Kids’ pitch call is blasted by coach
An angry boys’ football coach has accused councils of launching“a knee-high tackle” on the grassroots game.
South Lanarkshire Council’s Land Services are in the firing line in particular, because he claims they won’t cut or line pitches after May, meaning games cannot be played at Hamilton Palace Sports Ground.
But a communication sent out to Central Scotland FA clubs states that the situation is much more widespread than that.
Grass pitches in North and South Lanarkshire, East Dunbartonshire and Clackmannan Council areas won’t be extended into the summer months and will be ‘taken down’ at the end of May.
There are 3G/4G pitches in North Lanarkshire throughout the summer months that clubs can use.
These are at Airdrie (2), St Ambrose in Coatbridge (3), Sir Matt Busby in Bellshill, Ravenscraig in Motherwell, one in Wishaw and at Bothwellhaugh, and four at Cumbernauld (Broadwood, Ravenscraig, Abronhill and Croy).
Due to these problems, several leagues won’t be able to be played to a finish, and many will offer clubs the ability to play friendlies from April 26 until early August.
Currently, teams aged 12 to 17 will be able to return on April 26, with 18+ from May 17.
The plan had been to extend the season so games can be played, but it will be difficult if clubs can’t use grass pitches.
The coach, who asked not to be named, said: “I coach grassroots football and we got word from Hamilton Palace that the Land Services are not willing to allow the season extension.
“All football was stopped due to Covid, obviously, and a lot of the seasons were just about done, and they still null and voided them.
“That was a sin because the kids had put a lot of work into it, and there were teams that were outright winners and couldn’t have been caught points-wise, but never got their trophy.
“They’re trying to avoid that happening, so they were going to extend the season into the summer as a oneoff, to allow the leagues to be played to a conclusion. But what they’re saying is that the pitches won’t be cut and lined and if they don’t get on board with this then it jeopardises the season.
“Kids up and down the country are absolutely choking to get back to their games.
“If this throws everything into jeopardy just because of Land Services it’s ridiculous.
“The season stops at the end of May and comes back in August and that allows the grass to recover from a full year of football, but they’ve not had that, the grass has not been used, so I don’t see what the problem is.
“It would be a knee-high tackle on the kids.
“The SFA and all that have decided it’s OK and then the next minute the guys in the lawnmowers are calling the shots? “That can’t be happening.”
South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture general manager David Booth said: “We are looking forward to the reopening of our grass pitches including Hamilton Palace Sports Grounds from April 26, which is when matches can begin again in line with the Scottish Government’s routemap.
“Our colleagues in South Lanarkshire Council have been lining and cutting the pitches ready for use, and they will be available for weekend and mid-week play up until the close of the current season at the end of May.
“We have been working closely with the leagues and clubs to help get youngsters back playing football and as part of that we are reintroducing midweek games to get as many matches played as possible this season.
”We share everyone’s disappointment that this season has been disrupted by the pandemic and we are working hard to put everything in place so that a full, regular football season can take place after this summer.
“Given the challenges of the last 12 months, that will require the full maintenance regime to be carried out on the pitches this summer to get them ready for the return of full league fixtures in the autumn.
“If we curtail that maintenance regime or reduce recovery time it would have serious consequences, including a very real risk that pitches would become unsuitable for later in the year, leading to yet another disrupted season.”