Clan’s Scottish Battle Plan to inspire team to victory

THE Glasgow Clan have come up with a Scottish Battle Plan to inspire the team to victory this weekend.

The professional ice hockey outfit are hoping to continue the winning ways that saw them take full points from last weekend’s two games and break their long-running losing streak.

And the Clan are pinning their hopes on instilling some Scots courage, determination and fearlessness in the players – who are mainly from Canada – when they take on Dundee Stars, on home ice at Braehead Arena, on Friday night. (November 25)

Clan bosses have come up with a Clan warrior-style plot to have the players fired up for the game. They’re planning to have them –

• wear a specially-designed hockey top to mark St Andrew’s Day, which is next Wednesday, November 30;
•  watch re-runs of the Braveheart movie on DVD during this week;
• and as they get ready to take to the ice, Scottish rock anthems will be echoing round the changing room to get them pumped up for the game.

Gareth Chalmers, general manager of Braehead Arena explains: “We like to celebrate St Andrew’s Day and since we’re called the Clan, we’re hoping the gallant spirit of Scottish warrior clansmen will be even more evident with the players on Friday night.

“We’ve got a handful of Scottish players on our team, but you could say we’re going all out to Scot-ify the Canadian imports and players from other countries.

“They can be even more proud of playing for the Clan when they wear the knight’s armour style hockey top featuring a St Andrew chainmail design on the shoulders and the Glasgow Clan logo shaped into a map of Scotland on a metallic armour breastplate.

“And Mel Gibson as William Wallace in the Braveheart movie must surely be an inspiration.”

Gareth continues: “We’ll also have a ghetto blaster in the locker room pounding out some high-energy Jock Rock music from Scottish bands to get the players pumped up and ready to do battle on the ice.

“We could start with the Simple Minds track, Alive and Kicking; then Dignity, by Deacon Blue and I Don’t Want A Lover, by Texas.

“We’d then crank it up a notch by playing Rocks, by Primal Scream; Runrig’s version of Loch Lomond; In A Big Country, by Big Country and I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers.

“We might even throw in some rock bagpipes with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers doing their We Will Rock You/Eye of the Tiger, or Smoke On The Water/Thunderstruck medleys.

“Our fans can be sure the boys will be inspired and ready to rock when they hit the ice for the game on Friday night.”