a ‘Corporate Sponsor of the Glasgow Rocks Official Supporters Club’? Errrr, why? It’s literally the FURTHEST club from where you live.

Well, ahem, let me elaborate. I saw a post on LinkedIn, by Duncan Smillie, who is the current owner of the Glasgow Rocks. It explained what being a corporate member of the Supporters Club was all about. I saw it as a cool opportunity to share some of my coaching skills and knowledge with people, and basically promote my books. What more do you want me to say?

Truth is, I support the game. I’ve got time for all of the basketball clubs in the UK. I’m a coach, mate. Sport isn’t tribal warfare anymore, people. I mean, to some people it is. But not to me. To me, it’s a means to achieving a healthy way of life and away of bringing communities together. If you are using sport as a means to fight, but aren’t participating in an actual combat sport...then you’re doing it wrong mate.

If I could ‘officially support’ all of the basketball clubs in the UK I would. I want to see Great Britain really consistently competing on the world stage in basketball, and in order to achieve that we need our clubs to be able to produce the best that we can. Which I think means we need to share the best of what we know in order to actually get there.

ANYWAY, all that said. I do have some genuine links to Scotland, even wee Glasgow. So, here you go.

My step-dad is Scottish, he’s from Uddingston. Which is...wait for it...is just outside the centre of...GLASGOW!!! Taaa-daaaahh!!

My step-grandfather helped develop Atracurium at the University of Strathclyde (That’s also in Glasgow by the way). If you don’t know what Atracurium is - Wiki it. Me, I still don’t understand it, I’m pretty bang on below average when it comes to science. I’ll possibly never fully understand it, but Atracurium is the business.

My step-grandparents, unsurprisingly, used to live in Scotland. And I have gone on many a trek from Devon all the way up the M5 and beyond to a lovely little place called Twynholm, Kirkcudbright. (Which is...wait for it...literally nowhere near Glasgow).

So, Scotland genuinely means more than a little bit to me. Plus, I love shortbread. Which is partly why I have a bunch of fillings. Meh, it’s worth it.

I’ve never had haggis. As a kid I used to think Scottish broth was gross; I’d probably think it was alright now. I’ve been up Ben Nevis. I once sat in Ayrton Senna’s test at the David Coulthard museum in Scotland. David Coulthard’s Dad rook is in his swanky Mercedes to go and check it out in his warehouse. What a legend. I love Billy Connolly. I mean all this basically make mrs me Scottish mate.

So yeah, that’s a bit about me and Scotland.

I’m looking forward to shearing ideas with other members and supporting this great game some more.

Something someone supposedly said

“There are two seasons in Scotland: June and Winter.” - Billy Connolly

Songs

Anything by...

AC/DC

Travis

Wet Wet Wet

The Proclaimers

Biffy Clyro

Rod Stewart

Calvin Harris

Belle & Sebastian

The Beta Band

David Byrne

Lewis Capaldi

Franz Ferdinand

The Fratellis

Glasvegas

The Jesus and The Mary Chain

Annie Lennox

Lulu

Oasis - signed to Creation Records by Scot, Alan McGee - don’t forget that.

Primal Scream

Finley Quaye

Stealers Wheel

Emeli Sandé

Snow Patrol

Texas

K T Tunstall

The View

Susan ‘The Badass’ Boyle