A regular programme feature that keeps you up to date with rugby and club issues and news by Kenny Hamilton.
(Not necessarily the views of Glasgow Hawks).

Stewart’s Melville
It has been a while since we hosted a Stew/ Mel side at Anniesland and we have had to wait till the very last match in the first half of the league programme to say ‘Welcome’ to their players and supporters following their promotion to the top league. While it is true that they have found the top league difficult to get to grips with they have had some pretty emphatic victories over Boroughmuir and Melrose. They have some pretty experienced and classy performers including ex- International players - Graham Shiel and Craig Joiner.

Hawks to Rub Shoulders with the All Blacks?
I don’t know if it will happen – but a suggested 7s tournament for Premier 1 clubs on the day of the Scotland V New Zealand, match with the final being played on the main pitch, is a nice innovation and shows a bit of imagination. True – it is a little bit last minute, but it is surely the kind of idea that should be welcomed with enthusiasm. So now you have another good reason for getting to Murrayfield on 26th Novemebr.

Mini-Rugby Demonstration
On a similar theme – we welcome GHK and Accies Primary 5 mini-rugby teams today who will play in a demonstration match on the main pitch at 2.00pm ahead of the Hawks match which Kicks-off at 2.30pm. We hope to have this as a regular feature at home matches.

The Mystery Tour #2
It was another success but I have never been with 40 people from a rugby club who, at 11.00pm on a Saturday night, have had one beer! Well, you see you can’t drink and drive and we went Karting (that’s the way they spell it). It was enjoyable and Chuck McElroy emerged as overall winner with pre-final favourite Stevie Gordon ending up 4th. To get back to Anniesland and discover the GHK cocktail party going like an absolute fair was a bonus for all.
Well done all concerned.

Are Hawks that Bad?
It was a relief to win well last week at Stirling scoring eight tries. Their coach and officials were pretty generous in their assessment that Hawks is the best team they have seen this term.
Previously there has been some press coverage reflecting our own self-criticism that we have been winning without playing well. It maybe is time to look a little more at the positives:
Hawks have played and won 10 matches scoring an average of 32 points per match – more than any other side.
They have the meanest defence conceding fewer points than any one else in the league.
In tough matches against good opposition (Like B’muir 2 weeks ago) they were able to raise the tempo to secure the win from a losing position.
They have a range of players who can take on and beat defences one-on-one.
(I thought that Stevie Gordon’s exceptional piece of skill in the first half against B’muir when he used strength, pace and guile to beat 4 defenders and make 45 yards before being bundled to the touch-line well worthy of some flowing prose from the press but it was not mentioned.)
They are getting better.
And I don’t think they will get relegated this season.

This article was posted on 2-Nov-2005, 08:32 by Hugh Barrow.