The Caesar and Howie Group, who have offices throughout the central belt, achieved huge prominence at the Scottish Legal Awards held in Glasgow on 18th September.  Nominated in no less than four categories the firm lifted the prestigious “Conveyancing Firm of the Year” award, fighting off competition from bigger city centre firms.

Not content with one award the firm then went on to win the “Up and Coming Firm of the Year” trophy, sparking off a night of celebration for the partners and staff attending the glittering awards evening.

Senior partner Ivor Klayman commented “I am delighted to have won these awards.  We have a great group of people in Caesar and Howie and we work extremely hard to ensure we give the best possible service to clients and also to ensure that we are as modern and forward thinking as we can be.  It’s nice to receive recognition from our peers for that.”

The first Olympic gold medal taken in 2008 by a British athlete has been won by Welsh cyclist Nicole Cooke.

It is the 200th gold won by a Briton in Olympic history and the first time in 36 years a Welsh athlete has won one.

The 25-year-old from Wick in the Vale of Glamorgan was racing in the Women’s Road Race.

She finished in a time of three hours, 32 minutes and 24 seconds. The last time a Welsh athlete took a gold medal was in 1972.

Speaking after the race, she said: “We did it, it was perfect. It’s a dream come true.

“I want to thank all the people who have been there from the start. I have worked so hard, I am so happy.”

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said: “All congratulations to Nicole for a fantastic victory and what you can’t perhaps quite sense at home is just the torrential rain that was falling on Beijing - and despite those incredibly tough weather conditions, she won.

“It’s a wonderful victory and a huge lift for Team GB.”

Friends and family at her home town in south Wales are planning to hold a celebration in her honour at a pub in the village later on Sunday.

Cooke, who was born in Swansea, started racing seriously at 11 and her first big race was the Welsh Under-12 Cycle Cross Championships

Nicole Cooke crossing the finishing line

She became youngest winner of the Cycling World Cup at the age of 20.

In 2002 she grabbed Commonwealth gold in her first season and in 2006 and 2007 won the Grande Boucle Féminine, the women’s equivalent of the Tour de France.

Four years ago in Athens, she came a very creditable fifth in the women’s road race and 19th in the women’s road time trial.

But at the 2008 Olympics in China she claimed her first gold medal.

It was the first time since equestrian Richard Meade picked up two golds in the 1972 Games, one as a member of the three-day event team and one individual gold, that a Welsh athlete has taken Olympic gold glory.

Cooke’s family and friends watched the race from their home in Wick.

First Minister Rhodri Morgan described her victory as a “fantastic achievement”.

“I am so pleased for her because she had been planning this for four years since her disappointment in the Athens Games in 2004 when she was outwitted in the final attack.

“This has brought her, Wales and Britain the honour of an Olympic Gold - the greatest prize in sport.

“It has been for a very long time, if ever, since a Welsh woman has taken a gold medal,” he added.

Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones said: “This is another incredible achievement for one of our great sporting champions.

“Despite such dreadful weather conditions, Nicole’s strength and sheer determination secured a victory in China that will be celebrated as a great moment in Welsh sporting history for many years to come.”

The opening fixtures of the Scottish Premier League season this weekend could be delayed because of a pay dispute between the SPL and the referees’ union.

Referees are reportedly asking for a new deal worth £1,000 a match, up from £575 a game last season. The league have offered a 3% rise and sources within the Scottish Senior Football Referees Association are threatening to strike in response.

The chairman of the SSFRA, Stuart Dougal, has said he is reluctant to recommend strike action if demands aren’t met by the SPL today, but refused to rule it out after meetings with the SPL yesterday failed to produce a breakthrough. “This does not mean we are not prepared to be as strong as it takes to get a successful resolution,” he wrote in an email to members.

Other referees are being more outspoken. “The SPL are not taking us seriously and are in for a real shock, which I’m sure Setanta with their big bucks will not be happy about,” one told the Daily Record. ”Be prepared. Unless the SPL have a major rethink of fees, Saturday’s fixtures are in doubt.”

An SPL spokesman said: “A series of discussions have taken place and we expect the matter to be resolved soon.”

The SPL kicks off this Saturday, with Rangers travelling to Falkirk at 12:30pm.

