Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick hopes e-bike holds up as she prepares to attempt mad dash from supporting Inverness Caley Thistle in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden to the Proud Scotland Awards
Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick will be desperately hoping the Scottish Cup final does not go to extra time and penalties this Saturday – as she is due to be attending an awards night after the match.
As a big Inverness Caledonian Thistle fan, Roddick would not have missed the chance to cheer her side on at Hampden Park against Celtic.
However, she is double booked for Saturday evening, as she has also been shortlisted for a Proud Scotland Award in the leadership category, and the ceremony takes place that night.
On both fronts, it will be a first for Roddick, who is minister for equalities, migration and refugees in the Scottish Government.
She watched the 2015 Scottish Cup final, which Caley Thistle won, on television, but if there is a celebration to be had after the final whistle this time around she may have a tough decision to make.
"People keep saying it's going to be a double celebration – I don't think there will even be one!" Roddick laughed.
"It is going to be a good weekend though.
"I knew straight away that there was a clash. I had the Proud Scotland Awards in my calendar before we won the semi final, but I knew it was going to end up being that weekend.
"I did think I might get away with it if it was a lunchtime kick off, which was one rumour, but now it's the worst possible timing for me.
"It's a ridiculous kick off time anyway, it should have stayed at 3pm. I would have made a fuss if it was moved to 12pm too, but personally it would actually have suited me.
"I'm going to check into my hotel and cycle to Hampden after that. I'm just hoping my e-bike holds up because it hasn't had much use lately!
"I'll be racing across Glasgow to go from red and blue to rainbow, and hopefully I'll get to the awards before the starters get served.
"It will be a monumental Saturday – and I won't forget it for a very long time."
On both fronts – the cup final and the awards – Roddick is trying to keep expectations low despite what could potentially be the perfect Saturday.
"The final is going to be a good day out," she reasoned.
"It's always exciting to get to Hampden when it's all busy and your team is playing.
"I had to watch the 2015 final on TV, so this is my first time going along to a final. I was at the semi final against Hearts a couple of years back, which again was a good day out – but a terrible game as an Inverness fan.
"I was watching Celtic have a bad run, but then they skelped Aberdeen at the weekend.
"There's that hope that maybe we can win. We've got history against Celtic, so you never know what's going to happen on the day, but I am preparing myself for the worst.
"This is also my first time at the Proud Scotland Awards, and I'm really excited.
"It was a really lovely surprise when the email came in. I was actually sitting in the chamber when I saw it, and I was sat with Joe FitzPatrick so we were celebrating.
"Then I looked at it properly and though 'oh my God, I'm up against Nicola Sturgeon'. There goes any hope of winning.
"I know a lot of folk who are going to be there – stakeholders that I work with now in my ministerial role, but I also know that Fiona Shearer is going to be there and hopefully watch her win.
"There was so much nonsense last year and into the start of this year, and people took a lot of heat for doing some decent things to try and make life just a little bit easier for queer kids.
"It's nice to see that being celebrated and recognised with the nominations."
