User:Daftcelt/sandbox

= 9 Darters = All nine-dart finishes are categorized under the organisation(s) that ran the event where the nine-dart finish occured. For example Phil Taylor of the PDC recorded a nine-dart finish at the International Darts League in 2007, which is a BDO / WDF event. Another example is BDO player Darryl Fitton recorded a nine-dart finish at the Grand Slam of Darts Qualifiers in 2014, which is a PDC event. Italics denotes it was a player from a rival organisation.


 * 1The 2008 Welsh Open was televised live but only from the quarter-finals onwards, Brian Dawson achieved a nine-dart finish in the first round.

=History of women's football in Scotland=

Origins
Church records uncovered from the 17th and 18th centuries revealed that women began kicking a leather football about as early as 1628, in a small fishing town. The earliest records uncovered came from Carstairs, Lanarkshire detailing a church minister complained of the "insolent behaviour of his parishioners, both men and women, in footballing instead of observing Sunday as a solemn day devoted to God". Later in 1656, also from Lanarkshire, Reverend Charles Hope took action to stop men and women "promiscuously" playing football together.

The 1795 statistical account of Scotland revealed the first known fixture between two teams composed entirely of women. The annual fixture between the married and unmarried "fishwives of Fisherrow", at which the former were always the victors, at Inveresk, Midlothian was recorded by Reverend Dr Alexander Carlisle.

Records showing women's football being played in England only dates back as far as the 19th century, which means that Scotland can lay claim to being the birthplace of both men's and women's football.

Foundations of the game
In 1881 in Stirling, a group of suffragettes set up the first female football team in Britain in support of the 'Rights for Women movement'. The team were called Mrs Graham's XI. Not just a team, they were effectively the first female Scottish national side. The team played in buttoned up blouses and billowing bloomers.

Helen Matthews, a Scot and suffragette herself, played under the name Mrs Graham and had founded first official women's club in the city. Matthews formed the side after watching Scotland cane England 6-0 at the Oval in London in March 1881.

On 7 May 1881, Mrs Graham's XI played their first official match at Easter Road. It was after this match that controversy was never far away. It was in their second game at Shawfield Stadium, on 16 May 1881, which sparked riots after defeating a visiting England side 3-0. The riots at Shawfield caused such a massive stir, it later lead to a goverment ban on women playing football.

The day after the controversy at Shawfield, the right for rate-paying women to vote in local goverment elections was passed. The Women's Franchise Bill (for Scotland) had been given the royal assent. The players were all part of the 'Rights for Women' and 'Rational Dress Movement', so maybe the game was seen as a sign of the times and had some influence. To this day, Mrs Graham's XI are credited with having helped women win the local Goverment vote.

By 1895, thousands of spectators had flocked to see Mrs Graham's XI's matches. However, they weren't so fascinated by the abilities of the players on display as by the thought of what the ladies were wearing beneath their playing gear. One newspaper report at the time said:

The young women presented a pretty appearance on the field, and this was in a great measure due to the nice assortment of colours, as well as the dainty way in which the women set them off.

Matthews' team, which even boasted the world's first female black footballer, Carrie Boustead, were considered improper by their male counterparts.

Women then had lots of support but had plenty of objectors too - amongst them, women's magazines. Woman wearing trousers was unacceptable and football was considered to be a man's game only. One of the biggest problems women's football encountered then was problems with hooligans who tried do disrupt the matches.

Towards the end of the 19th century, Matthews joined forces with the enigmatic Nettie J. Honeyball and they formed the British Ladies Football Club. The team were successful for a while, until a disagreement in 1896 over the management of team affairs caused Matthews to breakaway and play men's team.

Female teams continued to ply their trade throughout the First World War.

Despite the ban being later imposed, women played on, using pseudonyms to hide their identities - travelling down south to compete. Despite the setbacks, woman valiantly fought on to eventually obtain recognition.

The unofficial ban
A match at Goodison Park on 26 December 1920, where 53,000 spectators crammed into the stadium to observe a match between two women's teams is what lead to the ban of women being unable to play at grounds used by men's clubs. Complaints made of women playing football and a strong opinion on the council's part that football was unsuitable for women is shown in the minutes of an FA meeting in 1921.

A similar occurence took place in Scotland a year later, after a women's match at Tynecastle in March 1921, attracted a crowd of 15,000. It was later revealed there was nothing to suggest a formal ban existed, but was an unofficial policy. Nevertheless, it would be another fifty years before the bans were lifted on both sides of the border.