Rafael Nadal continued his seemingly unstoppable march towards the world number one spot by capturing the Toronto Masters title.

The Spaniard brushed aside Nicolas Kiefer 6-3 6-2 to clinch his fifth straight tournament and take his winning streak to 29 matches.

Nadal is now only 300 points behind Roger Federer in the world rankings.

The 22-year-old has a chance of ending the Swiss star’s reign at the Cincinnati Masters this week.

“I think I have to be happy, very happy if I am number one or number two,” said Nadal, the French Open and Wimbledon champion.

“If I am number two it’s because in front of me there is an amazing player like Roger.

“Every player wants to be number one. I would love to be. But I’m number two now. I’m very happy for that.”Nadal will become number one if he wins the Cincinnati title and Federer loses before the semi-finals.

If not, Federer’s four-and-a-half year stint at the top of the rankings seems likely to end on 18 August when he loses the 850 points he gained for reaching last year’s Toronto final and winning in Cincinnati.

Nadal, by contrast, will only lose 230 points.

The Toronto title was Nadal’s 30th, making him the third youngest player after Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors to reach that landmark

“I’ll think about the record when my career is over,” said the 22-year-old.

“Right now, my most important goal was to win Toronto.”

Unseeded German Kiefer was playing in his first Masters Series final at the age of 31 - but he was no match for an in-form Nadal.

The Spaniard broke serve for the first time to go 3-2 up and took the first set when Kiefer double-faulted.

And once Nadal had come through an epic game at 2-2 in the second, he proved unstoppable.

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon believes the Spanish champions will be a force to be reckoned with next season regardless of whether they sign Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Manchester United winger has been tracked by the Primera Liga champions all summer, with the player himself fuelling speculation by refusing to commit his future to the English club.

United coach Sir Alex Ferguson, who met Ronaldo for clear-the-air talks last week, is adamant there is no chance of the Portugal international quitting United for Spain.

But Calderon insists, even without the Portuguese, Real will go into the new campaign with a “complete” squad.

“We can’t talk about footballers who aren’t ours,” he told Spanish television channel Atena 3.

“I’ve already said several times that we have a very complete squad, who have just won the Primera Liga.

“We built a great team last year. If we finally make some signings, they would be few but very good.”

The Real chief claimed the Spanish side are mere spectators in the transfer saga which has dominated the summer.

“We don’t have anything to say about that issue,” he said. “We are only spectators, a passive observer in this whole story.

“It is the player and the club who are talking about a possible problem, we are unconnected to all that.”

Calderon also poured scorn on suggestions unsettled Barcelona forward Samuel Eto’o could return to Madrid.

Eto’o has been told he can leave the Nou Camp this summer, and although he is reportedly the subject of interest from Real, it would be a controversial move for the player who left the Bernabeu on a sour note in 2000.

And Calderon has laughed off suggestions that the striker could move back to Barca’s bitter rivals.

“There is not an ‘Eto’o case’,” he added. “I don’t know where all this came from, because moreover Barcelona, as is logical, will not sell a player to Real Madrid.”

The few players who have moved between the arch rivals have felt the full wrath of their former fans on their return to their old home.

One of Barca’s favourite sons, Luis Figo, caused such a stir when he moved to Madrid he was pelted with bottles, coins, bricks and even a pig’s head on his return to the Nou Camp.

Padraig Harrington cut an understandably delighted figure after shooting a final round of 69 to defend his Open crown. The Dubliner finished four shots clear of Ian Poulter after a stirring finish that saw him play his final six holes in four-under-par.Harrington admitted he had tried not to think about the magnitude of claiming the Claret Jug for a second straight year - especially after beginning the week as a major doubt with a wrist injury.However, having done so, he acknowledged he had moved to a new level having joined the exclusive club of multiple major winners.”I’d like to put the Claret Jug right back where it was last year,” Harrington said afterwards.”I really tried not to think about the consequences of winning today but I did think it would be nice to have the trophy back on the breakfast table again.”I had a great year as Open champion, so much so I didn’t want to give it back.”It’s important that you go on and win a second major. Very few people have won two majors or back-to-back majors.”I was always trying to play that down but winning a second sets you apart. It’s a new level and there’s less people in that club.”He went on to admit that his injury scare had probably aided his preparations as he did not overplay in the run-up to Thursday’s tee-off time.”In hindsight the fact that I didn’t play three practice rounds meant I was fresh for the battle ahead,” he continued. “It took a bit of stress and pressure off me. It was a good distraction. Sometimes you need that.”I knew my game was there but maybe this week I made the right decision at the right time and got the right break at the right time.”The £750,000 winner’s cheque also guarantees Harrington’s place in Europe’s Ryder Cup for the match against the States in September and lifts him from 14th to a career-high third in the world rankings.”It clears up a lot for September, that had been on my mind too,” he added.

