It’s time to let Rabs home in on a new start
THERE was a classic TV advert in the 80s that showed a man chained to a chair clawing, just out of grasp, at a chilled pint of Scottish lager.
It’s a scene that springs to mind every time I read or hear about the agonising predicament Kirkintilloch Rob Roy finds itself in.
The three-times Scottish Cup winners might be four or five decades from their heyday. But a refreshing new future has been within grasp for the last five years in the shape of a proposed state-of-the-art new stadium in the heart of the community.
The only problem is that beacon of hope is in danger of disappearing, held back by red tape and bureaucracy.
Rabs manager Stewart Maxwell this week voiced his concern that the club would fold next summer if the development – on a site gifted by East Dunbartonshire Council – isn’t completed as planned in time for next season.
It’s five years since Rob Roy left Adamslie Park. The classic old ground was sold to a housing developer in the knowledge the new facility would thrust the Premiership club into a new era. Half a decade later they remain tenants of Cumbernauld United, haemorrhaging money by the month, losing a brassed-off fan base and without so much as a spade touching the ground at the proposed new ground next to Kirkintilloch Marina.
With his side cut adrift at the foot of the top tier, Maxwell said: “We’re bleeding at a ferocious rate. All we make is gate receipts and money off programmes. Being out of town means we’re losing supporters too.
“It’s hugely frustrating because the money from the sale of Adamslie Park is ring-fenced, untouched, ready for the new project to start.
“But there’s not much time left. This club is on its last legs and if it’s not in progress by the end of the year I can see Rob Roy finishing.”
East Dunbartonshire Council say they are awaiting detailed costs from the club upon which they hope to bring a report to council.
But Maxwell’s frustration is multiplied by the progress they’ve seen made at rival clubs who have opened similar venues in recent years, such as Clydebank, Benburb and Renfrew.
The opportunities and benefits to the local communities stretch far beyond the club and that’s something Maxwell hopes can drive the authorities on to accelerate the project towards a successful conclusion.
Maybe then it will be time to unshackle the chains and crack open a beer to a new future.