The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Brechin chief ’ s field of dreams
Brechin City chairman Kevin Mackie has revealed plans are under way to convert the club’s Glebe Park home into a multi-use community facility.
The Highland League club chief described the current level of use of the ground as “bonkers” and hopes the whole town will be able to benefit.
In order for that to happen the Glebe turf, renowned for its eyecatching designs by groundsman Neil Wood, will switch from grass to an all-weather pitch.
A new surface would allow locals the opportunity to use the surface all year round regardless of the conditions.
With the club’s plan to recruit more locally based talent, it’s also hoped the next Brechin City gem can be unearthed through the club’s community programme.
This all ties in with the aim to make the club more sustainable.
Speaking to Courier Sport, Mackie said the current set-up is not viable.
“This model is not sustainable where Brechin City turn up at Glebe Park and play for two hours, two
Saturdays per month,” he explained. “It’s bonkers.
“We have a phenomenal set-up there and that should be working – we have kids that can’t get on football parks in Brechin.
“We have to, for the community, give them an all-weather pitch and they can utilise it.
“Give the community the pitch, it’s lying there doing nothing anyway.”
The wheels are already in motion on the project and Mackie hopes to have new facilities in place and ready for the start of the 2023/24 season.
Ideally, says Mackie, the transformation of Brechin’s home ground would already be complete, but funding applications have been slowed due to the Covid pandemic.
“It drives me mad that we can’t move quicker and we need to get the funding in place,” he said.
“We are so determined to deliver for the local community the use of Glebe Park with new changing facilities where the kids look forward to playing on the park.
“That is everyone’s goal at the club: to give the community the opportunity, like Forfar and Montrose have done.
“We are working with the relevant authorities just now. The idea is we’d like to see if we could deliver it next summer.
“We’ve got so much space there that the club is underutilised. We want everyone to understand this is a community club.
“It’s located in an ideal area of the town and has a phenomenal car park.
“It’s there and we want people to come and use it.
“We are working with the Community Trust to utilise that and give young kids and the community the use of the facilities, that’s what we want to do.”