Fleet-footed hockey forward Alan Forsyth admits he can’t help but dream about scoring a winning goal for Team Scotland at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Forsyth has scored many a goal for club and country, but the prospect of scoring for Scotland in Glasgow would rank as his finest achievement.
“I do enjoy scoring”, smiled Forsyth, part of the all-conquering Glynhill Kelburne side, which continues to dominate the Scottish club scene. “As a forward you need to dream about scoring a winning goal as if you don’t then it won’t happen. You need to visualise it and then it might just turn out.”
“The goal that sticks out for me was in the 2012 Scottish Cup Final when I scored with two minutes to go and that won the game. There is video footage of everyone going crazy and it would be amazing to do that in a Scotland jersey when it matters most at the Commonwealth Games.”
The 21-year-old from Paisley saw the impact of a home Commonwealth crowd first-hand when competing at the Delhi 2010 Games. Then just 18, Forsyth still has vivid memories of lining up against host nation India.
He added: “The stadium was packed full with 16,000 people and it was a night game under the floodlights. I remember standing on the pitch as the whole stadium stood to sing the Indian anthem. I was looking round thinking, look at what we’re involved in. Hopefully in 2014 it will be exactly the same, but with everyone there for us.”
“A home Commonwealth Games is amazing, with your mates and your family coming along to cheer you on. Hearing the crowd motivates you a lot as you know there are people there supporting you. It was great to see so many people at the hockey during the Olympics and I’m sure it will have the same impact in the Commonwealth Games.”
Forsyth combines hockey with study, completing a Broadcast Production degree at the University of the West of Scotland.
Scotland’s coaching staff will also be taking a studious approach in their preparations for Glasgow and Forsyth will have no escape from the tactics board, with his father Derek recently appointed the Head Coach.
“He is harder on me and on my brother David when he’s involved, but I wouldn’t expect anything less”, said Alan Forsyth. “Everyone knows that when I get picked in the squad it’s not because I’m his son; it’s because they know I’m good enough as he would quite happily drop me if I wasn’t.
“For him, it’s obviously a proud moment that his son is in the squad he is coaching and my mum will be happy that we are all away!”
Mrs Forsyth will have plenty of opportunities for respite this year, most notably with the FIH World League Round Two in France in May and the EuroHockey Championships in Belgium in August.
You can follow Alan on Twitter @7Forsyth
Photo Credit: Rob Eyton-Jones