THANKS to a career that has taken him to Spain, Germany and the Netherlands, Alasdair Fraser feels he has scratched his wanderlust itch. Now that he is back in Scotland, he is thrilled to finally have a place to call home.
The 29-year-old from Falkirk studied in America before embarking on his sporting career and sealed a return to Glasgow Rocks – and a third stint at the club – at the start of this season.
It has been a happy marriage thus far. Back in a familiar environment following an ill-fated spell down south with Leicester Riders that was disrupted by injury, Fraser was named MVP in Sunday’s victory over Manchester Giants in the semi-finals of the BBL Cup.
Ahead of the second leg in Manchester this evening, Fraser has been reminiscing about his continental escapades. And as much as he enjoyed them at the time, he is pleased to finally be back in his homeland.
“It was multiple things,” comes Fraser’s explanation. “I’ve got a fiancé and a house here in Scotland, and I’ve got a job in Glasgow.
“Basketball-wise, the main thing was Gareth [Murray] the coach – I’ve known and played with Gareth for the best part of the last 10, 15 years so I know him really well. He was quite keen for me to come back in so that was the main reason: to play for him.
“For me, the biggest thing was I realised how much I like being at home. I travelled around a good bit in a few different countries and I went to college over in America.
“The main thing for me was that no matter where I was, I always missed home a bit. I’m not sure exactly why, whether it’s my family or my girlfriend and now fiancé. The basketball was always good, it was always fun playing in these different countries. But Scotland is my home and that’s where I wanted to be.
“When I was playing abroad or when I went down to Leicester for a season, I was very much out of my comfort zone. I didn’t know anyone and it always took me a bit of time to get used to it. Whereas here I know everyone, I know how things work and it’s a lot easier to slot myself back in and play well.”
Fraser balances his sporting schedule with a day job as an analyst for financial consultancy firm Hymans Robertson, and he believes Glasgow Rocks played a big part in getting him there. A revelation in Germany, he says, forced him into considering life beyond the court.
“When I first went to Germany I planned on playing abroad for a bit longer but I had a knee injury after my first season and that came with a bit of a reality check, that maybe I wasn’t actually going to do this for the rest of my life,” he explained.
“I had to figure out what I was going to do. I had already almost finished my undergraduate degree at that point so I went and finished that online that season while I missed a year because of my injury.
“Then when I was in Holland and then back in Germany, it was always a case of trying to figure out what to do after. Then the Rocks were able to sort me out to do my masters back home, which was another reason for coming back.
“They had made a partnership with the University of the West of Scotland and I guess I was the guinea pig for it, in terms of someone doing their masters while playing.”
It’s a challenging schedule – but one that Fraser relishes.
“The thing that I’ve always found is that I like having a few things on the go; one distracts me from the other,” he said. “If I have a bad game or a bad practice, I don’t really have time to worry about it. I’ve got something else to get on with which I’ve found is really helpful for me.
“I think as an athlete you can get a bit bogged down in having a good day in training or having a good or a bad game. But as soon as I’m done with practice I’m onto something else so it keeps my mind focused.”
With a place in the BBL Cup final on the line tonight – a chance for the Rocks to reach their first since 2019 – Fraser admits that lifting the cup would provide a dream ending to his homecoming. The Rocks have reached the final on six occasions (three as Glasgow Rocks and three as Scottish Rocks) but they have never managed to bring the trophy home.
“I’d really like to [win the cup],” Fraser adds. “We have this next game against Manchester so hopefully we can get through to the final.
“It’s always going to be a tough game but it’s a final and anyone can do anything on their day. The Rocks have had plenty of opportunities and never quite got over the finish line, so it would be nice to be part of the team that did.”
For more information and to keep up to date with Glasgow Rocks this season visit www.bbl.org.uk.
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