April 1987

Question Mark Over Bear Cubs

The lives of two European brown bear cubs could be hanging in the balance if Dundee District Council decides not to stand by a verbal agreement made with the Zoological Society in Edinburgh.The cubs were offered to the wildlife centre at Camperdown Park and the council agreed to take them last year before the incident in which a Dundee boy was badly mauled by Jeremy the bear.

It was decided then to put the issue of the new additions in the bear enclosure on ice and they have remained in the care of Edinburgh Zoo.

Officials in Edinburgh have decided, however, that it is time the bears were on the move and are pressing Dundee for a decision.

If Dundee cannot take the bears they may have to be put down, as leisure and recreation committee convener Michael Duff explained. “Obviously, this would only be done as a last resort as this type of bear is an endangered species” he said, “but it is a distinct possibility”.

He said that, while he hoped the council would not go back on its earlier decision, it was unlikely that the fate of the year-old cubs would be known until after Easter.

“Although we have nothing but sympathy for the boy involved in the accident I feel it is only fair to point out that we have since had the bear enclosure at Camperdown examined by experts, from Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wild Park at Aviemore” he added. “They had no hesitation in saying they felt it was the right place for the cubs. In fact they considered our enclosure one of the best in the country.”

A spokesman for Edinburgh Zoo confirmed yesterday that the cubs were on offer to Dundee and that the matter was still under discussion.

Top Ten Singles

1. Let’s Wait Awhile…….……….… Janet Jackson
2. Let It Be………………….….…… Ferry Aid
3. La Isla Bonita……………………... Madonna
4. Can’t Be With You Tonight………. Judy Boucher
5. You’ve Got the Power…………..... Win
6. Lean on Me……………………….. Club Nouveau
7. Living in a Box…………………… Living in a Box
8. Ordinary Day……………………… Curiosity Killed the Cat
9. Still of the Night……………………Whitesnake
10. Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now……Starship

Dundee Looking Forward to Semi-Final with Confidence

By the Sports Editor

Current Manager Jocky Scott has been nine years at Dens Park in his latest stint, as player, second team coach, first team coach and manager.

In that time there was a spell when “Dundee United were successful and were playing well, and when they played Dundee you always had the feeling they knew they only had to turn up to win the game.”

This season, manager Scott believes, that has changed and he hopes his team will improve this at Tynecastle tomorrow in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup.

“This season we have played one another five times, including the Forfarshire Cup” he said.

Other than the 2-0 defeat here at Dens (back on September 6) we have been every bit as good as United, with the 3-0 win at Tannadice on November 8 one of our best three performances of the season so far”.

The others?

“Beating Celtic 4-1 in the league and Clydebank 4-0 in the last round of the cup”.

So what is the difference between now and the bad spell?

“In the last three derby outings we have definitely completed much better and the players have been more confident.

There was a time when we played Dundee United you had the feeling that if we lost the first the goal the players said “oh, oh…here we go again” and United has as good as won.

“I don’t fear that anymore. Confidence is something the players now have. We had a spell where we were making mistakes in defence. The players have worked hard at eliminating them and I believe they have succeeded.”

Dundee will spend tonight in Edinburgh and it looks like everyone will be available except the suspended Graeme Harvey and cup-tied Alan Lawrence, though both will be with the club in Edinburgh. Rib injury victim Vince Mennie now feels much more comfortable when training.

Finally, “There is a good atmosphere about the place and has been all week. We really are looking forward, confidently, to the game”.

* Tickets are still available for Tynecastle. They are on sale at Dens Park and the Dundee Shop in the Keillor Centre up to 5 p.m. today and at the Keiller Centre until 11 a.m. tomorrow.

Concert

Bonar Hall, Dundee
Monday, April 6, 1987 at 7.30 p.m.
Mozart – Divertimento in D K136
Grieg – Two Elegiac Melodies
Tchaikovsky – Serenade for Strings

International Soprano Mari Slorach
Selected Arias and Songs

Symphonium conducted by Richard Honner.
Tickets £3 plus concessions at Dundee, Ticket Centre,
And available at the door. Proceeds to Cancer Relief.