Dwain Chambers today lost his high court bid to be allowed to compete at next month’s Olympic Games in Beijing. Justice Sir Colin Mackay refused to grant an injunction temporarily suspending a lifetime Olympic ban imposed on the self-confessed drugs cheat by the British Olympic Association (BOA) under a bylaw. But the judge told a packed courtroom today: “Many people both inside and outside sport would see this bylaw as unlawful. In my judgment, it would take a much better case than the claimant has presented to persuade me to overturn the status quo at this stage and compel his selection for the Games.” The BOA chairman Lord Colin Moynihan welcomed the ruling. Speaking outside court, he said: “It is a matter of regret that Dwain Chambers an athlete with such undoubted talent … should by his own actions put himself out of the running to shine on the Olympic stage. The BOA will continue to send out a powerful message and important message that anyone found guilty of a drug offence should not have the honour to represent Team GB at the Olympic Games.”Chambers posed for pictures on the steps of the Royal Courts of Justice but would not say a word about the ruling. He was surrounded by photographers as he crossed The Strand and disappeared towards his barrister’s office. The decision was welcomed by many in the sporting world. “I think this is a very fair verdict in the circumstances and shows that Dwain now understands that he cannot break the rules just because he thinks it suits him. He knew the rules existed when he broke them,” said the former Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis. “The decision also sends out a very strong message to anyone else who may attempt to appeal in this way and to anyone who is tempted to cheat by using drugs to enhance their performance. It is very sad that this appeal has grabbed so many headlines and I really do think that the British bylaw should be adopted by the IOC and across the world so that everyone understands very clearly that if any athlete tests positive for drugs they forfeit any right to represent their country at any future Olympics. We must now get behind all the athletes representing Team GB in Beijing who have worked very hard to earn their places. I really think all our athletes will be delighted with this decision.”

As Britain’s Olympic hopes took a giant leap forward, albeit into a pit of despair among officialdom, the road to Beijing became muddied with dissent, chaos and embarrassment.

The image of Ed Warner, the UK Athletics (UKA) chairman, crowning Dwain Chambers as the new national 100 metres champion was mindboggling enough, given that UKA has taken a moral stance over the runner’s return. But, more importantly, Tyrone Edgar joined Craig Pickering in opposing Chambers’s Olympic claims, casting the 4×100 metres relay team into a state of confusion.

Both men do not want Chambers in Beijing, but at least one of them may find himself sharing a baton with him. Given that Britain are the defending Olympic champions and invest heavily in the relay, it is yet another subplot to Chambers’s appearance in the High Court on Wednesday, where he hopes to have his Olympic ban lifted.

“Obviously I think the rules should stand,” Edgar said after finishing fourth in the 100 metres final behind Chambers, Simeon Williamson and Pickering at the Aviva UK Championships and Olympic trials in Birmingham. “If I did not go I would not feel too happy. The Olympic Games are my dream.” 

Pickering clearly felt that he had done enough to take the last of the three places for the 100 metres, so somebody will be deeply disappointed should Chambers win in court. “How can they not take him?” Malcolm Arnold, Pickering’s coach, said of his charge.

Edgar’s answer would be because he has run 10.06sec this year, bagged the European Cup and suffered from a niggle in his right hamstring on Saturday. “It is an emotional time for me,” Edgar said. “I did hear there was a mixed reaction to him [Chambers], with cheers and boos, and I tried to block them out. It is really weird because the situation has taken over the sport. Every time you open a paper, it is not about athletics.”