The side that packed Goodison Park to the rafters in 1920 had a strong Scottish connection. William Dick and John Kerr had established a company to manufacture trams and locomotives. From origins in Kilmarnock the main factory moved to Preston and, during the Great War, converted to the production of munitions. As was typical then, the workers were predominantly women and formed works teams to raise money for injured soldiers. Dick, Kerr's Ladies established themselves as the Man United of their day, attracting huge crowds in the UK, France and the USA.. It was the same club that drew 15,000 to Tynecastle for a match against Edinburgh Ladies.

With the ban in place, women's football was left out in the cold on both sides of the border. Nonethless, some Scottish clubs were prepared to ignore the unofficial ban. It seems this was true, as there were women's matches that took place in that time frame at Rugby Park and Shawfield. In the mid 1920's and early 1930's, a member club approached the SFA for permission to stage a women's match. Permission was denied.

In the 1940's and 1950's a team called Edinburgh Dynamos played at Meadowbank Stadium. It was a venue for athletics and speedway, despite this though the Dynamos attracted sizable crowds. This was in spite of the SFA's refusal to let their own referees and linesmen officiate at women's matches, again though it is possible some member clubs may have defied that policy.

In 1969 in England, the Ladies FA of Great Britain was born (swiftly renamed the WFA). In those days they included the few existing women's teams from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Eventually though the Football Associations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales that governed the men's game intervened and pointed out they could not govern their teams.

After the FA lifted their ban in 1971, the SFA soon followed suite. It is believed that it took pressure from UEFA and aligning as Britain in 1973 for the SFA to recognise that equality legislation would soon catch up with them. In the minutes of an SFA meeting, it showed the SFA had to step inline with the rest of europe or face sanctions from UEFA. While it is acknowledged the SFA did the right thing and eventually recognized women's football, it seems they had to be dragged there.

After ban is lifted
In 1971, UEFA was becoming concerned that the women's game was a branch of football which needed to be controlled. And in a historic vote, thirty one of thirty two countries voted in favour of bringing women's football into the fold. The solitary vote against came from Scotland.

Scottish club Stewarton & Thistle lost 4-1 to Southampton in the Final of the inaugural Women's FA Cup in 1971. They reached the Final again in 1972. Under the name Lee's Ladies, they lost 3-2 to Southampton. Another Scottish side, Westthorn United lost 2-0 to Southampton in the 1973 Final. Teams from Scotland and Wales were invited to participate in the early editions of the competition.

On 13 March 1972, the Scottish Women's Football Association (SWFA) was founded when four clubs met and decided to form an association. Stewarton & Thistle owner Elsie Cook became the first secretary of the SWF. Her SFA counterpart Willie Allan wasn't a fan of women in football and persistently knocked back Cook's attempts at arranging a meeting between the two of them. They did eventually meet once but it was anything but a success.

On 18 November 1972, the first ever woman's 'official' international fixture took place between Scotland and England in Greenock. England won 3-2. Coincidentally, it took place exactly 100 years after the first men's international fixture took place.

In 1974, Scotland travelled to Italy for a double-header with the hosts. The national team were then invited by Celtic manager Jock Stein to play an exhibition match at Celtic Park as a crowd warmer before their European Cup tie against Olympiakos. Stein shook hands with all the players after the match.

Scotland competed in the first official UEFA sanctioned European competition for women in 1984. Despite running England close, Scotland failed to qualify for the Finals. It was the same outcome three years later for the second edition of the competition.

In 1998, the Scotland women's team were taken under the wing of the SFA, with the wife of then Rangers assistant manager Bert van Lingen, Vera Pauw appointed as head coach. She was replaced by Anna Signeul in 2005. Scotland competed for the first time in World Cup qualification in 1997. Scotland reached the play offs for the 1999 edition of the World Cup but were comprehensively beaten by Spain.

Even in the time frame between the unofficial ban being lifted in Scotland in 1971 to the SFA taking the women's team under their wing in 1998 to now, attitudes within the governing body of Scottish football were ambivalent at best. Jim Parry was the first chief executive to be fully supportive. Attitudes only really changed when Campbell Ogilvie and Stewart Regan arrived.

Modern era
Ayr United became the first side to represent Scotland in the newly formed UEFA Women's Cup in 2001. In 2002, Julie Fleeting became the first Scottish footballer to play professionally in the WUSA league in the United States after leaving Ayr United for San Diego Spirit.

The SWPL was introduced in 2002 replacing the Scottish Women's League as the top division for domestic football. Along with the SWPL, the SWPL Cup replaced the Scottish Women's League Cup as the highest level domestic league cup competition. The SWPL Cup is only open to Premier League clubs though.

