Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen became the first football club in Scotland to "form a fan group for LGBT supporters and their friends." The club announced the move as a part of LGBT History month and said it was proud to "fulfil the vision of a club and community which is welcoming to all regardless of race, religion, sexuality or gender." This first in Scottish football was launched by former Aberdeen captain Russell Anderson and Dons fan Rev. Scott Rennie of Queen's Cross Church (HERALD SCOTLAND, 2/29).
HEARTS TO FOOT BILL: Scottish Premiership side Heart of Midlothian will cover the costs of official Partick Thistle supporters buses when Firhill fans "make their way to Edinburgh for this Saturday’s match." The two sides will meet at Tynecastle in a rescheduled fixture after the initial match was "postponed due to a waterlogged pitch." Traveling fans criticized Hearts after the official club Twitter feed "announced two hours prior to the postponement that no pitch inspection was planned and the match would go ahead." A statement on Hearts' website said, "This caused considerable inconvenience and cost to many supporters from both clubs. While we cannot reimburse every individual supporter on a case by case basis, we hope that this gesture will demonstrate the club’s appreciation of just how difficult things can be for supporters" (SCOTSMAN, 3/1).
BRIEFLY ...
Serie A club Juventus chose Shanghai as the location for its first Juventus Academy in China. The fact that the Chinese government has made football part of the school curriculum and set an objective of opening 20,000 football schools around the country by '20 creates an opportunity to develop the Juventus Academy project. The Shanghai Juventus Academy is Juventus’ first outpost in China, with an initial cohort of 150 youngsters participating in its programs and activities. The Academy will be open to children of between 5 and 14 years of age (Juventus).
Yorkshire County Cricket Club Chair Steve Denison asked club members not to back Geoffrey Boycott's return to the board of directors. Former England cricketer Boycott made 609 first-class appearances for Yorkshire and was president from '12-14. Denison: "We want individuals with skills that can guarantee the survival of the club" (BBC, 3/1).
