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Tribute to 2001's Great Scots

WHAT a year it's been for Scotland.

We've lost and gained another First Minister, our pop groups have ruled the charts and Scots soap star Alex Ferns has terrorised Albert Square.

And, as always, the Daily Record has been on hand to make sure our readers around the world know what's happening in Scotland and to Scots throughout the globe.

We are your national paper, dedicated to giving you all the news you'll be interested in.

So thanks to every one of you and here's our very own Daily Record Front Page Awards - given to the people we think have made the news this year.

IRENE McCLUSKEY

FEW people deserve to be recognised for their efforts more than Irene McCluskey.

Her 16-year-old son Barry died from a drug overdose and another son Alan became an addict, but she put aside her grief and helped start Jericho House in Greenock, a drug rehab unit run by former addicts which has one of the highest success rates in the country.

When Irene, 57, who still runs the office of the cash-strapped unit, was told of her award, she modestly said: "I couldn't be more delighted, but I have only made a small contribution."

Irene turned to the Benedictine Monks for help after Barry died. She said: "I had nowhere else to go. I was tired of boys having nowhere to go to get off drugs.

"They said they had a house vacant and we could have it if we thought we could do something.

"It was silly, really, for a tiny group of people to think we could do something, but we got the house ready and it has just grown and grown."

Irene's son is still an addict, but she says: "Alan lives in a hostel down south and keeps promising to come up and go into rehab, but he hasn't done it yet.

"I watch the boys coming out of Jericho House after spending weeks in rehab and it gladdens my heart that there is a way back for them. I hope and pray that one day it will be my son.

JACK McCONNELL

NEW First Minister Jack McConnell was thrilled to pick up the Daily Record's Politician Of The Year Award.

McConnell said: "This is a great honour and I am grateful to the Record for this award. It has been a difficult year, full of challenges but it has also been a year of real achievement.

"Now all of us can look forward to 2002 as a year where there will be a lot of hard work to be done and we will strive to deliver on the people's priorities."

Succeeding Henry McLeish as First Minister just a year after he lost to him in the leadership election was the high point of the past 12 months for McConnell.

But he also had a year of achievement as Education Minister. He negotiated a new pay and conditions deal for teachers in line with the McCrone Report, which many of his predecessors had failed to do.

He also reorganised the Scottish Qualifications Authority to make sure there was no repeat of last year's exams chaos.

Facing the media alongside his wife Bridget to confess to an affair he had more than seven years ago, was Jack's worst moment.

It was a traumatic time for the McConnell family, but friends say they have emerged stronger for it.

MARTIN O'NEILL

THERE could only be one winner when it came to picking the Daily Record Manager Of The Year.

Martin O'Neill looked to have a momentous task in overhauling rivals Rangers when he became Celtic boss, but he came out treble tops in his first full year in charge.

The Celts won the Scottish Premier League with weeks to spare and added the CIS Cup and Scottish Cup for good measure.

As the year ends, Martin's team sit 10 points clear at the top of the league having lost just one of their 21 league matches. With a record like that, he just has to be the Record's top man.

Alex is happy to be the bad boy made good

ALEX FERNS

THERE can be only one winner of our Soap Star Of The Year Award - Alex Ferns.

As Trevor Morgan, the Scots actor has terrorised Little Mo in EastEnders in the very best tradition of soap baddies.

It's been an amazing year for Alex, who has gone from relative obscurity to become a household name all over Britain.

Alex was born in Lennoxtown, near Glasgow, but emigrated with his family to South Africa when he was 12.

Once there, he decided to become an actor and worked on Ghosts In The Darkness with Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer.

He also became well-known in South Africa's biggest soap Generation, in which he played a gay Afrikaans hairdresser.

Now he is the soap character that the nation loves to hate.

He said: "I am a Daily Record reader, as is my father and all my friends. Everyone I know reads the Daily Record, so this is a big privilege.

"It's good to know that people think that you are doing good work.

LORRAINE KELLY

HER cheery smile brightens up our lives in the morning - and Lorraine Kelly has had plenty to be happy about this year.

As well as her GMTV show LK Today, she began a morning magazine show on Sky One, hosted new Scottish quiz Town 2 Town for the BBC and became a team captain on A Question Of Television.

Lorraine, who also turned 40 this year, was delighted to be given our TV Star Of The Year Award.

She said: "This has been a fantastic year and this is the icing on the cake.

"It is a big honour and I'm absolutely thrilled. Thank you very much.

SHARLEEN SPITERI

GORGEOUS Sharleen is our Musician Of The Year after the huge success for her band Texas.

Since storming the charts with White On Blonde, Texas have proved they are no flash in the pan - most households in Britain boast a Texas album.

As well as having one of the most distinctive voices in pop and fronting a very popular band, she is also a successful businesswoman.

She turned down Nicole Kidman's role in Moulin Rouge to concentrate on an extensive tour with Texas and is now taking a well-deserved two-year break.

We can't wait till she and the boys return.

CHEWIN' THE FAT

TONIGHT'S Hogmanay Special will show why Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill deserve to be Comedians Of The Year.

Scotland's funniest duo have spent the year writing material for the new series, which begins next month, and a sitcom, Still Game, which features Jack and Victor from the sketch show.

Ford said: "We are dead chuffed to be the Record's comedians of the year.

"I think Greg's off to buy a saw so we can saw the award in half. I'll get it for six months and he'll get it for the other six - if he can get it off me.

Dougray has made his mark

FILM STAR OF THE YEAR

DOUGRAY SCOTT

HE started off in Soldier, Soldier - now he has joined the list of Scots who have grabbed the Atten-shun of movie bosses in Hollywood.

Dougray earned rave reviews as a bent copper in Twin Town and was snapped up to play Drew Barrymore's Prince Charming in Ever After.

He played the baddie opposite Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible 2 and he stole the show at the Edinburgh Film Festival with Enigma.

Dougray is tipped to be a future James Bond - and is a worthy Film Star Of The Year.

© Trinity Mirror Plc 2001 icScotland^TM