Rose Reilly became the first female footballer inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2007, with a place in the Scottish Football Hall of Fame following later that year. In 2009, the women's game in Scotland adopted a summer season which now runs from March to November each year.

Scotland lost to Russia in the play-offs for the 2009 Women's Euros on away goals. In 2009, the SFA launched a women's national football academy. It aims at giving the next generation of top female footballers being produced in Scotland, the chance of winning a scholarship.

Kilmarnock celebrated their fiftieth anniversary in July 2011. The club's origins date back to 1961. Originally formed as Stewarton Thistle, the club became Kilmarnock in 1999. It is the oldest women's club that still exists in Scotland.

''Kim Little and Ifeoma Dieke played for Great Britain at the 2012 Olympic Football Tournament. This was inspite of the SFA being dead-set against any Scots representing the men's or women's team at the Olympics. Julie Fleeting had already ruled herself out of contention for being picked the previous year. Little and Dieke helped Team GB reach the quarter finals.'' With the London Olympics about to take centre stage, the SFA declared had no interest in Scottish footballers, male or female representing Great Britan's men's and women's olympic football team at the games.

On 20 October 2012, Scotland played at Hampden Park for the first time, in their Euro 2013 play-off first leg draw (1-1) with Spain. A goal in injury-time of extra-time in the return leg cost Scotland a place at Euro 2013. At 2-2, Scotland were heading through on away goals before Spain struck in the 122nd minute to win 4-3 on aggregate.

In 2012, it was revealed Scotland were interested in staging the Women's Euros in 2017. Karen Espelund, a member of UEFA's Executive Committee and Women's Football Committee, gave a potential bid from Scotland her backing.

Absolutely - they have a huge football tradition... They have been taking the female game to new steps. I would welcome a bid."

UEFA revealed Scotland were one of seven potential bidders who expressed an interest in hosting the Women's Euros in 2017.

Scotland's leading club, Glasgow City, held talks with FA WSL in February 2013 about a possible move to an extended top flight in England. City cited football was not moving forward quickly enough in Scotland for women to match their amibition. The FA shut the door on any potential move. In October 2013, City manager Laura Harvey reiterated the club's desire to play in the FA WSL. Glasgow City won their seventh straight SWPL crown in 2013, stretching their unbeaten league record to 111 matches. During the 2014 SWPL season, Glasgow City suffered a first league defeat in over six years but still cantered to an eighth successive SWPL title.

Shelley Kerr became the first female manager of a men's senior team in British football when Lowland League outfit Stirling University appointed her in August 2014.

Glasgow City became the first Scottish team to reach the last eight of the UEFA Women's Champions League in November 2014, after an astonishing 5-4 aggregate victory. After suffering a 2-1 first leg defeat at FC Zurich, City found themselves 1-0 down at half time with their keeper substituted due a suspected broken collar bone in the return leg. Despite City replying with two early second half goals, Zurich equalized. An eighty-first minute Jo Love strike leveled the tie but with City still heading out of the competition on away goals, Suzanne Lappin powered home a header a few minutes from time to send the Scottish Champions through.

Sponsorship and funding
In 1997, women's football in Scotland was given a £10,000 boost when high street store Sports Connection sponsored the Scottish League and Scottish League Cup. Albeit a rather small cash injection but a significant one none the less, as it meant it was the first time that the women's league would have an official sponsor.

In 2005, the SFA awarded £90,000 from the scotland lottery towards the women's national squad programme

A new funding agreement was put in place for the national team during their 2015 FIFA World Cup qaulification campaign. A Scottish Goverment initiative contributed £200,000 to cover that qualifying period, allowing players to work less and focus more on training and recovery periods. Glasgow City announced a ground breaking sponsorship with EG Chauffeur Hire in October 2014. They became the first women's team to have a car sponsorship, with the initial agreement in place for twelve months.

Television and media coverage
There was live coverage of the 2009 Scottish Women's Cup Final between Premier League leaders Glasgow City and First Division champions Rangers on BBC Alba.

Scotland's home matches during their 2015 FIFA World Cup qaulification campaign were shown live on BBC Alba. As was their home and away double header against the Netherlands in the qualification semi-final play-off.

Growing popularity
In 1991 there were only 400 registered females playing the game, which had multiplied by almost seven times that to 2700 by 1997. In 2005, it was revealed there were over 4000 registered female footballers playing in leagues throughout Scotland and more than 100,000 pupils in primary and secondary schools were playing girls football.