Chambers’s performance on Saturday was remarkable. His mark of 10.00sec was the fastest by a Briton on home turf and his best since 2001. Twelve men have gone faster around the world this year, but given that five will not compete in China because of the United States’ prowess in the event, while medal contenders Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell have been struggling with injuries, the ultimate embarrassment remains in the offing.

Having shown a clean pair of heels to everyone, admiration of Chambers’s display comes with the assumption that a man who lied and cheated in the past is now clean and redeemed. He has changed his tune regards the relay, too. Earlier this summer he said: “The relay team have been working together and it would be unfair for me to come in and ruin all their work.” On Saturday he said: “I haven’t practised but I’m experienced and that’s the key. I’ve been told the first two past the post are automatically selected for the 4×100.”

If Chambers goes to Beijing as the fastest man in the squad, Dave Collins, the UKA performance director, must find a path through the medals-versus-morals debate.

Complicating the relay scenario is Marlon Devonish, a hitherto integral part of the relay, but a dismal seventh in the 100 metres final. Afterwards he revealed he had been suffering from a respiratory problem. In addition, Christian Malcolm won the 200 metres final in 20.53sec, an Olympic qualifying time, and the selectors will want to include the experienced 29-year-old in the relay squad.

Everything depends on Chambers’s fate and whether Mr Justice Mackay chooses to grant an injunction suspending the BOA bylaw sidelining him. “I will be sitting and praying things go my way,” Chambers said. “It’s good that we’ve got this healthy competition and it gives us a whole lot of confidence to take into the 4×100 metres.” Not everyone in the camp feels the same way.

DOLLAR Golf Club is starting to reap the benefits of the revolutionary new SPORTSassist funding initiative – just three months after the club signed up to the pioneering concept. The latter gives amateur sports clubs the opportunity to end funding difficulties by creating a continuous source of income annually. A division of The Caesar and Howie Group, SPORTSassist has created a select team of professional business providers who are passionate about sport and keen to support amateur sports clubs financially. The simple concept means providers pay clubs that market their services, via a SPORTSassist marketing payment, so the more successful the marketing is, the more money the club will make.  Nestled at the foot of Dollar Glen, the Clackmannanshire club was established in 1890 and is now the oldest club in the area. Secretary John McMillan was delighted to receive Dollar’s first cheque for £334 from SPORTSassist partner Michelle Dixon on Tuesday (6^th November). John explained: “This is a great start for us and we hope it is the first of many cheques. We have committed to this scheme, which we feel will be a godsend for the club financially. David Borrowman, SPORTSassist’s Principal Partner commented: “It is great to see Dollar Golf Club enjoying the benefits of signing up to SPORTSassist, which is a fantastic opportunity for local sports clubs of any size to regain control over their finances.He said: “This is a perfect example of how – by motivated officials and members – clubs can create continuing revenue streams.  This is self-help – not pleading with others for awards of money. If clubs and officials have the same passion for sport as we have, funding problems for clubs can be resolved permanently.” He stressed that it is imperative the initiative was designed to add to the flow of funds coming into a club, not replace existing monies.  David added: “It is not intended to conflict with any traditional sponsorship a club may have and if clubs have any other type of sponsor we urge them to keep these arrangements in place. If the initiative proves a success for their club, it may even make it easier for them to obtain traditional sponsorship.”

Pic: John McMillan receives his cheque from SPORTSassist’s Michelle Dixon.  

PAISLEY Pirates have come up with a new plan to increase their fan base … afternoon games.

The move comes as dates for their Scottish Cup ties against Solway Sharks are unveiled.

The first leg for Bobby Haig’s side will be played at the Braehead Arena on Sunday, November 11, with the return leg in Dumfries on Sunday, November 18.

And the club has decided to have face-off at 3pm on Sunday, November 11 in a bid to attract families who may wish to visit the shopping centre prior to the match.

The face-off in Dumfries on Sunday, November 18, is at 6pm.

Pirates’ managing director Allan Paul said: “Ice hockey has a reputation for being a family sport and what better way to cater for the family than to have a face-off time that will allow these families to enjoy the facilities of the whole Braehead experience before the game.

“If this experiment is a success, then we will look to repeat the exercise in the future, subject to ice availability.”

Pirates have also decided to reduce their admission prices for the remainder of the season which will prove to be a big incentive to the Paisley faithful.

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