The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Disused green to be converted into beach volleyball courts
Perth to be home to permanent facility and will host 2019 SCA finals
Landlocked Perth is to get a permanent beach volleyball court.
The sport’s stars from Europe’s smallest nations will flock to the city next month for the finals of an international championship.
The Scottish Volleyball Association (SVA) is bringing the Small Countries Association Beach Volleyball Finals 2019 to Perth thanks to a partnership with the local authority.
Not only does this mean four days of international-level beach volleyball for the people of Perth, but it also allows for the creation of a permanent inland Beach Volleyball Centre for members of the public.
The court will be handed over to Perth Volleyball Club, currently based at Bell’s Sports Centre, after the competition, with organisers looking to pour in the sand before the first weekend in September.
The bowling green at Darnhall Tennis Club in the city’s Craigie area is being replaced by 400 tonnes of sand in order to provide the facility.
The Small Countries Association brings together 15 of the smallest volleyball-playing nations in Europe, from Greenland to Cyprus and Liechtenstein to the Faroe Islands, to create a more level playing field.
The 15 countries also include Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Ireland. As this event is in Scotland, there are three guaranteed places for Scottish pairs in both the men’s and women’s competition.
It has also been agreed to have a “wild card” pair in both the men’s and women’s competition from leading European federations. These pairs will use all of their experience and skills to try and spring an upset on the SCA pairs.
Darnhall Tennis Club chairman Gary Straiton explained that the disused bowling green had caused problems.
He said: “The bowling green stopped being used around 10 years ago.
“We’ve had problems with anti-social behaviour in previous years so we’ve been looking for something to do with it.”
Qualifying for the final four main draw spaces will take place on the afternoon of September 19, with more matches on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
SVA officials believe events such as the SCA Beach Finals are becoming increasingly popular following the announcement that beach volleyball will be a part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The bowling green stopped being used around 10 years ago. We’ve had problems with antisocial behaviour... so we’ve been looking for something to do with it. GARY STRAITON