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Hearts have high hopes for surfhead Calem as he adapts to SPFL
TWO SEA FISHING competitions will be
held in the Edinburgh area between
October and March after the success of last
year’s trial with Portobello, Newhaven and
Marine Esplanade the venues.
Ian Campbell, manager of the Edinburgh
Angling Centre in Granton, has confirmed
that the winter legs will be from October
27 to December 8 and the event will start
at Portobello beach. The New Year event
starts in January and runs until March.
There will be a total of seven matches at
various venues in both competitions and
Campbell successfully ran the inaugural
series last winter which drew an
encouraging response.
Both leagues will be sponsored by
Edinburgh Angling Centre and The Fishing
Megastore with £100 to the winner, £
for second and £40 for third and the
competition will also be sponsored by
Cox and Rawle who are providing
vouchers to the value of £50, £30 and
£20 to the top three.
An added bonus is that the matches are
registered with the Penn Sea League and
will have Penn points available to winners
registered with that league.
Campbell said: “There will be seven
matches in each league with an angler’s
best five scores counting. Each match will
have a £10 entry fee and it’s pre-book only.”WINTER LEAGUE DATES- Oct 27: Portobello Beach, fishing 7pm to
10pm with registration from 6pm to 6.15pm
at Tumbles Car Park (EH15 1DR) - Nov 3: Newhaven, fishing 7pm to 10pm,
registration 6pm to 6.15pm at Western
Harbour Way (EH6 6PG) - Nov 17: Newhaven, fishing 7pm to 10pm,
registration 6pm to 6.15pm at Western
Harbour Place (EH6 6NG) - Nov 24: Portobello Beach, fishing 7pm to
10pm, registration 6pm to 6.15pm at
Promenade View (EH15 2ES) - Dec 8: Marine Esplanade, fishing 7pm to
10pm, registration 6pm to 6.15pm at Marine
Esplanade (EH6 7DP) - Dec 22: Marine Esplanade, fishing 7pm to
10pm, registration 6pm to 6.15pm at Marine
Esplanade (EH6 7DP) - Dec 29: Newhaven, fishing 7pm to 10pm,
registration 6pm to 6.15pm at Western
Harbour Way (EH6 6PG)
By NIGEL DUNCANCALEM NIEUWENHOF comes from a big
surfing family and he was addicted to the
waves back home in Australia as a youngster,
but he is unlikely to have much time to indulge
in that sport even if there is the Coast to Coast
Surf School (claims to be Scotland’s leading
school) at Belhaven Beach near Dunbar. His
focus now is to adjust to the rigours of Scottish
football in the cinch Premiership and to make
waves of his own in football.
The central midfielder has been forced to
acclimatise quickly having made his debut for
Hearts in their final pre-season friendly against
Leeds United at Tynecastle at the end of July less
than a week after arriving in Britain.
And the 22-year-old admitted to logging
more minutes on the pitch than he expected
during a tough exercise which the Yorkshire
club, recently relegated from the Premiership
but anxious to return at the first opportunity,
won 1-0.
Nieuwenhof admitted that the game was
more physical than he has experienced in his
professional career so far and he will require to
adjust to the pace of football in Scotland, but
reports from Down Under indicate that the
player has real talent having earned rave reviews.MAKE AN IMPACT
Hearts coaching team are confident that
Nieuwenhof has the scope to develop his
game further and to make a real impact
North of the Border.
The club’s technical director Steven
Naismith admitted that they had watched the
newcomer “a lot” and have been impressed
by his versatility.
Naismith believes the Aussie can fill a
number of different roles and he has been
impressed by the desire of the affable young
professional to make it to the top.
Another key driver to signing the emerging
talent on an undisclosed fee was that
Nieuwenhof appears to be a “great lad” who,
they believe, will fit snugly into the dressing-
room at the ambitious Gorgie club.
The Aussie under-23 player, who was signed
from A-League side Western Sydney
Wanderers, is excited with the opportunity and
he hopes mixing it in the Scottish League will
help him catch the eye of the bosses of the
Aussie national team.
He has already put down a marker having
played in the recent Toulon Tournament when
the Olyroos finished third, but having three
other countrymen in the Tynecastle squad - Kye
Rowles, Nathaniel Atkinson and Cammy
Devlin - is, he admitted, a bonus.
The player, whose family originally come
from The Netherlands - his father was born in
Australia - was hugely impressed that so many
people (16,631 in fact) attended a pre-season
friendly and he is excited to join an organisation
where the fans, in his words, are “massive”.Nieuwenhof admitted his debut was a tough
test compared to what he is used to Down
Under, particularly as he hadn’t played a game
in a month, and pre-season in Australia still had
a number of weeks to go before the competitive
campaign kicks-off.
He added: “They (Leeds) are on a different
level and played really well. The game came
after my first week with the team (Hearts) so I
was happy and I’m learning how we want to
play. Looking forward, I am sure this team will
be able to put together strong performances.”
The fans fervently hope the newcomer can
produce and the midfielder admitted to having
spoken to several Aussie players about moving
to Scotland and the decision was made as the
midfielder believes the move will be a step
forward for his career.
It also opens up new horizons in the
context of European football but his overriding
desire is to be consistent and Nieuwenhof is
already acutely aware that the game in Scotland
is a different game style from his experience
in Australia.
The player added: “I definitely have a lot of
learning to do and pick up from Steven
(Naismith) and the other coaches how we want
to play. We want to be a team which plays with
the ball and dominates. That’s the type of team
I want to play in and that is really positive
f o r m e .”
Hearts are keen on the man from Oz to
feel comfortable on the ball and link play
so they can develop an attacking style offootball and, generally, the player added:
“The Scottish teams are definitely opening up
for players from Australia.
“Australian players view this league as a really
good place to come to progress their careers
and that is my view as well. If you do well there
is no limit.”
He has high ambitions and said: “I know
the boys in the Socceroos and that is where
I want to go so it made my decision (to come
here) easier.”
The fans here have made a huge impression
and the Manley-raised player added: “I came
here in 2018 on a football tour and remember
pretty vividly that we came to a Hearts game.
I knew how energetic and passionate the fans
are and I am sure they will get behind us.”
Nieuwenhof can’t remember the came he
watched from the stands but he said: “The fans
were the thing that really stood out for me and
the stadium, I love it.”
He was an avid watcher of the Scottish
Premiership on TV, a league he described as
“the biggest league in the world”, and he had
knowledge of the Scottish game before putting
pen to paper.
His father played football and he added: “As
soon as I was old enough to walk I was kicking
the ball around. I got into the local club scene
and fell in love with the game from a young age.
“Now, I am lucky enough to come and play in
a European league and this is a step I am really
proud of and looking to make the most of.”
Surfing can take a back seat right now.Making waves
Edinburgh hosts
two sea fishing
competitions
HMFC