Thomson Leng Musical Society

Present
No No Nanette
By special arrangement with Samuel French, Ltd.

Whitehall Theatre,
Bellefield Street, Dundee
All this week, nightly at 7.30pm.
Ticket prices - £3.50 - £2
Central Booking Office, City Square, Dundee.

Hendry Nearer

Stephen Hendry, the young Scottish champion, scored another Embassy World qualifying round triumph by beating American hope Jim Rempe at the Guildhall, Preston, yesterday.

Coming to the table with an overnight 8-1 lead, the young Scot was made to struggle to reach the fourth qualifying round.

World pool champion Rempe, from Pennsylvania, won three frames in a row before Hendry recovered with a 57 break and a 10-4 win.

Borussia Tie is the Chance of a Lifetime, says Jim McLean

By the Sports Editor

I am not underestimating Borussia Moenchengladbach in any way, but this is the chance of a lifetime for our players which they should not throw away.”

Manager Jim McLean, back at Tannadice yesterday after watching Borussia losing in the German Cup semi-final (and Scotland being beaten in Belgium), emphasised that the vital game was tomorrow’s Premier League fixture against St Mirren at Love Street, but was willing to look back at the performance of next week’s UEFA Cup semi-final opponents.

He continues, “The players must realise they have a great chance”

“Borussia are definitely beatable, and all our men must ask of themselves is a repeat performance of the way they played in both legs of the quarter-final against Barcelona.”

“I also appeal yet again for patience from our supporters. Borussia love to frustrate the opposition and are magnificent on the break, In fact they base their game on frustrating the other team and here is where our supporters must be as patient as our team. The fact that they have ‘grown up’ with us in Europe and know about the tactics of visiting teams will help”.

What United must also be hoping for is that referee Marcel van Langenhove (Belgium) is a strong official. It is a well-known fact in the game that Borussia are extremely physical on occasions. If the ref keeps blowing up for fouls and doing nothing in the way of name taking, he will be falling into the trap of interrupting the rhythm of United’s play, while doing nothing to stop the Germans achieving their objective of doing just that.

Looking back at Borussia’s earlier elimination of Rangers from the UEFA Cup, manager, McLean said “Over the two games Rangers should have progressed to the next round. Borussia definitely are not a better team than Rangers. “

“Over 180 minutes we must not fall into the trap of handing them a goal. We must attack, pressure them, play in their half of the park – but avoid being stupid at the back ourselves”.

“I can’t repeat too often that we must have patience and in that, must be joined by the supporters.”

“Borrussia pass back to the keeper, play the ball sideways, along the back, try to suck the opposition into moving too far forward, then hit on the break. But our players have been in Europe too many times. They know what to do. They dictated the game against Barcelona home and away. They deserve every credit for that – and they can do it again.”

Maritime Art Exhibition

The Frigate Unicorn, moored in Victoria Dock, open to the public this year with a major exhibition of contemporary maritime art.

On display will be works by eight up-and-coming Scottish artists, all graduates from Duncan of Jordonstone College of Art.

All exhibits will be on sale to the public and a percentage3 of all proceed will go towards the restoration of the unicorn.

The ship is open to visitors each year from April 1 to mid-October, everyday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The exhibition will be officially opened at a reception on board at 7.30 p.m. tomorrow. The exhibition will run until May 3.

Sports Centre Official Opening

Lord Provost Tom Mitchell is to declare the new Douglas Sports Centre officially open at a ceremony tonight at 7.30 p.m.

The party will tour the £550,000 centre and see for themselves its wide range of facilities which include a main sports hall, a weight training room, a four table snooker room and three other activity rooms.

The Douglas Centre represents the third phase of the development of sports centres in the city and follows on from the Dick McTaggart Centre opened almost four years ago and the Lynch Sports Centre opened last year.