In 1996, The Herald reported, in accordance to an interview with Sheila Begbie, five years previously there wasn't a single under-16's football team for girls. And that of November 1996; there were 2000 players to draw from with a 700% increase in coaching meaning 3000 women were going through coaching courses. Infact, many of them women were taking boys teams.

Criticisms and Stereotypes still circulating
In 2003, Albion Rovers manager Peter Hetherston was booed out of his own pub in Coatbridge, after saying women should remain in the kitchen and not on the pitch. The comments were made about Scotland's first female referee, Morag Pirie, after a match in which she refereed the previous Saturday, resulted in his team losing 1-0 to Montrose. The Head of Referee Development at the SFA was furious and called his comments a slur on Pirie and the concept of female referees.

In 2013, Daily Record journalist Gordon Parks came in for a barrage of criticism after saying the £1.2 million a year the SFA invests in women's football in Scotland was unjust. Parks said the resources thrown at the women's game wasn't proportionate to the interest and talent in the game, while also saying people would do well to name two Scottish female athletes off the of top their head. Sunsport columnist Iain King said Parks' piece of journalism left him feeling embarrassed to be in the same profession as him. The following night, Parks appeared on Scotland Tonight with Glasgow City general manager Laura Montgomery, who made a passionate defence of her club and athlete Lee McConnell who couldn't hide her contempt at Parks' rant.

Later that year, Tam Cowan came in for criticism over another article that was reffered to as "sexist" towards the Women's national team that was printed in the Daily Record again. His article stated Fir Park should have been burned in order to the cleanse the stadium after hosting women's football. Scotland had hosted Bosnia and Herzegovina in a World Cup qualifier only a few days before. The article also said no amount of politically correct claptrap could force me to say I enjoyed a single second of that guff. The rest of the article followed a similar pattern. Tam Cowan apologised for the article shortly afterwards. He cited that the article was supposed to be tongue in cheek. Cowan also said his sense of humour can be more often than not old fashioned but that he will try to "update his act". Cowan also offered towards make a donation to women's football in Scotland. Cowan was later suspended by the BBC. but soon after reinstated.

Background
The club revealed on 18 October 2011, they were investigating the possibility of a move to East Kilbride, the largest town in Scotland without a senior football team. An option suggested was a groundshare with East Kilbride Thistle and redevelop their Showpark stadium. An online petition was started in February 2012 to support an application to redevelop the Showpark stadium and East Kilbride cattle ground. The club were in discussions with the view to revised deal to remain at Broadwood for the immediate future in May 2012. It was announced a meeting would be held at Broadwood on 20 April 2013 for owners to vote on beginning the negotiation process to relocate to East Kilbride. On 20 April 2013, the owners voted on a move to East Kilbride and to rename the club E.K. Clyde.

Possible alternatives that were mooted to East Kilbride were Rutherglen or Shettleston. Discussions with Rutherglen Glencairn and South Lanarkshire Council were held in August 2012 to redevelop the Clyde Gateway Stadium into an SFL compliant stadium and groundshare. Plans were approved in principle by South Lanarkshire Council to give both clubs the go ahead to proceed in September 2012. The proposal was eventually dropped in favour of a move to East Kilbride. A move to groundshare with Shettleston Juniors at Greenfield Park was suggested in April 2015.


 * http://www.clydefc.co.uk/news/2013/09/17/4448/#.VVPIJvlViko
 * http://www.clydefc.co.uk/news/2014/06/29/4675/#.VVPIHflViko
 * http://www.clydefc.co.uk/news/2014/07/15/4684/#.VVPH2PlViko


 * http://www.clydefc.co.uk/news/2013/03/15/4326/#.VVPIBvlViko

East Kilbride FC were elected to play the newly formed Lowland League in June 2013, meaning East Kilbride now had a senior football team for the first time.

The club used the K Park for pre season training in 2011, returning there for pre season training in 2012.

The club played also played a number of friendlies / closed doors matches at the K Park with the likes of Whitehill Welfare (July 11).

= Other =
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft:Challenge_of_the_Lowlands


 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Daftcelt/Atlantic_Championships_(bowls)
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Daftcelt/Celtic_Cup_(athletics)


 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Daftcelt/International_Belgium_Darts_Tour
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Daftcelt/SWF_Monthly_and_Yearly_awards
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Daftcelt/Soap_Awards_winners
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Daftcelt/Clyde_L.F.C.
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Daftcelt/Airdrie_United_F.C._Ladies
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Daftcelt/SJA_British_Sports_Awards
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Daftcelt/BOA_Athlete_of_the_Year
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Daftcelt/The_Packwood_sisters_(bowls)
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Daftcelt/List_of_WBT_world_ranking_event_finals