Soccer boys call foul over pitch

Fiona Howard • Published 18 Mar 2010 12:32 Comments 1 Comment

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ROSNEATH Football Club has become more of a Helensburgh football club because their village pitch has been unplayable since October.

The football field at the Howie Memorial Park in Rosneath has been unavailable for training or matches since October 25 last year, members of the Rosneath and Clynder Community Council heard at their monthly meeting.

The club, which has been in a struggle for survival, has had to meet the costs of travelling to Helensburgh and training at the Hermitage Academy.

And to add insult to injury they haven't even been able to hire the playing field at the Academy for matches because a club from outwith the area has a block booking.

Villager Michael Gray, who has taken over the running of the club with another team member Martin Beaton, told the community council that the club needs to raise £700 to survive because it is struggling to pay off some old debts as well as to pay hire fees for facilities.

The council suggested that the team speak to the Argyll and Bute Council to see if they might be eligible for a leisure grant from the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Committee.

They also agreed that they would donate £200 to the club and the Rosneath and Clynder Trust members who also serve as community councillors agreed that the trust would match that.

Other suggestions included approaching the Co-operative who members believe should be supporting local groups and the two housing associations, Dunbritton and Argyll Community Housing Association, which both have small grant funding available.

Over the next few weeks the club has to play three times a week to catch up and it costs them £79 a time to hire the pitch and pay for the referee.

Michael said that the situation had got so bad that some consideration had been given to moving the team to Dumbarton or the Vale of Leven where there are pitches available for hire.

The council also agreed to write to the Streetscene manager at the council offices in Blairvadach to see if anything can be done to alleviate the problems of flooding at the field.

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ksra
Unregistered User
Mar 19, 11:30
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hi we have a multi use games area in kirkmichael in helensburgh which hires to sports groups and general public check out website for details www.ksra.org.uk and prices pitch is floodlight for night time lets kirkmichael sports and recreation association

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