Time to pitch up
Cambuslang club in call for better football facilities
A local football team and Cambuslang Community Council are calling on better footballing facilities in the area.
Cambuslang Football Club are one of the most successful teams in the county. Last week, the Reformer reported their 2000 team scooped a historic treble.
However Steve Fulton, who coaches the 2000 team, says they have to train at the Jock Stein Centre in Hamilton due to a lack of suitable artificial pitches in the area.
Steve brought his case to Cambuslang Community Council. Together they approached South Lanarkshire Council to see if they could take over the site of the old Peter Brownlee pitches at Caledonian Circuit.
They volunteered to be responsible for laying a new pitch and its upkeep but were ultimately knocked back.
Steve said: “We have to train at Hamilton, we need to use a 3G pitch that’s floodlit.
“It’s not ideal, as all our players are from the Cambuslang and Rutherglen area, so there’s a bit of travelling that ’ s involved.
“We need an artificial pitch as the grass gets unplayable in winter.
“There’s a distinct lack of facilities in Cambuslang or Rutherglen. There’s the pitches at Eastfield, but they’re too small.
“We need at least three quarters of an 11s pitch for our training. There are facilities in East Kilbride and Hamilton — so why not Rutherglen or Cambuslang?”
Treasurer of Cambuslang Community Council John Batchlor said: “Steve had approached us before regarding the lack of facilities in the area and did several presentations to the community council. It’s something we will support him in.”
Alistair McKinnon, community services head of support services said: “The council provides a range of sports pitches of varying size and surface type within the Cambuslang / Rutherglen area.
“These include full sized sand based synthetic pitches at Cathkin and Stonelaw High Schools and a large seven-a-side 3G pitch at Fernhill Community Centre all of which are available for training.
“This provision will be expanded in 2017 with the development of a new full size 3rd generation pitch within the new Newton Primary School campus.
“A new pitch strategy will be presented to committee for approval in September 2015 that highlights provision across South Lanarkshire and outlines opportunities to investigate further 3rd generation provision.”
There are plenty of facilities in East Kilbride and Hamilton, so why not Rutherglen and Cambuslang?