Blairgowrie sports clubs unite to ask for 3G training pitch

leisure: Council promises to take submission into consideration

Three of east Perthshire’s biggest sports clubs have banded together to ask the council to build a state-of-the-art 3G training pitch.

Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Football Club (BRCFC), Blairgowrie Hockey Club and Blairgowrie Rugby have all written to the local authority to ask if they will put a slice of the £17.7 million budget for the town’s new recreation centre towards the cost of the pitch.

It has been confirmed a 2G synthetic pitch will be part of the proposals for the overall development at Beeches Road.

The project will be funded by Perth and Kinross Council’s education budget.

The plea for two sports pitches in Blairgowrie has the backing of Blairgowrie High School and Active Schools along with representatives from the national governing bodies of football and hockey.

BRCFC chairman Sandy Thomson said: “Blairgowrie and Rattray represent the largest town outside Perth in Perth and Kinross and currently there is no fit-for-purpose synthetic pitch provision for football or hockey within the area.

“This is restricting the playing, training and growth of these sports in our town and the wider eastern Perthshire communities.

“Through the consultation process for the new centre, as a group of volunteers in our respective sports, we have come together to plan the most appropriate way forward to maximise the growth potential of these sports alongside satisfying a recognised school need for a 2G-type surface rather than a 3G one.

“If we were to have a 2G surface included at the recreation centre and a half-size 65 x 55m floodlit 3G training area at Davie Park, it would enable growth in all areas and in all sports.”

And Blairgowrie Hockey Club coach Susan Whiteford said the organisation is delighted with the proposals for a new astroturf pitch in Blairgowrie.

Fraser Bissett, president of Blairgowrie Rugby Club, said it was “good to be working” with the football club and hockey club on getting the “best facilities for the town”.

A council spokeswoman confirmed they had received the letter from the sports clubs asking for 3G provision.

“All comments received during the consultation will be taken into consideration,” she said.

We have come together to plan the most appropriate way forward to maximise the growth potential of these sports. SANDY THOMSON