Wildlife woe is enough to drive Rob Roy batty
Word spread around the school like wildfire – could the mighty Bayern Munich really be training at Adamslie Park?
It was true, Kirkintilloch Rob Roy’s reputation for having one of the best playing surfaces in Scotland was recognised by the German giants who were using the facility ahead of a UEFA Cup tie.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and the rest had been responsible for a truancy rate which went through the roof at St Ninian’s High as S1, S2 and S3 sneaked down to have a look for ourselves.
That’s the nostalgia out of the way, as it’s all about the future for one football’s oldest clubs.
Adamslie Park now sits derelict, it has been for four years, the social club has long since been demolished.
It was the ground where every local kid aspired to play, Paddy Carr was who you wanted to be, not Davie Cooper or Paul McStay. They were, truthfully, “the only team I wanted to play for’’.
The Rabs were founded in 1878 and moved into their ground in 1930. But after making themselves homeless and taking up temporary lodgings in Cumbernauld, it was a familiar path towards a slow and painful death.
However, this is hopefully a story which will buck the trend of Scottish football’s scant disregard for our treasured institutions.
There is hope for the future for the Rabs after planning permission was granted for a multi-million pound sports development.
Subject to a string of conditions being met, a £3million purpose- built sports pitch and community building in the town has been granted by East Dunbartonshire Council.
But there’s a catch – and it involves bats. The site where Rob Roy plan to be rehoused is on the migration route for these f lying Satans and Wildlife Scotland could be about to throw a spanner in the works.
The issue has put the construction of a facility which includes a 3G pitch, multipurpose sports pitch as well as a community building at risk.
Other sports would such as cycling, taekwondo, shinty and gymnastics would also benefit from the development.
Being a homeless manager has taken a toll on Rob Roy’s Stewart Maxwell who has worked tirelessly to get his team back to Kirkintilloch. Like everyone else, he won’t believe it’s true until the first brick is laid.
Football isn’t short of an occasional blood sucker but let’s hope for once it’ll be a victory over the vampires and the Rabs are brought back from the dead.
Site for the club’s new home is on migration route for these flying Satans