Seagulls are the sourge of the skies at Scottish sports. Getty Images
Seagulls are the sourge of the skies at Scottish sports. Getty Images

Wingers are unwanted at Scottish club Aberdeen



Aberdeen hope to stop scenes reminiscent of the Alfred Hitchcock classic ‘The Birds’ at their Pittodrie Stadium where seagulls have been scaring the Scottish club’s players and supporters.

Scores of fans raised concerns following this month’s Europa League qualifiers against FK Shkendija and Rijeka.

The birds, flocking in from the nearby North Sea, have forced the club into drastic action, including hiring a specialist “eradication” firm, using a hawk to guard the stadium and using audible repellants.

Aberdeen said in a statement they had “taken care” of nests and eggs three times a week to keep the birds controlled.

“For obvious reasons we cannot fly birds of prey during games,” the club said. “Seagulls are very intelligent birds and will always gather where a large crowd of people are and where food is consumed.

“Aberdeen FC will continue to do all we can to combat this issue and ensure the match-day experience is a positive one for supporters.”

Co-incidentally four-times Scottish champions Aberdeen’s next fixture is Jamie Langfield’s testimonial match against Brighton and Hove Albion, who are nicknamed the Seagulls, on Sunday.

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Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.

Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.

The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.


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